Brand new Skitty pics!

[LordTriggs]

For those of you here who didn't wish me a happy 8th hatch day, let me just say, I'm coming for you...

Please do Skitty! I love sunnies so much (heck only birds I'm not too fond of are Tiels for certain reasons) but I would love to give Skittles some cuddle time

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

You kind of have to love sunnies. They don't really give you any other choice.

It's also unbelievable how smart they are. I have taught Skittles two new tricks and he caught on to them after just a few tries.

I want to teach him that roll over and play dead when you point your finger at him and make a gunshot noise. But I don't think he'd fall for it. He'd likely point his talon at me and make a gunshot noise back instead.

 

[FlyBirdiesFly]

For those of you here who didn't wish me a happy 8th hatch day, let me just say, I'm coming for you...

Please do Skitty! I love sunnies so much (heck only birds I'm not too fond of are Tiels for certain reasons) but I would love to give Skittles some cuddle time

WHY don’t you like tiels!? Tiels are the BEST!!!!
Sunnies are a tad bit too loud for me, but I love all conures.

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

Sunnies are loud, that's true- but Skittles isn't really noisy. Not since he's been free-flighted. He's actually amazingly quiet as long as he's out of his cage and with me. But he's also very well behaved when I have to go out for appts or errands. He knows I'll be back and I'm usually gone no more than 2 or 3 hours. The only time he actually makes loud noise is to get my atttention- whether for food/drink or treats OR to alert me of a perceived danger.

I love all birds, to be honest. It's just a thing with me. I used to be all about budgies and tiels til I got Skittles. Now I'm hooked on conures. IF I could have more birds, I'd have a pineapple green cheek and a white bellied caique.

I miss having more than one bird- BUT, I don't get bored or lonely with Skittles. Truth is, sunnies require a LOT of time and attention. While its not that difficult to appease them, if you can't make arrangements to at least have them near you then you will likely have issues. Maybe its cause I'm home so much and he's out of the cage so much, but the fact is, unless I find a way to include him in everything I am doing while he is out, I can't get it done. Luckily, I've found a way to do everything. What I can't do with him around, I just do after he goes to bed- ie cleaning, cooking (high heat) or moving things around (Skittles does NOT like me doing rearranging of HIS apartment).

My friend/neighbor says I let him have too much control over my daily activities. But the truth is, he sees this apartment as an extension of his cage, so naturally he is going to take issue with any big and sudden changes. I'm merely considering his feelings, not submitting to his demands.

Besides, married couples and/or kids are constantly being told what to do and what not to do by each other. This is no different. I just happen to have a companion who is far prettier than any child or spouse. That makes people jealous. Oh well, nanner nanner nanner. lol

 

[FlyBirdiesFly]

I still don’t understand how sun conures can be so great that they’ve turned you off tiels... having my green cheek, I’ve only come to appreciate my tiel even more. Maybe I have an exceptional tiel, but still don’t know why everyone doesn’t absolutely adore them. Tiels and budgies are so underrated. Conures are amazing too, but of course everyone loves and respects them so much more.

 

[Kentuckienne]

Skittles is gorgeous as usual!

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

I still don’t understand how sun conures can be so great that they’ve turned you off tiels... having my green cheek, I’ve only come to appreciate my tiel even more. Maybe I have an exceptional tiel, but still don’t know why everyone doesn’t absolutely adore them. Tiels and budgies are so underrated. Conures are amazing too, but of course everyone loves and respects them so much more.

I do have to agree with you there. Budgies and tiels ARE very under-rated.

I'm not turned off by tiels, not at all. I still love them and budgies as well. Budgies will ALWAYS hold a VERY special place in my heart because they are the first birds I ever owned and from 1987-1995 they were the ONLY kind of bird I owned.

I think we just happen to get hooked on whatever species we have at the time. But I had Peaches for nearly 20 years and I lost her at the end of 2015 and to be honest, I still have a hard time seeing videos of tiels for that reason. I don't like getting the same species after losing one.

To be honest, budgies and tiels are very angelic birds. Suns can be demonic spawns when they want to be.

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

I've found a ton more of Skitty pics in a folder on my cameras memory card. Here are a few for you all!

 

[Scott]

Skitty is stunning!!

 

[Sunnyclover]

I agree with Skittles_daddy that Sun Conures are amazing. Ollie too is for the most part quiet (unless I leave him in a room that doesn't contain me in it and he knows I'm still in the house) and Fin is the one who rials him up usually. They DO demand lots of your time and for me it's fine! I'm willing to give it and Ollie is extremely well behaved as well. The birds to a certain degree control my life too and why not? It's a pleasure to have their feathery faces among us!

Love the pic of Skitty getting scratches.

 

[clark_conure]

I think this sums it up.....the smaller birds sometimes have the biggest and quirkiest (best) personalities....

 

[FlyBirdiesFly]

Exactly! But what I don’t understand is why cockatiels are placed in the “small parrot” group with budgies (for example how there used to be a budgie/parakeet & cockatiel subforum before they were separated) while small conures, such as green cheeks, are usually thought of as “medium parrots” or are somehow not associated with budgies/cockatiels/lovebirds even though they’re the same size or even smaller than cockatiels. If we group parrots by size, then it’s only fair if we include GCCs and other pyhurras in the “small” group, so at least cockatiels aren’t the outlier (as they’re certainly much larger than budgies, parrotlets and lovebirds) or have a small parrot group consisting of budgies, lovebirds, parrotlets, and other birds of that size (bourkes, linnies, kakarikis, etc) and have tiels in the conure/quaker/ringneck group.

Skittles is a cutie and a beauty, BTW!

 

[clark_conure]

actually I'd say GCCs and cockatiels are both medium, they are technically longer...ie. bigger than a lot of most north American songbirds (robins etc.)...because of the better diet and their longer tail. I think it has more to do with reproducibility and by extension cost. I didn't make the pic I just found it and...well it kinda spoke to me.

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

I agree with Skittles_daddy that Sun Conures are amazing. Ollie too is for the most part quiet (unless I leave him in a room that doesn't contain me in it and he knows I'm still in the house) and Fin is the one who rials him up usually. They DO demand lots of your time and for me it's fine! I'm willing to give it and Ollie is extremely well behaved as well. The birds to a certain degree control my life too and why not? It's a pleasure to have their feathery faces among us!

Love the pic of Skitty getting scratches.

This pretty much sums it up! Plus, when you think about. People who are married or have children have them as the center of their life. For people like me, who are unmarried and childless- having Skitty be the center of my world is fine by me. Plus, if he's happy then I'm happy so its a win-win.

Skittles is the same with me in the house. I've just gotten used to him following me. It makes it easier to keep an eye on him to be honest, plus having little 'perch' areas around the apartment makes it easier for him and allows me to get stuff done that I can do while he's out.

Like when I have to do dishes, he will sit on the faucet and watch me do them. I think he likes the heat from the hot water and plus I talk to him while I do my dishes and he likes that.

The thing is, Skittles wasn't always this well behaved. It's only after I made adjustments (and in turn sacrifices) that he mellowed out. I actually think part of the reason why suns have such a reputation is because people don't give them enough attention and free time. Skittles is almost always out of his cage and it makes a BIG difference allowing him to fly around all day and follow me. I know if he were not given the level of attention he gets (or spent a lot more time in his cage) he'd be much more noisy. I am still able to go out for 2-4hrs each day if I need too with no problem. I could probably even do a 6-8hr outing (IF I worked him up to it by adjustment, but I'm never gone that long). I just leave the radio on for him when I leave and he's fine.

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

Skitty is stunning!!

Thank you. I look at him now and when I first got him and there are remarkable differences. Not age, but coloring and even his beak and feet.

It's reassuring to me knowing I am doing everything right. He has an awesome diet (Harrisons HP and fresh fruits and veggies) with the occasional treat of pasta or pizza crust. He does get the Harrisons power treats daily (which have peanuts in them).

I've made so many mistakes with past birds when I was younger and far less educated. This kind of makes up for it. I wish I could go back and do everything over and do it right with my past birds, but I can't. The best I can do is use the lessons I've learned and not make the same mistakes. Which is what I do, and its really all I can do.

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

Exactly! But what I don’t understand is why cockatiels are placed in the “small parrot” group with budgies (for example how there used to be a budgie/parakeet & cockatiel subforum before they were separated) while small conures, such as green cheeks, are usually thought of as “medium parrots” or are somehow not associated with budgies/cockatiels/lovebirds even though they’re the same size or even smaller than cockatiels. If we group parrots by size, then it’s only fair if we include GCCs and other pyhurras in the “small” group, so at least cockatiels aren’t the outlier (as they’re certainly much larger than budgies, parrotlets and lovebirds) or have a small parrot group consisting of budgies, lovebirds, parrotlets, and other birds of that size (bourkes, linnies, kakarikis, etc) and have tiels in the conure/quaker/ringneck group.

Skittles is a cutie and a beauty, BTW!

Well green cheeks and tiels are pretty close in size, but tiels are twice as big as budgies and suns are twice as big as tiels (at least Skittles is twice as big as my Peaches was).

But suns are considered "medium sized" parrots and so are amazons and amazons are MUCH bigger than suns.

I think a more 'accurate' description is to say canaries, finches and budgies are small parrots. Tiels, lovebirds, green cheeks are small-medium, suns, caiques and ring necks are medium sized. Amazons, Greys are medium to large and too's and macaws are large. But even those categories aren't entirely accurate either. But at least more accurate.

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

I think this sums it up.....the smaller birds sometimes have the biggest and quirkiest (best) personalities....

I actually think personality isn't necessarily a species thing. I mean, yes, some species are known for 'huge' personalities (ie suns), but really, any parrot can have a huge personality.

I think a lot of people (primarily non-bird people) think parrot and immediately think one thing "talking" as if that's all parrots do. While I think talking parrots are adorable, I also think they are over-rated by non-bird people.

The world record for most words spoken is actually held by a budgie. Cockatiels are also exceptional mimickers (especially whistling). Tiels and budgies can be just as cuddly as conures. I had a budgie (Sammy) who used to love to hide in my armpit and Peaches (my tiel) used to love to cuddle under my neck.

I still am partial to conures but as I said before, its due to that being the species I currently have. I think we all tend to think that the species we currently have is the best.

 

[FlyBirdiesFly]

Exactly! But what I don’t understand is why cockatiels are placed in the “small parrot” group with budgies (for example how there used to be a budgie/parakeet & cockatiel subforum before they were separated) while small conures, such as green cheeks, are usually thought of as “medium parrots” or are somehow not associated with budgies/cockatiels/lovebirds even though they’re the same size or even smaller than cockatiels. If we group parrots by size, then it’s only fair if we include GCCs and other pyhurras in the “small” group, so at least cockatiels aren’t the outlier (as they’re certainly much larger than budgies, parrotlets and lovebirds) or have a small parrot group consisting of budgies, lovebirds, parrotlets, and other birds of that size (bourkes, linnies, kakarikis, etc) and have tiels in the conure/quaker/ringneck group.

Skittles is a cutie and a beauty, BTW!

Well green cheeks and tiels are pretty close in size, but tiels are twice as big as budgies and suns are twice as big as tiels (at least Skittles is twice as big as my Peaches was).

But suns are considered "medium sized" parrots and so are amazons and amazons are MUCH bigger than suns.

I think a more 'accurate' description is to say canaries, finches and budgies are small parrots. Tiels, lovebirds, green cheeks are small-medium, suns, caiques and ring necks are medium sized. Amazons, Greys are medium to large and too's and macaws are large. But even those categories aren't entirely accurate either. But at least more accurate.

Actually, finches and canaries are NOT parrots. Other than that, I agree with you. I would put budgies and parrotlets in the same group, though. Also, I didn’t realize sun conures were twice as big as tiels!

 

[FlyBirdiesFly]

I think this sums it up.....the smaller birds sometimes have the biggest and quirkiest (best) personalities....

I actually think personality isn't necessarily a species thing. I mean, yes, some species are known for 'huge' personalities (ie suns), but really, any parrot can have a huge personality.

I think a lot of people (primarily non-bird people) think parrot and immediately think one thing "talking" as if that's all parrots do. While I think talking parrots are adorable, I also think they are over-rated by non-bird people.

The world record for most words spoken is actually held by a budgie. Cockatiels are also exceptional mimickers (especially whistling). Tiels and budgies can be just as cuddly as conures. I had a budgie (Sammy) who used to love to hide in my armpit and Peaches (my tiel) used to love to cuddle under my neck.

I still am partial to conures but as I said before, its due to that being the species I currently have. I think we all tend to think that the species we currently have is the best.

Agreed!

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

With regard to sun and tiel size, I think it depends. For example, Skittles is rather big for a sun while Peaches (my tiel) was rather small for a tiel. So he easily looked twice as big as her.

Even with budgies, some budgies are bigger than others. Its just like with humans.