Sun conures (Obsession's and vent)

[Calculations]

My logic says I cannot own a sun conure even if I adore them because I have sound sensitivity and they have a certain type of pitch I'm afraid I might not be able to handle.
And every time I say that part of me breaks because i know a Tiels a more manageable option as the pitch doesn't bother me as much. However, ever time i see a sun conure i can't help but know "That is my companion, that is my bird" I do live in an apartment complex but I'm not worried about the sound the neighbors have a macaw, and nobody minds. Even though currently I'm not in the position to do it so I have to be reasonable and refuse until I'm capable of taking care of another bird because that's the right decision. But like anyone I enjoy thinking about the future possibility and me and my father is planning to build me a home the yeard is going to be bigger than the home but it's doable. I just got to wait a couple of years to reach that dream. But even if I get there and have all the space in the world i don't think i could handle the pitch and i have to remind myself is this doable? And the answer is unlikely and I get sad again. Even with noise-canceling headphones and tons of time on my hands, i have to have quiet space or I'll get really upset over a course of time. So here i am wondering something likely improbable and weird what i could i do to give myself a sun conure and make my space still quite and manageable? Are sun conures pitchs extremely bad? is there a way to manage it and make the bird content? I can't help it i keep going back to them and they remind me of my first budgie tinker. Me and tinker had a huge bond one i'll never forget. I keep getting drawn to this bird and its hard to explain but i also don't know how it's doable, i don't know if i can?

 

[fiddlejen]

Sunnies are loud. You mention being pitch-sensitive, so I don't know. One reason their voices can seem exceptionally loud, and also why they speak less than other birds, is they have a somewhat limited pitch-range.

My Sunny tries to speak. Not a lot, because I don't actually talk a whole lot. But what I say is to my birdies, so pretty repetitive. Right now I've been trying to teach "step-up" to the Baby Budgies. And, I say "Step-Up" quite frequently to Sunny. (Her compliance is pretty poor, though, but that's on me, not the breed.) The other day, she was on my shoulder as I was saying "Step Up" to one of the babies, and she was imitating me. "Eehhh Uuuuhh! Ehhhhh Uuuuuuuuh!" And basically, this is all the same pitch.

I have a "Quietness Game" that I play with her. I have described it elsewhere. There was a childhood game of Stop and Go. One Kid is "IT" and stands behind a line. All the other kids some distance away. When "it" turns their back, the kids rush forward, but must Freeze as soon as "It" turns toward them.
So, that is the game, except, for me to move toward her, she must be quiet. Even for one moment. BUT. As soon as she yells again, I Stop and Turn away. Birds don't like when you turn your back to them. So this teaches her to be quiet.

Along with this --- we have times for noisiness. Times when she yells ("EEP EEP") and I will yell back, imitating her pitch and volume, and turn it into some rhymthic pattern, ("EEP EEP, EEEPITY EEP, EEPITY EEPITY EEP EEP EEP,") with head bobbing and dancing etc.

And I have gotten very used to her. Mostly all at the same pitch, she has different yells and different sounds with different meaning. To me she does not seem loud anymore. However, I have had other people comment on the loudness, so apparently she still is loud, and I have just gotten used to it, along with managing it so it is not too bad.

Can this work for you? I don't know. Do you have any bird sanctuaries that you could visit on occasion or potentially volunteer at, to give it a try? Or a local SPCA which might have some birds? (My local often does.) They might not have Sunnies but they may have birds that are loud in general, to see if you might be able to acclimate.

OR you could try de-sensitizing yourself by looking up youtubes of Sunnies yelling, and running them at different volumes as background noise. You would have some years to work on this, from what you've said. So theoretically it Might be possible to de-sensitize yourself over time, to the point that you could HAPPILY live with a sun conure.

All that said. The reason I have birds? I LOVE CATS. I am HIGHLY allergic to cats. I have asthma, and as much as I would love to have a cat, I like breathing more. I could live with a cat -- I have done so in the past -- but chronic, excessive shortness of breath and the accompanying health issues, if they don't leave me non-functional, will move me into actual depression. Unfortunately it is not worth it. I had hoped my allergies had gotten better, but, I still cannot live with a cat and be healthy .So, I have chosen a bird instead, and am thankful and blessed that God brought this particular bird into my life. Because of my Sunny, even if I suddenly became non-allergic, I would Not allow a cat into my home, as it would endanger her.

My point being, IF you try everything reasonable and you cannot be healthy -- physically and/or emotionally -- with your first choice of pet, then you need to choose a pet with whom you can be healthy. Both for your sake and for the sake of the pet.

 

[Kitekeeper]

Excellent post jen!! Thanks for sharing your perspective and opening up.

It has been more often than one would guess that Life brought me not what I asked, but turned out to be much more interesting than what I was aiming for. That´s the beauty! If we keep an open heart we are always learning and enriching our lives.

As a side note, don´t worry about noise, eventually most of us become a bit deaf with age, I know I am

However, if you (calculations) are open to a quiet parrot that is as calm as silent you could try Linneolated parakeets!! They have wonderful personalities and they are so quiet that sometimes they just look like "frozen" parrot. They are intriguing and even when they try to be loud, they are just cute.