Buying a Sun Conure

funkyismybirdie

New member
Jan 5, 2011
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Parrots
Funky The cockatiel
Hello:orange:

I really want a sun conure as they are Beautiful and intelligent I have a 1 and a hallf yr old cockatiel at the momment and love him sooo much!! I am under 18 so still live my parents. And they dont want me to get one :(

I really want to know peoples experiences with these birds..

I heard they scream heaps and mum or dad dont want that can you teach them to quiet down sometimes?

Do they make much of a mess? My tiel does

Is yours hand reared or parent reared?

Thats all for now:grey:
 

Beamer

New member
Sep 29, 2010
4
0
Colorado Springs
Parrots
Beamer a Sun Conure, hatched in May, 2010
I have a sun, got him last August and just luv him!

Things to consider: who gets him if ya move out...do your parents...or you?
They live a long time sumtimes to 25-30 years...are you prepared to make that commitment?
Also I believe a happy conure hasta have significant out of cage time. They can be very demanding...will you honor that relationship or do like so many when they just lock them and cover their cage!
My brother has a Jenday conure and is a bit more loud and eccentric...dont know if this is a factorbut he came from Petco and my Beamer came from a private breeder who raised him and weaned him with much care.
 

birdiemomma

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Dec 2, 2010
167
1
California
Parrots
My Hahn's Macaw Bella <3
You should also think about what you are going to do when you go to college. Will the bird be staying with your parents? Will you be living in a dorm? Going far away? Staying close? etc...
 

Beilana

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Jun 14, 2010
843
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Calgary, Ab, Canada
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Chia!!!! Cinnamon GCC
Sometimes as human beings we see things and instantly become obsessed and want, want, want without really thinking it through. Definitely take the time to do some research if mom and dad every say "yes" to you getting the bird.

Here are some things to consider:

You said your parents don't want you to get one, this would leave the sole responsibility if you were to get one, on you. You must ask yourself

Where are you going to college and can your birds come with you?

Are you willing to spend the time they need as you go through school, social activities etc?

Can you provide the money needed for veterinary expenses?

If he turned out to be a screamer what would you do?

Hopefully someone will chime in and give you some experiences they have with their sun conures. Personally I visit one in the pet store quite a bit and they are such charmers!!! So beautiful, sweet, and cuddly. I absolutely adore them! Unfortunately their voice is just a tad too high pitched for my condo.

Good luck, I hope you find all the information your looking for.
 

cghoosier21

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Nov 8, 2010
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Indiana
Parrots
Black Capped Conure- Rocky (hatched 5/8/10
An idea you might want to consider is maybe getting a green cheek conure they arent as loud and dont scream a whole if at all and they come with the same goofy and cuddly factor as a sun conure. When I had my tiel I went away to college for a year and thankfully my parents took care of him but I was hom almost every weekend so I got to still play with him. Now I live at home and have a black capped conure which is similar to a green cheek and he is one goofy anx cuddly bird and love hime to death
 

Von1983

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Sep 3, 2010
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If you want my honest advice as a sun owner.....wait!

I first fell in love with the sun conure at the age of 21-22.

I had my own home and worked full time as a retail manager. These birds cannot be left alone for that amount of time. Their little hearts would be broken. They need SO much interaction it is untrue. My girl would be out of the cage and on my hand 24/7 if she could. I knew that as much as I wanted to have one of these bundles of fun and joy, it wasn't fair to do so at that time.

I met Dave, we bought a shop and house combo and then got married. We'd been here a year and things were going well financially. We'd got our two dogs and brought our kitty, bunny and guinea from the home I used to live in. I knew I could finally get my sunny and BOY am I glad I waited.

Cal is in the shop with us in the daytime and in the evening she has her out of cage time. She needs constant supervision during out of cage time and she must have it every day. The diet I have chosen for her to be frank, is expensive. Avian vets cost a lot of money and although hardy, I do not believe sunnies are as robust as the tiel. She's certainly not as easy going! She is bossy, reached fever pitch when screaming before I spent the best part of a fortnight persistantly teaching her "no shout". My husband had to do this too for it to work - luckily he loves her very very much.

This past month alone I have spent about £100 on her (Around $75-80, I think?). This is excluding the fact she has TWO cages all furnished out with many MANY toys and perches. This is not to say I HAD to, but I believe if you take a bird or any animal into your home, they need to have the best of what you can afford.

Could you afford to give a sunny everything that you felt was best for it? Could you afford a good quality pellet that costs around £20 for a months supply? Organic fruit, veg and nuts from the supermarket that cost more towards the £30-50? Could you afford an Avian vet check which is bog standard at around £40 every 6 months? Not to mention emergencies. Could you afford to buy umteen toys that need replaced and swapped round twice a month? Can you afford a big enough cage?

Most of all, can you spend the majority of your day with this bird? Taking time to train him, get to know him, form a bond and be absolutely certain that you will be here for him until one of you passes on?

With all due respect, I am guessing the answer to the majority of these questions is no. I have waited the best part of a decade to bring a sunny into my life and now I have, I wouldn't be without her.

I know how you feel and how much of a pull these wonderful little clowns have. I genuinely do. But I can also tell you that if I had ignored my sense of right and wrong and purchased that first sunny I met, he would not be with me now. You go through so many changes from your teenage years and into adulthood. Situations occur unexpectantly and a sunny needs stability like any pet.

Parrots are said to have as a general rule, emotion needs and intelligence of human toddlers. By my reckoning, if you aren't ready for a human child, you aren't ready for a parrot!

I know it isn't what you want to hear, you want us to say "Yay, go for it!" but if you do, you will be doing it for selfish reasons, not because you are able to provide a good home.

I hope that you understand! One day when you are settled in your own home and financially able, you will have your sunny and it will be SO worth the wait, I promise.
 

SharonC

New member
May 26, 2010
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A big problem that I see here is that you live with your parents, and they don't want you to get one. Not everyone can live with birds, especially one as noisy as a Sun Conure. Wait....until you get your own place, and your life is more stable.
 

Mrspy

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Jul 13, 2010
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Parrots
Green Cheeked Conure: Kiwi

Pacific Green Rumped Parrotlet: Peeps
That's quiet a detailed reply in the above. I personally would take her advice as well. I don't know you but if you're going to go to college I wouldn't invest in such a demanding kind of parrot. I don't have any experience with sun conures but i've read many post in this forum about their behavior and it seems they need a bucketload of attention. I was in your situation about 6 months ago, trying to decide if I wanted a green cheek. I did a lot of research to see exactly what I was getting my hands cut out for and I finally decided to get one. Could another type of conure that's not so demanding be another option for you? Or is your mind set on a sun conure. I wouldn't be drawn just by the sun's colors. I personally think they are one of the most beautiful birds in the entire world! But the screaming/screeching is almost intolerable. I LOVE my green cheek. He's quiet, goofy, fun to be around, and loves people to death. He does have his moments of chirping loudy, but these would probably be a sun conures "quiet" kind of sound. I'm probably assuming when I say that so you should get if from someone who has an actual sun conure. Anyways, that's my opinion on the matter. I hope you make the right decision in your eyes.

Here's an idea, get on youtube and look up "sun conures screaming" and listen to some videos. See how far you can go before you crack. I didn't make it very far lol!
 

Von1983

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Sep 3, 2010
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lol....they are indeed condemned for their screaming, but this is managable.

It's all about time and patience.

The screaming is a walk in the park to deal with because sunnies are so intelligent but you still get morning/evening and occasional grouch yelling.

Cal sounds like a smoke alarm running out of batteries. This is the noise she chose instead of screaming when you enter/leave a room etc.

However, all my above points still stand. As suggestions for another type of conure, I can't comment as I have no experience. However, my heart tells me that the factors remain the same.

I was fortunate enough to have a lot of pets as a child but only the ones that my Mum would allow, knowing full well there would be a time I'd leave home.

I was 18 years old and moved from Scotland to England. I was glad my mum didn't let me get all the animals I desired because it was hard enough just leaving Poppy dog and Boon kitty behind.

This is just my opinion of course, but it is based on common sense, matters I can relate to from the heart and life experiences. I can't offer you anything more I'm afraid!!!
 
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funkyismybirdie

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Jan 5, 2011
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Funky The cockatiel
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Thanks for that. On what you are saying with college and stuff It might not be the best Idea especially cause I want to be a vet ( 5 yrs training ) I might get another teil as my perants dont mind them and mum loves to get funky out!
 

Pedro

New member
Dec 15, 2010
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Australia
Parrots
2 Budgies, 3 Cockatiels, 6 GCC'S, 2 Crimson Bellie Conures, 9 Sun Conures, 2 Major Mitchells, 12 Eclectus parrots of various ages, 2 BF Amazons, 2 Hahn's Macaw's, 1 Red Tail Black Too
Very good advice from all posters. I might also add that as they age they can become very territorial & if flighted can attack people who they think is a threat to their human flock. In other words if your sun bonds to one person in the family the rest of the family will cop a few bites.
 

Boss Hawg

New member
Nov 18, 2010
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Lexington, NC
Parrots
Sun Conure
I have had a sun for 4 years and love him to deatbh, however he is the loudest little thing I have ever heard, demands attention, messy and has to be watched every minute he is out because he get's in to everything.. But, I wouldn't trade Jack for the world
 

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