Do your conures lay on their backs?

FlyBirdiesFly · Oct 29, 2018

I’ve seen a lot of videos online of GCCs and other conures playing on their backs. I’ve never seen Kermit do this, even when he was a baby. I’d really like to teach him the “roll over” trick, but he isn’t comfortable with me handling him. Do your conures lay on their backs? If so, how do you get them comfortable with it? Are there any other ways to teach the roll over trick? Kermit isn’t fond of being touched.

Skittys_Daddy · Oct 29, 2018

To answer your question, yes, it is a common conure behavior. Not necessarily every conure will, but when they do its nothing to be alarmed about.

I wish I had some tips to give you as I think its absolutely adorable. But the only tip I can give you is this- our fids are in their most vulnerable position when they lay on their backs so for them to do it requires complete trust. I didn't teach Skittles to roll over on his back, he just started doing it.

I wanted to teach him that 'shotgun trick' that I've seen online, but I never really tried.

If I can offer any tips its this, gain as much trust as you can from your fid and use treats as rewards. Start slow and try not to push it (limit training sessions to 15min MAX- usually 5min sessions are good) and expect that it may take time.

When Kermit is sitting on something flat (not a perch, but rather a table or blanket etc) try cupping your hand underneath one of his sides and tipping him over while saying 'rollover'. I'm no expert by any means.

For me, I love doing different things to find little quirks in Skitty's personality and then exploiting them, lol. I love encouraging him to expose his uniqueness.

Skittles LOVES to sit on my shoulder and he behaves when he's on it which is why he is pretty much allowed unfettered access. One day, he started doing this out of the blue. Total diva on display.

Squeekmouse · Oct 29, 2018

Yup! Yoda loves to lie on his back. He didn't at first. I started out holding him with my fingers around his back and my thumb in his paws. We'd tilt him back and then forward again and give him a treat. In time he would roll over onto his back in our hands whether we want him to or not.

This is how he likes to be carried around the house:

Laurasea · Oct 29, 2018

Yoda you are my spirit bird!!!! My GCC laid on her back as a baby but not since. But she likes to be held close to my face in an upright position. Very snuggly

FlyBirdiesFly · Oct 29, 2018

I’ve noticed lots of people describe their conures to be very cuddly, affectionate birds that bond closely with their humans. Kermit doesn’t fit that description at all. Why is he so different?

Skittys_Daddy · Oct 29, 2018

Well, conures are by nature 'cuddly' animals, but that doesn't mean they will all be cuddly. Just like certain birds are known to be talkers (Amazons, Toos, IRN, AGs) but not all of those actually do.

That being said, how long have you had Kermit? That is a significant factor. It can take anywhere from a few days to a few years to form a strong bond. Do you have any ideas as to why he doesn't like being touched? Does he not like being touched at all? As in, no scritches, no petting? If its just that he doesn't like being "handled", that's not entirely uncommon. Being held is the equivalent to being restrained in their view and not all are comfortable with that.

Skittles wasn't a big fan of it at first, but now he's fine for a short time, but prolonged handling, he doesn't like. I like to play "airplane" with him. I hold him like a toy airplane and go around the apartment making airplane noises. lol.

FlyBirdiesFly · Oct 29, 2018

Skittys_Daddy said:
Well, conures are by nature 'cuddly' animals, but that doesn't mean they will all be cuddly. Just like certain birds are known to be talkers (Amazons, Toos, IRN, AGs) but not all of those actually do.

That being said, how long have you had Kermit? That is a significant factor. It can take anywhere from a few days to a few years to form a strong bond. Do you have any ideas as to why he doesn't like being touched? Does he not like being touched at all? As in, no scritches, no petting? If its just that he doesn't like being "handled", that's not entirely uncommon. Being held is the equivalent to being restrained in their view and not all are comfortable with that.

Skittles wasn't a big fan of it at first, but now he's fine for a short time, but prolonged handling, he doesn't like. I like to play "airplane" with him. I hold him like a toy airplane and go around the apartment making airplane noises. lol.

I’ve had Kermit for a little over a year. He started off liking/tolerating scritches and some touching, but I think he developed a negative association with it because I sometimes grabbed him/picked him up when he didn’t want to, so he could “get used to it”. I understand this is terrible and it’s probably why he doesn’t trust me very much now. He does step up and fly to me, but he only occasionally allows scritches. Everything has to be on his terms, and he’ll fly away and get scared if you push it. Right now I’m training him to let me put my hand over his back, and he’s still very cautious. What I’m doing is luring him toward my hand with the treat and only giving it to him when my hand makes contact with his back. Sometimes he allows it, other times he runs away. The good thing is that he doesn’t bite me; I don’t think he has enough confidence to do so.

Rival_of_the_Rickeybird · Oct 29, 2018

I do recall the wife's Bird lay on his back to play with his feet until he was maybe 8-10 years old. I presume he then gained dignity or machismo and has been upright since, the better to threaten me with his adorable open beak.

Laurasea · Oct 29, 2018

If he Developed s fear of hands you can still overcoming that

! I tried the force your bird type of thing to a flight harness with Ta-dah , terrible wrong I know!!! Well of course she developed s fear of hands and me we lost trust! All she did was bite and run from me!! It took us six months to get over that!! Treats lots of treats and sweet talks. We over came and became snuggle bunnies again. But she will not lot next touch wings now or tail , I can cup her in my hands but I can't just touch her in the middle if the back. I hope you can get back to check ruffles and head scratches. I think you can! Many here have posted , to act like they are a new bird that just came home and start back at the beginning!!

Jen5200 · Oct 29, 2018

Kermit is not the only one who isn’t cuddly! I have 4 conures and no two are alike - and none of mine lay on their backs.

Tango (GCC) is not cuddly at all - he steps up without fail, wants to ride around on my shoulder, allows occasional scritches, loves to do tricks, and loves to always be watching what I do but does not cuddle. Baby (sun) is snuggly some of the time, allows scritches on her terms, loves to ride around with me. Bindi (sun) is a snuggle fiend and Velcro bird, completely trusting and still doesn’t lay on her back. Stanley (GCC) likes scritches most of the time and is sometimes a bit snuggly - but its not all the time, he’s usually busy doing “birdie stuff” and he definitely wouldn’t be caught on his back.

wrench13 · Oct 29, 2018

So to confuse things further, my Amazon, Salty plays with his foot toys in his cage and he is on his back playing with them. He also plays on his back while he is in his cargo net. Salty will also cooperate doing the "Dead bird" trick.

Sandy19 · Oct 29, 2018

My senegal likes laying on her back in my hand. When she steps up on my finger, I gently, but firmly cup her back with my other hand and lay her backwards so she is facing me and laying in my hand like I'm carrying a dinner plate. It's a submissive position kind of like getting a dog to lay on its back. Obviously the bird has to step up consistently before you can start the cup and flip. Peanut does it on her own now, after she steps up she flips over like a little acrobat. And when she rolls over she says ut-oh which is really cute.

Skittys_Daddy · Oct 30, 2018

If you've only had him for a year its totally possible to re-train him to be less afraid of hands. That may likely be why he is having a hard time. But again, it could just be that he doesn't like it.

As far as the "everything has to be on his terms", welcome to conure parronthood, lol. Skittles can be like that too. He has his moods.

Skittles has a MAJOR 'fabric fetish' and as a result, it was easy getting him used to being restrained. For example, he loves towels and so when the vet holds him, he is very calm cause he's wrapped in a towel.

When I go to pet Skittles, my hand approaches him from the top and goes towards his back and he will usually slouch forward knowing I'm going to pet him. I could totally see him having a nasty reaction to that if he was afraid of hands.

clark_conure · Oct 30, 2018

the first time I saw clark I literately saw him in the pet shop cage flip onto his back. Since I got him he's comfortable on his back he sometimes goes to his back to play fight, but I haven't seen him just front somersault like he did when I first saw him. But in general he's fine on his back if he's being played with or petted. or held.

Flboy · Oct 30, 2018

The only time My JoJo is cuddly is when he is soaking wet right after a bath! As for laying on his back? Nope! A trick that works for me when flipping him over, I count to three! He will tolerate it for the count!

Davesgirl93 · Oct 30, 2018

I have a sun conure that only lays on his back when he's playing. We discovered it totally by accident. We were showing him toys while on the bed and he was apprehensive and backed himself into a corner (hubby's armpit LOL), then just flipped on his side one day and stuck one foot in the air. I was so fascinated he would do that that I instinctively started trying to tickle his belly. We did it over and over again, and now sometimes he just runs across the couch or bed and lays on his side, flips a foot up as if to say "come play with me" and we do the tickle game. He rarely just lays completely on his back, but he does flip onto his back sometimes. He's usually up against something when he does it, almost like he's afraid to lay flat on his back in the open.

Sunnyclover · Oct 30, 2018

My Finley (Nanday) used to play on his back but now he goes on his back in my palm anytime because I taught it to him as a trick but rarely plays on his back anymore. I can keep him on his back in my palm for a long time...and carry him around like that if I want to haha. Paris my GCC will allow me to put her on her back and give her scratches but doesn't go on her back on her own but seems to enjoy it. Ollie (Sun) will let me put him on his back in my palm but he hates it but tolerates it lol.

EllenD · Oct 30, 2018

First of all, yes, MOST Conures do love to lay on their backs, as they are little clowns, and they often show-off by rolling-over on their backs, or they do it while playing, or they sleep on their backs. My Green Cheek, Bowie, loves to sleep on his back in his hammock and while snuggling against my neck, and I taught him "Play Dead" where he'll roll onto his back in my hand and go limp, lol...I've actually seen some of the young Green Cheeks in Petco come up to the front glass, trying to get my attention while I'm buying pellets and seed across the aisle, and they'll roll onto their backs with their feet in the air, showing-off and saying "take me home with you!"

That being said, each bird is an individual, and not every Conure will like to be on their back, it's just how it is...

However, if I were you, before I worried about teaching your Conure any "tricks" or anything like rolling onto his back, I'd be much more concerned with building a bond with him and hand-taming him so that he can be handled and will readily step-up for you, fly to you, let you pet him, etc. That's far more important that trying to teach him tricks like this, and not only is it more important, it's going to be extremely difficult to train your bird to do anything at all because you haven't yet earned his trust....Once you earn your bird's trust and he'll step-up for you and you're able to hold him and pet him, he'll be much more willing to listen to you and pay attention to what you're telling him to do or trying to show him. Right now if you try to start teaching him tricks, he's going to be anxious and far more concerned with what you're hands are doing, where your hands are, if they're getting close to him, etc. So I'd start working with him every day on hand-taming/trust-building, and once that comes then you can start teaching him to do tricks, and it will be much easier...

FlyBirdiesFly · Oct 30, 2018

EllenD said:
First of all, yes, MOST Conures do love to lay on their backs, as they are little clowns, and they often show-off by rolling-over on their backs, or they do it while playing, or they sleep on their backs. My Green Cheek, Bowie, loves to sleep on his back in his hammock and while snuggling against my neck, and I taught him "Play Dead" where he'll roll onto his back in my hand and go limp, lol...I've actually seen some of the young Green Cheeks in Petco come up to the front glass, trying to get my attention while I'm buying pellets and seed across the aisle, and they'll roll onto their backs with their feet in the air, showing-off and saying "take me home with you!"

That being said, each bird is an individual, and not every Conure will like to be on their back, it's just how it is...

However, if I were you, before I worried about teaching your Conure any "tricks" or anything like rolling onto his back, I'd be much more concerned with building a bond with him and hand-taming him so that he can be handled and will readily step-up for you, fly to you, let you pet him, etc. That's far more important that trying to teach him tricks like this, and not only is it more important, it's going to be extremely difficult to train your bird to do anything at all because you haven't yet earned his trust....Once you earn your bird's trust and he'll step-up for you and you're able to hold him and pet him, he'll be much more willing to listen to you and pay attention to what you're telling him to do or trying to show him. Right now if you try to start teaching him tricks, he's going to be anxious and far more concerned with what you're hands are doing, where your hands are, if they're getting close to him, etc. So I'd start working with him every day on hand-taming/trust-building, and once that comes then you can start teaching him to do tricks, and it will be much easier...

Kermit is not entirely afraid of me - he steps up, flies to me on command, waves, spins around, lifts his wings on command, does a flip around a perch, and plays fetch. He just doesn’t like to be touched or petted.

FlyBirdiesFly · Oct 30, 2018

Good news!!

Kermit allowed me to put my hand on his back today and even grab him and lift him up. I don’t know if he’ll ever be ‘cuddly’, but I know he can fully get over his fear of hands. He’ll be letting me flip him on his back in no time!

Do your conures lay on their backs?

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RIP Phillip, you'll be missed...

GCC acting sick for attention?

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