Very Timid New Conure - HELP!!

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I just brought home a Cherry Head Conure that my friend and the owner of Adventures in Birds is letting me have for a week to see if she would be a good addition to my flock ( last week my 11 year old Love Bird was killed ). This Cherry Head was the last of 5 babies that went to homes rather quickly and left this little one alone. Though she was hand fed she has been caged alone and not handled for many months. The first day at my house she was so scared she did not move or seem to even breath. I have let her get comfortable and sat with her while cuddling my other birds. She is now eating and exploring a little on day 3. The weird thing is she is terrified to step up or be picked up , BUT she seems to love to be held and cuddled and stroked. A few minutes ago I got to hold her after a minute of her terrified efforts to get away from me - as soon as she was perched on my hand she relaxed and as I stroked her she went to sleep!! I do not get this!! How do I get to the cuddling with out scaring her??

 

[Ratzy]

Are you quarantining?

 

[apatrimo94]

Well, you want to make your hand look as fun (and safe) as possible. Hold her favorite treats and coax her to step up with them.

 

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Why isn't anyone writing back

 

[Aussie Ben]

If its only been a few days then I wouldn't be expecting too much. Its great that you have gotten as far as you have. I think its going to come down to continuing what your doing and being patient, try to avoide pressuring the bird into stepping up. My tiel used to be the same and still is sometime, it just takes patience and perseverance. As a94 suggested, try using rewards and treats to make the experience more enjoyable. He just needs to understand that your not going to hurt him - hands are big and he is only small so its quite daunting to be picked up.

 

[ClaudePi]

yeah definitely what Apatrimo and Ben are saying kinda mix them together. You dont want to associate yourself with anything negative. The cuddling is great, but the longer she struggles when you ask to step up, the longer it will take for her to realize that she can do it calmly too. Have you thought of clicker training? She may be too scared for that, but you can also try just giving her a favorite treat, tiny tiny bits so she doesnt sit there forever eating. But you just hand her some treats so that she realizes, hands have happy things to give!! You keep doing this till she starts to run over to your hand to get the treat. Then you can try getting her from point A to point B using the treat. Any A to B, like from a perch to a hand-held perch, making her step up to the other perch. Then when she gets the hang of that, try going from the perch, to your hand. Always make sure that the treat is far enough away that she has to walk to get there, but close enough to entice her. It may take a bit for her trust to build up, but I am sure she will figure it out.