He was not well taken care of the first 7 weeks of his life and came to us as a wild brat of a bird.   I have been working with him non-stop for 5 weeks and he's just about manageable now.  This little guy came to us with a bit of a club footy.  Two of his toes have been partially chewed off.  He's still learning to use his left foot to hold food.  He keeps trying with his damaged foot and can't hold anything.   Getting better at it.   

He has the cutest personality.  He's very spunky.  Gets in fights with himself and rolls around, has rolled off my lap a couple of times and caught flight just before bouncing off the floor.  He is a jibber-jabber.  Never seen a conure that babbles as much as this one.  I hope it turns into some talking down the road.  We'll see.

As mentioned, he was pretty wild when we got hold of him.  Does not like human hands at all but getting better.  He's still a baby so he's pretty malleable still, not set in his ways.  I recently went home to visit my parents for a week and he came along so that my wife didn't have to care for him 24/7.  This did wonders for gentling him down.   He was with me non-stop and had to get used to me being his only company.  He even went hiking in Pagosa Springs several times.  Getting better in his harness too.   He previously fought it non-stop.  Now it's a just a little fight to get it on and off then he's fine with it.  

I accidentally left my pak-o-bird carrier at the house while we traveled.   So I had to come up with something in the meantime.  Found this little cheap rabbit carrier ($11 at petco ) that he absolutely loves.   Not sure why he likes it so much because it's fairly enclosed.  Must make him feel safe.  He rolls around and plays in it a lot.

Also, why do you think Yoshi doesn't like coming out of her cage? She sits on the corner of her cage top, and flies to me. She gets skinny when she is out, and puffs up when she is inside the cage. She won't play, preen, or stretch and always wants to be on my head playing with my hair. Is that ok? I have to wear a shower cap so she doesn't poopoo on my hair. Any suggestions?

Yoshi likes being in her hut and playing or snuggling with her noise-bottle. She doesn't seem to go near other toys.

He comes by way of Murfchck who lives half way across the country (Texas is big and she lives almost in Ft Worth and we live Northeast of Dallas so that's like three New England states across). His story is pretty interesting, and I'll probably get it wrong but here goes:

Apparently he's an escape artist that got loose somewhere in their neck of the woods. Someone spotted him and had been trying to catch him (I think?). Then either a hawk or a crow nailed him giving him a nice gash on the top of his head and he was finally captured, apparently not in too good of shape. Enter Murfchks aka Lisa Murphy and company. They were contacted about taking in this little guy and attempts to find a previous owner were made with no luck. So plans for a foster home were being made as he's sure to get into trouble around their 19 big ones.

Now we have a cockatiel who we've been searching for a friend. My wife just wanted to get another 'tiel which I'm not big on. I've been working on her to let me get another conure, since I LOVE conures. As circumstances would have it, my wife got involved in a car accident Friday night to which I posted about online. This led to that which led to Lisa making a comment: does my wife need a conure to help her recover from the ordeal. Well I think that's a brilliant idea and if my wife doesn't need a conure to recuperate - I DO!!! So with a little badgering and begging and making promises I'll break later we set off on Saturday to go see the little guy and see Lisa's menagerie which I've always wanted to see.

So here's a short little video of him. His personality is so over-the-top that I'm really having trouble coming up with a name for him/her (I'll refer to 'him' as that's what he acts like). He's really taken with me seems to be the case with every conure I've had. He has a Napoleonic attitude, struts his stuff like nobirdy's business and is just a little hot mess. He seems to know what 'give me a kiss' means because the first time I said it he came running and gave me a little kiss. I'll bet his previous owners are really missing this guy.

And we may need to go shopping for a toupe as he has a nice bald spot compliments of the crow/hawk that he got in a fight with. Oh and boy is he a nippy little conure, as most are...

Peatree is an 8 year old Pineapple Green Cheek Conure. I adopted her from someone off Craigslist in December 2010, and she was my first 'bigger' bird (I only had 2 budgies before I got her). She is a total momma's girl, and we adore each other! She is such a silly girl! She loves to dance, and has her own song that I made up for her.

This is from her Hatchday, with her birdie bread cake!

Honey is a 5 year old Cinnamon Green Cheek Conure, and Presley (Pressie) is a 5 year old Yellow Sided Green Cheek Conure. I adopted them from someone on another bird forum in September 2014. They are totally bonded, and are so sweet to each other. I love watching them interact, it is precious! Honey loves attention, and is a major show off. Pressie is a bit more skittish, but she likes to sit with me. They don't like Peatree, and Peatree doesn't like them!

Day two of my rescue Sun Conure's, Chicken, day home, and he has been doing a behavior I am not sure what to think of. It is like the 'pre-flight' gesture, dropping down a bit and fluttering his wings, only when he is not occupied with his toys, preening, or napping, he sometimes sits on a particular perch and does it constantly, quietly making a chirping noise.

I couldn't find many answers online, other than 'please pay attention to me, flock buddy!'

Is this possibly anything to do with a mating courtship? He hasn't been fanning his tail feathers or strutting around, simply bowing down on the branch and fluttering his wings a little bit.

Sometimes he is more than happy to come out of his cage and sometimes he chills out and doesn't come over to be taken out. When he starts doing the motions again or if I walk past his cage with him, he flutters his wings as if to take off for it. (He is currently clipped, but he was flighted before he went into the rescue, so I wonder if it's habit?) He eagerly hops back down into his cage if offered to go in.

the greys Smokie and Baby together on the Java tree

Personality / Pet Potential

Conures are clowny birds, have a great fun-loving personality, think they can take on another bird 10 times their size and are lion hearted. Conures, in general, love to snuggle under things, so providing them with a tightly woven wash cloth, soft piece of fabric, or fuzzy toy will be appreciated. A bird tent as a place to sleep is normally welcomed. They also love to go into dark places such as cabinets, or into the smallest nook or cranny they discover. So if you can't find your conure, start looking in cabinets (they sneak in while open and will not let out a peep when you close the door) or in the smallest of of openings they cold fit into.

Conures can be VERY noisy and can also be nippy delivering a good bite for such a little bird.

They make great birds for those who don't mind the occasional (or NOT so occasional) screeching outburst. This is something to be considered when thinking of adding a conure to your family.

Conures do require more time and effort than say a tiel or budgie. Please keep this in mind. Many conure lovers report that they are smart and interactive, but are also more prone to behavioral problems than are tiels or budgies, but this would be the case with any conure. They all require a committed owner who will work with their pets to guide their behavior, while tiels and budgies are "beginner birds." They are very active parrots that like to play, explore and chew. Lots of toys are recommended to keep their beaks from "getting busy" on your furniture.Most conures absolutely love water and a drenching bath up to 3 times a week.

Diet

They enjoy a good seed mix and fruit along with a small portion of nuts. Because of the conure's susceptibility to Conure Bleeding Syndrome (CBS), it is recommended that a conure's diet should contain foods high in calcium and Vitamin K, including dark leafy greens and vegetables (i.e., kale, broccoli), carrot tops, alfalfa, tomatoes, egg yolk, soy oil, and fish meal. Alternatively, a high-quality pelleted diet could be provided.

Types of Conures - by genera:

• Aratinga Conures
  There are many conure birds in the Aratinga genus, it contains about 25 species and many subspecies. This genus also includes some of the most popular conures, such as the Sun Conure Jenday Conure. Peach-fronted Conure, Red-masked Conure, Mitred Conure, and more. Aratinga Conures are found across a large area of Central and South America, from Mexico to central Argentina as well as in the West Indies. Within this huge range, their habitats vary from tropical rainforests to savannahs, deserts to semi- deserts, and from mountains to sea level.
  
• Nandayus Conures
  The Nandayus genus consists of one species, Nandayus nenday. It has a variety of common names including Nanday Conure, Nanday Parakeet, Black-hooded Conure, and Black-masked Conure. The Nanday Conure is native to southeastern Bolivia, southern Mato Grosso, northern Argentina, Chaco Formosa, and Paraguay. It has also been introduced into North America, with colonies reported in the southern and eastern parts of the United States.
  
• Ognorhynchus Conures
  The Ognorhynchus genus consists of one species, Ognorhynchus icterotis, called the Yellow-eared Conure or Yellow-eared Parrot. It is an endangered species from the western Andes of Colombia.
  
• Leptosittaca Conures
  The Leptosittaca genus consists of one species, Leptosittaca branickii, called the Golden-plumed Conure or Golden-plumed Parrot. It is found widely but locally distributed in Colombia, but numbers are in declining due to habitat destruction.
  
• Conuropsis Conures (Extinct -Sad)
  
• Cyanoliseus Conures
  The Cyanoliseus genus consists of the nominate species, Cyanoliseus patagonus, called the Patagonian Conure or Burrowing Parrot, and 3 subspecies. It is found in Argentina and Chile, with some migration population found in Uruguay in the winter.
  
• Enicognathus Conures
  The genus Enicognathus has two species, and a few subspecies. The familiar conure species are the Slender-bill Conure, Astral Conure, and the Chilean Conure. They are found in Chile, southern Argentina, and the islands in the Strait of Magellan. They inhabit mostly in wooded country, but can also be found in shrubland and farmland.
  
• Pyrrhura Conures
  The genus Pyrrhura consists upwards of 22 species and a number of subspecies. This genus includes the smallest conure parrot, the Painted Conure, as well as some other well-known conures including the Green-cheeked Conure, Black-capped Conure, Pearly Conure, Souance Conure, and more. Pyrrhura Conures are found in Panama and Costa Rica of southern Central America and in South America, inhabiting tropical and subtropical regions. Some species are highly endangered.
  

I love to cuddle into my Mom's neck, or go down the front of her shirt and cuddle there. I also will sleep under a blanket with Mom at night sometimes. I use to sleep there every night but I have changed and only do it once in a while now. I love ice and once got a beak full of coke fuzz - you know that stuff that fills the glass when you pour coke. I L O V E coke, but don't get it because Mom says it is bad for me.

One of the pictures show me on my Mom's granddaughter's arm. Another shows me after a shower - all wet! Another shows me playing with my 'big' brother, Peanut. The last one shows me on my aunt's head at one of our school visits - don't I make a beautiful hat! LOL

Various Conures

7 weeks

There was no doubt in my mind after watching Jake flap around while this moron used a glove to grab him and quickly place him in a little cardboard box that he was in no way socialized or even used to people. I truly suspect he is an illegal wild caught Conure, no band the guy was a liar and just wanted a quick 75 bucks for a bird that normally goes for 275 to 300 from a breeder.

Long story short, it took at least a year to get jake to show any interest in us or to step up. I did (much to my disliking and better judgement) clip his wings which left him with no choice but to step up (while biting) to get off the floor which he would flap down to. First I used a small perch to have him step up while moving my hand over time closer and closer to him, so he would get the idea that no harm was going to come to him. Once it got to the point he pretty much started beaking my hand because it was so close to him one inch on the perch, I quit using and started offering my hand only, which he would reluctantly climb on to.

After 2 years, he was actually starting to talk saying "Hello" much to my shock. Today 7 years later he has a limited vocabulary of hello, pretty boy, how are you and some thing that sounds kind of like apple. His main communication is a loud screech and/or squawk for a contact call, let me out of this cage now or where the hell are you.

He loves baths ( as most do) and showers. If he doesn't get one in two days he will use his water bowl do drench himself.

He now shoulder rides everywhere, steps up and loves to sit perched on my wife's or my shoulder snuggled up against our cheek or directly under our chin while watching tv and loves scratches as well.

I think this shows a little insight in to how long a journey getting a new abused/wild caught parrot can be to get them to the point of accepting a human flock with their little heart and mind as their flock that will protect and provide for them unconditionally.

Jake wanting a bath and Dayo trying his damnedest to stop him video: