Hello! New and have a ton of questions about my GCC!

[Averael]

Hi everyone!

I am not sure if this the correct forum to ask questions, but I am a new green cheek conure parent (got Matcha in November 2019, supposedly he was 8 months old but no actual birth date was provided, nor the sex but I refer to Matcha as a boy). Named Matcha because he is supposed to be a turquoise green cheek conure, but has green feathers sprinkled all over him like he fell into matcha powder. Everyone seems to just have one question about their bird, but I seem to be the only genius that has a ton. Not entirely sure if it is more effective to lump all questions in one post or post multiple threads on each separate question, so I will proceed with the former and if that doesn’t work, I will go with the latter. Your patience and responses are much appreciated!

1. Matcha doesn’t seem to like to be touched. At least, not when he is prowling around on top of his cage (see question 3 later). I have followed different methods to get him used to my hands, and have trained him to the point where he can step up for a treat or just for treats, but if hands approach him without a treat, he’ll scuttle away immediately. He also won’t step up unless there’s a clear food inventive. Is there any way I can address this? It’s been 4 months and it seems everyone else’s green cheek conure is the loveliest sociable creature so I must be doing something wrong.

2. When he steps up for a treat, he refuses to stay on the finger. He will stand on there for half a second and if there is no treat granted, he will get off the finger immediately. Or when he gets the treat, he just steps off immediately behind him. In both instances, he will do so without regard to whether the hand has moved. Doesn’t matter if the cage is within stepping distance or if he is to plummet all the way to the floor, he is going to get off that finger one way or another (live free or die, I suppose). Is there any way to remedy this? By this I mean both getting him to stay on the finger and to look before stepping.

3. Now, when he falls/flutters onto the floor, all of a sudden, I am his best friend. He still hides under the wheels of the cage, but when I approach, he climbs onto the little platform under the cage (can’t climb back to the cage himself) and looks up at me with an enthusiastic bobbing head. It is here I can pet him, scritch under his eyes and his neck feathers, and it’s a great time for everybody involved. But he won’t step up voluntarily. Food incentives don’t seem to work when he’s on the floor. I put my finger under his body while scritching and he would shift his feet and kind of accidentally step up onto my finger. And stepping up is the only way to get him back up to the top. Once he’s back on the top of the cage, I am a stranger again. I don’t quite understand why he’s terrified of hands up at the top, and completely okay with them on the floor. Can someone offer some perspective on this?

4. Matcha’s wings are clipped. And they’re slowly growing in now, and there is a ton of posts of the benefits and dangers of letting them grow back or keeping them clipped, and I suppose that is a personal decision I will have to make when the time comes. My concern here is his feathers. On his left wing, he has one flight feather sticking out, and it is the only one (in image). There is nothing like that on the right side. I don’t know if the flight feather should have black on it like his does. Also, he seems to have some black patches on his butt feathers (not the black tail feathers, but the colored feathers right before the tail feathers start). It may be a vitamin deficiency, but I haven’t taken him to the vet because he has been flipping out whenever the bird carrier is near (question 5). Wherever there are black patches, the feather looks damaged (except on his one flight feather). He also has one tail feather that is bent, and I don’t know if I should leave it or if I should do something about it. Am I just over-thinking this is or is this a major problem?

5. Matcha is scared of large black objects. I noticed when I picked up my guitar case and walked by his cage, he flipped out, flapping to the far end of the cage. I tried it with my violin case, as well as the unused black bird carrier backpack I bought for him to eventually take him to the vet and get DNA tested and a check up, and both produce the same results as the guitar case. I also got him a colorful mini playground to stomp around in with a swing and perch, but he is also terrified of this structure. Is this normal? Any advice on getting him onto the structure and less afraid of black objects and into the carrier?

6. Finally, he won’t eat dark foods. Among corn and peas, he’ll eat only the corn. A pea or two, on a good day. Loves apples, won’t touch blueberries. Is that normal? Should apples not be in his fruit and vegetable diet? Maybe apples shouldn’t be a meal thing but a treat thing for him? I know I should get him on pellets but right now he’s on a seed diet (that’s what they said he was eating at the store). Deeply concerned that he isn’t getting enough vitamins.

My apologies for the incredibly long post. Any answers to the questions would be much appreciated, as it’s been 4 months and I am getting pretty worried I’m doing something wrong. Please let me know if this is not the place for it and I will delete and move to another forum. Thank you!

 

[GaleriaGila]

I'm not able to take your big list on just now, buttt... I love your energy and excitement, and I want to welcome you to the Forums! I think you and Matcha (great name; I actually guessed the origin!) are going to fit right in. While you're waiting for personal replies, our Search engine above is a good one!

 

[T00tsyd]

Ok welcome - here is my 2 penny worth.

For a start many of these problems may be hormonal - just bear that in mind. They can be a totally different personality at this time. This will be his first time so he is a mass of raging hormones and doesn't know what to do with them. The other thing is 4 months isn't all that long. My GCC is very protective of anything to do with his cage. Away from the cage he is much more amenable. Don't use your finger for his step up if he's nervous of hands. I always use a piece of perch at times when Syd looks doubtful. Make your hands only deliverers of good times and treats and don't expect too much. You don't say if he was hand or parent reared. Parent reared is more difficult and takes more patience.
Can he fly at all or have his wings been majorly clipped? Syd was clipped when I got him, but not the outermost flight feathers so he could fly but not ascend to the heavens. Black marks on the wings can be caused by stress, change of scene, owner, all sorts of things.
Birds will be frightened of absolutely anything different. Anything new needs to be placed somewhere not too near where they can see it. It may take several days for them to get used to it and it can be all sorts of things. Syd absolutely hates a shopping bag with red blobs on it. You would think it was going to kill him! There have been all sorts of things that scare him rigid at first but after a few days to get used to it being there and not attacking him he's fine. I dress in black a lot so for Syd it used to be anything red. Even now if I dress in a new colour he doesn't know it's me until I speak or something to reassure him.
You need him to be happy with the carrier so place it near him to get used to and when you want him to go in put some treats in but let him go in and out on his own before shutting him in.
Syd was on a seed diet when I got him. He played up something rotten when I started to change him to first pellets then chop and fruit and veg. He would throw it out of the cage at me until one day when he thought I wasn't looking he tried some. Pretend you are eating it and really play up the enjoyment and he will copy. They always want what you have. Add pellets to the seeds and gradually increase over a couple of weeks. He'll get it. The same with fruits and veg.
Syd loves sweet fruits but throws out the more sour ones until the sweet stuff is not there. Corn is not so good, avocado is poisonous to them remember, but carrot, lettuce, broccoli, peppers, all sorts of others are good but again you need to show him how good it all is. Go easy on the fruit maybe a couple of times a week. Get him hooked on the veg and pellets. Good luck you'll get much more advice from others.

 

[Jen5200]

Hi and welcome! I’ll give my thoughts by each question or I’ll end up providing a jumbled mess of thoughts lol.

Hi everyone!

I am not sure if this the correct forum to ask questions, but I am a new green cheek conure parent (got Matcha in November 2019, supposedly he was 8 months old but no actual birth date was provided, nor the sex but I refer to Matcha as a boy). Named Matcha because he is supposed to be a turquoise green cheek conure, but has green feathers sprinkled all over him like he fell into matcha powder. Everyone seems to just have one question about their bird, but I seem to be the only genius that has a ton. Not entirely sure if it is more effective to lump all questions in one post or post multiple threads on each separate question, so I will proceed with the former and if that doesn’t work, I will go with the latter. Your patience and responses are much appreciated!

1. Matcha doesn’t seem to like to be touched. At least, not when he is prowling around on top of his cage (see question 3 later). I have followed different methods to get him used to my hands, and have trained him to the point where he can step up for a treat or just for treats, but if hands approach him without a treat, he’ll scuttle away immediately. He also won’t step up unless there’s a clear food inventive. Is there any way I can address this? It’s been 4 months and it seems everyone else’s green cheek conure is the loveliest sociable creature so I must be doing something wrong.

- Every conure is different, they are definitely not all cuddly . He’s also about a year old, if my math is working, so he could be starting puberty as well. My advice would be to be sociable on his terms and build up the relationship and trust. He could be on a play stand near you while you do things and you talk to him (things that are in the same space and have interaction without touching). This kind of activity builds trust. My Tango is not a cuddly bird, but she follows me everywhere in the house and wants to watch/see what I’m doing. She’s quite content to ride on my shoulder or fly to nearby perches. On occasion she wants to have scritches, but it’s always on her terms. However, we do have a trusting relationship and she will step up without fail when I ask her to (but know that this took over 6 months to achieve).

2. When he steps up for a treat, he refuses to stay on the finger. He will stand on there for half a second and if there is no treat granted, he will get off the finger immediately. Or when he gets the treat, he just steps off immediately behind him. In both instances, he will do so without regard to whether the hand has moved. Doesn’t matter if the cage is within stepping distance or if he is to plummet all the way to the floor, he is going to get off that finger one way or another (live free or die, I suppose). Is there any way to remedy this? By this I mean both getting him to stay on the finger and to look before stepping.

- This one feels like it may resolve as you build trust with him. I would just be very careful where you ask him to step up so that he doesn’t fall. You can also try keeping your other hand in front (but not touching him) to see if that deters him from stepping “off the ledge into the abyss”. Reward, reward if he stays on your finger longer than a second or two. I use treats like a piece of apple - letting them take a bite of the treat in my fingers, but there’s more treat waiting if they stay put.

3. Now, when he falls/flutters onto the floor, all of a sudden, I am his best friend. He still hides under the wheels of the cage, but when I approach, he climbs onto the little platform under the cage (can’t climb back to the cage himself) and looks up at me with an enthusiastic bobbing head. It is here I can pet him, scritch under his eyes and his neck feathers, and it’s a great time for everybody involved. But he won’t step up voluntarily. Food incentives don’t seem to work when he’s on the floor. I put my finger under his body while scritching and he would shift his feet and kind of accidentally step up onto my finger. And stepping up is the only way to get him back up to the top. Once he’s back on the top of the cage, I am a stranger again. I don’t quite understand why he’s terrified of hands up at the top, and completely okay with them on the floor. Can someone offer some perspective on this?

- My guess is he feels vulnerable and a bit afraid on the floor. He can’t get up without your help and knows that you are the method to get him back to his safe place. My Mr Tee is terrified of hands as well - we’ve been working on it for several months now (since he came to live with me). He will step up anywhere else (mostly), but not from his cage. We’ve been working on letting him step onto my shoulder or arm instead of hands. It’s improving but it’s a slow-go. I hope someone else contributes some ideas to this....I’ll be watching for them too

4. Matcha’s wings are clipped. And they’re slowly growing in now, and there is a ton of posts of the benefits and dangers of letting them grow back or keeping them clipped, and I suppose that is a personal decision I will have to make when the time comes. My concern here is his feathers. On his left wing, he has one flight feather sticking out, and it is the only one (in image). There is nothing like that on the right side. I don’t know if the flight feather should have black on it like his does. Also, he seems to have some black patches on his butt feathers (not the black tail feathers, but the colored feathers right before the tail feathers start). It may be a vitamin deficiency, but I haven’t taken him to the vet because he has been flipping out whenever the bird carrier is near (question 5). Wherever there are black patches, the feather looks damaged (except on his one flight feather). He also has one tail feather that is bent, and I don’t know if I should leave it or if I should do something about it. Am I just over-thinking this is or is this a major problem?

- Black spots on the feathers are often just wear and tear. If they are a line (bar) across the feather, then they may be stress bars. Definitely have the vet check them when you get him in - but without more info I don’t think I’d worry too much. Oils from our hands also get on feathers and make dark areas, usually around the edges of the feathers.

5. Matcha is scared of large black objects. I noticed when I picked up my guitar case and walked by his cage, he flipped out, flapping to the far end of the cage. I tried it with my violin case, as well as the unused black bird carrier backpack I bought for him to eventually take him to the vet and get DNA tested and a check up, and both produce the same results as the guitar case. I also got him a colorful mini playground to stomp around in with a swing and perch, but he is also terrified of this structure. Is this normal? Any advice on getting him onto the structure and less afraid of black objects and into the carrier?

- I would start by gradually desensitizing him to objects - many birds have a fear of new things, it’s pretty common. I would introduce him slowly to new things - start by placing it where he can see it, but not close enough to be a threat. Leave it there for a few days. Then move it a bit closer, and leave it. Rinse and repeat until it’s close enough that he can be beside it without feeling like it’s a threat. I have two that are pretty fearless, but others in my flock are terrified of anything new. I now leave their carriers beside their cages and I leave them open so that they can explore on their terms. They don’t enjoy going into them but they no longer freak out after containment is achieved!

6. Finally, he won’t eat dark foods. Among corn and peas, he’ll eat only the corn. A pea or two, on a good day. Loves apples, won’t touch blueberries. Is that normal? Should apples not be in his fruit and vegetable diet? Maybe apples shouldn’t be a meal thing but a treat thing for him? I know I should get him on pellets but right now he’s on a seed diet (that’s what they said he was eating at the store). Deeply concerned that he isn’t getting enough vitamins.

- So funny - they can be really weird about foods. Mine pick colours of the week, I swear. Have you tried eating these things casually close to him? It may help to “share” meals with him. Don’t be discouraged - lots of birds are picky eaters, and their tastes change when you think you’ve finally figured them out. Lots of great threads here about diet, changing their diet, tricks to get them to eat different things.

My apologies for the incredibly long post. Any answers to the questions would be much appreciated, as it’s been 4 months and I am getting pretty worried I’m doing something wrong. Please let me know if this is not the place for it and I will delete and move to another forum. Thank you!

You’re experiencing lots of things that are common for most birds, so don’t panic or get impatient....he’ll get to some of it in his own good time. I’m sure others will have tips and tricks that have worked for them as well.

 

[Laurasea]

Welcome! What an extra gorgeous green Cheeck Conure! Amazing green feather sprinkles! Wow!

Try to delay giving treat by a second or two longer each time he steps up.

It's easy for GCC to develop a fear of hands, it's happened with my GCC several times during the years I have had her. I do hsv to bribe and win her trust back each time. Paying strict attention to body language in a fluid situation.

I'd say your smart little bird has di �� a bit if training of you!
Mine trains me to lol
I'm a bit tired for big go tonight, but glad you joined. And truely you have a beautiful bird with a great name.
You can enter the photo if the month thread and list a picture and the story if your birds name! It happens to be this month theme!

 

[Flboy]

Welcome to you!

 

[T00tsyd]

Hi everyone!
Named Matcha because he is supposed to be a turquoise green cheek conure, but has green feathers sprinkled all over him like he fell into matcha powder.

I have just realised that Matcha is Syd's twin. Same colourings and everything. Amazing I haven't seen another one the same.

 

[Scott]

Welcome to you and Matcha, beautiful bird! I am not familiar with conures though many members have extensive experience. Birds carry "baggage" from prior homes that influence future behaviors. Earn his trust and over time you'll likely overcome them all. A few specifics from your list....

1- A favorite thread to help bond and build trust: http://www.parrotforums.com/general-parrot-information/49144-tips-bonding-building-trust.html

2- Target/Clicker training is useful with many behaviors. May help teach him the finger is a friend: http://www.parrotforums.com/training/60435-clicker-target-training.html

3- Oh, the hypocrisy! Vulnerable on the floor, you are his best friend. Once rescued, not so much! Very common behavior!! Addressing 1 & 2 should help.

6- Birds have food favorites and can be stubborn. I always offer foods that get dissed; over time they may become curious and eat. One of my Goffins ignored pear literally for decades until sampling and loving. Try preparing two bowls of food aka "chop," one for Matcha, the other for you. Begin to eat from yours, making "Mmmmm" sounds, bob your head in excitement. Parrots are flock eaters and you are a member. The emphasis ought be veggies with fruits as smaller proportion. Apple is generally loved, might try removing skin and cutting into odd shapes.

Good luck, keep us updated!!

 

[Averael]

Thank you all for the advice and the warm welcomes! A lot of perspectives were offered that I had not considered, so that is much appreciated. I think as solid first steps, I will order pellets and introduce them to Matcha's diet with the seeds, do less fruit in the fruits and vegetables bowl and add more vegetables, and get him more acclimated to the carrier by placing it open near his cage so I can take him to get a check up as soon as possible. With all the COVID19 craziness, I will have some more time to spend with him, so it should be good for the relationship. Hope you all are staying safe with your birds!

 

[Laurasea]

I posted about shaping behavior in this thread, same stuff will work for you.

Stay safe and healthy, and enjoy your new freind.

http://www.parrotforums.com/quakers/83780-help-needed-new-quaker.html

 

[Averael]

Just wanted to say thank you all again for your help and advice!
Because of your words, I felt much more confident in how I interacted with Matcha, and things were getting much better. We were making a ton of progress until what I am assuming is hormonal behavior started kicking in around 2-3 weeks ago. He was aggressive towards me, but after I took a few bites without flinching he's eased up and I'm still the favorite.
He's been incredibly aggressive towards my mom, though, to the point where he would rather attack her finger (breaking skin) than eat the treat that is on it.
Currently, I am making sure he gets 12-14 hours of darkness at night, as I read that should help curb that behavior, but I definitely hear that little guy rustling about in there at night past his bed time. Anyway, I will keep on keeping on.
Hope you are all staying safe with your bird babies!

 

[Scott]

Thanks for a wonderful update!