Scared conure

[Newjaw]

I just received a 9 month old bcc. I have had it exactly 1week ago today. It will come up to visit when I look at her in the cage but the minute she sees my hands she go to the opposite side of the cage. She won't go near my hands at any time. I even open the door of the cage to see if she will come out. She haggis on the door until I approach the cage and she is back in again. What do I do? Someone told me to put a blanket over my hands and grab her. I don't want to freak her out. Help!

 

[Amanda_Bennett]

1 week is not very long for her to get used to a new environment and a new person.

I wouldn't grab or force her to do anything. Be patient and let her go at her own pace. It could take weeks or months for her to understand you aren't going to eat her for dinner!

Try sitting by her cage talking or reading to her in a soft voice, offer treats through the cage bars. Eat something safe for her to have and make a big deal about how yummy it is and then offer her a bite. Most parrots are food motivated so offering treats will help build trust and a bond with you.

 

[Mudkips]

Definitely do not grab her unless you absolutely have to (in emergencies and such).
She is already showing that she doesn't trust your hands, and forcing them onto her will only set your progress back by weeks, if not months.

You will need to work on building trust with your parrot by showing her that your hands mean no harm to her. This involves things like not having your hands move quickly or erratically around her, and trying not to approach her from the back or from above. The best way would be to not even try to pick her up or touch her. Simply try to gain some basic level of trust/friendship first, then you can build on it with some tricks later.

 

[SoCalWendy]

Try a sprig of fresh millet. Offer it a couple times a day. First through the cage bars then when she is comfortable, open the door and offer it to her from your hand. Move slowly, and stay calm. Keep doing this until she is comfortable with your hand. Soon the will associate your hand with food, or something good. Then you can move on to a favorite fruit or veggie. It will take some time, so don't rush it. You want to gain her trust, so don't push too hard. Watch her body language, if she moves away respect her space. The more you respect her clear signs of being uncomfortable she will start to relax.