How can I train a baby sun conure to PREVENT noise issues?

[summerday]

Hi,

I have been in love with sun conures for as long as I can remember and am finally getting one in a week. I am so excited, but at the same time a little nervous.

The place I am moving to is extremely pet friendly, and sporadic screaming is not an issue. However, I am worried that my sun conure might develop a habit of screeching for hours (as I heard quite many of them do).

I have read numerous articles about how to STOP the problem once it occurs, but I would also like to know what I can do when the conure is still very young and is not making much noise yet.

I also plan on harness train her.

Any other general tips would also be greatly appreciated!!

 

[Birdman666]

Mine was NEVER a screamer. He would go off in the morning when I got up, and again when I got home from work.

If I was home, he was out.

The way you get them not to scream is to structure the interaction so that the same basic routine happens every day. AND the other important thing is to teach them to self entertain. This is mealtime, this is when I get my interaction with people, this is when I am on my own, and this is when we go to bed.

And the last thing you do not do with any bird, is reward screaming. He doesn't get what he wants by screaming. He gets what he wants when he quiets down and behaves...

Many screaming problems are "human." They inadvertently train their birds to scream by reinforcing and rewarding the screaming behaviors.

DO NOT YELL at your bird when he screams. When he screams, answer back in a whisper. He will have to get real quiet to hear you...

 

[ErichT]

My sun only gets loud when someone comes to the house, most of the time before the dogs even here anything. She will scream loud if the house is loud.. If the kids are playing music or talking loud then Kiwi and her will join in the fun. When her water bowl/pellet dunking container gets to dirty it is a screaming moment as well. Routine helps and hurts though, If I am running late from work they will start to get loud even if the kids are home.

 

[Birdman666]

My ex wife told me my sun conure used to recognize the sound of my car from about a block away... (He was out and free flighted at the time.) Where ever he was, he would immediately vocalize, and fly to his perch in the hallway by our front door. My "greeting" would start before I even got out of my car.

The minute the door opened, he would fly to my shoulder "Hi Papaya! How's my bird." And then tuck himself inside my shirt with just his head sticking out.

Yeah. He was an amazing little bird! I still miss him terribly...