What do YOU think of Mango's progress?!?

[lisa6373]

Yesterday was two weeks since we brought Mango home. Within this past week, she started playing with her toys and even enjoyed a bath or two. This was something she didn't do the first week which had a me a little concerned, but turns out it was just part of settling in...

Now on to how she interacts with me. She'll take treats from my hand. Even from my open hand when she would only take it from my fingers last week. I've started making her come to the edge of her cage to get the treats figuring this was the last step before actually stepping up, but as hard as I've tried, she won't make the move to step to my hand/finger from inside her cage.

She'll come out of her cage on her own and when she ends up on the floor, she will step up from the floor but not before trying to run away from me. She'll tolerate me petting her and one day actually sat with me for an hour without making any attempt to move, but that isn't the norm. Every other day when I've tried to get her to stay with me she flies away as soon as she has the chance.

The newest development is that when I was cleaning and rearranging her cage yesterday she started grooming me! She was preening the hair on my head and on my arms. Even gave me a "kiss" which I'm sure was more about her trying to check out my mouth lol. I must admit I was a bit afraid she would bite my lip!

I read that the grooming means that they like you? If this is the case, why doesn't she want to be with me??

I know it's only been two weeks, but when I read about others whose conures are cuddly from day one it's a bit disheartening. I know all birds have their own personalities but is Mango's attitude toward me now a sign of the future??

 

[MonicaMc]

Please don't feel disheartened! Every bird is an individual!

When Charlie came to me, he instantly clung to me! However, when in his foster home, he wanted nothing to do with me! I took him away from a situation he had been in for a year, and once home, I was the only thing familiar to him, even though I was with him a few days and he didn't really know me then.

Jayde on the other hand is a completely different story. When she first arrived, I could give her scritches but I could not handle her at all. When she decided she wanted to physically be with me, she had to climb from her cage to my shoulder. At first, these sessions were short, because she'd become terrified and wanted the safety of her cage again. However, over time, her confidence grew and her trust in me got stronger. It took weeks for her to get comfortable enough to climb onto my shoulder without hesitation, then to climb onto my arms, and from my arms to my hands. Whenever I asked her to step up on me at a different body part, she'd try as hard as she could to avoid the new area by stretching her body over it so as to not touch it. Well, it took months, really. Now she's ok with stepping onto my hand as long as we do a little 'routine' first!


http://www.parrotforums.com/conures/36663-long-overdue-intro-jayde-red-throated-conure.html

 

[inge]

I inherited a conure who is 6.5 yrs old, and she was already trained quite a bit, but when I brought her home, it seems that we started over. I am not sure it is quite the same, but it has taken several weeks to build trust and re-train our birdie. My conure doesn't cuddle.

 

[Skye]

I agree with everyone! Its not unusual for her to still be a bit skittish before starting to warm up to you. I got my conure Lola almost a month ago (she is about 7-8 months) and although she comes out of her cage since I have been able to teach her to step up (finally) there are some days she is moody and decides she doesn't want to play and I have to do a little convincing. Sometimes it feels like one step forward, two steps back, but don't let that discourage you! They live so long that two weeks is nothing in the grand scheme of things. I also was wondering HOW some people were blessed with a bird that just seems to be instantly comfortable but just like people every bird must have their own unique identity. Just be patient and Mango will warm up to you

 

[Iceeyy]

I had the same problem with my Green Cheek Sunny! I read up so many different techniques on how to train them to step up. This is what I did! I took a paint stick and had Sunny step up on to it. He obviously felt more comfortable stepping up on the stick then my hand. I took him into another room and set him down on a portable perch where he couldn't see his cage. I had him step up on the stick with my hand all the way on one end and had him on the other. Gradually I moved my hand along the stick with each time I asked him to step up. Until finally I put my finger on top of the stick and had him step up! I felt so accomplished! I made sure to treat him every time he did something right! Sunny loved apples. After that he was okay with stepping on my finger! Now, for the most part, Sunny will step up on my finger from the cage! He even allows me to scratch his head and give him kisses! Good luck!

 

[Dustbunny]

Sometimes it feels like one step forward, two steps back, but don't let that discourage you!

Boy isn't this the truth! Except I was just telling my husband last night it feels more like I only get 1-1/4 steps forward before my new 5-year-old GCC PB yanks back. Just today I was cooking and chopping for PB and practically everything I gave her she flung aside and then tried to bite me in disapproval. These same things a week ago she liked.

Last night I felt confident she was accepting my hands near her on the portable perch at last. Today the bites started all over again with renewed vigor. *sigh*

PB is doing her best to teach me not to have expectations and to just be content with whatever she throws at me. I'm not there yet, but she is a persistent teacher. I just have to give her time. Hehe, patience, another lesson. Perhaps Mango is just trying to help you too?