Conure Personalities

[Talven]

So all of the pictures and videos I see of conures online show them to be very cuddly little birds. They want to be with you all the time and love attention.

Has anyone had any experience with any conures who aren't like that? My YSGCC is not a cuddly bird at all. He doesn't want to be with me or have head scratches or interact with me at all really. I'm the only one he'll step up for. Anyone else tries and he bites. All he wants to do is stand on the play gym and eat. After 60 - 90 minutes he just wants back in his cage and to be left alone.

Is he just not a people bird? Or maybe we just don't mesh? I've been trying for over 8 months to elicit some sort of change in him but he's just not interested. If I sit with him on me he flies to the play gym. He will run away from my hand if I try to take him from the play gym unless he is wanting to go back to his cage.

I'm starting to wonder if he might not be better off with someone else as we just don't seem to be getting anywhere.

 

[Jen5200]

I have the full spectrum of conure personalities here . I find it does take time to figure out how they want to interact with me and I try to find ways that I can interact while respecting their personal preferences (some are velcro birds and others are happy just being talked to). I have a GCC (Tango) that doesn’t like to be scritched or handled - she will remove the offending finger...usually at the first knuckle. She steps up fine, but is happier doing her own thing. She loves to ride around on my shoulder and wants to see what we’re doing - but prefers that it happens without us touching her. She’s been here 3 or 4 years, she’s happy and I’m good with respecting her preferences. One of my pineapple GCCs (Stanley) was a vicious biter when he came here. Now he is fine being petted - sometimes, and usually only by me. He will step up for both my husband and I, prefers only me to pet his head and kiss his beak. He loves playing on the play stands and doing his own thing and will lift his foot when he wants something from us. He’s happy playing on his own and occasionally on me. Mr Tee is learning that hands aren’t scary, and we’re not sure where he’s going to land on the handling scale yet (he’s been here about a year now). Baby likes to be petted most of the time, and Bindi is a complete velcro bird.

 

[Talven]

I thought it was probably just his personality but I was beginning to wonder if he just wasn't happy here. He doesn't get along with the other conure at all. They want to kill each other. The kakariki are an exclusive pair and only tolerate each other and he doesn't seem to like the cockatiel. He has zero interest in interacting with anyone aside from as a taxi.

It could just be that I'm a little depressed at the moment but it just seems like we don't fit each other? I dunno he just doesn't seem happy to me.

 

[Jen5200]

If it’s any consolation - out of 5 conures, I have 2 that get along. Baby and Tango came to me as a pair. None of the rest get along at all - and my cockatiel wants nothing to do with any of them . I think mine still benefit from being around each other - Mr Tee and Stanley absolutely can’t share out of cage time....but they copy each other’s words and chatter most of the day.

 

[noodles123]

DISCLAIMER-- OBVIOUSLY I do not know your bird, so take this for what it's worth.

I think he is probably happy and that is is just your expectations that are making him seem unhappy (from a human perspective). When most people think of a bird that makes THEM happy, it's a bird that wants to be touched etc--because that's kind of the pet we envision when we think of tame pet birds etc. Plus, people like to feel needed and "loved" and we often associate our pets wanting to be with us with that sort of "feel good" bond--they make us happy and they want to be with us which makes us think they are happy too).

Honestly, he sounds like a happy, independent guy who likes to do his own thing within your general proximity etc, but just isn't super into being touched---and you do have other birds and they probably all have their own dynamics, so that could also play into it his relationship with you and the others as well, but if he were unhappy, I think you would have a screaming, plucking or aggressive behaviors..I think he probably appreciates the flock's presence indirectly (it probably meets his desire to be a part of a flock). So, even though he doesn't seem to care about them, if they were gone, I think that he would be like, "...wait...but...I liked having them around....even though I don't LIKE them..what's going on?!"

It kind of seems like introvert vs extrovert kids. If you think about recess in elementary school, there are always those kids who sort Pokemon cards alone at recess instead of playing football or tag with the other kids, or draw instead .....but if you asked them, "want to come play?" they will tell you that they like what they are doing and have no desire to join the group (even though it might seem kind of lame and sad to the rest of the kids ha!). These kids are okay doing their own thing (but that worries other people because it seems odd compared to the other children and it certainly doesn't seem like much fun to anyone watching)...You know, the parents that say, "I just wish Johnny would try out for the basketball team, or play outside with the other kids..All he wants to do is play MineCraft and build with Legos" lol
Your bird sounds kind of like that kid.

Ricky Bird (Gail's Patagonian Conure) is also a good example of how some birds are lol!
I am sure your bird enjoys you and his current flock situation, even though he doesn't interact in the way that some do...Sounds like it is working for him or he would be showing signs of discontent.

just for fun --obviously parrots an humans are different, I know, I know..
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzxydzonmxg"]YouTube[/ame]

 

[Alembic772]

We have five of them.

Our two black capped are our most gentle. Nemo, who is missing a wing, is super active and explores everything. But when she settles down she loves to get scratched and rubbed and will lay on her side on your chest. Her sister, Kylo, is more mellow and likes to be with us and ride around on our shoulders or hands. Kylo is currently injured, though, but she still is super sweet. Neither one of these two will bite other than gentle play biting or Kylo holding on tight right now because her injury. They have boy names because they were named before we got their dna results. After a month it’s hard to change their names to something else.

Our turquoise green cheek, River, is our original one. He has his moods. Sometimes he is super sweet and likes to have scratches. He will lay on his side or his belly for us, and fall asleep. But when it’s super late and he is tired , he doesn’t want to be bothered. He will go to the top of the boing in their cage, and yell and scream at you if you try to make him step up or talk to him. He also likes to establish he is the king of the castle, too.

Our pineapple green cheek, Summer, is a bit timid. She is very small compared to the others and was a runt. She is unsure when stepping up although she is more confident and not using her beak as much anymore. She likes to be petted and rubbed on her cheeks, but she doesn’t want to be scratched or rubbed. She and river have also bonded. So when she calls him, he goes running home. She also doesn’t like fast movements and will go into defense mode if you move too fast.

Our yellow side, Rainbow, is newest to the group. He is flighted and likes to show off. He steps up but he likes his independence so he will fly away. He does like his head and cheeks rubbed and will sometimes fall asleep while standing on our chests.

But by far the black capped girls are the sweetest, and River (turquoise) is the most playful.


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[Talven]

It's all good I was just having a bad day. Joys of being bipolar I guess.

 

[noodles123]

It's all good I was just having a bad day. Joys of being bipolar I guess.

It's all good!