About 1.5 years ago I got a one to two month old Sun Conure and he's always been a bit shy. To get him out of his cage I still have to reach in and put my hand over his back to have him step up onto my thumb. Also, when he is sitting on my shoulder, he tends to shy away from hands that are trying to pet him. Any ideas to make him less shy and more cooperative?
My Conure is still shy! Any tips?
- Thread starter GMFoley20
- Start date
Hand flat. Favorite treat held between fingers, make him work to get them out. Your sunny is a stubborn one, but keep at it.
Agreed.
Just give him treats, time, and more treats and time.
You're already light years ahead of me and my 33-year-old devil rooster. He'd bite your hands if you "enouraged" him to step up that way. He does whatever he wants. Listen to better tutors than I!
Welcome to the Forums!
Good for you for reaching out.
Just give him treats, time, and more treats and time.
You're already light years ahead of me and my 33-year-old devil rooster. He'd bite your hands if you "enouraged" him to step up that way. He does whatever he wants. Listen to better tutors than I!
Welcome to the Forums!
Good for you for reaching out.
T
takito
Guest
My Takito, hates to have his head scratched, I don't force it, he is also the most attached, closest
to me, but he never has liked that and gets mad if me, or anyone else tries to force it.
He all ways has been very eager to come out of the cage, either on his own, or jumping on to my hand, as
soon as I put it in.
He does love to sit on my shoulder, and "snuggle" up close to my neck , on a very rare occasion
he will climb down my arn, onto my leg / lap, and put his head down, it is obvious at that time, that is what he wants, usually just for a few minuets, then when he is "satisfied", he let's me know he has had enough, and either climbs back up to my shoulder, or "flaps" a little, and points with his
beak, to indicate he wants to go up to a perch,..he is lazy, all though he can fly, and will if I don't
take him, he still tries to get me to carry him to where he wants to go.
On the other hand,
The other, Pedra, never was easy to get out of the cage, and still won't come out that way, I mean if I put my hand in she will try to avoid it , and move a way, eventually, when Takito comes out, she will eventually come out on her own, and fly over to me.
Pedra, has all ways been very "scratch me", and puts her head down, asking to be scratched or petted.
She also appears to go to sleep, lies down, and rolls over to one side, appears to be playing dead,
on occasions she will roll over , with her feet up, and really looks dead, but if I stop petting,etc,... after a few seconds she opens one eye, and will get on her feet again, or depending , if I move hand to start petting, she closes the eye, and continues to "play dead",..
Wilma, will not let me, or anyone hold her, how ever she will fly to me, when the other 2 are on my shoulder, and also perch on my shoulder, if I do need to move her, or "handle" her, she will
climb on to a stick, and is quite obedient, she will stay perched on the stick, and let me take her
where ever I decide to, example, to put her in her cage at night, actually that does not happen any more, she has a nest she likes to use, and go to at night now, so she does not sleep in the cage any more, the 4th conrue, fairly recent, "Chikito", stays in the cage,...Chito is to recent to say much about the personality, but does like to have his head scratched,.... after all said and done
it seems like they all have very different likes and dislikes, I try to respect what each one likes or dislikes,...
It seems like 1 1/2 is a lot of time, however my thoughts are since you all ways have been "taking" him out, it has become a habit for him.
He expects you to : reach in and put your hand over his back to have him step up onto your thumb.
I let mine come out of the cage when they want to, when they were little, I kept my hand in front of the door, if they wanted to come out of the cage, they also needed to climb on to my hand, when they come out.
With Pedra, since she did not want to get on my hand to come out, she stayed in the cage until she was ready to come out, something
I started doing with her, when she was little, when she came out, I sometimes put her on the floor, she did not like that, and would eagerly climb onto my hand , to get off the floor,..that led to her eventually also climbing onto my hand when she wanted to come out of the cage,.. Wilma was older when I got her, and there was no way I could get her into my hand, (easily) when she was in the cage, She was terrified, and would be screaming , and do everything she could to stay away from my hand, if I did catch her, she would bite , and could draw blood, It finally occurred to me to try with a stick, especially since I do not like being bitten.
To my surprise she climbed onto the stick, (after biting it a few times first).
It has been a little over a year with her, she is starting to take a treat, or food from my hand , but still will not climb onto it . However she will climb down from a perch, on to my shoulder, as long as I do not try to touch her with my hand, she is fine.
I suspect who ever had her before I got her probably hit, or slapped her , or did something repeatedly with their hand,or fingers,..it may take a long time to , get her over the "hand shy" thing.
Similar to a "head shy" horse, it is a hard habit to change.
In fact, I am also a very hand shy person, if some one move their hand to fast, and they are angry, my head moves back, and my hand
come up quickly, in a defensive reaction , I can not help it, even though it has been over 40 years since anyone has ever hit me,..but that is another story.
Not saying , or accusing that this is the case with you parrot, you probably have never hit it or anything like that,.. How ever
it sounds like maybe he has become accustomed to being gently taken into your hand, and taken from the cage, in that manner,
and does not realize he could just climb on to your hand, or climb out on his own.
Also, he probably is very comfortable on your shoulder, and maybe thinks you are going to take him off, and put him back in the cage,..
if he does not want to go back in, your hands become a threat, because they are going to remove him from a place he feels secure, and
put him some where else.
Treats are fine, but I generally don't do that, the problem is, when there is no treat available the parrot gets angry, or disappointed.
I suppose if one makes sure they all ways have a treat handy, in their "pocket" so to speak, then that would not occur.
Sorry, I have a tendency to get "long winded".
Putting them on the ground, is very effective, they all ways want to get back up to a higher place, and they climb on to your hand eagerly, just to get up higher.
to me, but he never has liked that and gets mad if me, or anyone else tries to force it.
He all ways has been very eager to come out of the cage, either on his own, or jumping on to my hand, as
soon as I put it in.
He does love to sit on my shoulder, and "snuggle" up close to my neck , on a very rare occasion
he will climb down my arn, onto my leg / lap, and put his head down, it is obvious at that time, that is what he wants, usually just for a few minuets, then when he is "satisfied", he let's me know he has had enough, and either climbs back up to my shoulder, or "flaps" a little, and points with his
beak, to indicate he wants to go up to a perch,..he is lazy, all though he can fly, and will if I don't
take him, he still tries to get me to carry him to where he wants to go.
On the other hand,
The other, Pedra, never was easy to get out of the cage, and still won't come out that way, I mean if I put my hand in she will try to avoid it , and move a way, eventually, when Takito comes out, she will eventually come out on her own, and fly over to me.
Pedra, has all ways been very "scratch me", and puts her head down, asking to be scratched or petted.
She also appears to go to sleep, lies down, and rolls over to one side, appears to be playing dead,
on occasions she will roll over , with her feet up, and really looks dead, but if I stop petting,etc,... after a few seconds she opens one eye, and will get on her feet again, or depending , if I move hand to start petting, she closes the eye, and continues to "play dead",..
Wilma, will not let me, or anyone hold her, how ever she will fly to me, when the other 2 are on my shoulder, and also perch on my shoulder, if I do need to move her, or "handle" her, she will
climb on to a stick, and is quite obedient, she will stay perched on the stick, and let me take her
where ever I decide to, example, to put her in her cage at night, actually that does not happen any more, she has a nest she likes to use, and go to at night now, so she does not sleep in the cage any more, the 4th conrue, fairly recent, "Chikito", stays in the cage,...Chito is to recent to say much about the personality, but does like to have his head scratched,.... after all said and done
it seems like they all have very different likes and dislikes, I try to respect what each one likes or dislikes,...
It seems like 1 1/2 is a lot of time, however my thoughts are since you all ways have been "taking" him out, it has become a habit for him.
He expects you to : reach in and put your hand over his back to have him step up onto your thumb.
I let mine come out of the cage when they want to, when they were little, I kept my hand in front of the door, if they wanted to come out of the cage, they also needed to climb on to my hand, when they come out.
With Pedra, since she did not want to get on my hand to come out, she stayed in the cage until she was ready to come out, something
I started doing with her, when she was little, when she came out, I sometimes put her on the floor, she did not like that, and would eagerly climb onto my hand , to get off the floor,..that led to her eventually also climbing onto my hand when she wanted to come out of the cage,.. Wilma was older when I got her, and there was no way I could get her into my hand, (easily) when she was in the cage, She was terrified, and would be screaming , and do everything she could to stay away from my hand, if I did catch her, she would bite , and could draw blood, It finally occurred to me to try with a stick, especially since I do not like being bitten.
To my surprise she climbed onto the stick, (after biting it a few times first).
It has been a little over a year with her, she is starting to take a treat, or food from my hand , but still will not climb onto it . However she will climb down from a perch, on to my shoulder, as long as I do not try to touch her with my hand, she is fine.
I suspect who ever had her before I got her probably hit, or slapped her , or did something repeatedly with their hand,or fingers,..it may take a long time to , get her over the "hand shy" thing.
Similar to a "head shy" horse, it is a hard habit to change.
In fact, I am also a very hand shy person, if some one move their hand to fast, and they are angry, my head moves back, and my hand
come up quickly, in a defensive reaction , I can not help it, even though it has been over 40 years since anyone has ever hit me,..but that is another story.
Not saying , or accusing that this is the case with you parrot, you probably have never hit it or anything like that,.. How ever
it sounds like maybe he has become accustomed to being gently taken into your hand, and taken from the cage, in that manner,
and does not realize he could just climb on to your hand, or climb out on his own.
Also, he probably is very comfortable on your shoulder, and maybe thinks you are going to take him off, and put him back in the cage,..
if he does not want to go back in, your hands become a threat, because they are going to remove him from a place he feels secure, and
put him some where else.
Treats are fine, but I generally don't do that, the problem is, when there is no treat available the parrot gets angry, or disappointed.
I suppose if one makes sure they all ways have a treat handy, in their "pocket" so to speak, then that would not occur.
Sorry, I have a tendency to get "long winded".
Putting them on the ground, is very effective, they all ways want to get back up to a higher place, and they climb on to your hand eagerly, just to get up higher.
Last edited:
Flboy
Well-known member
- Dec 28, 2014
- 12,601
- 4,106
- Parrots
- JoJo, 'Special' GCC, Bongo, Cinnamon GCC(wife's)
My JoJo hates having his head touched, but will take a beak massage all day long!
BriansAWildDowner
New member
Definitely reward with treats BUT don't make the same mistake i did and teach him that when he runs away he'll get a treat because you're trying to lure him over. I had Raku for months before I realized what I'd been doing.
GhostN1K
New member
"takito" I very much enjoyed the winded post. Very well detailed and helpful for me. I'm going to try the stick trick. I will let you know how it goes. Thanks again
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