Newbie here! Help with Green Cheek Conure needed! :)

[conuremommy]

Hello everyone! I am a new mommy to a Green Cheek Conure, Boris, who I rescued around four months ago. He is a sweetheart despite being neglected by his previous owner. He seems to only prefer my company - he will tolerate most other people but WILL NOT let my husband come near me. He bites him and then laughs at him. No joke! Boris has always been very cuddly with me and was always very eager for me to get him out of the cage. However, just recently, he will come to the door of his cage when I open it but will not step onto my finger as he usually would, for me to pick him up. It's not that he doesn't want to come out, because if I walk away or close the cage, he screams for me and starts to wolfwhistle (his call for me!) Does anyone know what this is about? I'll be honest, it hurts my feelings!
There's only one thing that I can link it to - one night recently, I yelled at my husband in the same room that Boris is in. Whilst I was yelling, Boris started to chirp and move around his cage as though he was scared. I stopped immediately and comforted him, but I'm pretty sure that was the night that he stopped stepping up onto my hand.
His behavior with me hasn't changed - still cuddly and wants to be sat on my shoulder - it's just getting him out of the cage that is the issue.
Does anyone have any suggestions? I feel terrible thinking that I have frightened my boy, and I would love to know how I can make it right

 

[Sterling1113]

Hello, and welcome!!! conures are a joy, aren't they?
How old is he? He may be somewhat hormonal this time of year, which can cause minor or severe attitude changes.
Although it does seem likely he's just a tad bit nervous after seeing his precious mommy get mad! Even if it wasn't toward him.
Sort of like a little kid who saw mommy and daddy fight for the first time. They know they didn't do it, but they'll still be cautious because they don't want it to happen again.
Sounds like you're on the right track though, just consistency and reminding him that you're still the same person, and that you still love him to bits. maybe an extra goodie treat to entice him to step up? Then make a big fuss about it, get excited like it was the first time he stepped up for you. Before long he'll be so focused on stepping up and getting excited, he won't even remember that one time you got angry!
Just my two cents, hope it helps. best of luck.

P.S we love pictures here, so feel free so show Boris off!

 

[conuremommy]

Hello and thank you for your wisdom! All of that makes complete sense, I feel so bad for making him nervous! I have the perfect pic of Boris to upload - which is the best place to do so?
Kind regards,
Amber and Boris the Conure

 

[Sterling1113]

Hello and thank you for your wisdom! All of that makes complete sense, I feel so bad for making him nervous! I have the perfect pic of Boris to upload - which is the best place to do so?
Kind regards,
Amber and Boris the Conure

If you want to upload it to your profile, click on your username, go to your profile and upload it to a photo album.
If you'd like to post it on a thread/comment, then what I do is upload to photobucket, and copy the "IMG" code and paste it.

Edit: Here's a thread, much more informational than myself. http://www.parrotforums.com/technical-support/6287-how-post-pictures.html

 

[veimar]

Welcome! I wouldn't be so nervous about that - gccs can be moody. And yes, when we sometimes raise voices with my hubby he gets irritated as well. We have exactly same situation - he loves me and would bite my hubby and not allow him to touch me if he is sitting on me. My conure only steps up when he wants to - no matter how hard I try. I would just let him come out of cage on his own and pick him up from the top of the cage or let him fly to you (if he can). My conure always wants to come out of the cage on his own, chew on my sleeve for a while and then climb up my hand. LOL

 

[BEWolf]

Since he is a rescue your actions may have reminded him of something in his past, they do have excellent memories.

 

[sam4life]

Hi Conuremommy,
I have zero experience with conures, so I probably should just keep my mouth shut, but I can't sleep and I'd like the distraction from my sadness, so I'll offer my two cents: parrots are weird and so many things can set them off! It might have been your yelling, but it might have been something else too.

My parrot, Sam, was very sensitive to hairstyles. I have naturally curly hair and the first time I had it straightened he was very disturbed. I was 19 years old at the time and had known him my whole life. It was like he *kind of* recognized me, but also worried that I might be a very good impostor! He would put his dead down for a scratch (which he allowed no one else), and then jerk up real quick and bite me! This went on for some time. Eventually he got used to the straight hair but would act similarly weird when my hair was wet from the shower. So, any change in your appearance may have spooked your bird not to the point of not liking you but just being sort of unsure about you.

Sam was also very sensitive to certain colors. In particular, he hated the color red. I remember once I came out of the bathroom in my new red robe and he literally fell off his perch! So in addition to thinking about the yelling (which, to the extent that it is possible, you might try to avoid), you may want to consider whether anything small has changed about your physical appearance.