Newbie question about green cheek conures
Dee
I've lurked here for a few years. I've agonized over getting a bird. I've
followed this group, bought books, prowled the web etc. I'm not wanting to
buy a bird until after vacation this year which will be in June. It
doesn't seem right to only have a little guy for a month or two then
abandon him for 2 weeks (this year I'm going to Europe so traveling with
the bird wouldn't work).
Anyway, I was thinking about a cockatiel as I've not had a bird of my own.
But today... *sigh* I was at the pet store and they had just gotten a green
cheek conure in. I was watching the little guy so they brought him out so
I could see him. He was sooooo precious! He was nervous on my finger at
first and turned to fly back to the staff member. I kept talking to him
and scritched his head. He decided I must be ok and flew to my shoulder
where he cuddled up in my hair (which is long). Oh the temptation! But I
left him... with much difficulty as he didn't want me to put him down.
My question is this: (yes.. finally THE POINT)
Are green cheek conures ok with a working human (standard 8-5)? I've read
that this can be difficult for some species. I'm home the rest of the time
and normally don't travel a great deal. I live in an apartment which in my
mind rules out most of the big birds due to noise. Also, I think I'd
rather start with the small ones. I don't even have a bird yet and I fear
I will be a victim of MBD :P I'm a sucker for critters. I Lost my cat a
few years ago to kidney failure at the glorious age of 18 (the cat was 18,
not me!).
I'm a nervous newbie! If I'm heading down the wrong path, I'll stick with
the tiel. Advice please oh experienced feather partners? I'm asking now
so I can agonize over it more :P Plus I will want to find a local breeder
if I can rather than deal with a pet store. I feel this is important at
least for my first bird. -- Although that little guy sure was tempting! I
played with him for 45 minutes! They were about to close tho :(.
Dee
Ev
bought November 2000.
I also never had any experience with birds and wanted a tiel as well. I
was going to this breeder to see a baby tiel , but I saw the breeder smoking
in the bapie's room, so I changed my mind, and left. Just like you, I
stopped at the pet shop and saw this little intriguing bird. Well needless
to say I brought him home with me as He pushed himself on the back of my
neck to hide in my hair also!
Dee, my work is dome at home, so I am not the best source to help with your
8-5 schedule's question. Pistachio requires lots of attention. However, I
think if you have breakfast with him and spend time before work and then
have dinner with him and spend the evening with him (routinely) it would be
okay?! I make sure my little guy spends time on his own every day..However,
he is extremely social and needs to know he is included in the family
always. I have to go out during the day for one hour or two at times, I
make sure he has lots of toys to chew on and he goes through toys very
quickly, they love to destroy everything if you read a book that means a lot
to you make sure he doesn't have access to the pages... They are wonderful
pets, and we have bonded very quickly. In the morning he mumbles "Give me a
kiss" at night he says "I love you baby"... Pistachio doesn't scream
anymore, first week, (new environment) he did each time He was left alone in
the room. Now the only time he screams a little is to greet my husband and
myself or if anyone rings the bell. It is just normal behavior. I am in
love with my green cheek conure and I wish you best of luck for choosing the
right pet bird for you. You sound very caring and I am sure this baby bird
will be in good hands! Ev www.evelynneast.com
"Dee" <d...@suespammers.org> wrote in message
news:Xns9087E8C2A78F7...@209.113.65.40...
Marco
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Marguerite Floyd
that I'm thrilled you're doing your homework BEFORE taking on the
responsibility of a parrot. Thank you!!!
Owly
well-socialized from a breeder. My greencheek Chuckie has some
absolutely adorable little personality traits - well actually they're
BIG traits in a tiny bird :). He's also my clearest and best talker, he
doesn't know a lot of words but he uses them clearly and puts them
together into phrases of his own making...he's a riot!!
My Chuckie is an exception to this rule (due to his past he has
"issues") but I know at least dozen people that have greencheeks on the
conures lists and theirs are sweet and precious and cuddly and playful
and fun. (Mine is all of these except I can't handle him...but he still
has LOADS of personality and loves being with me, I just have to carry
him around on a perch and can't touch him.) They do tend to be beaky so
you have to be ready to deal with that issue when the time comes but it
isn't major unless the owner makes it that way...the birds can learn to
be gentle from everything I've read.
Cockatiels are adorable and sweet and fun too, I have a couple of those
as well...greencheeks are more assertive and if you're thinking of
getting other birds in the future you might want to keep that in mind.
They're more "into everything" too :).
I think a GCC would do fine with your working schedule. My Chuckie gets
out for a couple of hours every day, the rest of the time he has a
cageful of toys to play with, a big window to look out of (and keep us
apprised of neighborhood goings on - lol!) and he also interacts with
the other birds. My cockatiel is much more "needy" acting of my time,
he wants to be with me all the time (I'm an at-home mom so here all the
time), whereas Chuckie is perfectly happy to entertain himself most of
the day.
Those of are observations and the stuff I've picked up from my
reading...which I've done quite a bit of to try and get Chuckie past his
socialization issues. (I finally decided to accept him like he is...a
whole 'nother story there :).)
Best of luck on whatever you choose, and have a great vacation in
Europe! :)
owly
"Dee" <d...@suespammers.org> wrote in message
news:Xns9087E8C2A78F7...@209.113.65.40...
Vicki Robinson
<
<
<
A man of few words, our Marco.
To the OP, we have 6 'tiels and one GCC. We love them all, but I will
say that the tiels are easier to get along with and less aggressive.
That doesn't mean that you shouldn't get the GCC; we love Bijou, he
comes out to sit on my husband's shoulders every evening. The problem
is that he bites the hell out of anyone else, including his owner, my
daughter, who is bitterly disappointed over it. Our tiels can do a
bitey thing, but in general they are more laid-back and even-tempered.
However, all birds are individuals, and you have to do what seems
right to you with the livestock you have to choose from. They're
certainly nice quiet little guys, the GCCs, quieter than a cockatiel.
Vicki
--
Family and Divorce Mediation Resources
http://xcski.com/~mediator/
Feather Collector
another bird that will love you as much! Conures are VERY special little
birds. It even sounds like you made an impression on the little GC. You
should call the pet store right away and tell them not to sell the little
baby to anyone else!
You could introduce the GC to a friend or family member who could birdysit
for you while you are away, and it would be plenty of time for them to get
to know one another. You would be surprised at how happy the GC would be to
see you after your trip, especially if you stop at the pet or grocery store
on the way home for a special treat.
He sounds a bit shy but that's OK. Slowly introducing him to other people is
good for him and will build his confidence.
As for you working, they can be kept busy with toys and a radio. They nap in
the afternoon as well, so there's about 1 1/2 hours down right there. They
love swings and things to climb on. They like to feel secure, so I'd get or
make a Happy Hut and a Birdy Buddy.
I would be happy to tell you anything else you would like to know, just
email me.
--
Angela
Visit my birds! Visit my Hamster! Sign their guestbooks! They'd love to hear
from you!
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/MyAlbums?u=50190
Dee
<9bmk83$jir$1...@allhats.xcski.com>:
Woo! Thanks for the responses everyone! I have to dash to work soon. I
think this little character was very well raised. He let my boyfriend give
him scritches without issue! Two things I hadn't thought about and
certainly didn't see mentioned anywhere presented themselves tho. I was
wearing a sweater with beads (something I will NOT do around birds after
seeing this one beeline for them and start chewing them). Also, he was
totally fascinated with fingernails. Mine aren't terribly long, but he
insisted on chewing on my thumbnail. The girl at the petstore told me she
kept hers short because otherwise the birds chewed and broke them for her.
Possibly my first behavior challenge if I were to go with this little guy
;) I'm not sure who's behavior would be modified tho! oooooo he was so
precious! Back later!
Dee
Marguerite Floyd
PERFECT! ;-)
Marco
Marco
Vicki Robinson <vjr...@xcski.com> wrote in message
news:9bmk83$jir$1...@allhats.xcski.com...
> In a previous article, "Marco" <thebi...@modempool.com> said:
>
> <
> <
> <
>
> A man of few words, our Marco.
Clifford Bettis
common with his cousins. So I thought I would mention a few things about how we
have adjusted to his "character".
First of all, he is an adorable guy and gets along well with almost everyone in
the house. He is somewhat protective of us and we usually put him up when there
are guests in the house. It is interesting to note that we have a built in
chaperone in Thalo, in that if our older boy makes physical contact with a
female guest, Thalo will start screaming. A conure's screams are not only loud
enough to wake the dead but probably could induce them to vote Republican, for
a change, in a Chicago election.
When I come home from work, Thalo greets me sometimes even before Tucker, the
dog. Thalo is a very social diner and is more than happy to share anyone's
meals. He is somewhat messy in his dining habits (to Tucker's delight; Tucker
and Thalo have added a new twist to the term "food chain"). After dinner Thalo
will often take a nap with me, either snuggling up near my neck or roosting on
my knee.
If Thalo hears me practicing music he will come and join me. This is OK if he
just stays perched on a shoulder but sometimes he likes to get a bit more
involved and will try to pluck a guitar string himself or fly over to the
tuning head and play with the tuning pegs (I, for one, do not endorse a
conure's sense of proper intonation!). When Linda sews or cuts out fabric Thalo
likes to join her. Last week he was helping with the taxes (actually he buzzed
the tax preparer's table and sent W2s etc. flying). Thalo likes to go about the
house with us. One of his favorite riding spots in addition to the shoulder, is
crawl inside a shirt, turn around and just pop his head out so he can see where
you're going. He is very much a family member.
I have made some adjustments in our house to accommodate him. When we first got
him, it took him almost no time to start going through the wood work in the
house like a little feathered termite. I provided him wood to chew on in his
play area but he seemed to be very found of the pine moldings around our
windows and doors. I experimented a bit and it turned out that he was not fond
of Maple. I don't know if it was too hard or simply that I finished it
differently but anyway I re-did the house trim in Maple (Linda wanted new trim
anyway) and haven't had any problems since.
Thalo is fascinated with things inside of other things: like buttons,
decorative plugs, window security latches. He can unbutton my wife's blouse
faster than she can button it (not necessarily a bad thing from my selfish
point of view, but she's not so crazy about this skill). There are decorative
wooden screw covers in our bathroom; these cover up the screws that hold the
towel rack etc. to the walls. These apparently offend Thalo's sense of decor as
he plucks them out. I, laboring under the all too human delusion of species
superiority, thought that if I glued them in, Thalo would be stymied. But the
beak was mightier than the glue and I have learned to live without them. We
have several light fixtures in our house that have brass, articulated arms. At
the joints of these arms are brass caps that are held in place with little
spring clips. These annoy Thalo, and when he gets a chance he pulls them out
and drops them to the floor. I have caught him at it and this resulted in the
thoroughly undignified scene of me chasing him through the house holding a
brass cap firmly in his beak. Thalo also thinks that the little rubber things
at the ends of doorstops don't belong there and removes those if given the
chance.
I remember an earlier poster asking for advice on how to get a bird to eat
fruit and veggies. We had that problem with Thalo. We would cut up fruit in his
dish and he would not just ignore it put sort it out, pick it up and take it to
the edge of his play stand and perform a birdie version of Galileo's famous
experiment. Then one day, Linda thought it would be nice to get a hanging fruit
basket for the kitchen. The kind you put fruit to ripen a bit. Linda started
noticing some mysterious triangular shaped bite marks in the pears. We were
puzzled at first but stealthily laid a trap and caught the green feathered
culprit in the act. Linda was upset at first but I reminded her that after all
he was just a "pearrot". We then decided to leave fruit in it especially for
Thalo and he has come to regard it as his personal bird feeder. It's above the
sink so the mess is easily cleaned away. So the same sort of psychology that
might work with a two-year old seemed to work to get Thalo to eat fruit.
Well, Thalo is an adorable character; I think it is well for people to think
about a parrot as pet carefully, because they will probably change your life.
The funny thing is usually the first thing people want to know is "can he
talk?"
Cliff
Marguerite Floyd
>Path: ukcc.uky.edu!EDITOR
>Newsgroups: rec.pets.birds
>Subject: Re: Newbie question about green cheek conures
>Message-ID: <455CA7BS...@ukcc.uky.edu>
>Date: Thu, 19 Apr 01 14:23:54 EDT
>Organization: The University of Kentucky
>References: <Xns9087E8C2A78F7...@209.113.65.40> <3adeb93c$1...@news.modempool.com> <9bmk83$jir$1...@allhats.xcski.com>
<Xns9088626E43B7Edeesue
>
>This is wonderful, Clifford -- thanks!
Owly
owly
"Clifford Bettis" <cbe...@unlserve.unl.edu> wrote in message
news:3ADF294B...@unlserve.unl.edu...
Lisa
spending two years with a Mitered Conure(now with the ex) I miss the
bird more then the boyfriend..:0)
I think there is a little green cheek conure waiting for you to come and
get him and take him home! It sounds like he tried his best to convince
you the other day!
He'll be ok while you go away on vacation, They seem to be very
forgiving that way.
Take care
Lisa & Joey /B&G (The boss of the house)
"We have met the enemy and he is us."
~Pogo~
Dee
left for work this morning. He had left a message when I got home "So..
are we going to go buy the conure?" rofl! We went to look at the guy
again.
I have butterflies galore and a plan. (are butterflies normal? yeesh I
guess it has been a long time since I had a new little one). I'm going to
a different pet store after work tomorrow. They are independent and have a
better selection of cages. I'm going to get a good cage and will then be
ready to:
1) Go get the GCC >:) OR
2) At least be ready for whatever bird I decide on if someone does beat
me to the little guy.
I want the cage here so I can figure out where it fits, what furniture has
to be moved if needed etc. My bf threatened to go buy the little guy if I
didn't!
The little guy will have to be boarded when I leave in June as I have only
lived around here a little under 2 years myself. I don't know many people
yet. I will have no family here until I get a bird =)
I'm going to run through the "hazards" list again. I rid my place of nasty
non-stick finishes years ago :P Not because of birds, but because I didn't
think they worked well. My parents always used the non-stick stuff and it
always got scratched within a few months. I do have a halogen lamp tho, so
I will have to find another lamp for that room. I have a small one that
will work short term.
Thanks for letting me fret =)
Dee
Kelly Flynn
: totally fascinated with fingernails. Mine aren't terribly long, but he
: kept hers short because otherwise the birds chewed and broke them for her.
: Possibly my first behavior challenge if I were to go with this little guy
: ;) I'm not sure who's behavior would be modified tho! oooooo he was so
: precious! Back later!
Hi Dee,
I second the "thanks for doing your research first!" I am sure whomever
you fall in love with will have a good home. As for the fingernails,
younger birds (in my limited experience,) seem more fascinated to chew
them, I wonder if it is like an irresistable feather sheath for them? But
it seems once they've had a chance to explore it, they get bored and move
on. Or learn that we don't much like that and stop with our encouragement
via teaching them. So maybe some others can comment, but I don't think it
is a big deal.
What I did want to say, is when you take your conure in for a well bird
exam (on the way home from your store,) have the vet tech or vet or a very
well qualified person, show you how to trim his wings properly. Conures
and cockatiels are little kites just waiting for a tiny breeze to sail
away on. Those long tails leave no room for error, and wings should be cut
as soon as a new one comes in. Or your bird WILL be airborne. You CAN
easily learn how to do this (and nails,) yourself, and I encourage you to
begin right off the bat. It may take you a few 'examples' or practices
before you feel comfortable, but you can do it and your bird will NOT hate
you for it or hold it against you. (Mine NEVER have, and never do.) Also
have a first aid kit ready for your bird when you get home (or soon after)
so if you do have any accidents, you'll be prepared to either fix the boo
boo or can transport quickly to your vet.
With your conure, I bet you can train him to hold his own wings out for
you to trim, and if you start this young, I BET you can do it!!! Conures
are smart, and I've seen one who would do this. I've seen plenty of larger
birds who have been trained to do so, my Blue and Gold macaw does a great
job holding her wings out for a trim. I simply support it for the nip. It
would be a good training goal to start with, and having his this young
could be a great advantage. If you want some ideas on how to start, please
repost (or email me,) and we'll set up a step by step program for you
if you like.
Just thought I would encourage the trimming lessons with this little kite.
Even fully clipped, (10 primaries each wing,) my cockatiel soars through
the house. And I think conures are worse, they get so strong!
Enjoy!
Kelly
ashk...@yahoo.com
Toucanldy
>From: Kelly Flynn as...@primenet.com
>
>Dee <d...@suespammers.org> writes:
>: totally fascinated with fingernails. Mine aren't terribly long, but he
>: insisted on chewing on my thumbnail. The girl at the petstore told me she
>: kept hers short because otherwise the birds chewed and broke them for her.
>
>: Possibly my first behavior challenge if I were to go with this little guy
>: ;) I'm not sure who's behavior would be modified tho! oooooo he was so
>: precious! Back later!
>
>Hi Dee,
>
>I second the "thanks for doing your research first!" I am sure whomever
>you fall in love with will have a good home. As for the fingernails,
>younger birds (in my limited experience,) seem more fascinated to chew
>them, I wonder if it is like an irresistable feather sheath for them? But
>it seems once they've had a chance to explore it, they get bored and move
>on
No one mentioned fingernail polish.That could be the attraction. It could also
be toxic to birds. Leave off the polish.
Regards
Clifford Bettis
We've been working on a web page, but haven't got it done yet. My son, Mike, has a
new camera that should be able to catch some action shots of Thalo in flight.
Oh, I forgot to mention that I had also changed the screen fabric in some of my
windows. Thalo can cut through the fiberglass fabric with ease; aluminum slows him
down a bit. This only matters on the casement windows as I think what he is trying to
do is get a closer look at his reflection.
Cliff
High Flight wrote:
> Do you have a webpage?
>
> Jack
Caryn Zeier
I too was in your position last September. Only I was not able to
walk out of the store without my new little green friend =)
My Greencheek is fine with my normal 8-5 schedule. She gets out for
an hour in the morning and usually a couple hours in the evening. One
of the great things about conures is that they are usually very playful
and entertain themselves quite well.
The only problem I could possibly see is that you live in an apartment.
When I first got Kermit she would scream quite a lot. They aren't as
loud as the bigger birds but can be quite loud...how understanding are
your neighbors? I think I've gotten use to her noises now as she doesn't
seem near as noisy =)
Sounds like the bird really likes you...I know how hard that can be to
resist but make sure he/she is compatible with your life so that both of
you are happy!
Good luck!
Caryn
<snip Dee's questions>
Mooringoak2
I have had my green cheek conure, Fred for four years next month and my sun
conure, Cinder for three years in July. For the first three years I had Fred,
I was living in apartments. I lived in four apartments in two states (I was in
the military) and never had any problems with the neighbors. Cinder would be
loud sometimes when I wasn't home, causing Fred to chime in but everyone said
they liked hearing the birds during the day. Now I own my own house and don't
really have to worry about neighbors. But I do work nights now that I am out
of the military and they have adjusted very well. Up until this past September
they wouldn't make a peep when I was sleeping during the day. But I house sat
my mother's five unruly 'teils (she never takes them out to play but that is a
whole different story that some of you already know) and my birds picked up on
some bad habits (like screaming). So it's taking a while to break the habit.
The first time I went away for a week without Fred, he was VERY mad at me and
wouldn't talk to me for several days (in fact the first thing he did when I got
home was bite me then go back to his cage). But he (and Cinder) have gotten
used to it. I am in the Reserves which requires me to be away from them for 3
days a month and 2 weeks a year. This year will be 3 weeks. I'm nervous about
that cuz I'll miss them like crazy.
Green cheeks are great birds. Fred talks but he mumbles and only does it when
he thinks I'm not paying attention. He also isn't a big player (he doesn't
like to chew a lot and doesn't walk upside down on his cage). He does have
several leather toys he loves to chew and a circus cage top that he loves to
fight with the bells. When he gets scared he loves to hide under my shirt or
(usually) under the couch. His favorite position is on my shoulder. He will
lean over every so often and peck my ear (usually not hard but just to say I
love you). GCC love ears. Fred has fallen asleep with his head in my ear a
couple times.
Good luck with your new baby. You will love him. And won't regret getting
him. If you're in Florida e-mail me privately and tell me where and I might be
able to help with who to call for kenneling (Fred and Cinder go to the birdy
kennel everytime I go away for more than a day).
:P Brooke
Ps. Vicki, I'm sorry you have had such a bad experience with your GCC. :-(
John Cormier
> >say that the tiels are easier to get along with and less aggressive.
> >is that he bites the hell out of anyone else, including his owner, my
> >daughter, who is bitterly disappointed over it. Our tiels can do a
> >bitey thing, but in general they are more laid-back and even-tempered.
> >
> >However, all birds are individuals, and you have to do what seems
> >right to you with the livestock you have to choose from. They're
> >certainly nice quiet little guys, the GCCs, quieter than a cockatiel.
> >
> >Vicki
> >
> think this little character was very well raised. He let my boyfriend
give
> him scritches without issue! >
Hope this thread hasn't died...taking me a while to get to some of these
(been busy lately).
Gotta love them conures--little birds with BIG personalities. At least the
two I have. Something I've noticed about pet shop birds, tho...and this is
my experience & my opinions, so it may not apply. I got Kiki, my 4-month old
maroon-bellied conure, at a pet shop midyear last year, and he was very
friendly & responsive in the store. So much so that I decided to go back &
buy the little critter a week or so later (went in two or three times & he
was always the same). Was actually looking for a Sunday conure instead, but
this little guy went and convinced me to buy him over his other two
cagemates (same species). However, seems like the ride home was a little
traumatic on the little guy and he was very difficult to deal with & quite
bitey for several months. I've seen that change in other birds I've had
(mostly several tiels in the past few years) as well--friendly in store but
antisocial at home.
Then back in October I finally found a baby Sunday conure (adequately named
Soleil). Looking him (her? not sure) over in the cage at first--no response.
Wasn't sure I should buy this one but then again, a few minutes in the
store's cage does not a good decision make. Decided to go for it anyway, and
they brought him out on a finger & he came right to me--haven't seen too
many birdies that affectionate right from the start--I was just hoping he
would stay that way...and he has. Little devil is one of the friendliest
creatures on God's green earth--very different from Kiki for a long time.
Guess I'm probably being more long-winded than I should here...apologies up
front. Main point is that you seem off to a great start with that GCC should
you decide to buy it. But remember that birds build a relationship with you
and this includes mood swings & developmental behavior. Time, love, and
proper care can turn even a difficult bird your way as well. Have to agree
with almost everything Vicki said up there as well (except that my two
conures are a LOT louder than any tiel I owned...well, OK, Soleil is a lot
louder :). Depends on the bird, I guess.
One last thing then I'll shaddup. Finally made positive behavioral progress
with Kiki as a result of an unfortunate incident right after Thanksgiving.
Cookie my Quaker suddenly got sick & died at the vet's...was very sad.
However, brought the two conures in for tests that same day. Nasty lil Kiki
started a terrifying screaming fit when he had to get blood drawn (they had
me in the other room so he wouldn't associate that bad experience with me).
After the ordeal, I went in there to get the birds and there was Kiki all
huddled up next to Soleil on the perch...his newest bestest buddy (he was
very nasty to all birds as well as humans before). Now they hang out on a
daily basis & even room....er, cagemate together now & then. Since then,
he's also become very friendly to me as well, 'cept that he's still nippier
than I would prefer. But he's really come a long way, thank goodness.
Just takes time, love, & patience. Oh, and some styptic powder now & again
:-). Best wishes for your decision.
John