Scared of the dark??

Kamarro

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Sep 12, 2021
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Conure and Budgie
Hi everyone,

I am wondering if my conure is scared of the dark. He used to be okay to where the dark didnā€™t bother him but as he became more bonded to me, when I cover his cage for night time or turn off lights he starts to screech and panic. I was wondering if others have experiences with this and if I should be concerned. I usually just say goodnight and thatā€™s itā€™s okay. Iā€™ve stopped covering him at night which helped a little.

Hereā€™s my Clyde Bear for tax ā¤ļø
85A283A7-9DFF-4C2C-BECC-E57D47CF2EB7.jpeg
2466D3B5-5045-4606-9E12-32A3F6A6B0D2.jpeg
 

Skarila

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Hi there! Clyde is absolutely gorgeous!!

Have you tried dimming the lights in the evening before bedtime? This should surely help Clyde adjust to "hey, It's night night time soon", it could reduce the stress. In evenings we rather use corner lamps in warmer tones, which helps even us humans to adjust to the evenings when we go to sleep.

Interestingly mine will be restless unless he is closed and covered for the night!
 

Emeral

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Sep 16, 2021
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Hanhs Macaw
Hi everyone,

I am wondering if my conure is scared of the dark. He used to be okay to where the dark didnā€™t bother him but as he became more bonded to me, when I cover his cage for night time or turn off lights he starts to screech and panic. I was wondering if others have experiences with this and if I should be concerned. I usually just say goodnight and thatā€™s itā€™s okay. Iā€™ve stopped covering him at night which helped a little.

Hereā€™s my Clyde Bear

Honestly, I think, he just doesn't want to go to bed. He would rather be with you, that is all.

It was the same with our Emerald.
That bright electrical light just made her alert, too alert to sleep.
So when we turn off the light, Emerald makes grumpy sound. It was late and she was sleepy. But she just preferred to stay with us even though it is more than 2 hours after sunset. She scream, bite, flew to another corner, climbing back and forth etc. City girl loves the TV and the light?

To correct this behavior, our family put schedules of wild birds in and turned her into farm girl. With her sleeping cage in a quiet room that we never turn the light on. Before sun set, she would be preening in that room with natural light (no TV and no electric light). When the sun set, one of us say good night and put her in her sleeping cage. She slept through the night in total darkness.

After only a few days of this new routine, she sleep better, longer hours. And she get sleepy at sunset. No more tantrum before bed anymore. She also wake up from her beauty sleep at sun rise.

She made us alter our schedules for the healthier life styles. I think diming the light and warm light will work similar to natural light too.

Hope this helps
 
OP
Kamarro

Kamarro

New member
Sep 12, 2021
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26
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Conure and Budgie
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #4
Hi there! Clyde is absolutely gorgeous!!

Have you tried dimming the lights in the evening before bedtime? This should surely help Clyde adjust to "hey, It's night night time soon", it could reduce the stress. In evenings we rather use corner lamps in warmer tones, which helps even us humans to adjust to the evenings when we go to sleep.

Interestingly mine will be restless unless he is closed and covered for the night!
Normally, we turn all but one light off ( I do homework so I need some light) but there is a routine where we start to wind down. But itā€™s not consistent, for instance last night after this post he didnā€™t make a fuss about going to bed. He just made a beak grinding sound and that was it. I donā€™t know what I did differently last night than others šŸ˜…
 

wrench13

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We give Salty a 1/2 hr very low light time, his roosting time we call it, right before it bed time. He goes to bed with only a minor squeak or two. He gets covered with a black sheet with a few holes in it to let a tiny bit of light in.
 

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