Patagonian Conure Tutorial

[GaleriaGila]

We don't have many Patagonians showing up here, but when we do, I'm always excited to share what I know.

Soooooo... I developed this tutorial (in two posts, due to length).




Patagonian Tutorial

PART ONE

Patagonian Conure, a.k.a Burrowing Parrot, a.k.a Loro Barranquero (in their native South America)
Scientific Name - Cyanoliseus patagonus


In my opinion, some considerations are peculiar to Patagonians, and much is common to most parrot species.
Please let me give you some parrot basics (just skip if you're already familiar with these "building blocks"), and then I'll have some special Patagonian input for you!
BONDING
Here's some reading on bonding.
http://www.parrotforums.com/general-parrot-information/49144-tips-bonding-building-trust.html
General Parrot Information - Parrot Forum - Parrot Owner's Community
VETS
Most of us swear by our avian vets in the event of health concerns. I don't know where you are, but here are some links. I only have USA info...
Certified Avian Vets
https://abvp.com/animal-owners/find-an-abvp-specialist/
If none are near you...
Avian Veterinarians
http://www.aav.org/search/custom.asp?id=1803
In my opinion, any of the vets listed here should be better than a regular vet.
DIET
Too many are kept on seeds or other poor-nutrition things. They need veggies, legumes, grains... pellets are a good staple. Here's what I use.
Harrison's Bird Foods
I feed Harrison's, supplemented by fresh healthy treats. My first, and later, my current avian vet recommended it. My bird loves the pellets now, but to get him converted, my avian vet suggested putting pellets out all day, and putting seeds (his old diet) out for two 15-minute periods a day. That would sustain him but leave him hungry enough to try new stuff. I presume the same technique could be used to get birds to eat other healthy stuff, like fruits and vegetables! My guy was eating pellets in a couple of days, and now I can feed a good variety of other stuff, knowing he has the pellets as a basic. Pellets are out all day... fresh treats a few times a day. I also like Harrison's via mail because I never have to worry about out-of-date products.
Another couple of ideas...
My ol' man is an athlete and health nut. He actually EATS all the good stuff, so it's always around. I find that tossing various stuff into the food bowls at random is good... the variations and differences seem to stimulate curiosity and attention.
The other idea... if you can stand it (lol) EAT the stuff in front of the bird, yes. That encourages them. I have also found that if my ol' man eats stuff in front of the bird, the bird WANTS it for himself. Kinda a rivalry thing!
PERCHES/NAILS
I really recommend getting those nail-trimming perches... they can eliminate nail-trimming, which was always so stressful for me and the Rb. It took a few years, but I eventually established a pattern/rotation that keeps him trimmed. I haven't had to do his nails in 20-plus years. I keep a dowel as the main "highway" down the middle of the cage, but the special cement/trimmer/textured perches are all over.
A few brands... but there are many: Polly's Sand Walk... Pumice Perch... Trimmer Perch...
Be sure to introduce them gradually: they're abrasive to their tender feet at first. I LOVE them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
These are smooth on top and abrasive underneath. Very easy to install/clean.
Brands? Sweet Feet and Beaks Pedicure Perches for parrots, Feather Fantasy, there are more at mysafebirdstore.com.
May take a while to get the right combinations/locations, but was worth it for me and the Rb
TEFLON
If you're a brand new parront, I'll just drop a note about avoiding teflon pans, which are lethal to birds, if even mildly overheated. Most of us don't have teflon (or related) products in our houses.

 

[GaleriaGila]

Patagonian Tutorial



PART TWO

And now...
Special Patagonian Stuff

NIGHTIME
They are among the few semi-nocturnal parrots, so don't be surprised if you hear your bird moving around, eating, preening, at night. They only verbalize quietly, usually.

ROOSTERS/HENS
I think (and my world-class avian vet THINKS so, too) that it's the ROOSTERS who are so loud (and I would add ROWDY in general). Of course, allowing the Rb to terrorize the household, flighted and undisciplined and fearless... probably didn't help MY SITUATION!

CAGE
The Rb is in a Lani Kai Lodge Playtop. It's a good cage, and popular, and has ready replacement parts. The Rb seems to chew up the bottom grate. I replace it every year or so. I replace cages every 6-8 years.
https://birdcages4less.com/Merchant5/merchant.mvc?Screen=SRCH
Bar spacing of 3/4 to 1 inch seems okay in general.

LIFESPAN
When I got the Rb in 1984, the span was estimated at 25-30. He's 34 and the only changes I've observed are that he naps a bit more, and has been on Vasotec for heart issues (discerned by blood tests) for about six months now. Good care and diet are really helping birds live longer, especially if their genes are good (i.e., good breeding... or... if a bird was wild-caught. Many were imported in the 60s-70s). The Rb's parents were wild-caught; he was hand-fed.

PLAY HABITS/TOYS
The Rb loves small foot toys... mysafebirdstore.com has great variety and values, and THE BEST customer service. His skinny little pink feet's nails seem to get caught in ropes or wicker, so I avoid those. He also like "pony beads" on safe Poly-rope or Paulie-rope, all for sale at that store.

CHILE PEPPERS
Peppers are a great source of vitamins AND they're easy to offer.
Common wisdom is that most parrot species have such poor taste and smell that hot peppers really excite and stimulate them. And they're very healthy (lots of great nutrients)! So I give the Rickeybird lots! The only downside... when he eats a pepper, then preens, then wants to cuddle, it's a very incendiary experience.
I buy several kinds...
Poblanos, to stuff the end between the bars tightly (above a perch) so the Rbird can nibble at his leisure.
Jalapenos and Serranos, to toss into the cage's snack-bowl, to trick him into entering so I can shut the door. There's no such thing as a chile that isn't good for them.
If he absolutely does NOT want to go back into his cage, a big fat Anaheim will almost always do the trick.
I posted a video of the bird eating one in the thread about beak flavors, and you can hear me sneezing!

THE RICKEYBIRD'S RESUME
See the original Rickeybird Mockumentary here!
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyCdvjJ9X22fVRRwfLk9gwA
Pet of the Day
Rickeybird - Patagonian Conure - May 20, 2016
THE FORUMS Scrapbook
http://www.parrotforums.com/incredi.../62811-rickeybird-scrapbook-1984-updates.html

THE GENE POOL
If you ever wonder why some Rickeybirds are so LOUDDDDDD and ROWDYYYY...
Here is the gene pool!
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzmJm49nEnA"]Colonia de loros barranqueros más grande del mundo- Balneario El condor - YouTube[/ame]
Patagonians have sub-species, but the main strain has been discovered to have crossed the Andes some 100,000 years ago!
They are a beloved bird (to most people) in their native lands.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burrowing_parrot

HELPFUL FORUM THREADS
http://www.parrotforums.com/new-members-welcome/75558-new-parrot-mommy.html
http://www.parrotforums.com/conures/74145-pattagonian-conure.html
http://www.parrotforums.com/conures/71792-guess-whose-home-3.html
http://www.parrotforums.com/conures/20882-patagonian-conure.html


PERSONAL HISTORY
The Rb's story...
***** When I walked into a bird store in New Mexico 3+ decades ago, the Rickeybird (a 3-month-old chick) flapped and flew and scrambled into my arms and grabbed my fingers with his feet. It was a perfect storm of my impulsiveness. I had just gotten paid by my college work-study job... I took him home. Using his band, I traced his breeder. We exchanged photos and letters (this was pre-'net, y'all!)... and she could have been my sister! We were both tall, thin, with long red hair and Poindexter glasses, long faces and big toothy smiles. The Rb thought his mommy (or close enough) had walked in to rescue him. Soon thereafter, I was fearing getting evicted due to his noise. My family at the time HATED him. I recall struggling to make a decision, sitting on the floor of my townhouse, watching him race and skip and frolic around on the tile floor, and then run to me GRINNING, so proud to be showing off for me. I would just stare at him and be amazed: imagine --- a real parrot in my house, and it loved me! I felt so guilty and inadequate and afraid at one point that I had him in his travel cage and was planning to take him back to the bird store. I opened the front door and couldn't go through. Closed it. Sat down. Took my little love out and promised him we would stay together.
***** I didn't really believe it, but I wanted to. Eventually, I did. I was in college back then, and at least I could spend a lot of time with him.
*****Then there were years (about 25 of them) when 5-6 days a week, I was gone at 7:30-ish and back at 6-ish.
*****Some did and will consider me wrong and think I should have re-homed him. My husband at that time detested the bird. My current ol' man tolerates him with good humor. No, the bird wasn't responsible for the first marriage's ending! Well, mayyyyyybeeeee...
*****Anyway, here is what I think made those lean years do-able, when I was working.
I moved and got new jobs maybe 5 times or so. BUT...
Every morning, he had at least ten minutes, and every evening, he had 20 or so. Those minutes were intense, face-in-feathers cuddling and cooing and complete merging of hearts. If I had had a bad day, sometimes I'd cry a little, and he'd ruffle and fluff and make funny noises until I smiled. I have always kept him on a natural light schedule, in a separate room, so sometimes those times together were in the dark, before and after Winter daylight-savings-time work hours. During the day, he had a big window looking out on something interesting, a television on one of his favorite channels (music channels, shopping channels), a biggg cage, lots of fun foods, and a few toys that I changed out regularly).
He KNEW he could count on those two crummy sessions a day. Somehow we both made it.
*****Yes, he's a bad boy. May I add some thoughts about expectations? I hope I don't sound preach-y. I also want to make it clear that I completely support all the great advice on training here!
*****My bird is pretty awful. He's a fun mimic and a real character, but...
Even after all these years, I sometimes find myself putting myself or my bird down... stuff like...
I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO PUT UP WITH THIS OR THAT.
WHY CAN'T HE BE SWEET AND NICE, LIKE THOSE OTHER BIRDS?
PEOPLE NEVER UNDERSTAND WHY I PUT UP WITH THIS.
Stuff like that.
Since he's fully flighted, the ONLY way I get him into the cage is to toss a chile pepper in and he flaps in after it. So food reward is a necessity for me. Time-out doesn't exist in the Rb's kingdom.
*****But the Rb is a parrot... in his particular case, one generation out of the wild. ONE GENERATION of DNA honed over 100,000 years!
I do all the right things, as much/well as I can, but in the end, I just LOVE my bird,
Some parrots are SO SWEET, some are NOT. I'm a bit JEALOUS of those successes.
I have lessened my psychological and physical wounds over the decades... not because I've changed the bird, but I have changed me. And a lot of that has involved giving up on a lot of my desires/expectations. After years of battle, I surrendered/compromised.
*****I have reduced biting to almost zero over the years I've spent with the Rickeybird. I don't do stuff that gets me bitten. Some will say I have let him get away with too much, and that's a fair criticism, but, well... I'm okay with it. I don't do stuff that makes him mad. I don't touch others when he's out; I rarely try to get him to step up onto my hand first. Hand-held perch first, then hand. In some ways, I'm disappointed/ashamed at having such a little monster for a pet, but he is what he is. I ALWAYS wear my hair down when he's on my shoulder, so all he can bite is hair, not ears. Really, I don't involve hands much... he doesn't like them. He seems to think the real ME is my head, perched on a weird moveable tree with questionable appendages.
*****Anywayyyyy, some will say I have a Tazmanian Devil on my hands. But I love him. I have no complaints, really. He's HIMSELF. And I'm MYSELF.
THERE'S LOTS OF GOOD TRAINING ADVICE HERE... DO READ AND LEARN AND DO YOUR BEST!
*****Yeah, he's bad. But it is my choice to indulge and adore him.
Finally, I accepted that I have an amazing half-wild being who shares my life! It's magic enough for me!
Parrot-owners usually wind up determining their own personal comfort level with various behaviors, and it's okay to be okay with that.

CONCLUSION
The Rb has been one of the greatest challenges and sweetest little victories of my life. I have kept him safe and loved, and I hope to see him out of this life in the same way.

 

[GaleriaGila]

Thanks for reading!

 

[Anansi]

Thank you for taking so much obvious time and care to gather your experience and knowledge of all things Patagonian in one thread, Abigail. Sharing both the victories and the tough times as you have will no doubt be very helpful and encouraging to others going through similar challenges with their PC's... or any parrots in general.

 

[CarolineBradley]

What a fantastic thread.. Great tips, great ideas and a beautiful (love) story.
I'm usually a lurker and a reader, but your story brought a tear to my eye!
Thank you so much for sharing!
I'm going through the working stage of my life but have changed jobs to be closer to home for more parrot cuddles pre and post work.

 

[Aratingettar]

Great reading, thanks - especially the "Personal history" paragraph

 

[lplummer52]

Thanks so much for sharing yours and RB's story. I let Birdie get away with a lot of stuff too. Can't do trick training. Have tried and always feel like it's somehow beneath us both. I want her to be as wild as she is able. She flies around the house and has free reign of our huge screened porch all year long in Florida. We are lucky and so is Birdie. We know she's happy when she chortles to herself when she digs into her oatmeal or scrambled eggs at breakfast. I am going to try those chili �� next time I go shopping. I loved, loved, loved that video with the whistle! Thanks again for being such a super moderator!

 

[GaleriaGila]

Anansi, praise from you is such an honor.
Caroline, ah yes, the working years... those pre-post work cuddles are everything.
Aratingettar, thanks for appreciating that personal history.
lplummer... Birdie is a wild child, too. It's so OKAY for a parront and bird to carve out a unique relationship, isn't it?

Thanks, y'all!

 

[SailBoat]

I am so very happy that you elected to bring together the knowledge and experiences that you garnered from your year's with Rb. And, we can both agree that we only wished that we knew what we do today!

You have put together that tool for may Parrot owners to use and gain years of experience! Thank-You Good Friend! Well Done!

 

[GaleriaGila]

Thank you, one and all and all and one, for the PMs advising typos, repetitions, and vagaries. I addressed every one, I hope. Plus, I added some boldings and italics and spacing for ease of reading.

Thank you!

 

[LaManuka]

Definitely not just for custodians of conures, Patagonian or otherwise! Plenty of inspiration & helpful information here for any parrot parent, interlaced with humour, love and good grace (from Gail that is, not that recalcitrant Rickeybird!) He has to be just about the luckiest bird in the world to have a mum like you!

 

[GaleriaGila]

Well, thank you, dear LaManuka!
You're always so kind.
And in this case, absolutely right! WELL? I have to salvage some semblance of pride, right?
But thank you, truly.

 

[ChristaNL]

LOL, oh yes- the part about being preened with a thourougly coated pepperbeak ...
(it almost made me decide never to feed the birds peppers *ever* again)
of course it *had* to be my eyelashes that day .



Great thread Gail!
Thank you so much for compiling and streamlining (and making me laugh and cringe at the same time).

 

[GaleriaGila]

I love it when they chow down on a really hot one, then preen, then sit on your shoulder and ruffle/flap/ruffle.

It's like getting maced!

 

[Laurasea]

Ha ha I got chilly peppers kisses whoa we, spicy!

 

[GaleriaGila]

Patagonian Tutorial Dedication

Dear Patagonian Starbuck,
You inspired this Patagonian Tutorial. You made me realize that I needed to have a ready-to-serve tutorial for new/visiting Patagonians here.
There aren't many.
Your would-be rescuer (Amy, aka Jazzcloud) sought to bring you to safety after you lost your decades-long home, but it was not to happen. Now, you are in the realm of Eternity, and in the forever-arms of your dear original love. I miss you, along with dearly-departed baby Patagonian Syd, who visited our Forums a year or so ago before passing. Echo and Maverick, two other Patagonians I have "met" here... I hope you're doing well, wherever you are.
Rest in Peace, Starbuck.
Sincerely,
Abigail and the Rickeybird

 

[Rkwh]

Patagonian Tutorial



PART TWO

And now...
Special Patagonian Stuff

NIGHTIME
They are among the few semi-nocturnal parrots, so don't be surprised if you hear your bird moving around, eating, preening, at night. They only verbalize quietly, usually.

ROOSTERS/HENS
I think (and my world-class avian vet THINKS so, too) that it's the ROOSTERS who are so loud (and I would add ROWDY in general). Of course, allowing the Rb to terrorize the household, flighted and undisciplined and fearless... probably didn't help MY SITUATION!

CAGE
The Rb is in a Lani Kai Lodge Playtop. It's a good cage, and popular, and has ready replacement parts. The Rb seems to chew up the bottom grate. I replace it every year or so. I replace cages every 6-8 years.
https://birdcages4less.com/Merchant5/merchant.mvc?Screen=SRCH
Bar spacing of 3/4 to 1 inch seems okay in general.

LIFESPAN
When I got the Rb in 1984, the span was estimated at 25-30. He's 34 and the only changes I've observed are that he naps a bit more, and has been on Vasotec for heart issues (discerned by blood tests) for about six months now. Good care and diet are really helping birds live longer, especially if their genes are good (i.e., good breeding... or... if a bird was wild-caught. Many were imported in the 60s-70s). The Rb's parents were wild-caught; he was hand-fed.

PLAY HABITS/TOYS
The Rb loves small foot toys... mysafebirdstore.com has great variety and values, and THE BEST customer service. His skinny little pink feet's nails seem to get caught in ropes or wicker, so I avoid those. He also like "pony beads" on safe Poly-rope or Paulie-rope, all for sale at that store.

CHILE PEPPERS
Peppers are a great source of vitamins AND they're easy to offer.
Common wisdom is that most parrot species have such poor taste and smell that hot peppers really excite and stimulate them. And they're very healthy (lots of great nutrients)! So I give the Rickeybird lots! The only downside... when he eats a pepper, then preens, then wants to cuddle, it's a very incendiary experience.
I buy several kinds...
Poblanos, to stuff the end between the bars tightly (above a perch) so the Rbird can nibble at his leisure.
Jalapenos and Serranos, to toss into the cage's snack-bowl, to trick him into entering so I can shut the door. There's no such thing as a chile that isn't good for them.
If he absolutely does NOT want to go back into his cage, a big fat Anaheim will almost always do the trick.
I posted a video of the bird eating one in the thread about beak flavors, and you can hear me sneezing!

THE RICKEYBIRD'S RESUME
See the original Rickeybird Mockumentary here!
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyCdvjJ9X22fVRRwfLk9gwA
Pet of the Day
Rickeybird - Patagonian Conure - May 20, 2016
THE FORUMS Scrapbook
http://www.parrotforums.com/incredi.../62811-rickeybird-scrapbook-1984-updates.html

THE GENE POOL
If you ever wonder why some Rickeybirds are so LOUDDDDDD and ROWDYYYY...
Here is the gene pool!
[ame="[MEDIA=youtube]MzmJm49nEnA[/MEDIA]"]Colonia de loros barranqueros más grande del mundo- Balneario El condor - YouTube[/ame]
Patagonians have sub-species, but the main strain has been discovered to have crossed the Andes some 100,000 years ago!
They are a beloved bird (to most people) in their native lands.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burrowing_parrot

HELPFUL FORUM THREADS
http://www.parrotforums.com/new-members-welcome/75558-new-parrot-mommy.html
http://www.parrotforums.com/conures/74145-pattagonian-conure.html
http://www.parrotforums.com/conures/71792-guess-whose-home-3.html
http://www.parrotforums.com/conures/20882-patagonian-conure.html


PERSONAL HISTORY
The Rb's story...
***** When I walked into a bird store in New Mexico 3+ decades ago, the Rickeybird (a 3-month-old chick) flapped and flew and scrambled into my arms and grabbed my fingers with his feet. It was a perfect storm of my impulsiveness. I had just gotten paid by my college work-study job... I took him home. Using his band, I traced his breeder. We exchanged photos and letters (this was pre-'net, y'all!)... and she could have been my sister! We were both tall, thin, with long red hair and Poindexter glasses, long faces and big toothy smiles. The Rb thought his mommy (or close enough) had walked in to rescue him. Soon thereafter, I was fearing getting evicted due to his noise. My family at the time HATED him. I recall struggling to make a decision, sitting on the floor of my townhouse, watching him race and skip and frolic around on the tile floor, and then run to me GRINNING, so proud to be showing off for me. I would just stare at him and be amazed: imagine --- a real parrot in my house, and it loved me! I felt so guilty and inadequate and afraid at one point that I had him in his travel cage and was planning to take him back to the bird store. I opened the front door and couldn't go through. Closed it. Sat down. Took my little love out and promised him we would stay together.
***** I didn't really believe it, but I wanted to. Eventually, I did. I was in college back then, and at least I could spend a lot of time with him.
*****Then there were years (about 25 of them) when 5-6 days a week, I was gone at 7:30-ish and back at 6-ish.
*****Some did and will consider me wrong and think I should have re-homed him. My husband at that time detested the bird. My current ol' man tolerates him with good humor. No, the bird wasn't responsible for the first marriage's ending! Well, mayyyyyybeeeee...
*****Anyway, here is what I think made those lean years do-able, when I was working.
I moved and got new jobs maybe 5 times or so. BUT...
Every morning, he had at least ten minutes, and every evening, he had 20 or so. Those minutes were intense, face-in-feathers cuddling and cooing and complete merging of hearts. If I had had a bad day, sometimes I'd cry a little, and he'd ruffle and fluff and make funny noises until I smiled. I have always kept him on a natural light schedule, in a separate room, so sometimes those times together were in the dark, before and after Winter daylight-savings-time work hours. During the day, he had a big window looking out on something interesting, a television on one of his favorite channels (music channels, shopping channels), a biggg cage, lots of fun foods, and a few toys that I changed out regularly).
He KNEW he could count on those two crummy sessions a day. Somehow we both made it.
*****Yes, he's a bad boy. May I add some thoughts about expectations? I hope I don't sound preach-y. I also want to make it clear that I completely support all the great advice on training here!
*****My bird is pretty awful. He's a fun mimic and a real character, but...
Even after all these years, I sometimes find myself putting myself or my bird down... stuff like...
I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO PUT UP WITH THIS OR THAT.
WHY CAN'T HE BE SWEET AND NICE, LIKE THOSE OTHER BIRDS?
PEOPLE NEVER UNDERSTAND WHY I PUT UP WITH THIS.
Stuff like that.
Since he's fully flighted, the ONLY way I get him into the cage is to toss a chile pepper in and he flaps in after it. So food reward is a necessity for me. Time-out doesn't exist in the Rb's kingdom.
*****But the Rb is a parrot... in his particular case, one generation out of the wild. ONE GENERATION of DNA honed over 100,000 years!
I do all the right things, as much/well as I can, but in the end, I just LOVE my bird,
Some parrots are SO SWEET, some are NOT. I'm a bit JEALOUS of those successes.
I have lessened my psychological and physical wounds over the decades... not because I've changed the bird, but I have changed me. And a lot of that has involved giving up on a lot of my desires/expectations. After years of battle, I surrendered/compromised.
*****I have reduced biting to almost zero over the years I've spent with the Rickeybird. I don't do stuff that gets me bitten. Some will say I have let him get away with too much, and that's a fair criticism, but, well... I'm okay with it. I don't do stuff that makes him mad. I don't touch others when he's out; I rarely try to get him to step up onto my hand first. Hand-held perch first, then hand. In some ways, I'm disappointed/ashamed at having such a little monster for a pet, but he is what he is. I ALWAYS wear my hair down when he's on my shoulder, so all he can bite is hair, not ears. Really, I don't involve hands much... he doesn't like them. He seems to think the real ME is my head, perched on a weird moveable tree with questionable appendages.
*****Anywayyyyy, some will say I have a Tazmanian Devil on my hands. But I love him. I have no complaints, really. He's HIMSELF. And I'm MYSELF.
THERE'S LOTS OF GOOD TRAINING ADVICE HERE... DO READ AND LEARN AND DO YOUR BEST!
*****Yeah, he's bad. But it is my choice to indulge and adore him.
Finally, I accepted that I have an amazing half-wild being who shares my life! It's magic enough for me!
Parrot-owners usually wind up determining their own personal comfort level with various behaviors, and it's okay to be okay with that.

CONCLUSION
The Rb has been one of the greatest challenges and sweetest little victories of my life. I have kept him safe and loved, and I hope to see him out of this life in the same way.

Wow! I have just come to your thread after you replied to mine about me becoming a new pattie momma in 3 weeks time. And well. This thread has me in tears! I love you true authentic love story of you and RB, worts n all! It’s truly inspiring