Green cheek conure behaviour

[samsam]

Hello, I recently adopted a 3 year old male GC conure who grew up with an African Grey and also baby conures as the owner was a breeder. She said he was becoming too territorial over her grey who was older, and i assumed it was due to hormonal behaviour. After a week he started perching in high places, sort of crouching down, shaking his wings, and letting out the loudest screech I've ever heard from a bird (and i grew up with a cockatoo!) The first week I had him he kept trying to mate with my shoulder, but since I kept telling him no and putting him on his perch to stop it, he has changed to this awful screech! Is it just hormonal? Could he be trying to call out for the birds he grew up with? I love him dearly but I've had complaints from neighbours about his screeching, despite as I said, previously owning an umbrella cockatoo. Its really quite the ear piercing sound...

 

[itzjbean]

Yes some birds know how to use their voices! The loud screeching is possibly flock calling to his friends in the previous house he lived in so he may be confused as to why he is not there anymore. Hormones sounds about right too, given his age and what the owner said about him being territorial of the grey. It's possible he felt they were a pair and the calls he's doing is calling to his 'mate'. But hopefully in time he will adjust to his new home with you.

Is he getting a lot of toys to play with that he can sshred up and destroy? Is his diet varied and healthy? What about his daylight hours, limiting these to 8-10 would help with the hormones.

 

[samsam]

Diet is something I think might be playing a part, I think he gets quite.. hyper after eating, Lol. I feed him fresh fruit and veg everyday and he only ever eats the fruit, and im feeding him the seed mix his previous owners used but its full of sunflower seeds and i feel he is picking these out and ignoring the rest. I want to find him a new food as I don't feel like mixed foods ever work for any animals as they always pick out what they like and not what they need, im from the UK and bird 'stuff' is hard to find around here, but if there's a pellet food that I can maybe wean him onto that would be great

 

[itzjbean]

Okay yes so that fruit should be cut down from his diet, it can cause all sorts of problems with hormonal birds so cutting that out for now will greatly reduce these behavioral issues (in my opinion), we have seen numerous problems from birds who suddenly get their fruit supply cut off and instead veggies only and suddenly they are much calmer then they were!

I would start with cutting out the fruit (all of it for now) and only serving it now sparingly, once a week. It's not good for them to have all the time. Have you considered sprouting his seeds? Also a good healthy alternative to regular seed diet.

 

[RemiBird]

It does sound like he is calling for his flock mates.