Conure started to be scared of me

[mamolis]

Hi guys so two days ago my conure Kiwi started to be scared of me, when I walk to the cage he screams ( im not sure if its because when he screams a lot i put a blanket over the cage sometimes, i heard its good to keep them calm and stuff)
and he doesnt eat from my hand now, only he grabs a bite and skittishes away, im not sure why. I havent done anything snd I felt like we have been making progress on bonding, he would eat from my hand no problem even biting my fingers and sometimes placing his foot on my finger but now its i dont know. Ive had him for a few months and this never happened. Is this fixable? Can I start maybe forming the bond between us as if I just got him?

 

[zERo]

How long have you had him?
Birds will seem to make good progress with bonding one day and then the next act like it never happened.
I’d keep giving him treats and positively interacting with him.

 

[wrench13]

Has anything changed in your appearance or clothing? Some parrots go nuts if you get a haircut, or change glasses - things like that. Some will hate a given shirt or hat. And they have their off days too. Saly is with us like 6 years or so, and he is bonded to me and we interact daily. But last night, when it tme for training, he decided to really bite me badly. Why? Who knows. Today he is fine again.

Be patient and keep trying to mprove the relationship. Parrot ownership is a marathin not a sprint, and you have lots of time to work in it. I personally do not hold with covering a screaming parrot, better t figure out why and try to work thru it.

 

[mamolis]

Has anything changed in your appearance or clothing? Some parrots go nuts if you get a haircut, or change glasses - things like that. Some will hate a given shirt or hat. And they have their off days too. Saly is with us like 6 years or so, and he is bonded to me and we interact daily. But last night, when it tme for training, he decided to really bite me badly. Why? Who knows. Today he is fine again.

Be patient and keep trying to mprove the relationship. Parrot ownership is a marathin not a sprint, and you have lots of time to work in it. I personally do not hold with covering a screaming parrot, better t figure out why and try to work thru it.

I actually did get a haircut. And i will keep note of not covering, I also cover him so he can sleep, I put him to sleep around 8pm but since its still not dark outside he doesnt go to sleep sometimes. What should I do about that?

 

[mamolis]

How long have you had him?
Birds will seem to make good progress with bonding one day and then the next act like it never happened.
I’d keep giving him treats and positively interacting with him.

Ive had him for around 3-4 months. Progress has been difficult but this never happened and like I said it we were getting better I felt like. What also does positive interaction mean? Talk to him nicrly and stuff like that?

 

[zERo]

Ive had him for around 3-4 months. Progress has been difficult but this never happened and like I said it we were getting better I felt like. What also does positive interaction mean? Talk to him nicrly and stuff like that?

Yeah giving him treats is positive interaction. I also recommend maybe trying to target train him, it can be very helpful for getting your conure to do things you need but it makes it seem like the birds choice.

 

[wrench13]

I actually did get a haircut. And i will keep note of not covering, I also cover him so he can sleep, I put him to sleep around 8pm but since its still not dark outside he doesn't go to sleep sometimes. What should I do about that?

New haircut - BINGO! THis is often found with mostly female owners, their hair style the Crowning Glory to any women's appearance. They get a new doo, and the parrot suddenly acts like they are a stranger. Others are new glasses or going to contact lenses - the poor bird has no idea who this potentially scary person is!! HELP!! Mom, where are you???

Covering him at night is not a problem, unless he shows signs of distress or worry. But once covered, his area should be quiet and dark. Having him covered and the TV blaring is not much use for sleep for him. I cover Salty, my little Amazon , at bedtime, around 10PM too, but after that the living room TV goes off, lights out and if we use the adjacent kitchen, we take care to not make a racket. He gets uncovered at 10AM. I leave about 8 inches at the bottom open, so he can peek out if he wants to. We have 2 different weights of fabric for covers, one is a light breathable black cotton cover, the other is a dense heavy weave also black.

As with anything, each parrot is an individual with its own personality, likes and dislikes. Experiment to find which method give him the best, solid, restful sleep.

 

[ImaParrot]

Huh, Elvis did the same thing a few days ago. Not as bad as that, but he'd refuse to step up when I asked him to and was just screaming more than normal.