Sunsets in Hawaii and liking the floor

[Boki]

I apologize for the title of the thread for those facing a nasty storm on the mainland this weekend. But I need some experts to mull over these long term questions.

Yes I do live in Hawaii and I have awesome views of the sunset every evening. I also noticed before I got my 6 month conure, all of the wild birds do a nose dive into the brush right before sunset.

Today, I noticed my new conure was flying all over the cage right before sunset. It was like Loki was afraid as she never did that before. But she was clipped and now seems to getting her flying strength back. So I threw the cover over the cage and she seemed to calm down.

The thing I wonder if I should try to let her see sunsets over time and she can learn that her cage protects her or do I cover her cage every time? I do know that she needs 10-12 hours sleep and fortunately that is pretty much standard daylight/night cycle here. But I can't help think that the fear of sunsets is bad for her and interferes with her accepting the cage as her safe place.

A different problem. I was led to believe that birds abhor being on the floor. The whole shunning method is based on disliking the floor. But when I try to put her on a perch outside the cage, she prefers to like the floor and flies down there.

I know I am over thinking this but someone mentioned that some parrots sometimes do a floor domination thing. I can't remember where I heard that and was wondering if that is a true behavior? I prefer to keep my birds wings clipped until I have her trust. Too many risks in house with high ceilings.

 

[wrench13]

Make a stand alone perch, used only for time out use. Should be segregated from the family action.

 

[OutlawedSpirit]

I wouldn't be too convinced that Loki is scared of the sunset. It is common for birds to get "worked up" right at sunset because it is when they get ready to settle in for the night and because they are flock animals, they call for the rest of their flock to all gather for the night. Loki may just be getting worked up because the rest of her "flock", you, were not coming to roost with her like she expected. When you came to cover her cage and she calmed down, you had joined her for the night, so she was okay then.

 

[Jen5200]

I haven’t experienced much “domination” behavior from any of my conures. I don’t use the floor for shunning because I have a cat - the cat is locked in a room when the birds are out, but I never want mine to be used to heading to the floor just in case. I use a perch or a chair back or any other place that “isn’t any fun” for their time outs. With the sunsets, I would just keep an eye on Loki and see if she gets used to them - or if she copes better when you are in sight. Otherwise, you could try covering her just before sunset and see if that helps.

 

[ChristaNL]

I almost never use the floor - african greys love to fourage there (wild and captive), so there is no fear of low places. I just *really* turn my back and ignore the living daylights out of them.

Sunny thinks of the floor as a great place to play...so that's it pretty useless as well (to use as punishment).






I agree with Outlawed: sunset and sunrise are busy times for the flock. It's not panick, it is just making sure everybody is where he/she is supposed to be and doing whatever it is they are supposed to be doing

 

[YSGC]

In the wild birds feel, and are, safer up high than they are on the ground where many flightless predators stalk them.
Even with that instinct my conure (hand-fed and always-flightless) gets around the house by walking on the ground.

Previously he'd only go on the floor to walk directly to me or to one of his perches that are scattered around the house.
But lately he's actually begun to spend time playing and exploring on the floor so I have made the floors even more bird-safe, and I keep a close eye on him.

About your sunset question, I can't imagine a bird being scared by such a natural and gradual daily occurrence.
There must have been something else happening then that startled Loki.
If sunset coincides with her bedtime, and that's when you always cover her, cage then do so.
But if not I would not cover her cage temporarily just during sunset to "protect" her from it.
I have to believe that sunset is so natural that she'll just get used to it.

That said I have noticed that when it is dark in the room a bird is in it does not like to be alone, out of the cage.
I think that makes them feel vulnerable and unsafe as they'd not be able to see a predator approaching.

When trying to understand my bird I try to suspend what makes sense to this human and consider what a bird (after zillions of years of evolution in the wild) would think.