Male Sun Conure looking for mate?

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Male Sun Conure looking for mate?

by Stalked
(Ohio)

My twelve year old daughter and I recently acquired a 3 yr old male Conure previously owned by a male. This bird likes to dance in the bottom of his cage, kind of like gurgling chirps, picking up his bedding throwing it side to side with his neck all puffed and rubbing his beak on the bottom his cage. He sometimes sits on my neck and gets a little too close for my liking and I do believe he is looking for a mate...right? or maybe he thinks he has already found one.

How do I make him behave? Its nice to have him cuddle with me but he is acting more frequently with this behavior and I think there's a time and a place for everything. Should I avoid him when he is like this with only minimal attention?

Comments for
Male Sun Conure looking for mate?

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Jun 09, 2011

Conure affection
by: The Avian Vet

These behaviors do not sound like courtship behaviors. They sound more like a bird wanting out of the cage. He is snuggling next to your neck for security more than affection. Being a male or female owner is irrelevant to his relationship. They generally pick who they like based on characteristics other than gender, although gender may play a role.

Birds usually pick adults over children because their shoulders are higher and they feel more secure they higher they are.

What bedding are you using? There should be a grate between the bird and the tray in the cage. The only bedding that should be used in the tray is sheet paper, like newspaper. Other beddings such as shavings and corn cob present a serious health risk for the bird, and are much more messy. And no, you should not limit the attention you give him.

Dr B

Jun 09, 2011

Male Sun Conure looking for mate?
by: Linda

First of all this is only play behavior and has nothing to do with breeding. I would be good to start learning about parrots in general and yours in particular by getting some books and making use of all the internet has to offer.

I suggest you keep all parrots off your shoulder and away from your face and neck as this can result in some serious injuries. Do not withhold affection from your bird as this is cruel.

First thing to do here is to have your bird examined by an Avian Vet in your area. Birds become severely stressed when moved from one home to the other and this can result in an infection. Take him to be examined by avian vet and once he either has a clean bill of health or has been treated for infection or other physical problem, then make use of training materials on the Parrot Training page and other places on the internet.

It is best to not blindly go into having a parrot. They are relying on you to know what you need to know before bringing them home, so please get both you and your daughter busy learning. Learning about birds is a life-long endeavor, so you will always be learning something new.

Let us know what Avian Vet has to say about your bird's health and how training is going.

Find an Avian Vet

Linda

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