Sun Conure who doesn't want to be handled

[LaNeige]

Many years ago I was chosen by a sun conure when I met my husband. She flew onto my shoulder and wouldn't get off. I was completely unfamiliar with parrots and was afraid to be bit and was afraid of hurting her, so I always had to rely on my husband to remove her from me. Six months later we added another sun conure, and she was the sweetest thing. She would lay in my hand, and she wouldn't do anything more aggressive than gently nip my fingers. It was because of her that I gained the confidence to handle both of them. But now, while she will still come to me when she wants to, and sometimes when I ask, she bites me if I try to handle her when she doesn't want me to. And sometimes she will run away from me. I don't know what happened, other than she learned to be a bit feisty thanks to our first conure. She's still the sweetest thing, but I can't figure out what changed, and more importantly if I should be worried about it. So I guess the question is, is there anything I can do to get her back to being more comfortable with being handled, or should I not worry about it?
thanks!

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

Not sure I can be of much help because what you are describing is pretty familiar to what I go through with Skittles.

He LOVES to sit on my shoulder and climb inside my shirt. He comes to me when I call him and he climbs on my finger on command. HOWEVER, he's never really been one to enjoy being "handled". If I grab him and pick him up to put him somewhere etc, he is fine. BUT if I try to cradle him in my hands he will nip me, not really a bite though. He prefers to cradle himself. Sometimes he will let me pet him and other times he doesn't want to be touched.

I do know that Skittles goes through moods and sunnies are known for being divas. I just go with the flow with Skittles. If he doesn't want to be touched, I don't touch him. I know he's just in "one of his moods" and it always passes.

Not sure if this is a constant thing with you and your sun conure but I will say that the addition of any bird (or person) changes the family dynamic and WILL affect the bird(s) already residing there.

Bottom line is this, if she were completely avoiding you and wanting NOTHING to do with you, then I'd say there are issues that need to be dealt with, but it just seems to be normal sun behavior to me. It could be age, it could be hormones or it could just be that she just doesn't want to be held.

 

[Sunnyclover]

Well my sun conure is amazing and lets me do anything I want and never bites me but he's definitely doesn't LOVE to be cradled in my hands or held with my hand wrapped around his body. He does love tickles and cuddles though and never turned me away unless he was really worried about something and stayed slick. However, I have a nanday conure who is bi-polar, one minute he want tickles or to be held in my hands like a sandwich and the next he'll decide he's had enough or something scares him and he will bite. He has a days here and there when he doesn't really want to be handled at all and then there are days like today he is ALL about me and can't get enough of me handling him. I hope this helps...if your bird does this on and off I would say it's normal but if it just refuses to be handles most of the time I would start training her again like you just got her.

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

Skittles is fine if I grab him and pick him up to put him somewhere but he doesn't like to be cradled either.



He's also fine when I grab him and pick him up to "play airplane". But I think the only reason he lets me do that is because I look silly doing it and it makes me look stupid which is a win-win for him.