Won't come out the past week

[pico]

I've had my black capped conure, Pico, since he was a baby about... 3 or 4 years now. He's always been very well behaved and has always completely trusted me (letting me do stuff like holding him in the palm of my hand on his back and tickling his tummy).

The past week and a half he has not been coming out of his cage and I don't know why. He's only come out like 4 times and hes normally out as much as possible. When he has come out he acts completely normal. When I offer my finger he runs away from my hand and he won't even letting me pet him through the grates of his cage. The only time he lets me touch him is when he is sitting in his hut. He hams it up then, wanting me to not stop petting his neck! He's not aggressive at all with me (he only bit me once when we first got him). He just runs away and makes his little squeak toy scream at me. I'll leave the cage open and he will come out when I leave the room, but the moment I come back he runs back inside.

Nothing has happened to him that I know of. We moved his cage across the room about a month and a half ago but he seemed fine with it! I would think he would have been upset then rather than now so I don't think that's it. My grandfather went back to work out of the country a day or so before he started it. My grandfather is his favorite person after me so he will pout a bit every time he leaves (he leaves for a month or so and then comes back for a few weeks all year round), but hes never done anything like this. He's molting a bit right now, but yet again he's never done anything like that before! I also don't think he is sick or anything because other than not coming out he's pretty much acted like his normal self, playing with his toys, yelling my name (and then not coming out! ), eating all his food, and taking baths. One behavioral change I've noticed is a few times after I covered him up at night he flapped his wings for a few minutes. He normally only does this if he's been covered but people are still out and about (he apparently thinks its not fair!), but this hasn't been the case.

Someone suggested it may be hormones? What do you guys think?

I'm worried and it hurts my feeling that he won't come out to me.

 

[WannaBeAParrot]

He just runs away and makes his little squeak toy scream at me. I'll leave the cage open and he will come out when I leave the room, but the moment I come back he runs back inside.
....
My grandfather is his favorite person after me so he will pout a bit every time he leaves (he leaves for a month or so and then comes back for a few weeks all year round), but hes never done anything like this. He's molting a bit right now,
....
Someone suggested it may be hormones? What do you guys think?

I'm worried and it hurts my feeling that he won't come out to me.

To me it sounds like hormones. If he's molting, maybe he has different balance of hormonal changes from past molts. Maybe the physical discomforts of molting are more intense than past molts. Birds can feel very vulnerable when molting and are more apt to "stay safe" -- so his being okay with you when in his hut, or coming out when no one is around, sounds like he playing it safe. I'm also thinking of the psychology (I'm not a psychologist, just a parront of 20 years) of this molt might feel different since (1) cage is in different place, and (2) granddad is not there.

Don't take it personally. Try to keep him company as much as possible from outside his cage, talk to him, sing, give him a treat -- watch that it is a normal molt, and be patient. Maybe he'll let you start by just giving him your hand to snuggle next to inside the cage.

 

[anet]

Any new shampoos or soaps? Maybe there is a new smell he doesn't like.

Annette

 

[ruffledfeathers]

Georgie used to have 'moody spells' (i never was sure EXACTLY why?? hormonal?) and there were times i would get so upset and frustrated that she stayed in her cage a lot more than i wanted her to, yet she seemed 'happy' and would come over to the door of the cage and kiss me and be sweet, just had a 'leave me alone' attitude. It just came in spells from time to time. I guess we are all entitled to our moods sometiems. Don't you wish they could just tell you what they are thinking?

 

[kc_y0]

Although it could be hormones, maybe a vet check might be good. My bird started wanting to stay in her cage all the time, and it turned out she had a bacterial infection.. maybe just to be on the safe side, seeing as birds do hide any kind of sickness. Hope its just something simple like hormones though! Good luck.