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Conure is obsessed with being on my head/shoulder

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Conure is obsessed with being on my head/shoulder

Postby Wolfina2 » Mon May 09, 2016 4:13 pm

I have a 7 month old green cheek conure which I've recently adopted. I'm just beginning step up training, and he for some reason has some need to be on my shoulder/head. I try to keep him at eye level so it's not an issue with height, I was thinking maybe it was because of my hair as i have natural red hair. He doesn't do it to my boyfriend or my sister when they handle him.

He tries to jump from my hand to fly over which usually lands in my lap when i'm sitting, or clings to my chest.

Any tips on training him to sit on my hand, i try to stop him every time he trys to scoot from my hand to my shoulder, but obviously jumping is a little harder to stop.

Thank you for looking. :gcc:
Wolfina2
Parakeet
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
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Re: Conure is obsessed with being on my head/shoulder

Postby Wolf » Mon May 09, 2016 6:14 pm

Try to look at this from the parrots perspective. They live in trees, they feed in trees, the majority of their predators live on the ground. They can't fight a predator if they want to live. One of the reasons for this is that their bones are too fragile, so they rely on flight as well as the proximity of their flock for safety as well as getting up in the trees where the predator can not reach them. Height is safety to a parrot and for this reason the prefer to perch on heads and shoulders. Especially the heads and shoulders of their chosen human. Contrary to what many people like to think with a parrot height has nothing to do with dominance it has everything to do with safety.

Kiki, Senegal loves to land on my head, I usually raise a hand so that she lands there instead or I duck so that she lands on my back or shoulder instead. I do not mind her on my shoulder as it leaves my hands free so that I can still do things, I don't like her on my head because she can't get her butt yo stick out far enough to not leave unwanted presents in my hair. Although that is probably good for my hair, I still don't care for this. The only thing that I ever do if she manages to land on my head is to move her to either my hand or to my shoulder, with my shoulder being the place that I prefer the most.

Others may have other thoughts on this, but these are mine. Thank you for allowing me to share them with you.
Wolf
Macaw
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is male
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Re: Conure is obsessed with being on my head/shoulder

Postby Pajarita » Tue May 10, 2016 10:39 am

Wolf gave you an accurate parrot perspective so now I am going to give you my opinion: what you describe is a typical GCC 'thing'. They ALL want to be on our shoulders and nowhere else -well, mine also likes to hang from my chest and would, sometimes, run down my arm to look at something or bathe under the running faucet while I wash dishes but she always runs up again to my shoulder. It's the way they are and the only thing that makes them happy. They like to cuddle against our necks, hide under our hair or burrow inside our clothes. It's the way they act when they love us and I would not recommend your trying to make him stay on your hand. He won't like it. It will make him unhappy. Besides, you don't need to train a handfed baby bird to step up, they do it on their own because they love been with us so, if I were you, I would not worry about it and just enjoy him the way he is.
Pajarita
Norwegian Blue
 
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Re: Conure is obsessed with being on my head/shoulder

Postby Navre » Tue May 10, 2016 10:43 am

If you grow a long long beard, you'll find that they like hiding under that, too. :)

My green cheek loves being on my head. I usually let her stay there. I figure, as well as height, they like the warmth that your head throws off.
Navre
African Grey
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is male
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