Need help with conure!

[Midnight]

Hi I recently got a 7 month old gold capped conure around 2 weeks ago. When I first brought her home, she got out of her carrier by herself and flew right to the cage door. For the first two days whenever I open the cage door she flies right out and goes on my shoulder but she would never step up on my finger no matter how much I try. I stopped taking her out after those two days since I heard that even though she wants to come out, I should let her get used to my me first and get her to understand that if she wants to come out, she has to step up first. Now she doesnt seem to want to come out anymore won't step up either. I've been trying to put my finger near the door and hold a sunflower seed in the other hand and try to get her to come but she usually gets close and tries to reach with her beak. I know not to rush birds and so I haven't been doing too much but sitting beside her and talking. The thing that got me a little confused is that she loves it when people are near her, whevener she sees me she will come as close and she can and wherever I go she follows in her cage. She eats and drinks perfectly fine as well. She can even take food from my fingers with little to no problem but whenever I try to get her on my finger she starts twitching her wings and bobbing her head so I'm not sure what I should do next? She was handled as a baby and she loved it when the breeder scratched her head and tummy. Is there something I am doing wrong? Or should I just keep talking to her and wait without trying to get her to come to me?

Thanks

 

[MonicaMc]

For the first two days whenever I open the cage door she flies right out and goes on my shoulder but she would never step up on my finger no matter how much I try.
Have you tried finding out what her favorite treat is?

If you can find out what her favorite treat is, then you can try a little backwards training. Instead of asking her to step up, because she may not know how to step up, teach her to walk down your arm to your hand for a reward!

That is, she looks at your hand, reward. She moves her head towards your hand, reward. She takes a step towards your hand, reward. And slowly get her walking down your arm to your hand for said reward! Repeatedly rewarding her each step of the way! Then once on your hand, keep rewarding her for being there!

I stopped taking her out after those two days since I heard that even though she wants to come out, I should let her get used to my me first and get her to understand that if she wants to come out, she has to step up first.
I don't agree with this...

When I got Jayde, my red throated conure, she was 3 years old and both terrified of physical interaction and demanding it at the same time. It was so sad to see her beg for attention, but the moment I walked over to her, she'd run away in terror. I walk away, she'd attempt to follow without leaving her cage.

She used to be terrified of stepping onto hands, but would easily come off of her cage if she had direct access to my shoulder. I ended up teaching her that hands are "ok" by scritching her with one hand as I moved my other closer to her feet (while trying to avoid getting bitten!). Not only that, but I worked with her from stepping up to my shoulder from her cage, then my upper arm, then my elbow, then my lower arm, then my wrist.... slowly teaching her that hands don't need to be a scary thing!

If your bird wants to interact from day one, then let it! If it doesn't, that's ok, too! Work from the cage earning the birds trust! Instead of forcing Jayde out of her cage, I just wheeled her cage around the house so she could spend time with me without leaving the comfort of her cage! I even installed a perch on the outside of the cage so she could come sit near me but still be on her cage. I really think this helped a lot!


Now she doesnt seem to want to come out anymore won't step up either. I've been trying to put my finger near the door and hold a sunflower seed in the other hand and try to get her to come but she usually gets close and tries to reach with her beak.
If she's coming towards you, REWARD! Any behavior towards you should be rewarded! She doesn't have to touch you, she just needs to learn that you equals good things! And as she gets more comfortable with you, you can ask for more... i.e. standing even closer to you, touching you with a nail, touching you with two toes, putting a foot on you.... and finally, stepping up!

Break it down into tiny steps! Work with what she's willing to give you!



Although she's 7 months old, I half wonder if she wouldn't mind some warm, mushy foods... like steamed carrots and/or sweet potatoes. You can even add in some bananas or nut butter for extra flavor. Feed slightly warm.

Or maybe even try sharing healthy food with her, just don't feed her anything you've bitten off of!

 

[Midnight]

For the first two days whenever I open the cage door she flies right out and goes on my shoulder but she would never step up on my finger no matter how much I try.
Have you tried finding out what her favorite treat is?

If you can find out what her favorite treat is, then you can try a little backwards training. Instead of asking her to step up, because she may not know how to step up, teach her to walk down your arm to your hand for a reward!

That is, she looks at your hand, reward. She moves her head towards your hand, reward. She takes a step towards your hand, reward. And slowly get her walking down your arm to your hand for said reward! Repeatedly rewarding her each step of the way! Then once on your hand, keep rewarding her for being there!

I stopped taking her out after those two days since I heard that even though she wants to come out, I should let her get used to my me first and get her to understand that if she wants to come out, she has to step up first.
I don't agree with this...

When I got Jayde, my red throated conure, she was 3 years old and both terrified of physical interaction and demanding it at the same time. It was so sad to see her beg for attention, but the moment I walked over to her, she'd run away in terror. I walk away, she'd attempt to follow without leaving her cage.

She used to be terrified of stepping onto hands, but would easily come off of her cage if she had direct access to my shoulder. I ended up teaching her that hands are "ok" by scritching her with one hand as I moved my other closer to her feet (while trying to avoid getting bitten!). Not only that, but I worked with her from stepping up to my shoulder from her cage, then my upper arm, then my elbow, then my lower arm, then my wrist.... slowly teaching her that hands don't need to be a scary thing!

If your bird wants to interact from day one, then let it! If it doesn't, that's ok, too! Work from the cage earning the birds trust! Instead of forcing Jayde out of her cage, I just wheeled her cage around the house so she could spend time with me without leaving the comfort of her cage! I even installed a perch on the outside of the cage so she could come sit near me but still be on her cage. I really think this helped a lot!


Now she doesnt seem to want to come out anymore won't step up either. I've been trying to put my finger near the door and hold a sunflower seed in the other hand and try to get her to come but she usually gets close and tries to reach with her beak.
If she's coming towards you, REWARD! Any behavior towards you should be rewarded! She doesn't have to touch you, she just needs to learn that you equals good things! And as she gets more comfortable with you, you can ask for more... i.e. standing even closer to you, touching you with a nail, touching you with two toes, putting a foot on you.... and finally, stepping up!

Break it down into tiny steps! Work with what she's willing to give you!



Although she's 7 months old, I half wonder if she wouldn't mind some warm, mushy foods... like steamed carrots and/or sweet potatoes. You can even add in some bananas or nut butter for extra flavor. Feed slightly warm.

Or maybe even try sharing healthy food with her, just don't feed her anything you've bitten off of!

Thanks for the advice! It really helped I let her come out today and she came out on her own and she even stepped on my arm I'll follow what you said and slowly get her to come on my hand. My birds name is actually Jade, similar to yours haha

 

[MonicaMc]

Let us know of the progress with Jade! I look forward to hearing about it!


My Jayde was originally "Petrie", but "Petrie" laid an egg, and she was temporarily renamed "Kiwi" since it was kind of similar. I've already had one Kiwi bird, and I'm not too fond of the name, anyway. She actually got her name from "Jenday", that, when typed on a phone, auto-corrects to "Jayden". It's just Jayde though, not Jayden! LOL

 

[VolcanoBakemeat]

yeah, conures are just stubborn. give her a while to figure out your body language and you hers, then communicating with her will get easier. treats help!