Birds on the shoulder - opinions??

Christie71 · Feb 9, 2016

Hello-
So I have my second ever conure (first was a gcc). I just adopted a Sun Conure. I was able to get him/her from an individual who couldn't care for him anymore.
Anyway- our local bird store (fantastic place!) recommends, strongly, that people not allow their birds on their shoulders. The reasons sited were: agresstion, dominance, and it is what causes a bird to have a favorite person. Basically they like to be high and the person they are on doesn't have good control.
So- what are your thoughts? And if you don't allow your bird on your shoulder what do you do while your just living... And how do you prevent it?
Thanks!!! :orange:

chris-md · Feb 9, 2016

They are wrong. It's an individual thing. Some birds behave themselves perfectly well. Others don't and can never be allowed on a shoulder. Just depends on the bird. You'll get to know where your bird stands pretty quickly. The many birds I've had in my life were all shoulder birds (budgies, a conure, and my current eclectus).

kimbell · Feb 10, 2016

my GCC spends the majority of his time climbing all over me, my shoulder, my head, my arms, I'm his playground lol. whenever I first got him he would get sassy while on my shoulders if I attempted to take him off. I don't call it aggression because he never bit me or lunged, he just got sassy and let's me know he doesn't like it. but now that we've 100% bonded, I can get him on and off my shoulder no problem.
however when he is with new people, he does get upset when they try to take him off their shoulder. normally I have to put out my hand and tell him to step up.
I don't know about the height thing either.. I'm hardly 5'0 so practically everyone is taller than me, and my bird loves me more than anyone or anything.
it probably depends on the bird, the person, and the training
edit: also with the "favorite person" thing, I'm not sure but I think it's typical and there's nothing wrong with a bird having a favorite person. from what I've seen and read on the forums (at least with conures) most every bird has a favorite person, not that they don't like other people but that they have one person who they tend to love over everyone else. the person who speaks sweet to them, gives them food and water, toys, the person they see the most, etc. I don't think being allowed on shoulders has anything to do with a bird having a favorite person.
but I'm only giving my opinion, I have no clue

ZephyrFly · Feb 10, 2016

kimbell said:
my GCC spends the majority of his time climbing all over me, my shoulder, my head, my arms, I'm his playground lol. whenever I first got him he would get sassy while on my shoulders if I attempted to take him off. I don't call it aggression because he never bit me or lunged, he just got sassy and let's me know he doesn't like it. but now that we've 100% bonded, I can get him on and off my shoulder no problem.
however when he is with new people, he does get upset when they try to take him off their shoulder. normally I have to put out my hand and tell him to step up.
I don't know about the height thing either.. I'm hardly 5'0 so practically everyone is taller than me, and my bird loves me more than anyone or anything.
it probably depends on the bird, the person, and the training
edit: also with the "favorite person" thing, I'm not sure but I think it's typical and there's nothing wrong with a bird having a favorite person. from what I've seen and read on the forums (at least with conures) most every bird has a favorite person, not that they don't like other people but that they have one person who they tend to love over everyone else. the person who speaks sweet to them, gives them food and water, toys, the person they see the most, etc. I don't think being allowed on shoulders has anything to do with a bird having a favorite person.
but I'm only giving my opinion, I have no clue

My Pazu still does this! Sadly I think its cutee so I cause my own problems there's but my bird is very well behaved on shoulders, he likes to climb around and we make good frames.

As for favourites, shoulder or not they'll have a favourite (probably). Our birds need to b well socialised, the problem people have with over bonding is their bird isnt socialised enough with other people. They can have a favourite but they need to know how to behave with other people.

LoveMyConlan · Feb 10, 2016

My Sun loves shoulder rides and since I trust her she has unlimited access. My Green Cheek on the other hand is on a Behavior based allowance. She can be a witch, and while she won't bite my face, if I ask her to step up from my shoulder she'll bite. So if she's behaving she can sit there. But the first time she tries to bite, I knock her off, she gets a time out, and she loses privilege that day.

It's all in how much trust you two have. If she's comfortable with handling and you trust hey, give it a try. Don't ever put a bird you can't safely handle on your shoulder. A bite to the face can be more serious than a hand bite.

JerseyWendy · Feb 10, 2016

Christie71 said:
Hello-
So I have my second ever conure (first was a gcc). I just adopted a Sun Conure. I was able to get him/her from an individual who couldn't care for him anymore.
......

IMO it entirely depends on the bird whether they have shoulder privileges or not. Since you just adopted the Sunny, I'd be cautious, however. You have to remember that once your bird is on your shoulder, it's next to impossible to read their body language.

Having any bird firmly attached to ones nose, lips, or elsewhere in the face, is quite unpleasant. :54: I've also seen and heard of some rather disfiguring injuries that were caused by bigger birds that were allowed on the shoulder.

svheartsdesire · Feb 10, 2016

I read a good article about ten steps of bird training..started with having the bird stepping up and come out of the cage..and went from there..numbers nine and ten were to be able to hold the birds wing and gently raise it and the last was riding on your shoulder without having your ear pierced or your glasses thrown to the floor...well..we got to number ten...we go out a lot..art shows..the bar and having Ivan on my shoulder just makes things easier...Bill

Anansi · Feb 10, 2016

Definitely an individual thing. And Wendy is absolutely right. You should probably know your sun better before allowing shoulder privileges.

I don't think height dominance is a factor at all. My birds have always been trained to step up immediately from my shoulder (or head, when Jolly feels like acting the clown) without aggression or attempts to flee.

That, plus the fact that neither is a displacement biter, is why they are allowed shoulder privileges at all. (Well, Maya's shoulder privileges have been temporarily suspended, as she bit me for the very first time a few weeks ago during a particularly hormonal moment. On the hand, not the face, but still. Lol)

But if either one was a displacement biter, they would not be shoulder bird material. You can't read body language while they're up there, and you'd always be one surprised moment away from an unintended facial piercing.

Christie71 · Feb 10, 2016

Ok- all valid thoughts. Thanks for sharing. So I guess here is my problem then. My sun goes straight for the shoulder.
How do I prevent that?? Or does she not come off the cage unless she steps up? And then- how do prevent a bird from tuning on to my shoulder?
She hasn't bitten- at all. But she will go to the middle of your back where she can't be reached. And she will fly if someone else goes to get her.

Anansi · Feb 10, 2016

Bend your arm at the elbow to make the trip to your shoulder from your forearm more difficult, and then block with your hand so that she has to step up.

You'll likely have to do this REPEATEDLY. Some parrots are VERY determined. And as for those times she just flies straight to your shoulder, you can use a treat to entice her onto your hand... and further reward her for actually staying there.

If this isn't a trial period, however, but rather a permanent measure where you've decided not to ever allow her onto your shoulders, I'd treat it slightly differently. Basically treating the shoulder as a forbidden place, telling her "no" and giving it more of a negative association.

Christie71 · Feb 10, 2016

If she can behave I don't have an issue with the shoulder- espcially after hearing everyone's thoughts on it. She does take food from me so I will try that- and I'm sure it will take time for her to understand the hand doesn't mean being put back in the cage over time.

Christie71 · Feb 10, 2016

When I said favorite person I meant becoming a one person bird. I should have worded it better.
I will try to food luring to get her comfortable with my hand.

Dinosrawr · Feb 10, 2016

Congratulations on your new addition!

All birds naturally want on your shoulder. It took Shiko about one month of learning that crawling straight for the shoulder wasn't acceptable until he stopped. Shiko is currently a great shoulder bird for anyone, but previously he had a tendency to bite ears uncomfortably hard and because of that he was a hand-only bird.

My conure is a horrendous displacement biter with a record of biting me on the face, so I just don't let her on my shoulder anymore. She'll seek my face out to bite it if she's displeased with something, so she definitely does not have the appropriate temperament to be traveling along side my face. In the first year I had her it was fine, but the following years it got worse and so now it's a strict ban. It's all been from jealousy, to anger, to fear responses.

Just try to learn your bird first before giving them all of the freedoms they want. I've learned that having a bird earn your trust and vice versa is very important in feathery relationships [emoji4]

mh434 · Feb 10, 2016

All of our birds (all 9 of 'em - Conures, Lovies, Amazon, & CAG) are shoulder birds. We've never had a problem with it and, if they're in a cranky mood (particularly the 'Zon!), we simply don't let them up in the first place.

thekarens · Feb 10, 2016

We have our mac is always allowed on the shoulder, our grey is never allowed on the shoulder and the sennie it depends on the mood. It truly does depend on the bird and you really need to know your bird. Our grey bird displacement bites if he's startled or if another pet gets too close. It's not worth the risk with him.

Christie71 · Feb 10, 2016

That makes sense. I'm going to keep working on the stepping up and coming to my hand for treats. She hasn't bitten once but definitely wants to be in charge (who doesn't! Lol). The main reason she was rehomed was they couldn't take her out enough so I think she is just trying to avoid being put back.

Birdman666 · Feb 11, 2016

1. As long as they behave and don't displacement bite, I'm fine with birds on shoulders. The only bird I own who isn't allowed up there is my CAG. (Who displacement bites from time to time when something upsets him.)

According to the book macaws and amazons are never supposed to be shoulder birds. Problem is, my birds can't read, and are cuddle bugs... so they don't know that.

Skittys_Daddy · Feb 11, 2016

With all due respect, pet stores and vets don't know it all nor are they always right.

I'm sure they all have the best of intentions, but the fact is there is no 'one set of rules' with parrots. The individual bird is the biggest consideration you have to look at. Some things work with some birds, some things don't.

Simple observation will let you know if there is a territorial issue with your bird and your shoulder. Once you observe that, you have to nip it in the bud ASAP.

IMO, it's important to allow your bird to have different places around the house to perch (all at different heights). Skittles has a playstand atop his cage, a separate playstand on the other side of the room as well as a play perch attached to my desk. He knows where he can perch. I suspect that if I didn't provide him a variety of 'play places', he'd probably be much difficult to deal with out of the cage.

JellyBean · Feb 12, 2016

When I first got JellyBean - I felt guilty about letting him on my shoulder or head (he really does love the top of my head... specially when I play piano!) because I read all those things about dominance etc. Anyway, I just loved JB being with me, so I ignored it all. What I didn't ignore was "you bite" You get scolded and time out!! and lots of socialising with other people. He is has such a personality - I think he does not realise how small he is... when people come over to our house.. he wants to perch on everyone.. join in on the talk.. attempt to drink their wine and eat their food!! He has no fear!!!! Lol....

Moral of my tale.. your parrot on your shoulder is such a lovely bond... enjoy it!!!!

Birds on the shoulder - opinions??

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