Would it be crazy to buy a Sun?

[Birdman666]

Sun conures are easy to train, and although they are known to be nippy, I've never met a bad-natured sun conure in my entire career.

Agreed.

Though I have seen a few that have over bonded and were not handleable by anyone other than "their person."

Socialize a conure, it will pretty much learn to love everyone.

 

[Birdman666]

I'm kind of a believer in getting the bird you want to get from the git go as long as you have done your research and have an idea of what you are getting into. Birds can live a long, long, long time. So it's best to get the bird you have always dreamed about especially if you can afford to get a hand raised baby. I think people try to make it sound harder than it really is when getting a bird as a pet. If you have or had children, raising a bird isn't that much different than raising children. Just think of the bird as a spoiled two year old and that will give you some idea.

Exactly. Well said.

 

[everdusk]

Just finished reading up on this thread. I am super delighted that you got BOTH birds! I myself started with budgies as a child, then cockatiels (I still have 3), and then my green cheek conure. One of my cockatiels was being bullied by the other male so I had to separate him from them. Over several months I allowed him to bond with my green cheek and every night I find them snuggled against their "blanket" together. Mind you, I might not allow a sun and cockatiel to share the same cage space, but supervised visits should be wonderful!

As for if you're ready... You have so much experience with animals. It's not really if you have the "bird know-how", the real question is, do you have the patience? It sounds like you do, after nearly a year spent reading alone. Very few of us are expert bird "trainers", they are like family and we learn from them more than they learn from us.

And honestly? Birds in pet stores don't have good odds. Many people walk in just like that man, with no attention of getting a bird, then go "ooh shiny!" and take it home with no thought to responsibility. The odds are that if the Sun went back, someone similar (if not quite that bad), would buy him/her! You are eons above most people. And I really agree with everyone here, Conures are the most forgiving breed I have ever met.

I wish you and your daughter many happy bird adventures, it seems you will both make great parronts!

 

[Abigal7]

Reading through this thread I am glad you were able to get both birds. You seemed to have researched and are making sure the Sun conure is handled by everyone. I think if you spend time with the bird everyday you will not have much problems. Conures are known to be more forgiving then alot of other species. That is not to say your conure will not become loud. That could happen.

 

[crazyforfeathers]

I think people try to make it sound harder than it really is when getting a bird as a pet. If you have or had children, raising a bird isn't that much different than raising children. Just think of the bird as a spoiled two year old and that will give you some idea.

A two year old that will never grow up for all of its 20-35 year life haha! Yes, they are much like spoiled toddlers who can scream and fly. But as long as you know what you are getting yourself into, which I'm sure by now you know thanks to the honest feedback you've received from folks here, then all will be well. Much joy to your new family members! Love and cherish them! :07:

 

[Kalidasa]

I think people try to make it sound harder than it really is when getting a bird as a pet. If you have or had children, raising a bird isn't that much different than raising children. Just think of the bird as a spoiled two year old and that will give you some idea.

A two year old that will never grow up for all of its 20-35 year life haha! Yes, they are much like spoiled toddlers who can scream and fly. But as long as you know what you are getting yourself into, which I'm sure by now you know thanks to the honest feedback you've received from folks here, then all will be well. Much joy to your new family members! Love and cherish them! :07:

Just curious, what sort of chick is on your avatar? Is that a baby killdeer?

 

[crazyforfeathers]

Just curious, what sort of chick is on your avatar? Is that a baby killdeer?

You know, I'm not quite sure! I just saw the picture somewhere on the web and thought it was awful cute. At first glance I thought it was an ostrich chick but I am surely wrong!

 

[jbail1026]

Yes to all of the above! Especially about forgiveness on both sides - you will makes mistakes - so will your bird! He'll bite you at some point when he doesn't mean to, or fly into your favorite vase on the mantel. George has broken more than one set of blinds at my house when I bird-sit him (he likes to launch without a flight plan). Speaking of...George (YN Amazon) picked my dad in 1990 when he was at the pet store buying food for my budgie. George said "hello" and that was it. I mean, hey! I got a budgie for my 11th birthday, we knew birds, right? Um...not so much. And back then there was no helpful parrot forum to turn to for advice. But 24 years on, he's a super-cool member of the family. There will be bumps in the road, but in the end, I know you will not be sorry you jumped in.

 

[alcmene]

The conure stays forever. We almost died yesterday. Literally, not figuratively. When people survive a near death experience like that, it bonds you. I don't care if he turns out to be the meanest, screamiest, most bitey awful bird ever. He stays.

I live in southern Alabama. We had a freak snowstorm yesterday. There was no snow predicted in the forecast, so everybody had gone to work, school, etc like normal. I dropped my 2 oldest off at school, then the baby and I took the the birds to the vet for their well bird check up. We were there when the storm hit.

It only ended up being 1/2- 3/4 in of accumulation. I am a born and raised northerner. I grew up right outside of Chicago. I know snow. The amount of snow here was laughable to northerners. BUT there is no infrastructure for dealing with snow here. The news said the last time the city I live in had measurable snow fall was 1993. The city doesn't own a plow. Not one. They have no salt. No sand. When everyone drove on top of the snow, it compressed it and turned all the roads in to a solid sheet of ice with no way to clear it. All of that paired with an entire city full of people who have no idea how to drive in winter weather. It was, literally, the worst driving conditions I have ever experienced in my entire life.

I got a notification from the school that it was cancelled, but the roads were impassable and they were prepared to keep the children overnight. So, initially, I was just trying to get home. There were wrecks everywhere. Traffic was unbelievable. The highway was a parking lot. I checked my odometer. We had been in the car for over an hour and had moved 0.1 miles. Then I got another notice from school that their power was out. If I didn't get to my kids they were going to have to spend the night in a building with no lights, no way to cook food, and no heat. It was supposed to get down to 19 degrees. We have a generator. I knew we'd be fine at home. I had to get to my girls.

I knew there was no way we would make it home and THEN to school, so I headed straight to school. At one point a semi jack-knifed and flipped over on to its side right behind us. A few seconds later someone in front of me slid and caused a 7 car pile up. We weren't hit, but both wrecks stretched across the entire road, blocking all lanes in both directions. I was trapped in between the 2 wrecks and couldn't get out. It took the police more then 2 hrs to clear enough of the road that traffic could start to pass again.

I had bottled water, but no bathroom and the only food was a box of cheez-it crackers. With a 2 year old and 2 parrots in the car. We kept driving.

I finally got to school and retrieved my kids. At this point, I have all 3 of my daughters and 2 parrots in the car. We headed for home. I live out in the country, on top of a mountain. You reach our house by driving out in the middle of nowhere, on extremely steep, twisty, sharply winding mountain roads. There were wrecks everywhere. Tons of people had just gotten out and abandoned their cars. Just left them right in the road and walked away. I'm used to driving in winter weather and my car has all wheel drive. So we kept going.

What I failed to fully take in to account, were all the other people who aren't used to winter weather and don't have AWD. The roads were the slickest and most treacherous I have ever driven on. At one point, someone behind us lost control of their vehicle and bumped me. We started to spin and did a complete 360. While skidding downhill on a mountain. With deep ravines on both sides and no guard rail. If we had gone off the side we would have flipped over and over and over until we crashed at the bottom of the mountain. With my babies in the car.

By the grace of god, I managed to get control of my car again and safely pull us out of the spin. I didn't even hit any of the other cars that were already crashed along the roadside. The car that tapped me went off the side. I called the police and reported it, but there was no way for me to possibly reach that car. I don't know if the driver survived. When I got to the bottom of the mountain, I pulled to the side of the road, got out, and threw up. Then I hugged and consoled each of my daughters and both of the birds. They both cowered against me, terrified, but neither one bit. The cockatiel was shrieking, but the conure didn't scream a single time. Even when the girls and I were all screaming when we spun.

I pulled myself together, got back in the car, and drove us the rest of the way home. Weaving in and out around all the crashes. At one point, we saw a car on fire upside down in a ditch. I don't know if there were any people inside.

Our house is at the very top of a mountain. Our driveway is a 1/4 mile long and is completely vertical. We often joke that driving on it feels like going up that first hill of a roller coaster, where the chain is still attached and you hear that "click click click" before the drop. There was no way we would make it up without going off the side.

So I got the kids out, the older ones walked and I carried the 2 year old up the drive. With no boots or gloves. We don't own any. After I got the kids safely in the house, I walked back down, got the birds, and walked the 3 of us back up. My husband had called and told me that he wasn't even going to attempt to leave work and was going to spend the night there. We were all safe.

The entire journey took 9 hrs. 9 hrs in the car on treacherous roads, with 3 children, 2 parrots, no bathroom, and no food. I am still so shaken up by the experience that I'm trembling as I type this. And the conure never bit. Never screamed. Not once.

He stays.

 

[Janedeaux]

I am so happy you are all not injured. I hope the other people are ok. I live in Mississippi and we have experienced the same storm. we were lucky to have had school cancelled the night before it hit. Hhowever, electricity was predicted to go out and I sent my children to my in-laws who have fireplace. I haven't seen them in 3 days and I can't get to them. I'm so thankful they are safe and are with family and were not stuck in school, on a road, etc.
your story really was poignant. I could feel your fear and relief through the page.

bless you, the children and BOTH birds.

 

[Janedeaux]

also, I meant to say, my five year old and my Sun love each other. paisley has been bitey before, and my five year old son handles it like a pro. he doesn't jerk, react or anything. he just looks at me and says very calmly, "that one hurt a little". each and every time. my eight year old does just as well. they all love him. we've had him since he was 2 months and he will be 1 on Feb 3. For the most part, once he settled in, he did get a little more rough. played rough, etc. became a bit bitey to new people, nothing terrible though. he still isn't that loud (doesn't have screech fests) knows No, eats great and is still great with the boys.
our big thing is repetition and schedule. very important for well behaved birds in my opinion.

good luck and so happy again you all are ok and the birds are settling in so beautifully.

 

[alcmene]

It was terrifying, but I'm so grateful i was able to get to my daughters and get us all home safely. The news said that Tues night almost 12,000 kids had to spend the night at school. Wed night there were still 2,00 kids trapped. Rescuers FINALLY got to the last of them this afternoon (Thurs). They had been at school for 3 days. With no electricity- no lights and no heat, with temps that got down to 9 degrees, with frozen pipes- so no fresh water, and very limited food (and what they did have had to be eaten raw because there was no way to cook it.

Hundreds of kids had to be taken to the hospital for dehydration and frostbite.

Tues was truly the most terrifying thing i have ever lived through. I'm just so very very grateful that we are all ok- my whole family- my kids, my husband, myself AND my birds

 

[Jumpingtadpoles]

Oh my gosh. That was a terrifying story to read. I am so glad you were all ok. I'm glad you were able to get your girls from school.
I'm sad to hear about what everyone else must have experienced.
My heart breaks.
I literally had tears in my eye while I read that.
The bird is well behaved. You put him to the test.

 

[alcmene]

That bird is unlike any other bird i have ever met.

He had only lived with us for 3 days. It's not like we had a deep decades long bond. On Tues he had all the stress and manhandling involved in a vet visit. He was trapped in a wee dinky carrier with no toys for 9 hrs. He was really really hungry. He was in a car accident which threw him off his perch. When i pulled out of the spin and stopped us safely i reached in to his carrier and grabbed him. I fully 100% expected to get badly bitten, but i had to make sure he wasnt injured.

I felt all over his body. Extended both his wings and felt up and down them. Ran my hands down each of his legs and toes looking for breaks. I even made him open his mouth trying to make sure he hadnt bitten his tongue. And he did not bite me. He looked super pissy. But he didnt bite. Didnt even threaten to.

He is just so special there arent even words.

My dog died in October. He was the world's best dog. Gentlest, calmest dog ever to have lived. I trained him and got him registered as a therapy dog and we visited the children's hospital weekly until he was so old he was physically unable to walk the distance from the parking lot in to the hospital anymore. Even though he was super old and we knew it was coming, my heart broke in to a thousand pieces the day we lost him. I couldnt make myself get out of bed for a week. I've spent every day since then feeling like there was a hole torn inside of me that would never mend. Until Tues. When i realized the universe had sent me the world's calmest gentlest bird to fill that void.

I have never wanted a bird before. I've had every other kind of pet in the world, but never a bird. Never wanted one. They just held no appeal for me. But God knows what we need, not what we want. And he looked in my soul and saw how much i was hurting, but he knew that another dog could never take my old dog's place. So he sent me the world's best bird to heal my broken heart. That sounds so corny and trite, but i truly believe it. We were meant to find each other. My daughter was the catalyst that caused us to look at birds in the first place. But now that they're both here, she only has eyes for Mr Peabody. They are in love. The sun is MY bird

 

[Jumpingtadpoles]

How did the cockatiel do? Is she ok? Are the kids still shaken up?

 

[riddick07]

I'm so happy they are both working out for you and that the sun has become your bird! We have a cat named Travolta that picked us out at a shelter that I was volunteering at but he never fully bonded to us. Then my mother met her husband and Travolta is most definitely his cat! It was instant love on both sides and we all swear Travolta was saying what took you so long to show up! We believe that we took him home because he was supposed to come to my stepfather in the end.

 

[thunderbird]

I would say go for the sun conure and commit to it completely, but expect that you are primary caretaker and problem-solver. I had a tiel growing up and adored it, but my sun conure is hilarious, playful, snuggly and brilliant. I haven't had any non-stop screeching problems. She does call out when you first come home in greeting, or if water is running and she wants to play in it. The call is loud, but once you answer, she stops. To give you an idea, she talks to a hawk two blocks away sometimes. I get the feeling that if she were bored, or lonely, there could be a lot of noise. They need daily snuggles, toys, puzzles to solve, adventures, and interesting things to bite. She is awesome with the immediate family but aggressive towards the dogs and strangers. If you want an easier bird, try a tiel or budgie.

 

[alcmene]

How did the cockatiel do? Is she ok? Are the kids still shaken up?

Mr Peabody was starving and really shaken up too. He was squawking and making an absolute ruckus in the car, making his displeasure known. When we spun, he fell too. I checked him all over for damage too, and he was also unhurt.

Kids are resiliant, especially little ones. My girls are 2, 5, and 8. The baby didnt even know we were in danger. She was just glad to not be in the car anymore once we got home. My 5 yo was scared when we spun, but she had Mr Peabody's carrier on her lap and was talking to him the whole rest of the trip. So she was fine. My 8yo was really scared in the car. But she is a very practical child who isnt prone to drama. The second we got home she was fine. I tried to talk to her about it to see how she was feeling. She told me, "We're home and all safe. There's nothing to be worried about now!" I have great kids.

The birds seemed to snap out of it immediately too. As soon as i got them inside and got them fed they were their usual pleasant selves again.

I should hear back the DNA test results next wk and then we can give the sun a name

 

[KeroRocks]

Alcmene,
WOW! I am so happy that your family is safe. I read this entire thread and it felt like I was reading a book.
I think that by asking, "Am I doing the right thing." you are doing the right thing. You have a lot of experience with animals. You researched, researched, and then researched some more. You are the best type of pet owner.

I am so happy you decided to get the Sun. I was chanting in my head as I was reading the thread, "You have to get the Sun, you have to get the Sun."

I have a Sun, you can see him in my signature. He's not much for being petted but he will go to anyone and loves to perch on people's fingers. He the bird I bring out when people come to my house and want to hold a bird because I know he won't bite.

- sigh - I'm going to keep this thread bookmarked and read it when I need a pick-me-up

I am so happy for you. Keep posting!

 

[Jumpingtadpoles]

I, too, have had moments where I questioned my own sanity and capability. But I want a bird.
I have been questioned why I want a bird as well when we have many different pets. Aren't they enough, I've been asked.
I wanted to retort: would you ask a parent if their one or two children aren't enough? Or why have more kids, you can just have cats.
You made an informed decision. And then made a heartfelt decision. Both have benefitted you. And both have been awesome to "watch". You have done nothing wrong. And this person has a bee in their hair about nothing.