How "in your face" are GCC *really?!*

[erinyay]

Hi, all!

I'm in the very early stages of researching conures, with the ideal hope of getting a GCC in 6-12 months (my partner and I need to sell our house and resettle beforehand!) and have one very pressing question that I can't find an adequate answer to elsewhere:

Do GCC *have* to be literally touching your face/giving lip-kisses/etc all the darn time (as I've seen in countless videos) to thrive, or can they be trained to stay out of faces without sacrificing their emotional wellbeing?

I ask because, well, I don't like things--other people, my dog, hair, wind--in my face unless I want them there! Since they're such smart little birds, it seems as though training (I was a R+ dog trainer before having kids and am very excited about the prospect having of a talking, flying dinosaur to train and love and cuddle) they can be taught boundaries and to "respect" personal space.

What do you think about a GCC for someone who is touchy about her face in specific?

Thanks so much! I've been reading this board for a while and am learning so much!

 

[Phlox]

You can teach any bird to avoid your face by not letting them near it, but GCCs are very tactile birds as a general rule and need a lot of physical affection (usually, but not 100% of course.)

I actually got a 2nd bird, a MBC thinking it might make my GCC a little less wanting, but now I have earmuffs. They are just as velcro together as Phlox was on her own.

Your face can be protected, but if you don't want to be touched or are touch adverse, you might want a different bird, like maybe a cockatiel who are affectionate but less touchy-feely.

 

[ErichT]

My GCC likes to be near me but not on me and is never near my face. My sun Conure is much more a cuddle bug.

 

[Selestine]

Hmm.. my GCC isn't too bad about it. She likes to kiss you and she loves to preen my husband's beard but if she's getting annoying and you stop her, she'll leave it be.

Not the sun. He would kiss me until my lips fell off. If I tuck my lips away so he can't get to them, he tries to shove his beak (the entire thing) up one of my nostrils. If I take him off, he'll try to scramble back up and do it again.

I'm sure I could train him out of it if I were less lazy about it, but yeah.. no one -taught- either of these birds to kiss. They just do it.

 

[MrsKay]

Finch make nice pets and you won't have to handle them. Make sure you get them a flight cage

 

[LeaKP]

If you get a young bird, you can train them not to go near your face. If they like to cuddle, they can cuddle in your lap or hands. They love cuddling in blankets and such. So cute!

 

[erinyay]

Thank you all! You're making me very hopeful!

This is exactly what I can't stand (and is one of like 900 reasons I'm looking at green cheeks instead of suns!):

Not the sun. He would kiss me until my lips fell off. If I tuck my lips away so he can't get to them, he tries to shove his beak (the entire thing) up one of my nostrils. If I take him off, he'll try to scramble back up and do it again.

It's really just things darting into my line of vision then touching my face without my actual permission that is just beyond obnoxious to me, so I can totally handle and enjoy snuggling and petting and all that other tactile stuff.

Thanks again! This is a great resource!

 

[ACE209]

I have two extremes of the GCC spectrum. Sunny the in your face, pay attention, kiss me, love me or I'll die bird. Then there's Echo the who cares what your doing, saying "you do you bruh."bird. I think each GCC should be taken as individuals and not grouped together as all the same. So existing personality and training play a huge role. Hang out with the bird before you decide to take it home, get to know them.

 

[Birdman666]

They can be feisty/playful.

Don't think of them as conures. Think of them as shrunken macaws.

I'm used to dominant greenwings that haven't been especially well trained. THAT is an in your face bird.

So, green cheek? At most if he's in my face, I get a pin prick, and he gets a trip to the floor.

Conures, macaws, senies, amazons, SC2's ALL have attitude... it's part of their charm.

 

[Mudkips]

How literal should we take the phrase 'in your face'?

I have a VERY attached parrot, and the worst it gets is small fluffy bundle perched on my shoulder, leaning up against my neck as close as possible. It might sound a little bad, but he's lighter and softer then a tennis ball, he doesn't make any sound, and he holds on well enough that I can go about my business without having to worry about him falling off.

Also, GGCs are quite small. If he's on my shoulder and I'm looking forward, he can't possibly reach my nose/mouth, although he has easy access to my ear (which he thankfully leaves alone).

If that sounds too 'in your face', you'll have to ensure your GGC has someone else to bond with other then yourself, as they need a best friend to spend many hours chilling out with.

 

[BoomBoom]

Agreed with Mudkips on this one. Our captive parrots already have a lot of restrictions placed on them as involuntary inhabitants in human households. Being touchy-feely is one activity that they have left which brings them comfort. While, yes I do not doubt they can be trained, I am sure given the chance, they would enjoy sitting on one 's shoulder. Whilst on the shoulder, the chances of them sneaking kisses and preens on your face rises exponentially.

It would be a constant source of anxiety for you to dodge these shows of affection as it would be for them to be constantly reprimanded for it. Might I suggest, as one member put it, an equally affectionate but potentially less touchy feely parrot such as a cockatiel?

 

[kq_fan]

Lilo is very cuddly in my face. She snuggles up and kisses my face all over! I love it but I understand where your coming from. They are very social birds and loooovvveee snuggles! But It will depend on how social your bird is. Some are very demanding like my Lilo and some are more docile. Let me just say they are more like having a Macaw than a small bird! Lilo thinks she IS a human!
Like Phlox said, you can train them not to.

 

[faeryphoebe1]

I'm not sure that one could "train" a conure to not be cuddly. My GCC is more spirited and fiesty than she is cuddly.
However, when Trixie wants cuddles and kisses she does come up to the face for that attention.

 

[EnglishMuffin]

If you don't want a bird that's in your face, why don't you consider another breed? A poicephalus might suit you better- they are cuddly still but a bit more independent than a GCC. I can't help but think you'll regret it if you do get a GCC, they generally really are velcro birds and very demanding and needy!