New Conure "Skittles"

[krisrose87]

Hi there! I'm new to the group and just adopted a 1 1/2 year old Sun Conure "Skittles" 2 days ago! He is so cute and had a great personality. I can tell he is sweet too. I got him from a girl who has a 3 year old son and about to have another kid and she is just overwhelmed with everything she could no longer care for him fully... She got him from a pet store as a baby and has had him since. She told me he is very playful and loving towards her but just started getting used to her husband. Granted he kind in just moved back into her house so I don't think he has been there the whole time. Like I said though I can tell he can be very sweet and loves attention! I haven't taken him out of his cage yet because I don't want to rush him and want him to feel comfortable. Thing is I can't tell he is really warming up to me and I don't want to jump too fast.. But I also don't want to leave him in there too long and it become a stigma or something. He will eat from my hand and come up to me..His feathers puff up some and sometimes he bobs his head upside down but he never tries to leap at me or bite me.. I go in his cage to feed him and he never tries to attack. He does my husband and kids though. He is flighted as well so that's another reason why I haven't rushed him out of the cage. So how long should I wait? What else can I do to make him feel so comfortable and should I try to get him to step up or just open the cage, even though he can fly? How should we approach the fact he isn't a fan of my kids and husband but is warming up to me? We all obviously want to have a good relationship with him! I want to let him out and see if he will come to me but I want to do it right also. Does it sound like the actions he is making at me are signs he still would bite me? I really appreciate everyone's input and look forward to this forum! I am so happy to have my new bird skittles!

 

[Birdman666]

Hate to break this to you, but that is a Jenday...or possibly a Sunday. (Wings are too green to be a pure sunnie... )

Not that there's any real difference in personality - just coloration.

 

[Birdman666]

I got him from a girl who has a 3 year old son and about to have another kid and she is just overwhelmed with everything she could no longer care for him fully... She got him from a pet store as a baby and has had him since.

HE WAS PROBABLY BONDED WITH THAT WOMAN, AND WILL MORE READILY TRANSFER THAT BOND TO YOU...

She told me he is very playful and loving towards her but just started getting used to her husband. Granted he kind in just moved back into her house so I don't think he has been there the whole time.

SOUNDS LIKE HE WASN'T SOCIALIZED WITH OTHERS. THESE ARE PAIR BOND BIRDS, SO OVERBONDING CAN BE AN ISSUE WITH THEM.

Like I said though I can tell he can be very sweet and loves attention!

CONURES ARE SUPER ATTENTION ORIENTED BIRDS.

I haven't taken him out of his cage yet because I don't want to rush him and want him to feel comfortable. Thing is I can't tell he is really warming up to me and I don't want to jump too fast.. But I also don't want to leave him in there too long and it become a stigma or something.

I'VE ALWAYS BELIEVED SOONER WAS BETTER THAN LATER.

He will eat from my hand and come up to me..His feathers puff up some and sometimes he bobs his head upside down but he never tries to leap at me or bite me.. I go in his cage to feed him and he never tries to attack.

THAT'S THE CONURE HAPPY HEAD BOB...

He does my husband and kids though.

SOCIALIZATION/OVERBONDING ISSUE. THIS ONE TAKES TIME.

He is flighted as well so that's another reason why I haven't rushed him out of the cage.

YOU MIGHT CONSIDER HAVING HIM CLIPPED SO HE IS SEMI-FLIGHTED.

So how long should I wait? What else can I do to make him feel so comfortable and should I try to get him to step up or just open the cage, even though he can fly?

How should we approach the fact he isn't a fan of my kids and husband but is warming up to me?

START WITH HUBBY, NOT THE KIDS. HE'S LIKELY TO BITE, AND THEY CAN AND WILL DRAW BLOOD.

FIRST JUST TREATS AND ATTENTION.

THEN STEP UP/NO BITE/TOUCH TRAINING.

FOR THE KIDS RIGHT NOW, JUST TREATS AND ATTENTION.

Does it sound like the actions he is making at me are signs he still would bite me?

ANY BIRD CAN BITE.

BIRDS THAT DON'T GET HANDLED DO NOT STAY TAME, AND ARE MORE LIKELY TO BITE.

 

[krisrose87]

Thank you for your reply! I heard that as they get older their(sun conures) wings start to turn yellow so maybe he just hasn't changed?

 

[Birdman666]

Thank you for your reply! I heard that as they get older their(sun conures) wings start to turn yellow so maybe he just hasn't changed?

Yes, BUT they start to change at first molt. His adult colors would be coming in by now. He would at least have yellow shoulders by this time. I had both check the pics for yourself:

Inca, my Jenday:



Papaya, My Sun:



What happens is a lot of times breeders will mix up which is which. I can't tell you the number of times I have gone into a chain pet store, and seen Jendays advertised for sale as Suns, and vice-versa. EVEN when I have pointed out the mistake, WITH ONE OF EACH ON MY SHOULDER... they don't fix it!

So your friend could well have been sold a Jenday, and told it was a sun.

Sun and Jendays also cross breed, so sometimes that's what happens. They think it's a sun, but it's a SUNDAY...

Personality wise, there's no real difference. Same bird different wing colors.

I wouldn't worry about that.

What you have, with a conure, is a shrunken macaw.

 

[Kalel]

Krisrose87, congrats on the beautiful little bird! I'm sure with a bit of TLC he will come around soon enough I agree with Birdman about the type of conure you have. I have a sun conure and he's 9 months old and his back and shoulders are pretty much all yellow already. There may be a couple of splatters of green mixed in since he is so young, but definitely not a solid green. Regardless, the colouration will not determine how good of a pet he is. They are both awesome, fun little personalities! Again, congrats

 

[Pinkbirdy]

I have one of those and its a "Sunday" [cute birds congrats ] such beggars . Birdman- Wheres your conures ?

 

[krisrose87]

Yes she just sent me his papers and it says "Sunday"! Update- we let him out. I opened the door to his cage and he flew straight to my hubbies head and just wanted to sit on his head.. Bit a little on the ear and then flew to my head.. While up there he chewed on my hair and ears and such. Then I finally got him on my shoulders and he bit my neck a few good times.. Didn't draw blood but felt it good! He was a little nippy..So I tried to get him to step on my finger and he didn't want to, kinda bit my finger.. Again not too bad.. But then eventually flew back at my husband and landed on his arm and bit him pretty hard? Then again on the other arm so he put him up.. It was an ok first time. I'm sure it'll get better after a while!

 

[Birdman666]

I have one of those and its a "Sunday" [cute birds congrats ] such beggars . Birdman- Wheres your conures ?

Six feet under... unfortunately.

Papaya was free flighted. He flew back to me low across a parking lot one day, and was hit by a car.

Demitre attempted to "make friends" with a great horned owl that lived in my neighbor's tree. The owl was more interested in what he was having for lunch...

Inca fell victim to a video game. Pre-Teen girls. They got distracted. Didn't realize that baking pans are teflon coated... I was at work when it happened. (We could have lost all of them!)

 

[Birdman666]

Yes she just sent me his papers and it says "Sunday"! Update- we let him out. I opened the door to his cage and he flew straight to my hubbies head and just wanted to sit on his head.. Bit a little on the ear and then flew to my head.. While up there he chewed on my hair and ears and such. Then I finally got him on my shoulders and he bit my neck a few good times.. Didn't draw blood but felt it good! He was a little nippy..So I tried to get him to step on my finger and he didn't want to, kinda bit my finger.. Again not too bad.. But then eventually flew back at my husband and landed on his arm and bit him pretty hard? Then again on the other arm so he put him up.. It was an ok first time. I'm sure it'll get better after a while!

That makes sense because the facial mask has a distinctive sun conure look to it, and the colors are a lighter orange.

Inca's chest was much darker than Py's...

 

[Pinkbirdy]

I have one of those and its a "Sunday" [cute birds congrats ] such beggars . Birdman- Wheres your conures ?

Six feet under... unfortunately.

Papaya was free flighted. He flew back to me low across a parking lot one day, and was hit by a car.

Demitre attempted to "make friends" with a great horned owl that lived in my neighbor's tree. The owl was more interested in what he was having for lunch...

Inca fell victim to a video game. Pre-Teen girls. They got distracted. Didn't realize that baking pans are teflon coated... I was at work when it happened. (We could have lost all of them!)

Im so sorry I cant even imagine . Very loving little guys they are

 

[Birdman666]

Py lived inside my shirt with just his head sticking out for about a decade. He was one of the sweetest birds alive... I used to take him out and free fly him (and Sally) every day. We were at the park one day, and he was focused on flying back to me. He came in too low, directly in front of a car... The driver never saw him.

Demitre was the first one I lost. Had him outside on my shoulder, and the kids next door were playing baseball. Someone hit the ball over the fence, it went whizzing by my head, and demitre took off. Landed in their yard, and all the little kids raced to go get him. So he flew to the neighbors tree, where that other bird was sitting. Whoops, that's not a macaw to protect me, that's an owl..

Inca was actually Sarah's bird... And she was in7th grade at the time. We had a rule about not leaving the kitchen if cooking with anything Teflon. She disobeyed, and Inca paid the price for it... She learned a very painful lesson that day...

I haven't had any little birds since then...

It still hurts, even after all these years...