pet store employee looking to better connect with conures! :)

[velvie]

hi, everyone! i'm velvet and i've been working at a pet store chain for about 8 months now. i LOVE my job and one of my favorite activities is closing out the small animal area at night, specifically the birds. I've grown so attached to the conures and very recently had to say goodbye to two of my longest time buddies as they left to join a very loving family; I can at least find solace in that! :') <3 more than anything else, I would really like to learn more about how I can bond with the birds in a productive and healthy way during my encounters with them. I've done some googling here and there but have learned some things just from experience (beaking was totally new to me, I thought maybe it was aggression at first but I learned very quickly what a BITE feels like LOL). all of my bird experience has come from this job and i value being able to share information about them with customers and also indulge them in details about each little guy; their personalities are so distinct and funny it's hard not to fawn over them every chance i get.

of course, we have other birds in the store as well, three cockatiels and a large group of budgies, but i will make a separate post for the cockatiels ^^ unfortunately my only interactions with the budgies are to occasionally refill food and water supplies or to send them home with a family. my time with them is not individual like with the other birds. hopefully in the future i will own couple budgies myself!

it's really nice to meet you all! <3 i hope to visit here often! ))

 

[Squeeing_Onion]

A kind handler at a petstore can make or break a bird's introduction into human captivity between being a very traumatic experience, or a less frightening one, so it warms my heart to see you so interested in improving their lot. Both my current birds came from petstores, and unfortunately, neither of them had good experiences.

I would spend some time browsing the forum and reading people's stories in the breed-specific categories, and in the help/answer area; you can get a wide view of how people interact with birds when they are doing X, Y, and Z, and how the people responded and then what the result was.... When you don't have access to meeting birds elsewhere or a rescue to volunteer at and get the hands-on experience with someone there to guide you, it's the next best thing.

There's a LOT of wonderful behavioral advice in the pinned posts of different threads.

The big thing, is knowing how to read a parrot's body language. If you don't know what they are saying, you cannot accurately react, and that builds misunderstanding... which leads to bites and a very scared birdie.

If they back away from or move away from you -- move back from them, deliberately. Show them you're paying attention and are respecting their boundaries. Invite interaction, rather than forcing it. They're incredibly good at reading people's moods and body language. THey know if you are hiding something -- trying to lure them with food so you can do something you want that they may otherwise object to (like shutting them in a cage, picking up a perch you tricked them to step onto so you could move them, etc).

Be genuine, be gentle, be aware and willing to change your approach to interactions again and again and again whenever needed, and you'll be learning the parrots' language faster than anyone can type anecdotes about their own observations.

 

[velvie]

A kind handler at a petstore can make or break a bird's introduction into human captivity between being a very traumatic experience, or a less frightening one, so it warms my heart to see you so interested in improving their lot. Both my current birds came from petstores, and unfortunately, neither of them had good experiences.

I would spend some time browsing the forum and reading people's stories in the breed-specific categories, and in the help/answer area; you can get a wide view of how people interact with birds when they are doing X, Y, and Z, and how the people responded and then what the result was.... When you don't have access to meeting birds elsewhere or a rescue to volunteer at and get the hands-on experience with someone there to guide you, it's the next best thing.

There's a LOT of wonderful behavioral advice in the pinned posts of different threads.

The big thing, is knowing how to read a parrot's body language. If you don't know what they are saying, you cannot accurately react, and that builds misunderstanding... which leads to bites and a very scared birdie.

If they back away from or move away from you -- move back from them, deliberately. Show them you're paying attention and are respecting their boundaries. Invite interaction, rather than forcing it. They're incredibly good at reading people's moods and body language. THey know if you are hiding something -- trying to lure them with food so you can do something you want that they may otherwise object to (like shutting them in a cage, picking up a perch you tricked them to step onto so you could move them, etc).

Be genuine, be gentle, be aware and willing to change your approach to interactions again and again and again whenever needed, and you'll be learning the parrots' language faster than anyone can type anecdotes about their own observations.

thank you SO much!!! i will absolutely keep both mine and their body language in mind more, I didn't know they were just so keen on reading me! one of our conures has been at the store for a few months now and we've become rather close, but i noticed attempting to use two hands to maneuver a gentle pet on the head was immediately shut down every time; he is so quick with his beak! i will be sure to be deliberate about my actions/movements, too!
I'm so happy to bond with the birds and make their time the most comfortable possible! <3

 

[bonitabird59]

as a manager at a pet store, i just store use treats like nutriberries and try to get them as hand social as possible. head scritches and trick training. lots of interaction, i'll send someone in the enclosure for 15-20 mins at a time, multiple times a day because they r very messy, to spot clean and interact w the babies so they aren't turned off by hands as much. also educating customers who are interested in a non-sugarcoated-way, ie: they scream loudly, need lots of social interaction, and a pellet diet with lots of fresh veggies and some fruits. not to mention life span, sensitivities, and risks associated with them.