Need advice on a Sun Conure

[Phoenix_Niko]

Hi all,
I've had a Sun Conure for the past two years and have recently noticed some changes in his behavior. He has become seemingly possessive over me now..? He is fine to go to my fiance when he's on me but more possessive like while he's on me doing as he pleases like he owns me- biting me, getting angry if I am doing ANYTHING with my hands and launching and jerking at my sleeves/clothes, etc.. he also SCREAMS for me. If he could talk I swear he would be DEMANDING I come to him NOW! The second he knows my presence anywhere in the house he is screaming (when I put my key in the door, when I step out of my bedroom).

I have tried covering him at intervals and rewarding him (by taking him out) once he has quieted down which seems to not work anymore, as he never quiets down if he knows I am near. It has come down to he simply can NOT be in his cage if anyone at all is home without screaming every few seconds NONSTOP. Does anyone have any suggestions? My fiance and I are planning to start a family in the near future and I am fearful that once a child comes into play he is going to be waking up a sleeping baby and even MORE demanding of me. Any and all advice is welcomed! I REALLY don't want to have to rehome him in the future so I'm willing to try everything.

(Thinking of trying to move his cage to the spare bedroom? Right now he is in the dining room- which is open floor plan with my kitchen with lots of natural light)

Thank you!

 

[itzjbean]

Sorry to hear you are having trouble with your sun conure!

Suns are known to overbond with their owners or have a favorite in particular that they become aggressive and possessive in the exact way you mention. Same with the incessant screaming for your attention. It's a very common issue a lot of sun conure owners face and have to work around.

I owned a Jenday -- very similar to Suns and he was very bonded to me and no one else.


It's actually normal for them to vocalize (in this case scream) when birds are reunited with their flock -- you are his flock so he is calling to you and showing his excitement Again a very common issue that can be hard to curb.

Because of this, it is true that many birds (suns included) are often rehomed when humans bring a baby into the household. They start getting even worse with screaming because they no longer get the attention they used to get.

You could certainly move his cage, though birds thrive on social interaction, being stuck in a room will not end up that great if you are not there to interact with him. He can have a separate cage in the spare room to sleep and be put in for the day while you're out working and have a java tree stand in a place where he can sit outside the cage, observe and entertain himself on.

Does he have a variety of toys to play with -- chewable wood, foraging toys, paper or shredding toys, etc?

It's time to start training him to entertain himself in the cage even while you are home. You may have to invest in earplugs for it to work, as he will scream, but its important that birds can be in the cage without freaking out to be let out when someone is home.

Is he flighted? Working with him to get rid of excess energy in the form of recall training, chewing up toys/wood will be a big help in curbing that energy. As for he possessiveness, it is common but important that you don't overbond with your sun. You should not be petting him along the back or wings and instead just petting on the neck and head, otherwise it sexually stimulates them, so that's a big no no.

Diet is also important, a diet high in fruits has a lot of sugar. I've heard of birds with severe behavioral problems similar to the ones you've described and the culprit was a lot of excess sugar in the diet an dhardly any veggies! Once switched over to a pure veggie diet and hardly any fruit, their energy levels come down a lot and makes them a lot easier to deal with!

That's all my ideas for now... I hope it has helped at least a little bit!