pikachu

We don't have a conure, but we have a CAG and a quaker (and a cockatiel). The quaker is very, very noisy. Usually, a couple times a day, the CAG & quaker get going and the volume in the house is at the extreme. It doesn't bother me, but I wouldn't want to be entertaining when it happened. The CAG does mimic the quaker. Yes, it just started mimicking the screaming/squawking. That's not as bad as mimicking the smoke detector over and over though. Edited to add that we got them at the same time. They are both under a year old.

Oooh! Kiss on the BEAK!! So cute!

Since I don't allow mine to sit on my shoulder, idk if she'd poop. But, I'm guessing she would since she poops all the time. She is a chewer, so I think that I wouldn't have any material left on my shirt if I allowed her up there.

I have a cockatiel, who I trust to sit on my shoulder. My CAG I do not. Although still a baby, her personality is one that tells me that she would use it to her advantage. She is not one that I'd let get the upper hand. That being said, she tries every day. I tell her no shoulder, but she tries & tries. Being on the shoulder, they are at eye level and you can't see their body language. My cockatiel has only gotten me twice, and that hurt enough. I can't ever imagine getting bit by a grey. My big question is: those who allow shoulder-sitters, how do you deal with the poop down your back?

Maybe she could be your "therapy bird"?

I guess it depends on what you consider "tame". If you haven't seen the documentary, check out "The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill". It is about a homeless man who has a relationship with a flock of wild conures in San Francisco. Very cool! How are you doing, by the way? I've been thinking about you a lot.

Eilidh - I have heard a bird behaviorist speak & she says that modifying the amount of sleep can help patterns like that. She recommends birds getting 12 hrs. of uninterrupted sleep every night. And, that would be from 6 to 6! I think longer amounts of sunlight can encourage hormonal activity, if that is what it is. Yes, she acknowledges that 12 hours can be difficult for some households.

Oh, I am so sorry to hear that! I can't look at his picture without crying. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

I'm sending positive thoughts your way too!

Can you post a picture of the drawer box?

I love hearing my birds do this! It lets me know they are content & happy.

My girl LOVES frozen pomegranate seeds.

I agree with Dave. The video was worrisome to me.

My CAG loves to play in her cage. Not so much with us. She has always been timid, but is coming out of her shell. Maybe she will eventually be more relaxed. She is almost 10 months.

Our CAG started talking at about 4 mos. She is now almost ten months & has a large vocabulary. I have heard that they aren't physically developed to talk until the age of 1 year, so it will possibly be after that time. Our girl would say some things, but it was really gravelly and robotic. All of a sudden one day she got something out that was a word. She comes out with something new every day or so & then practices it over & over until she gets it "right". Some birds never talk. Our girl doesn't make noises that greys usually do, like the microwave, etc. Maybe that comes later?

Wow! She's smart!

Ajax - I just noticed that you live in StL. Can I help you get in touch with a bird behaviorist? She is awesome.

I just can't help but think of how pleased your brother would be about how Buddy is doing & how happy he is!

So sweet! Thanks for sharing!!

My girl loves frozen pomegranate seeds.

Our girl swings upside down from her foraging cage by two or sometimes one foot. She stretches from a far away perch & then lets go. Wheee!

That made all of us giggle!

We have ours checked every four months by a traveling avian vet when they get nails, etc. done. He does a full exam. I asked him last time about weighing. I know that a change in weight can indicate disease. He said that their weight can vary greatly by a good poop or not. He's not too overly concerned about weighing regularly.

Weaning is the gradual change from handfeeding formula to the baby bird to pellets and other nutritious food. Others here can give you specifics, as I brought my baby home fully weaned and only eating pellets and veggies.

Our Tiel is FAR dustier than the other birds. In our house, the Quaker is the least, the Grey, then the Tiel. We find feathers, etc. under the cage, no big deal to vacuum them up. There is a lot of food on the bottom of the cage, no big deal bc we just change the paper. Sometimes, food is flung out - the dogs get it.