At what age do parrots bond ?

[Juliette]

Hi ! i am finally getting a parrot ! im so exited
i have waited for this for 3 years , and have researched almost everything and even cared 2 weeks for my friends african grey ! best expirience of my life
i still dont know which breed , i am still doubting between a blue fronted amazon a conure or an eclectus , (these are my main doubts tomorrow im going to the pet shop to spend time with some different parrots to see which i liked best )
during researching , i found on yahoo a person that said that a parrot wont bond to its hand feeder , it will consider it as a parent and will later on bond with someone else ... is this true ?
and if so , will a parrot of 5 months old be ready to bond ? or will it consider me as a parent?
and if you have any tips about how to bond , which toys to buy , or advice
its all welcome !
(btw i am a sucker for cuddly , emotionally needy parrots ! )

 

[Birdman666]

Where to begin...

No, you don't have to handfeed the bird in order to bond with it, and that myth has led to the death of a great many baby birds at the hands of inexperienced hand feeders...

Parrots bond, over time, to the person they love, and feel loved by.

Being a parent bird doesn't mean they don't bond to you. Do you not mind your parents, love and respect them, and for the most part, do what they ask you to do? The same is true for birds.

OVERBONDING is a bad thing. Overbonding, especially with pair bond birds, leads to jealousy, and biting behaviors, either by (1) displacement biting you for paying attention to someone else, or by (2) biting anyone who comes near the bird that isn't you, or if the bird will go to someone else, by (3) displacement biting them the minute you enter the room.

THIS IS A BAD THING.

THERE ARE ALSO CONSEQUENCES associated for having a bird bond with you to the extent that it sees you as a potential mate. Everything from mate aggression to destructive nesting behaviors...

THIS IS ALSO A BAD THING.

Emotionally needy birds tend to turn into pluckers and tantrum throwers.

YOUR RESPONSIBILITY AS A PARROT OWNER IS TO RAISE A BIRD WHOSE EMOTIONAL NEEDS ARE SATISFIED, WHO IS WELL SOCIALIZED WITH OTHERS, AND WHO UNDERSTANDS THAT SINCE YOU ARE NOT A BIRD IT WOULD NEVER WORK BETWEEN YOU....

Emotionally needy gets old real fast! (Which is why so many toos end up in the rescue at AGE 5!)

CUDDLEBUGS YES. EMOTIONALLY NEEDY?! NOT GOOD.

 

[Birdman666]

Eckies are not necessarily the first bird I think of when I think cuddlebug. Some are, but they aren't the most touchie-feelie birds.

Conures and BFA's generally are. But they might not come that way. They get that way over time, as you work with them.

 

[Juliette]

thanks a lot ! and i didnt know parrots could see a person as a mate !
i am planning on getting my parrot at 5 months old (or a little older )
this helped me a lot , and i know that it is a myth i just wasnt sure if a parrot bonds with a handfeeder ! thank you

 

[Juliette]

i heard that about the eclectus , i just fell inlove with my grandmas eclectus , who has passed away recently :/
bt he was cuddly , but only with me , which was weird haha

 

[Birdman666]

thanks a lot ! and i didnt know parrots could see a person as a mate !
i am planning on getting my parrot at 5 months old (or a little older )
this helped me a lot , and i know that it is a myth i just wasnt sure if a parrot bonds with a handfeeder ! thank you

Yes sometimes they do, and bad things usually follow, especially if it involves an amazon, a U2, or a large macaw. I know someone who had a Scarlett macaw. The macaw decided he was in love with the guy - and tried to drive his human wife - out of the nest. Made her life miserable. Chased her around the house. Finally got ahold of her toes, and injured her. SWEET AS PIE to the husband! ACTIVELY COURTED the husband...

I have always said that you want to be the parent bird. The teacher, the protector, the one the bird turns to for "advice" when he is unsure. The one he goes to for comfort when he is in distress.

 

[Birdman666]

i heard that about the eclectus , i just fell inlove with my grandmas eclectus , who has passed away recently :/
bt he was cuddly , but only with me , which was weird haha

BIRDS PICK THEIR PEOPLE... It is a two way street. When looking for a bird, chose the one that also chooses you.

 

[Juliette]

Thats exactly what i planned on doing haha im gonna spend time with some parrots and see which one liks me

 

[Juliette]

Wow , creepy stalker bird ... i really do not want that to happen , and i know about the amazons hormonal problems ... specially ag spring right ? Mating season ...

 

[Nathan1]

Hi ! i am finally getting a parrot ! im so exited
i have waited for this for 3 years , and have researched almost everything and even cared 2 weeks for my friends african grey ! best expirience of my life
i still dont know which breed , i am still doubting between a blue fronted amazon a conure or an eclectus , (these are my main doubts tomorrow im going to the pet shop to spend time with some different parrots to see which i liked best )
during researching , i found on yahoo a person that said that a parrot wont bond to its hand feeder , it will consider it as a parent and will later on bond with someone else ... is this true ?
and if so , will a parrot of 5 months old be ready to bond ? or will it consider me as a parent?
and if you have any tips about how to bond , which toys to buy , or advice
its all welcome !
(btw i am a sucker for cuddly , emotionally needy parrots ! )

I've never heard of such a thing about a bird not being able to bond with whoever that hand feeds and it sounds like nonsense to me. Regardless, it's best that you adopt a fully weaned bird unless you're experienced with hand feeding. I usually adopt older birds from rescues myself.

As for what bird you should get, here's some info and you can decide what's best for you.

Amazons are more independent birds, sometimes they're in the mood for people, sometimes they want to be left alone and they'll let you know. Amazons get a bad reputation for that, but they're very calm birds that won't constantly demand your attention and get into things when they're out of the cage(Or at least not as much compared to other birds). They can be really sweet to. My Amazon will sit on my shoulder while I'm watching TV, or going about the house doing chores and he's completely happy with that and likes to watch what I'm doing. My other birds, however, will jump and climb all over me, pick at keys on the keyboard, etc. Amazons are known for having a good taking ability but they're also large birds which means loud noise. These birds are best reserved for experienced owners.

I don't know much about Eclectus myself, and I've never owned one but from my experience with a Female Eclectus I wouldn't recommend them to any novice. Females are well known for being territorial. In the wild, once the female finds a nest they stay there and defend it with their life and the males will feed them. This "nest" could end up being under your couch, table, anywhere and just like in the wild they will defend it with their life. However, males apparently are different so if you were to get an Eclectus I would recommend a male. Eclectus also have special dietary requirements, they eat mostly(I think 70-80%) fresh foods and a regular pellet or seed diet won't do. Eclectus are also known for their intelligence much like the African grey and they also rival the AG for mimicking ability.

Conures are very sweet birds, the "conure look" is hard to resist. Good birds for a novice and lots of fun. They're usually very "cuddly" but do have a tendency to become hormonal. Too much of that behavior will provoke that, it's best to limit touching them below the neck as much as possible. I would recommend a Green cheek conure because they're much quieter than the rest of the conures, and although sun conures may be very colorful they're also much noisier with high pitch screams which some people just can't handle, even owners of much larger birds. Conures don't have much of a talking ability and may not talk at all.

From these birds I would recommend a Conure, especially if you haven't owned a parrot before as they're good birds for someone with limited experience. Some people have problems with an Amazons "Moods", get frustrated and don't know how to handle it. Female Eclectus probably aren't as bad as I made out when properly trained, but a beginner is bound to have issues with them and they require a special diet as well. Also, larger parrots in general aren't good for any first time bird owner. Finally, you said you wanted a cuddly bird and a Conure would fit that best of these birds. So that's why I would recommend a Conure based on what you've said.

Oh, and remember you can't just judge what bird you want by the stereo types, for example I had a green cheek conure with a good size vocabulary(and was also very loud like all of the other conures), even though a lot or even most of them don't talk at all. Every bird is different as an individual and you shouldn't expect your bird to be the "Typical" of their species. Visit the bird first!

 

[Birdman666]

Wow , creepy stalker bird ... i really do not want that to happen , and i know about the amazons hormonal problems ... specially ag spring right ? Mating season ...

The hot 3 amazons, and BFA's are one of the hot 3's have very long mating seasons, and they are easily excitable. (4-6 months!) That doesn't mean they are bad birds. It just means there is stuff you need to know.

Amazon body language means something. If you don't know what it means, chances are high that you will get bit.

They are complex at times. Very independent/perch potato-ish at times. Goofy sometimes. Stubborn - pretty much always.

 

[Juliette]

Hi ! i am finally getting a parrot ! im so exited
i have waited for this for 3 years , and have researched almost everything and even cared 2 weeks for my friends african grey ! best expirience of my life
i still dont know which breed , i am still doubting between a blue fronted amazon a conure or an eclectus , (these are my main doubts tomorrow im going to the pet shop to spend time with some different parrots to see which i liked best )
during researching , i found on yahoo a person that said that a parrot wont bond to its hand feeder , it will consider it as a parent and will later on bond with someone else ... is this true ?
and if so , will a parrot of 5 months old be ready to bond ? or will it consider me as a parent?
and if you have any tips about how to bond , which toys to buy , or advice
its all welcome !
(btw i am a sucker for cuddly , emotionally needy parrots ! )

I've never heard of such a thing about a bird not being able to bond with whoever that hand feeds and it sounds like nonsense to me. Regardless, it's best that you adopt a fully weaned bird unless you're experienced with hand feeding. I usually adopt older birds from rescues myself.

As for what bird you should get, here's some info and you can decide what's best for you.

Amazons are more independent birds, sometimes they're in the mood for people, sometimes they want to be left alone and they'll let you know. Amazons get a bad reputation for that, but they're very calm birds that won't constantly demand your attention and get into things when they're out of the cage(Or at least not as much compared to other birds). They can be really sweet to. My Amazon will sit on my shoulder while I'm watching TV, or going about the house doing chores and he's completely happy with that and likes to watch what I'm doing. My other birds, however, will jump and climb all over me, pick at keys on the keyboard, etc. Amazons are known for having a good taking ability but they're also large birds which means loud noise. These birds are best reserved for experienced owners.

I don't know much about Eclectus myself, and I've never owned one but from my experience with a Female Eclectus I wouldn't recommend them to any novice. Females are well known for being territorial. In the wild, once the female finds a nest they stay there and defend it with their life and the males will feed them. This "nest" could end up being under your couch, table, anywhere and just like in the wild they will defend it with their life. However, males apparently are different so if you were to get an Eclectus I would recommend a male. Eclectus also have special dietary requirements, they eat mostly(I think 70-80%) fresh foods and a regular pellet or seed diet won't do. Eclectus are also known for their intelligence much like the African grey and they also rival the AG for mimicking ability.

Conures are very sweet birds, the "conure look" is hard to resist. Good birds for a novice and lots of fun. They're usually very "cuddly" but do have a tendency to become hormonal. Too much of that behavior will provoke that, it's best to limit touching them below the neck as much as possible. I would recommend a Green cheek conure because they're much quieter than the rest of the conures, and although sun conures may be very colorful they're also much noisier with high pitch screams which some people just can't handle, even owners of much larger birds. Conures don't have much of a talking ability and may not talk at all.

From these birds I would recommend a Conure, especially if you haven't owned a parrot before as they're good birds for someone with limited experience. Some people have problems with an Amazons "Moods", get frustrated and don't know how to handle it. Female Eclectus probably aren't as bad as I made out when properly trained, but a beginner is bound to have issues with them and they require a special diet as well. Also, larger parrots in general aren't good for any first time bird owner. Finally, you said you wanted a cuddly bird and a Conure would fit that best of these birds. So that's why I would recommend a Conure based on what you've said.

Oh, and remember you can't just judge what bird you want by the stereo types, for example I had a green cheek conure with a good size vocabulary(and was also very loud like all of the other conures), even though a lot or even most of them don't talk at all. Every bird is different as an individual and you shouldn't expect your bird to be the "Typical" of their species. Visit the bird first!

Thanks a lot ! this helped , i know you dont recommend the amazon , but he has fallen in my favor , i still dont know , i will let the parrot pick me , but i usually care for my friends parrot when she travels and i used to care for my grandmas parrot as well ... i have lots of patience and i wanted a rescue bird , i just didnt find a rescue center here in brazil ... (i live in brazil , but i dont know brazil very well yet )
thanks a lot !

 

[Birdman666]

Where in Brasil?

I have relatives in Sao Paulo, Assis, Prudente, and Rio...

 

[Nathan1]

Hi ! i am finally getting a parrot ! im so exited
i have waited for this for 3 years , and have researched almost everything and even cared 2 weeks for my friends african grey ! best expirience of my life
i still dont know which breed , i am still doubting between a blue fronted amazon a conure or an eclectus , (these are my main doubts tomorrow im going to the pet shop to spend time with some different parrots to see which i liked best )
during researching , i found on yahoo a person that said that a parrot wont bond to its hand feeder , it will consider it as a parent and will later on bond with someone else ... is this true ?
and if so , will a parrot of 5 months old be ready to bond ? or will it consider me as a parent?
and if you have any tips about how to bond , which toys to buy , or advice
its all welcome !
(btw i am a sucker for cuddly , emotionally needy parrots ! )

I've never heard of such a thing about a bird not being able to bond with whoever that hand feeds and it sounds like nonsense to me. Regardless, it's best that you adopt a fully weaned bird unless you're experienced with hand feeding. I usually adopt older birds from rescues myself.

As for what bird you should get, here's some info and you can decide what's best for you.

Amazons are more independent birds, sometimes they're in the mood for people, sometimes they want to be left alone and they'll let you know. Amazons get a bad reputation for that, but they're very calm birds that won't constantly demand your attention and get into things when they're out of the cage(Or at least not as much compared to other birds). They can be really sweet to. My Amazon will sit on my shoulder while I'm watching TV, or going about the house doing chores and he's completely happy with that and likes to watch what I'm doing. My other birds, however, will jump and climb all over me, pick at keys on the keyboard, etc. Amazons are known for having a good taking ability but they're also large birds which means loud noise. These birds are best reserved for experienced owners.

I don't know much about Eclectus myself, and I've never owned one but from my experience with a Female Eclectus I wouldn't recommend them to any novice. Females are well known for being territorial. In the wild, once the female finds a nest they stay there and defend it with their life and the males will feed them. This "nest" could end up being under your couch, table, anywhere and just like in the wild they will defend it with their life. However, males apparently are different so if you were to get an Eclectus I would recommend a male. Eclectus also have special dietary requirements, they eat mostly(I think 70-80%) fresh foods and a regular pellet or seed diet won't do. Eclectus are also known for their intelligence much like the African grey and they also rival the AG for mimicking ability.

Conures are very sweet birds, the "conure look" is hard to resist. Good birds for a novice and lots of fun. They're usually very "cuddly" but do have a tendency to become hormonal. Too much of that behavior will provoke that, it's best to limit touching them below the neck as much as possible. I would recommend a Green cheek conure because they're much quieter than the rest of the conures, and although sun conures may be very colorful they're also much noisier with high pitch screams which some people just can't handle, even owners of much larger birds. Conures don't have much of a talking ability and may not talk at all.

From these birds I would recommend a Conure, especially if you haven't owned a parrot before as they're good birds for someone with limited experience. Some people have problems with an Amazons "Moods", get frustrated and don't know how to handle it. Female Eclectus probably aren't as bad as I made out when properly trained, but a beginner is bound to have issues with them and they require a special diet as well. Also, larger parrots in general aren't good for any first time bird owner. Finally, you said you wanted a cuddly bird and a Conure would fit that best of these birds. So that's why I would recommend a Conure based on what you've said.

Oh, and remember you can't just judge what bird you want by the stereo types, for example I had a green cheek conure with a good size vocabulary(and was also very loud like all of the other conures), even though a lot or even most of them don't talk at all. Every bird is different as an individual and you shouldn't expect your bird to be the "Typical" of their species. Visit the bird first!

Thanks a lot ! this helped , i know you dont recommend the amazon , but he has fallen in my favor , i still dont know , i will let the parrot pick me , but i usually care for my friends parrot when she travels and i used to care for my grandmas parrot as well ... i have lots of patience and i wanted a rescue bird , i just didnt find a rescue center here in brazil ... (i live in brazil , but i dont know brazil very well yet )
thanks a lot !

Feel free to inbox me if you have any problems.

 

[Taw5106]

I received my Buddy two months ago after both his owners passed. We picked him up from the city pound due to the situation. After loading him and his cage into the back seat of our truck, we went to Sonic to get drinks. Buddy had his head pressed against the cage bars begging for attention and I started rubbing his head. No issues between he and I. Since then he loves me and he's between 10 - 20 years old. I think they can bond at any age, but just like humans it has to be a mutual click. Good luck!'m

 

[Juliette]

rio de janeiro

 

[Juliette]

i will haha , tomorrow is my first time visiting some parrot stores , just to find out where , and probably get a cage already and spend some time with the parrots

 

[MonicaMc]

Most of my birds are rehomes. A few of my birds are bonded to me, the rest aren't. I'm ok with that, since I don't need all birds to be demanding my attention to be happy! If they are happy 'as is', then that's fine by me! If they want more interact with me, then I'll provide it!


I've cared for 3 conures (still have two) and one african ringneck (new foster bird).

My first conure never really was like any other conure I had read about, but we still had a special understanding of each other, even if he was mostly a hands off bird. It was estimated that he was around 9-11 years old when I got him, but for all I knew, he could have been older than me!

My second conure, Charlie, was 12 years old when I got him. He didn't much care for me in his foster home, but once in my home, he was glued to me! That was nearly 8 years ago, and he's still stuck to me!

My third conure, Jayde, is 4 years old and I've had her for 11 months now. She and I didn't bond immediately, and she didn't bond with her foster mom of 6 months. She enjoyed scritches, but she was the terrified little bird that wouldn't leave her cage. Now? Ya, I can't get her off me, either! She went from not leaving her cage and biting a lot, to flying after me through the house and minimal biting! She's also my most social bird, and love to interact with female strangers! Which she does, most often, at the bird club meetings. When it's time to go home, she cusses me out all the way there! LOL She doesn't hold a grudge, but she just *really loves* interacting with people! People couldn't hold her or hardly interact with her at first, but that has certainly changed! She's always been a social bird, just couldn't handle her at first.



The ARN was never a pet bird as far as I can tell, so has no desire to interact with humans. I do hope to change that, though!




Point is though, that birds can bond with humans at any age! Even if they don't bond with you, they can still be trained! I have a male cockatiel over 16 years old (for all I know, he could be in his twenties!) that was previously a breeder but never a tame pet (as far as I can tell). He's very skittish and doesn't like being around people. Still, he's "tame" enough that he'll fly to me to eat food out of my hands, and he's even flown to me without food present and waited for me to feed him! I wouldn't consider him close to being tame at all, but he'll still do that! And since he learned to eat from my hands, he's become a bit less skittish!

 

[tinks]

I have an Amazon. They can be prone to being closer to one person than everyone. He is friendly with some but not all (prefers women and men without facial hair most often). We don't have much in the way of biting because I do know his body language and can tell how he feels by his movement and noises and as a responsible bird owner I don't let folks just go straight up to him. This comes with having them for a while. I got him at 8 years old. He is my baby and has bonded with me well. There is a component of truth to the bird picking you - but I had a Quaker who we rescued - he was a real butt head but I still loved him though he only loved my border collie.