interested in buying a conure!

[Caldwell]

Hello everyone! first off I want to say these forums are awesome and I've been reading ALOT.

anyway im interested in buying a conure. I have owned a very friendly cockatiel before named huggybear but unfortunately he died a while ago apparently from a "stroke" the vet told me. I havent gotten another bird because i didnt have the time one would require, however I do now.

im interested in conures, preferably a sun conure because there are gorgeous looking but I have also heard they are louder than other conures.
the bird store I would get one from breeds and handfeeds them and take excellent care of them.

i just wanted to know if there is a huge difference between say a sun conure and a green cheek conure ( noise wise) . I live in a large house so noise wont bother anyone else, and my cockatiel was rather noisy but I hear conures are much louder.

any and all help is appreciated!!!

-Caldwell

 

[CRASH_CONURE]

well i dont konw much about sun conures but i have herd that they can be very loud. i do own a green cheek and they are quiet.

 

[SunMommy]

I think everyone's opinion of noisy is very different. It all has to do with what you can tolerate. I have a baby sun conure who is 15 weeks old and I have had him for 5 weeks now. I dont think he is very noisy. Dont get me wrong, he can be loud. He just isnt loud all the time. He greets me when I come home from work and is usually loud for about 10 minutes, but he's just excited. He gets a little noisy at sun down and also when he wants his formula. He makes lots of other sounds and I love to listen to him and talk to him. He is definitely trying to talk, but the words aren't that clear yet (although I think I know what he's trying to say). The noise he makes is so worth it to have him around. He is absolutely wonderful and I'm so happy I have him.

Just do your research before getting any new pet. Make sure you will be the right match. Good luck!

 

[Caldwell]

thanks crash and sunmommy, im doing all the research I can ( i thoroughly research a hobby before I get involved ) although a bird is a companion not really a hobby but you know what I mean. lol

 

[IcyWolf]

I've never owned a sun conure and I probably never will unless under certain circumstance, as in, one really, really needs a home, then I might consider it. But honestly, I can't stand the noise they make...and I've had cockatoos lol. It's not really their volume that bothers me, it's that shrieking whistle that just kills my ears. I know some people aren't bothered by it, it just depends on you personally. They are beautiful birds though

 

[fishbait]

Suns are of the Aritiga species and tend to be louder than a GC which is of the Pyrrhurra genus. I have a sun and typicallyshe is a bit louder for a spell in the morning and evening when she is calling. In the evening sometimes she screams for a bit but only if she is not out of her cage and with us as the evening are "her" me time!

Noise is relative and not a bother to me as a cockatoo might be. There are many species of conures that make great companions so i would take some time to research them to find one that fits! I try to fit a species personality and traits to what i need or desire first and foremost before looking at the "beauty" of the bird itself! Good luck in your search!

 

[roxynoodle]

Any of the Aratinga conures can be loud. I assume you don't hate noise or you wouldn't want a bird at all. My Nanday is loudest when she does her "warning screech". She does this whenever someone comes over, or even just to the door. Sometimes she does it when the phone rings or I make a call. Most of the time her sounds are pretty quiet though. But, other people think she is horrible and loud because they are "intruders" in my home and she is letting the world know we've been "invaded".

My Blue Crown was loudest when she was very joyful. She did screech when she was scared, but when she was overly happy she would yell, "EEEE! EEEEE!" in a very high pitched tone that hurt my ears.

My new amazon does a very loud alarm clock sound whenever he is upset. I've decided a zon can be louder than a conure, lol!

 

[Caldwell]

thanks for the tips everyone! I really appreciate it.

im still interested in conures at the moment but im leaning more towards a green cheek because I hear they are a little quieter ( for conures anyway ) and I also have read they are more friendly and cuddly, although I personally think that depends on the individually bird.

im still researching like crazy so wont be getting one any time soon but thanks for eveyones input.

-Caldwell

 

[Helitorian]

My Jenday is a quiet little bird compared to the Sun Conure we just got in at work. She constantly squawks even with food in her mouth! Before Con was an option for me to own, I looked at GC's as well. I found a breeder in Florida that is selling them for $100 each. So for the bird plus shipping it'd only cost you about $235. I'm still considering adding one of her GCs to my home. I'd like someone a little more playful than Con. He's content to sit and amuse himself on his cage for hours without any help from me.

 

[IcyWolf]

It definitely depends on the specific personality of the bird and how it was raised as well. If you're seriously thinking about getting any bird, I would suggest that you just expect it to be as loud as possible, then, even if it turns out to be the teller of the bird world, you will have been prepared. Before we got Billie joe we were researching black caps and every website and book seemed to say that they were one of the quietest conures, even quieter than a green cheek, but he is the loudest bird we have Ziggy has the ability to be louder than him but she very rarely shows it. Billie, on the other hand, has taken a liking to imitating a smoke detector and an alarm out of a video game when he wants attention, or just feels like being loud, which is usually about twice an hour for ten minutes or so lol. On the same hand though, he talks A LOT, even in front of new people which is kind of cool. And it seems true that the more vocal a bird is with yelling, the more often they seem to talk as well. I'm not saying that as in, their ability to talk is greater, they just seem to be less shy about talking in front of people or cameras which is nice, because there is nothing like having a visitor over who asks if your bird can talk, and then when you say yes, you make a fool out of your self saying "I love you" over and over to said bird as he just sits there and stares at you, as quiet as a church mouse :20:

 

[Caldwell]

thanks for the info icywolf and billie joe sounds like quite a character lol.

are there any specific books or website you could recommend I read?

 

[ZoeS]

My GCC is very quiet. She is only noisy when we're home and she's in her cage. Sometimes she'll have a few yells when I take her out of the cage because she's happy but that lasts a few seconds.

She is also the sweetest, cuddliest bird who gets along with everyone right away and never bites. So I might be biased

 

[amysaviary]

I breed both Sun's & GCC. I have to say the good and bad of both. Sun's can be loud (but it depends on the bird and if the bird has what it needs) GCC can be very nippy, even the sweetest well raised babies go through a very nippy stage and they need a strong owner to get them and the own through it. Suns r not as nippy and much more laid back then a GCC. GCC have a lot of attitude and need put in there place sometimes.Both love to be with u and r not really 1 person birds they r great for families. GCC r quieter but the noise they both make r very different. Go to youtube and listen to both. It will give u an idea of the noise each makes. Like I said I breed both but I would take a Sun Conure over a GCC any day!!!

 

[Amber]

I find it (I have a jenday, not a sun, but they are variants of the same species, or subspecies depending on which classification you agree with, with near identical calls) not so much loud as high pitched. My mother had two cockatiels, and the male one would whistle non stop over and over again for 5 mins at a time. Now THAT I found unbearable. You might know the call I mean, having had a cockatiel yourself? I'd say the sun or jenday has a louder volume, but it is just the pitch that gets me. Like how a high pitched scream hurts the ears more then a lower pitched one of the same volume.

If you train them right and don't reinforce it you can reduce the calls. You can't eliminate them, and you shouldn't be aiming to, as that would be cruel to deprive them of their natural vocalisations. Alex (my jenday) only calls when I come home (or others in the house do), when he is frightened, or as a flock call to locate me in the house. Beyond that I encouraged him to use his softer chirps, by ignoring any screaming. It worked, and if he wants to interact with me or get my attention beyond greetings or in an emergency, he uses his inside voice.

That said, he still does have outbursts, which is ok, I just ignore them. It is to be expected. Though, we had a problem where my mother (I'm visiting them for Christmas with Alex in tow) was paying him attention when he did it, and we were taken back to square one . Didn't take long to get him back into the habit, but it was frustrating to see 10 months hard work (ever since I got him home!) broken by one person doing what they were told not to!

I certainly would not recommend one for any building with shared walls or close quarters (apartments, flats, units, and so on) as I doubt the neighbours would appreciate the noise. That said, I have managed to have Alex in share housing with no noise issues, and next year we are in a flat type arrangement (our own flat, but we share a wall with another) but he is, normally when people are not encouraging it, unusually quiet for a jenday. Placement of the bird helps too, for example his cage will be placed as far away from the shared wall as possible so any noise is dulled.

Green cheeks are muuuuuuch more bearable in their vocalisations. Actually, almost any other bird is! But I wouldn't trade my boy for the world!

 

[lexx510]

My Green Cheek is very quite. She lets out an occasional flock call (which has now become "Give Me Kiss!" lol). I've had her for about 9 months now, and she has not screamed since maybe the first few weeks of arriving. She'll chirp along to music, but it is not loud at all. She's also quite the talker. In fact, if she's making any noise, it is usually because she's in a chatty mood. She's less than a year old, but her vocabulary already includes: Give me kiss, Hey baby, Thank You, Guava (her name), Hi Guava, and plenty of smooching sounds. She is a total sweetie pie, and loves to snuggle and give kisses. She'll usually only bite as a last resort (if her body language was ignored and she was forced to do something that she did not want to do).

 

[IcyWolf]

I find it (I have a jenday, not a sun, but they are variants of the same species, or subspecies depending on which classification you agree with, with near identical calls) not so much loud as high pitched. My mother had two cockatiels, and the male one would whistle non stop over and over again for 5 mins at a time. Now THAT I found unbearable. You might know the call I mean, having had a cockatiel yourself? I'd say the sun or jenday has a louder volume, but it is just the pitch that gets me. Like how a high pitched scream hurts the ears more then a lower pitched one of the same volume.


That said, he still does have outbursts, which is ok, I just ignore them. It is to be expected. Though, we had a problem where my mother (I'm visiting them for Christmas with Alex in tow) was paying him attention when he did it, and we were taken back to square one . Didn't take long to get him back into the habit, but it was frustrating to see 10 months hard work (ever since I got him home!) broken by one person doing what they were told not to!

You hit the nail on the head there! That's the reason I will probably never have an aratinga, it's not the volume it's the pitch. I can take a too scream, it's annoying but it's bearable, it's just that high pitched screechy whistle that most suns seem to do that hurts my ears and to me, it's easier to ignore a really loud annoying sound than it is to ignore a slightly loud, painful sound.

I can also relate to you on your problem with your mother. I have the same problem with my dog and ziggy. Our dog likes to be very mouthy with people and I have a lot of guy friends. I will spend months correcting him that chewing on people isn't okay and he will finally stop. Then all it takes is for one person to come over and start wrestling with him and it undoes everything I worked so hard at :/ And i have been working really hard with trust training ziggy and I have one room mate that will randomly come up and put his hands in her face and tease her, thinks it's funny, leaves and then I am stuck explaining why this bird is afraid of men :/

 

[beccakirk24]

A conure would make a great pet, but it all depends on the breed and personality also the breeder or seller ,you want to make sure it has been hand reared especially if young children will be petting it also there is the noise factor certain breeds like the green cheeked conure dont make as much noise where as the Sun conure is forever squaking...hope you find the perfect bird for you

-Beccs

 

[Amber]

I find it (I have a jenday, not a sun, but they are variants of the same species, or subspecies depending on which classification you agree with, with near identical calls) not so much loud as high pitched. My mother had two cockatiels, and the male one would whistle non stop over and over again for 5 mins at a time. Now THAT I found unbearable. You might know the call I mean, having had a cockatiel yourself? I'd say the sun or jenday has a louder volume, but it is just the pitch that gets me. Like how a high pitched scream hurts the ears more then a lower pitched one of the same volume.


That said, he still does have outbursts, which is ok, I just ignore them. It is to be expected. Though, we had a problem where my mother (I'm visiting them for Christmas with Alex in tow) was paying him attention when he did it, and we were taken back to square one . Didn't take long to get him back into the habit, but it was frustrating to see 10 months hard work (ever since I got him home!) broken by one person doing what they were told not to!

You hit the nail on the head there! That's the reason I will probably never have an aratinga, it's not the volume it's the pitch. I can take a too scream, it's annoying but it's bearable, it's just that high pitched screechy whistle that most suns seem to do that hurts my ears and to me, it's easier to ignore a really loud annoying sound than it is to ignore a slightly loud, painful sound.

I can also relate to you on your problem with your mother. I have the same problem with my dog and ziggy. Our dog likes to be very mouthy with people and I have a lot of guy friends. I will spend months correcting him that chewing on people isn't okay and he will finally stop. Then all it takes is for one person to come over and start wrestling with him and it undoes everything I worked so hard at :/ And i have been working really hard with trust training ziggy and I have one room mate that will randomly come up and put his hands in her face and tease her, thinks it's funny, leaves and then I am stuck explaining why this bird is afraid of men :/

Your dog is called Ziggy? Thats funny, my parents have a dog of the same name with similar habits! He's a lovely dog, not mouthy, but he loves to 'spar'/play rough, and like you said, one person encouraging it is enough to do months of hard work! Drives them crazy!
(Edit, silly me, your bird is Ziggy! I read that wrong, by fault. I love that name though)


On conures though, agreed! I have becomed used to Alex's loud/high pitched calls now, but they still do drive me nuts at times though! (Like I said though, much work went into getting him to not use them! But he is naturally not as vocal as most, thankfully!) but I would probably not recommend an aratinga species to someone unless they could cope with the noise, and had steady housing arrangements. Mainly because of my first-hand experience with this, I'm in uni and we move regularly. Sometimes we have housemates, sometimes even sharing rooms! (But lucky me, I've always had my own room!) Most people do NOT want to share a house with a very loud bird. Even apartments or neighbours with shared walls can get driven nuts by the noise!

I could see someone in a similar situation to me with a more vocal bird (Like has been said, I've been VERY lucky with Alex and his vocalisations, he is quiet for a jenday!) having issues, even perhaps having to rehome a bird! I've opted for my own flat/apartment next year to avoid ever having these issues. Strangely, no one I have lived with has ever commented on the bird being loud, and I'm told he is 100% quiet when I am out, but it's always better safe then sorry!

Long story short, aratinga species are beautiful to look at (Some of the most beautiful IMHO) an if you're into macaws, they can be a good, smaller alternative (aratinga means mini macaw after all, and they can be quite similar! There are even cases of large conures and smaller macaws hybridising out there) and absolute cuddly clowns, but their are plenty of other species out there with similar personalities that make equally as wonderful companions, and usually without the potential for ear splitting racket! I've also found my jenday to be quite bitey, and very stubborn, but his sister (owned by the breeders) is an absolute gem and the most placid, loving creature, so I think it may just be him. But, despite the loudness and the occasionally nippiness, I would not trade him for anything! I think that unless the OP likes loud noise, a GCC sounds great, and other birds with similar personalities and size (or so I'm told anyway) can be the caiques, which may be worth a look into too!

 

[Remy]

I almost got a sun conure instead of Puck (or alongside with). The members on here told me that they are louder than macaws!

Please adopt if you can, instead of buying a baby! There are lots of birds that need homes on Craigslist. If they don't have what you want at the moment, check back regularly. That's how I found Puck. There are also parrot rescues; there might be one near you.

 

[roxynoodle]

It's not that conures are louder than macaws (trust me, they aren't), it's that they are just very vocal. My Nanday is really only obnoxious about visitors (intruders to her). But, she chirps a lot, makes a little "uhn, uhn" noise when she's playing and has other interesting and loud sounds. One sounds like "Uh oh! Uh oh!". They also let you know when they need or want something. Conures tend to vocalize a good part of every day. Most of the noise isn't objectionable though.

My amazon can definitely be louder, but he is really only vocal a few times a day, most of it not loud either.

A happy conure is a vocal little thing though.

My BC literally talked from morning til night every day. She probably asked me 100x a day "Whatcha doin?" I had to answer her, too, or she got upset. Now she made a high pitched sound when she was feeling overly joyous that was hard to take. My cat hated that sound. She would run over to the cage and glare at the bird in a way that said, "If you don't shut up, I'm going to eat you." It always worked and Bri would stop, lol!