Inherited a Blue Crown Conure

[WannaBeAParrot]

My cherry-head loves apples best of all fruit, mango and grapes come in second.
I want to mention that you should peel the apples and grapes before giving them to him. These are two of the fruits that are on the "dirty list" and better to purchase organic because of all the chemicals that gets sprayed and applied to the crops. So best to wash them and then peel them. For veggies, you might want to try cucumbers (peeled). They are a similar crunch to apples and might appeal to him. Pretty likes them too. He also loves the green peas and cooked edamame. Go for variety so you don't get stuck with him waiting for his one and only favorite all the time. Red pepper slices, banana, papaya, pear, organic berries - are some of Pritti's favorites. From what I understand blue crowns and cherry-heads are similar in many ways.

glad to hear u r having fun with him.

 

[MonicaMc]

When you mate a blue crown to a cherry head, you don't get a purple headed bird...

What about turning the staring contest into a blinking contest? We humans are predators, and it can be scary for birds who are afraid if we sit and stare directly at them... may be better to either blink at them or view them from the side, without looking directly at?

Don't know how well it would work with a conure, but worth a shot.

 

[WannaBeAParrot]

Hahaha. No, no purple head combo -- but wouldn't it be pretty to see random alternating feathers on the head of blue ane red.

i like that suggestion of the blinking contest. my mom is trying to bond with her grandbird and she sometimes just stands in front of him eye to eye and smiles at him waiting for him to get used to her -- lol -- and he starts that leering, swaying from side to side, ready-to-attack posture -- and she wonders why. When i catch her doing that i tell her to talk to him, but by then he just lunges at her. then they have to start all over later with hand cuddling trust games.

so if your blue crown isn't reacting well to one of your new games with him, switch, or go back to one that he likes - maybe take a short break, leave for a minute or two and start fresh. i always like relocating to a different spot than where an "incident" just happened, i.e. from cage to playpen, or playpen to kitchen counter (which is a place that Pritti loves).

 

[black02rex]

I would love to relocate but it seems as though he is cage bound. He won't leave the cage for anything. So I offer treats and things to try and build trust. I am talk with him a lot. He seems irritated when I leave but when I come back wants nothing to do with me. He squawks and walks back and forth on his play top perch and it seems as though he is communicating. He has never lunged or tried to attack. Seems as though he is a master of escape by running so there is no need for him to attack me with is beak.

Besides building more trust, is there a way for me to get him off his perch on his play top without scarring him emotionally? At this point I am open for a ton of suggestions.

In short he won't come off the cage, is a fast runner and seems to like me alright but no trust is there yet. I sit with him everyday and talk to him to the point of neighbors thinking that I am talking to myself. Am I still doing the tight thing?

 

[black02rex]

Also, I will try to do the blinking game.

 

[MonicaMc]

Will he step up on a wooden perch? Or what about a rope perch in a loop? Will he take treats from you outside of the cage? Is he willing to go back inside the cage for treats?

I don't want to suggest any sort of force with him, so I can only suggest to keeping up with positive reinforcement and making sure that you try and keep each experience with him a positive one.

 

[ruffledfeathers]

Georgie would never come out of her cage for anyone but me. At least, she would not ever step up for anyone but me. I found in time that having someone else offer her carrier (she loved it--she went bye bye in that thing so it was exciting for her to see) or even sometimes kind of look away and hold out an arm with a sweatshirt on it (no scary hands), she would normally go to other people then. And once she was out, her curiosity got the best of her and she had fun.

I also just got one of those silly bird capes with the toys attached to it for my new bird. I figured he won't know me at all and will be in a totally new home, so maybe if i just stand him on my shoulder and there are toys there, he will relax and have some fun with me up front. I have a headband that has bells on it too, and i sometimes wear that and shake my head a little when i'm around strange birds and i'm amazed how interested in me they become.

I think your little bird will come around soon enough. He sounds open and curious at least, so he will be won over.

 

[WannaBeAParrot]

RuffledFeathers -- Nice toys idea - - especially headband.

black02rex -- RuffledFeather's strategy of giving shoulder while looking away works pretty well with Pritti too when he's not quite sure if he wants to get on a shoulder.

Another think you could try - bunch up a towl sort of like a little platform pillow shape thing and put it up to the side of the cage with a treat on it so that it is like an extension of his playpen -- maybe he'll come over. If you can figure out what makes him curious -- that might work. He might feel more secure stepping out on to a platform than a finger or stick or arm. I feel so bad for him that he wants you around so much that he screams, but is too fearful to get close. He will. Just build trust, could take weeks or even months --

What height is his playpen incomparison to your height?

Also, what is his name. Sorry I don't remember.



P.S. I only used colored towels for playing with Pritti -- since the vet uses white for catching him to groom or blood testing or shots.

 

[black02rex]

The play top top is just a little taller than I am at 66". I got the cage for free. Ricky is his name.

So I'm sure everyone helping here remembers that I said that apples were irresistable, not today. I will try again tomorrow. Also, tomorrow is grape day.

I will also try the towel thing first thing with some apples before I change out his food and water. The bell idea works but I'm sure he's not thinking it is cool to come and get on my shoulder.

 

[MonicaMc]

My conure, Charlie, likes dried bananas, safflower seeds and some dried fruit. His favorites are safflower seeds and banana chips. Haven't tried him on large millet, yet.

Sounds like Ricky is just picky about what he likes. Hopefully, you can find something he'll enjoy all the time!

 

[black02rex]

Well, today Ricky got feisty and flew the coupe. (so to speak) well as I stated before I can pick him up when he is on the floor or anywhere that is not on his cage. I got a photo. It was tons of fun. And he started to clean my hair. I wanted to continue to hold him. It I walked a few feet to close to the cage and he was gone. He squawked a bit in my ear and didn't seem uncomfortable at all.

Without further blabber here is the pic...

 

[JamesC]

Well, if he is preening you then he is interested, curious and is working towards being more comfortable with you. Keep this up and you might end up with it being difficult to keep him off of your shoulder. Or your head.

 

[WannaBeAParrot]

black02res, can you get at eye level when with Ricky when he is up on his playtop? If he is sitting up higher than you, you might want to figure out how to get him a little lower or you a little higher when you are close up talking and looking him in the eye.

 

[black02rex]

He is eye level with me on his play top! I get close and talk to him, he bounces and walks back and forth. I probably bother him off and on for about 4 hours every day. But he sat on my shoulder and on my finger after he leapt off his cage today. That was pretty exciting. I hope we continue to progress. All the info on here has helped tons.

 

[black02rex]

UPDATE: so I have been spending as much time as always with Ricky and nothing extremely different has happened. I found that he is extremely interested in what I am doing all the time, and in the food I eat! I let him have some toasted wheat bread. He leaned so far over I don't think his feet were holding his weight anymore. Everyday I put my finger out there to see if he is willing to step up on me or not, and nothing but the same running around. That's all good, but one day I went in with a sweatshirt on and it was over my finger and BAM up he went, no hesitation. Now I am down to a face
cloth covering my hand. I am sure he is hand she now. Now he is on my shoulder more often. But still once he sees his cage he is off and flying.. Thanks for all the suggestions. I am still attempting to make a bond and everything everyone said is helping a lot and giving a great perspective on how things are supposed to go.