Hello,

Me and my girlfriend have recently purchased a green cheek conure from a breeder and he isn't very well socialized with humans. By that I mean he is really afraid of us to the point where he goes to the furthest corner of the cage even when we stand up from where we are sitting.

We have had little PACO for about a month now and he is only 4-months old. We have had his cage in my house for about three weeks now and we move it around the room every couple of days.

He currently has a couple of toys rotated around his cage, and seems to like the bells the most. He doesn't really care for the treats we have for him and we have two different types.

We have a Conure behavior book that we are trying to decipher his behavior from but we just feel stuck because we feel like he is still as scared, if not more scared, of us than the same day we got him.

Does anybody have any tips/advice/help for us, it will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you

-Tony and PACO

Tips: with any new parrot you need to move slowly. He is afraid of everything that is new, including you. They are prey animals and anything new is viewed as a predator, that is until bonding has taken place. I would suggest you not move the cage around for now so the bird gets used to a routine. They need a good 12 hrs. of sleep in a dark, quiet room with no TV, Music or conversations (night lights OK). Some people get a sleep cage for this. Talk quietly, sit by his cage and sing or read to him so that he gets used to your voice. Do not push him please. He needs to trust you before you do anything in the way of training.

http://birds.about.com/od/livingwith...-Your-Bird.htm

Hi Tony & Paco, first i have to question whether or not Paco was hand-reared. If he was taken from the nest at an early age & fed formula from a syringe or spoon this normally would take the fear factor away & once weaned he should trust humans. I take most of my chicks at 4 weeks. I breed Green Cheeks, Suns & Crimson Bellied Conures & i know from experience if the birds are not played with once weaned they tend to get a bit bitey. That said it usually only takes a few days of handling to get them super friendly again.

I feel with all the changes in such a short time the poor little thing isn't real sure of anything. A few things you could try is to leave his cage in the same place & don't rotate his toys until he is comfortable with his new environment. Cover the cage except the front so he feels secure. Open the cage door to see if he will come out by himself. You have to gain his trust. And if Paco was parent reared you will have to work much harder to get him to trust you.

Did the breeder show you how to handle your bird??? I can pick my babies up & cuddle them, roll them on their backs in the palm of my hand & tickle their tummies.

Thank you Spiritbird, I will keep this in mind when I am around Paco

Pedro, I only recall the breeder saying that he would bite at first and that we would need to tame him, leading me to believe that he probably wasn't hand fed. When we got Paco we never came into personal contact with the breeder, he arranged a ride from southern California to the central coast. This further makes me think that I should leave his cage and area alone for a while.

How do I know when he is comfortable in his area? Would I be able to go to a Petsmart or Petco to be shown how to handle him?