I still have Java my Senegal parrot, who is the love of my life (besides my hubby and kids, LOL). We still do everything together, go everywhere but bed together, and the only reason she has a cage is so that she is safe when I am sleeping. I still have not cut her wings since I bought her last April and so she is starting to like flying a bit. I used to take her out on the porch while waiting for bus for son, but one day she decided to fly and flew over a big bush onto my lawn. I live on a very main busy road with many many cars and trucks, and if she just changed the direction of her flight, she would have landed in the road. Hence, she does not get to come outside any more, which makes me feel bad. I am thinking I need to clip her wings, but I am fighting myself, because I want her to be able to fly. I am afraid of her getting hurt, or flying out the door, or flying and hitting something hard and dying. She still hates all other people and animals. She is my baby and she is so spoiled it is not funny.
About 3 months ago, I saw an ad on a pet free cycle type board, but where they sell animals. She was advertising 3 Sun Conures/Jenday that she had to sell because she was moving. I sent an e-mail asking some questions and we chatted by e-mail a few times, and she eventually told me she had gotten rid of 2 of the 3, that her brother was taking the 2 parents. She claims that the bird I have was bred from the 2 she gave her brother. I paid 200 for him, with his cage (too too small and I need to get him a new one) and toys. I bought him for one reason thinking the kids could handle him, as I am feeling bad that they cannot handle Java the Sennie. I asked a bunch of questions that in hindsight, I realized she never answered, and she just gave very vague answers. I asked her his age numerous times and she never told me. I am assuming he is young because of the feathers in his head that some seem to still have that shaft on them.
I got him home and kept him away from Java until at least a month was over. HE IS HORRENDOUSLY LOUD, but so far I can handle it. I am in the same room with him now inches from where his cage is and he screams at me from inches away. First day I had him, he talked. He talks quite a bit. The things I hear clearly are, with any movement, hubby coming home from work, kids coming from school, mailman, dog barking, he says "who is it" or "who is it birdie" and he says "Silly birdie." The lady I bought him from thought he was a boy, but had no proof. I had him DNA'd and he is a boy.
He steps up perfect from his cage, as long as I touch the perch i want him to get on to step up from and do not try to get him to step up from the back of the cage. I have had him 3 months and have not gotten bitten yet. He does, however, scare the begeezers out of me. He will not do anything when out but run, literally run to my shoulder. He does not play with anything. If I put my finger to my shoulder to get him off of it and say step up, he screeches really loud and touches my finger with his beak. The first few times this scared the heck out of me, but now, I just say no, and keep my finger there, and he steps up. I don't get why he is doing this. I admit; his screech scares me more than the fake-bite does. I thought he was maybe hit, cause he seems hand shy, like if I pet his head, and will screech many a times, unless he sees my hand clearly coming to pet his head, but then I figured the vocabulary he is saying would be different if they were abusing him or yelling at him. I cannot handle him nearly as much as my Sennie, and that disappoints me. I have not yet bonded with him, as I did instantly with Sennie. All he does is scream from his cage if he is not out of it, and if he is out of it, he does nothing but sit on my shoulder. He also does this thing where he hangs from the side of his cage by his beak, no hands, and makes a chirping monkey like sound while fluttering his wings like a butterfly. I think it is a mating call of some sort. He is constantly humping my shoulders, my computer mouse, his hidey hole in his cage, anything.
Now, some other side notes. Sennie HATES HIM. Since the day I let them see each other, she has hated him. In the very beginning, she would chase after him and pull his tail feathers. I learned this behavior, and do not allow it any longer, but I cannot leave them alone, unsupervised, out for even 1 second. The kids are afraid of him, and once I put him on my son's shoulder, and he took a bite at my son, so now I am afraid to let them touch him.
While they are both out, they can sit on opposite shoulders and are usually fine, although Java is a sneak and is always trying to get to the Conure. I have no doubt she would peck him to death if given the chance. He is petrified of her. He sees her coming, he cowers. I think this is why he is stuck to my shoulders. If I make her go in her cage and give him some free me time, he explores slightly more than he does when she is out, but he does not play at all like my Sennie does.
He screeches whenever I touch him places that are not his head. I forget who I have sometimes and go to hug him on my shoulder like I do to my Sennie, and he screeches and scares the heck out of me.
So, I hope that is enough info, now on to some questions!!!!
1. Do you think the Sennie and the Conure will ever get along? If so, do you have any ideas on how to lessen that time frame? I don't want them to be best buddies, but I want Java to stop trying to kill the Conure and I want the Conure to not be so scared and to grow a pair, LOL. He is much bigger than her, and he cowers at her.
2. Why is the Conure barking before her bite so much? The screeching scares me to death. I am NEVER scared with my Sennie, not even 1 single day since I have had her. I am the Sennie's only owner, so I assume she has no past owner baggage, and I know I have to work to gain the Conure's trust, but would he not see how I tread the Sennie and see I am not hurting her?
3. Why is he screaming when I am inches from him in his cage? I gather he wants out, as Sennie is always out, unless I punish her for being bad and chasing the Conure, and I put her in her cage for a time out.
4. OMG, not a question but an observation. THE CONURE POOPS SO MUCH. I feel like a tree. He backs up to poop so it winds up on the back of my shirt which I cannot see. I change my shirt 3-4 times a day. I cannot stand this part of him, honestly. The Sennie, she is mainly off me when she poops and only poops half as much as the Conure does. I really am thinking of trying some birdie diapers for him.
To be honest, I already have a taker if I was to want to rehome the Conure, but I am trying to be patient and give him the time he needs to be comfortable with me and to maybe allow myself to not be so afraid of his screeches, but I am very disappointed in the Conure as a breed. The lady told me he was very friendly and loved all people, etc., but when I would ask specifics she would no answer me. In hindsight, I probably should not have bought him with the little information she gave me. Awe, and then when it is quiet and Java is sleeping, he goes and kisses me (feel like a kiss, but I know it is not) on the cheek and he is a cutie pie.
So, any thoughts, and please don't beat me up.
And lastly, here is Petey the Jenday Conure.
