Sun Conure with separation angziate?

[Chuy62]

So Chuy has just turned a year old. He's been pretty much a good bird. He eats from my hand , he's trying to talk.....over all a pretty good bird.....all but 1 problem................whenever I am home (the male figure at home) and I leave the room, even to go to the bathroom, he won't stop sqwaking!....for instance, if he's outside in his cage on the patio and he she's me get up he will start and not stop until I return....he has started this thing where he won't even let me and my girl have a conversation without sqwaking....He's starting to get on our nerves!......what do we do? Please help!

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[MooshieBird]

Congratulations, sounds like you are his favorite person! If he shouts when you leave the room or paying attention to someone other than him he is trying to get your attention most likely. How much socialization time does he get? How much out of cage time with you and your family does he get to spend? Does he do well with other people in your home or just you? The only way I know to lessen the loud calling is to spend more time with him, include him in more family activities, sit out there with him on the patio when he is out there. Maybe do some training, it will help him bond and he gets to spend time with you and it works his brain. Make sure he has plenty of toys when he does have to be away from you. He's a sun conure you will never stop all the screaming but doing those kind of things may help lessen the noise.

 

[LordTriggs]

like mooshie said having more time around him will help with it

also be aware that when you leave the room and he starts it's a contact call, he's going "hey! where you going? Why aren't you here?" it's absolutely not anxiety but a bird's survival instinct kicking in. If possible let him join you in some activities. As for when you're speaking to your girlfriend has he interacted with her at all? If he can be out and given some attention then it should help. The other thing to do is not react to his noises, wait until he makes a more pleasant noise and react to that so he learns what will give him attention

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

What you are describing is pretty much 'typical' sun conure behavior. I don't mean typical as in it should be accepted, I just mean its pretty common behavior.

There are several ways of addressing these issues. The first is you leaving the room. My Skittles is free-flighted and out of the cage whenever I am at home. I just let him follow me wherever I go since I don't mind it. BUT, that is MY situation and not everyone has such an isolated lifestyle.

You could try reassuring your sun before you leave the room- thats what I do when I have to leave the apartment. I talk to him while I'm getting ready and then I put him in his day cage, turn the music on and then head out. As I am heading out I reassure him again and he is fine while I'm gone. Doesn't scream as I walk down the hallway outside the apartment.

He DOES however start screaming as soon as I walk in the door. I usually let him out shortly after I am home but if he gets too noisy I will wait a bit. He'll usually comply and be patient. He KNOWS he will come out shortly- if I somehow changed the routine, he'd likely not be happy.

The biggest problem I have had is with the telephone. He does NOT like it when I am on the phone. Nor does he like it when I am on my tablet or on the PC. BUT, I found a way to make it 'acceptable' to him. I will look at him and pet him while I'm on the phone, basically give him some attention as well. By doing that, he is usually pretty good when I'm on the phone. Looking at them and talking a little bit on a regular basis goes a long way.

Maybe you could try talking to him while he's in his cage and you want some alone time with your significant other. If it still poses an issue, you could try covering him up when you want some alone time. Provided he doesn't stay covered for hours on end. lol.

For me, I just integrate Skittles into whatever I am doing and I have had very few problems since. But prior to that, when I was not paying him enough attention, he was a major "PITA".

Bottom line is, suns are VERY social creatures and require a LOT of attention as a result. You also want to make sure that everyone who you are going to have over on a regular basis are properly socialized with him. Otherwise, he may see them as a 'threat' to you and to his bond with you and proceed to 'attack' them. They can become VERY territorial if you don't set up strong and persistent boundaries.

You want to accommodate his needs, but you don't want to have bend to his will whenever he desires. He needs to know that YOU are in charge of the flock and not him. He WILL try to rule over you, just don't let him. Trust me, it can easily get out of hand. Do NOT underestimate their intelligence. They are sneaky and manipulative little buggers. BUT we love them nonetheless.

 

[adz1984]

I have the same problem with my alexandrine when she's out in the weatherproofed patio, it's driving me crazy and I thought it would just take time for her to adjust being outside but I don't think it's fixable as this has been going on for months! If i'm sitting out in the patio she's quite and calm but as soon as I even lift a leg to get up she will jump to side of her cage and scream for a while, what's weird is she rarely does this in the bedroom cage when I get up and leave and I would say she spends an equal amount of time in that cage as the outdoor one.
I only put seed that she LOVES in the outdoor cage never bedroom one
I never go to her when shes screaming, always tell her i'll come back.. don't really know how to fix it too add her scream is VERY loud and I live in an apartment don't really know how I haven't been reported yet lol
Come to think of it maybe time is helping slowly, she's gone from a 100% chance of having a fit when I leave to about 85% now

 

[Chuy62]

Thank you all for your input!

Chuys cage is pretty much open most of the day. He can come and go as he pleases. We even have a big branch hanging from the ceiling for him to hang out with us in the living room.

I think that I need to hang out with him more, assure him that I'm not going many, maybe take him with me to the room or bathroom.

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[Sunnyclover]

I take Ollie, my sun conure, with me to every room. He screams like that also but only if he can hear me but not see me. It's really frustrating for him because he is worried about me and wants to know I'm okay. In the wild the parrot's mate would not usually leave them like that unless they're sick or something has happened to them like got killed or something. This is an instinctual behavior and so it's hard to get them to stop because it's not a learned behavior but one they were born with. Just take birdie with you to the room and carve out some time for him to be just you and him time. During this time give him a few treats, cuddles, read him a book, watch a show with birds in it, tell him about your day. A bird can be a very fulfilling relationship but please make sure you don't get upset (not that you were) at them for doing something they can't help but do! Suns are a loud type of bird... it's best to just try to think of the loudness as a kind of music!

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

I take Ollie, my sun conure, with me to every room. He screams like that also but only if he can hear me but not see me. It's really frustrating for him because he is worried about me and wants to know I'm okay. In the wild the parrot's mate would not usually leave them like that unless they're sick or something has happened to them like got killed or something. This is an instinctual behavior and so it's hard to get them to stop because it's not a learned behavior but one they were born with. Just take birdie with you to the room and carve out some time for him to be just you and him time. During this time give him a few treats, cuddles, read him a book, watch a show with birds in it, tell him about your day. A bird can be a very fulfilling relationship but please make sure you don't get upset (not that you were) at them for doing something they can't help but do! Suns are a loud type of bird... it's best to just try to think of the loudness as a kind of music!

This is very true. I am constantly being told by 'non-bird' people that I should discipline him for his 'instinctual' behavior. But its completely ineffective, so why try?

When you own a parrot, you HAVE to take into account the way they behave in the wild because even though they are domesticated parrots, they still have the 'wild nature' survival instincts born into them just like us humans.

There is a BIG difference between a 'learned' behavior and an 'instinctual' behavior and its VERY important to know the difference.

I just let Skittles follow me everywhere I go (within the apartment). If I need to do something and he can't be flying around (like doing something that requires 100% concentration) then I either put him in his cage and keep him in seeing distance or I wait til after he is in bed.

I also don't discipline him if he bites me hard when he sees a threat. It doesn't happen very often, but the only effective remedy I have found that works is reassuring him that its okay. It can take several tries, but it works. Yelling at him to stop isn't effective and given that its the ONLY time he bites me (if he feels a threat), I just find reassurance to be the most effective response.

 

[wrench13]

Sound advice ( no pun intended) from some experienced, successful Sun conure owners !

 

[clark_conure]

not a sun conure owner, but my conure I just find it easier to bring him with me where-ever I go. Not much I can't do with him on my shoulder that I normally could do.