Conure Help

[C.Keefer]

I have an 1 1/2 year old Jenday Conure named Jamie. I am having major issues with my bird. He has such severe seperation anxiety if i go in another room and he can still see me he still freaks out. He will end up screaming for hours even if i cover his cage. I have tried talking to him while i walk away to show i am still there. I have also tried giving him a treat when i walk away so it doesnt seem so bad when i leave. Nothing has helped. Also he hates my husband! If my husband hugs me or is even home he acts up twice as bad. I dont want to have to get rid of him but nothing seems to be working and it is stressing both him and me out. i love him like a child and the thought of getting rid of him makes me cry. I just dont know what else to do...

 

[Pedro]

I doubt very much Jamie has seperation anxiety at all. However he has worked out long ago that if he screams Mummy will come running. Somewhere way back you have reinforced this terrible behavior. Now it has become a real problem. You know not meaning to be harsh but we reinforce most of our parrots bad behaviour. It really isn't the birds fault. By you giving him a treat when you walk away is reinforcing the screaming. You are actually rewarding him for the scream.

I also made the same mistake many years ago with my first ever Sun Conures. They were not quiet as bad as your Jamie none the less was very irritating. I ended up putting their cage out on the deck & covering the front of cage with a dark blanket so they could not see me. That didn't work. So i decided to whisper ever time i talked to them. You see when you whisper they can't hear what your saying so they have to shut up. It took a while but after a few months i could at least sit by their cage & have my coffee in peace. I also would have a jar of almonds & birds eye chilies handy as treats & if they both were very good i would give a treat. After about 6 months the screaming had stopped by about 3/4.

Same sort of thing with the aggression towards your husband. Think back to when all this started, there would have been a trigger. For instance Jamie lunged or bit your hubby & a big fuss was made so Jamie thought the whole thing was funny. Maybe in the beginning it was funny but now it's not a joke anymore.

You really have to help this bird because if you pass him on his behavious will still be the same & poor Jamie will be passed on until he might be lucky enough to find someone that understands Conures & how to handle them & reprogram him.

A link on screaming & why.

Excessive Screaming & Companion Parrots

 

[C.Keefer]

with the agression that is all new and nothing triggered it. he didnt react to jamie bitin exceputhim back in his cage. That is not something we react to.

 

[Pedro]

Just a thought. Have you had Jamie checked out by your Avian Vet. Sometimes this kind of behaviour can be triggered by some sort of low grade infection.

Also the aggression could just be territoral & Jamie doesn't want your hubby intruding on his property (You) LOL. Is Jamie flighted, if so maybe a gentle wing clip is in order. I was lucky with my two suns they both liked my hubby & myself but if strangers came to the house i would have to cage them until the coast was clear again.