q about sun conure

[chuckles]

im planning to buy a sun conure but i have couple of questions. how do i know if the sun conure is old or young also if i buy a sun conure how do i know it wont die the next day of some illness or something cuz i heard they are expensive , also how loud can a sun conure be? would putting the bird cage in a bathroom and closing the door prevent his screaming from annoying my neighbors in the same floor in the building?

 

[beekersmom]

If you are buying from a Breeder they can tell you the hatch date as far as noise it depends on how much we time you give him. The sun I had loved me and hated my husband so he ended up in his cage for hours a day as i work long days. but whenever I got home he had a very special greating call just for me I would take him out and he would go about the house with me and whenever I wanted to cuddle with him i would bring out his cloth bag of "chewies" which were the colored wood shapes you can get a your local pet store. he would play for hours in the bag, coming up to check on me give me kisses and go back to playing. He was occasionally vocal during dawn and dusk and wheh he wanted hubby to give him treats. Great pets but to keep him from being a one person bird all family members need to participate in playtime and in handling him. play pass the bird every time someone comes into the room they have to take the bird for a few min then pass on to the next person family friend whoever

 

[sonja]

Sun conures have the potential to be quite loud. While there are exceptions, I would not put an Sun conure in an apartment.

 

[BoomBoom]

Hi, Chuckles. We are taking care of a 6 month old Sun Conure. I highly, highly advice you to rethink your decision to get one, especially since you live in an apartment. Not all suns are loud, but chances are they will be... and if they want to be, they can be VERY LOUUUUD. Our sun made our ears ring when we first got him. He has improved a lot, but will still be loud at certain times of the day. Parrots will be parrots after all.

If you like conures, I would go with the 'quieter' Pyrrhura genus. The green cheek conure is a good example, there are others you can look up. While the Pyrrhura conures will also have the potential to be loud, they are generally accepted as 'apartment' conures vs. the Aratinga genus (of which the Sun belongs to). I believe this will work well for you.

Please don't think I am discouraging you from getting one just because. When I read your comment about putting them in the bathroom when theyre loud, I just figured for your sanity and the sanity of your future bird, its best to avoid Suns and Aratingas altogether. There are plenty of alternatives that are just as beautiful, just as lovable and just as crazy as the Sun. Good luck on your decision! Browse the internet and these forums on tips and suggestions on how to properly care for your conure. Ask away if you have any questions. You can send me a Private Message here if you don't get any responses.

 

[Pookamama]

I suggest you do a lot of research about the demands of different bird species and their health needs before making a decision as to what bird you want. Many birds look very pretty and friendly in the pet store, but many of those birds wind up being rehomed because of it being an impulse buy and the owners not knowing the hours of work the birds take each day, the diet requirements, and the expenses really add up! Different bird breeds have different traits and different care requirements. Many bird breeders sell with a guarantee that the bird will come to you disease free, and you must get the bird examined by a vet within 72 hours of the bird being in your possession.

 

[Kantia]

As everyone else has said, do a lot of research before considering a sun conure. I believe you should never buy a parrot (or any pet for that matter) if it's going to be an "if" pet. If it won't bite, if it's not noisy etc. you can't always guarantee what your birds personality is going to be like, so you need to prepare for all possible outcomes.

 

[AFP520]

Lucy is part of the Aratinga genus, but I don't really consider her to be that noisy. Yes, her screams are pretty loud when we first come home, but it does not take more than a minute for her to calm down, or easily distract her with a toy. After that, she is usually quiet. She will only squawk again if we leave the room and she cannot see us.

 

[greenbutterfly81]

My sun Kiyomi can be quite loud when she wants to be, which is usually when she first wakes up and wants out of the cage... or when I get home and she wants me to pick her up. Other than that she's really good considering she's only 4 1/2 months old. You don't want her yelling right in your ear though, YEOWCH. She can be really loud when she wants to be, but a short snuggle in her favorite sweater of mine with me and she's quiet and happy.

These birds can be very noisy. I live in an apartment but I don't have a problem with her. First, because I have great neighbors who like my bird. Second, because I got her a very large cage with lots of toys so she has plenty of room to play and entertain herself.

This is the cage I have for her: [ame=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00176F5L0/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i00]Prevue Pet Products Wrought Iron Flight Cage with Stand F040 Black Bird Cage,31-Inch by 20-1/2-Inch by 53-Inch: Amazon.com: Pet Supplies[/ame]

Even with a cage that size, i have to move things around and replace broken and chewed toys often. You also need to be ready to change the cage every day or every other day at minimum because these little guys get messy.

Do NOT think that you can get away with just pellets with these birds, unless you want a skinny, sickly, underweight pet. You need to give them fresh fruits and vegetables, cooked beans, and fresh nuts and seeds daily. Make sure you can afford to do this before you invest in a sun. They are expensive to buy and expensive to maintain, and its only a small parrot.

 

[chuckles]

does the sun need to get out of the cage in the morning? cuz i wake up at 12 pm . also im planing to get it a parrot seed mix and feed it regular fruits and vegies , would that be enough? and how much attention does a sun conure need per day?

 

[BoomBoom]

The parrot will be up when its bright. Normally its best to follow the regular day cycle, which means up at 7:30am, bed by 7:30pm. Stick to a routine, this is very important or it would frustrate your bird. I know some people who are able to control their bird’s waking and sleeping time so it doesn’t follow the normal pattern but I don’t have any knowledge on that. Expect him to be loud when he wakes and sometimes when he is sleepy. He will also be very loud when you come home if he has not seen you all day. I am generalizing, but this is what you would expect from a Sun. That is why I urge you to reconsider getting the quieter conures instead because you live in an apartment. It would be terrible for you and especially your bird if you had to rehome him because your neighbors complained to your landlord. I live in an apartment too, but we have an understanding with the landlord and we’ve been here a long time.

For food, cut back on the seeds mix and add some pellets instead. Fresh and veggies are great, it is what my sun eats most of but I’m trying to give him more pellets too. Offer other supplements like cuttlebone, worms or egg for protein, healthy nuts like almonds for traning. Do not give him milk, sugar, chocolates, avocado, apple pits, salt, grease… to name a few. Google Safe Parrot Food list, there’s plenty of No Nos for parrots.

Conures will need a base minimum of 2-3 hours of out of cage time on weekdays and ideally LOADSs more on weekends or whenever you are free. You will need to give them attention when they are out or as much as you can spare. Provide lots of toys in and out of his cage. Provide a spacious cage.

Phew there is so much more to get yourself ready for. You have to give up aerosol sprays, febreeze, colognes, Lysol, disinfectants, non-stock pans, the list goes on and on and on. Its really a commitment. I suggest you look up a general conure guide to get you started.

Sorry my tips are all over the place, its just so many things to consider. I’m sure others have more tips to give you. But please look up the other quieter conures and see if you fancy something other than a Sun, a Jenday or any of the louder Aratingas. Read up a lot because once you take the plunge, that’s it! Pet stores and breeders usually will not take the birds back. Also thinking more about your schedule, maybe a more independent, less demanding bird might be a better idea. Budgies are great birds, very intellient, not so needy, and quiet. They have the potential to learn way more words than a Sun Conure too. They will need a lot of care just like Suns, but not as much by far!

 

[chuckles]

u guys rlly made me worried about sun noise , how is the situation with the green cheek conure , can u tell me the pros and cons of green cheek conure?

 

[Kjarva]

u guys rlly made me worried about sun noise , how is the situation with the green cheek conure , can u tell me the pros and cons of green cheek conure?

Is there any reason why you are so set on a conure? Budgies are very intelligent, have great talking ability and are nowhere near as noisy as conures. I really don't think that shutting any bird in a bathroom is right or fair, just because it's doing what birds do. Not to mention any respiratory problems they could get from mould in a damp bathroom. The rapid changes of temperature in the bathroom could also give your bird a chill.

I am a fairly new owner to a green cheek conure and I can give you the pro's and cons:

PROS
Adorable, fun loving, clownish little bird
Incredibly intelligent
Loves learning tricks
Wants to be around you and your family
Quiet for conures

CONS
Like all birds, quite a bit of maintenance is required to keep them healthy. Are you willing to cook them healthy food like rice, pasta, beans etc?
Can be nippy - not experienced a lot of this with mine yet but it has happened
Can be pretty loud when they want to be. In fairness my bird is pretty quiet, he occasionally has a 5 minute scream in the afternoon when I'm working beside him and he feels he's not getting the attention he deserves. It doesn't last long and I find the noise bearable.
Your bird might not be an instant cudde bug. He maybe never will be. He may bite, scream at you and flail around his cage when you try to go near him. Are you willing to put in the hours of work needed to tame him if he's not? My bird was raised in an aviary by his parents, no human contact until I got him. Progress has been very slow but maybe about 30 hours of training later he'll step up and likes to be with me but still doesn't like being touched unless he's inside his cage and I'm scratching his head through the bars.

If you're not willing to deal with these things then please, please don't get a conure. So many birds end up in rescues because their owners just see a pleasant, feathery little tennis ball then they realise that actually they have a fairly high maintenance pet on their hands. Either that or they get stuck in a back room and ignored. Do your homework and if you're in any doubt at all, ask here or don't get one.

I could send you over a recording of Largo screaming but it really doesn't do the decibel level justice lol

 

[chuckles]

i already have a african ring neck , but the problem is that he isnt very intelligent and feel more like a normal bird than a parrot , like when i get him out of the cage he sit still and dont play or such and he makes sounds for like 10 min in total only everyday , even though he steps up on my hand and do tricks for treats . so i want a small parrot that is playful and actually make sounds for more than 10min a day lol.