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Agressive Blue Fronted Amazon with Sun Conure

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Agressive Blue Fronted Amazon with Sun Conure

Postby Lukey21 » Tue Jul 29, 2014 12:22 pm

Hey Guys,

I have a Sun conure aged 7 months, really cheeky and diva-ish! Also i have a blue fronted amazon aged 10, whom i have had since he was 7 weeks old!

So dilemma is, I fear my amazon will attack/bite little Sunny. Both my birds are fully flighted and this is how i want them to remain. However my Amazon is overly bonded with me, he is aggressive to any other person, so i fear he will attack sunny! Obvious solution is to have separate play time but i don't feel my birds get enough attention this way, they are both kept in the same room. I know a bite from the amazon could kill the sun conure, so i haven't tried to introduce them.

Should i try to introduce them? I also panic than one bird will land on the others cage and bite at their feet. I haven't seen any signs of aggression from or towards either bird, but am still wary.

I would love for them both to TOLERATE each other and be out together at the same time. Any help much appreciated!

Luke
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Re: Agressive Blue Fronted Amazon with Sun Conure

Postby Harpmaker » Tue Jul 29, 2014 3:09 pm

Welcome to the forum, Lukey21!

You are right to be cautious. Birds can do a lot of damage, amazing quickly.

I have a few questions: How long have you had Sunny? Have the two birds seen each other? Does the Amazon get upset when he see you interact with the conure? How deeply is each bird bonded to you? Does either of them appear nervous when he sees the other?

If a bird sees you as caretaker rather than mate, they won't mind you dealing with other birds. Michael the Parrot Wizard has descriptions of how he introduced his birds to each other. http://trainedparrot.com/Introducing_Parrots/

His methods may work for you. In a nutshell, he suggests when you introduce the birds that you feed each one something to keep beaks busy and get them to have good associations with each other. He also has follow-up blog entries after this one.

Good luck!
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Re: Agressive Blue Fronted Amazon with Sun Conure

Postby Lukey21 » Tue Jul 29, 2014 3:31 pm

Hi Harpmaker

Thanks for the link! I somehow missed this information.

I have had Sunny for 4 months, most of this time the two birds have been in the same room, in their own cages across the room from each other. Sunny (sun conure) does not seem interested in Freddie (amazon) at all. Sunny prefers to follow us around the house, she is very clingy! Sunny is attached to any person it seems, regularly i take her to my parents and friends homes and she doesn't have a preference of who she likes (phew!).

I cover the top of each birds cages with a towel just in case they land decide to fly and land there!

Freddie is only slightly more interested in Sunny, Freddie looks cautious when sunny flies around. Freddie is more reluctant to fly, he is slightly lazy unless i am recall training him for treats he doesn't fly that often! There doesn't seem to be any jealousy between them that's obvious to me, although they both beg to come out of their cages when i have the other one out.

My amazon definitely sees me as a "mate".. Im gonna have a read through the blog too.

:)
Lukey21
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Gender: This parrot forum member is male
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Re: Agressive Blue Fronted Amazon with Sun Conure

Postby Wolf » Tue Jul 29, 2014 6:19 pm

After reading your posts, I really don't think that you will have too much trouble with the two of them being out of their cages at the same time in the same room. I would of course be in the room with them with a towel on hand to be used to distract them if needed, should they decide to become aggressive at all. I would also make sure that you have more than one place for them to perch while out so that they don't have to perch right next to each other especially in the beginning. The fact that they already live in the same room together and do not appear to be interested in the other is a good sign and likely it will continue that way.
Now if you are expecting to handle both of them at the same time, that will require a bit more effort, vigilance and training on your part as well as some time.
I would allow them some time out together in the same room with you present to make sure all goes well and let them adjust to that for a couple of weeks or so and then gradually start bringing them closer together while you are there and working with them.
I have four birds ranging from a parrotlet who weighs about 1 ounce, to an amazon who weighs just about a pound all living in the same room and they all get to come out of their cages at the same time to hang out while I work with them one at a time. Right now they are averaging close to 4 or 5 hours just hanging out in the same room together with me each day out of their cages.
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Re: Agressive Blue Fronted Amazon with Sun Conure

Postby Pajarita » Wed Jul 30, 2014 11:02 am

Well, not to criticize Michael or anything but his birds fight with each other so I don't think his 'introduction' methods work very well. Your birds already know each other so I don't know what kind of 'introduction' you are referring to and, in any case, it doesn't seem necessary in this case. What I would do is open their cages (don't take them out, just open the doors) after breakfast, step back and observe them. The sunnie will, most likely, fly to you while the zon will climb to the top of his cage and just stay there. You might want to put branches going up and sideways on both their cages (don't place them side-by-side, keep a goodly distance between them) so they have their own individual 'perching spot'. Amazons don't usually go for another bird unless this bird perches on what they consider 'their' territory but sun conures are fast fliers and would much rather perch on you than with an amazon so I think you will be OK.
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Re: Agressive Blue Fronted Amazon with Sun Conure

Postby Harpmaker » Wed Jul 30, 2014 3:46 pm

It sounds like you will be OK. Keep them supervised when out together for a while. I doubt that they are devious enough to pretend to be friends when you are around, then become mortal enemies when the door closes, so if they are good under supervision for a few weeks you are probably fine.

Watch for one invading the other's cage to get food or toys. Most birds won't stand for that sort of territorial conversion.
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Re: Agressive Blue Fronted Amazon with Sun Conure

Postby Wolf » Wed Jul 30, 2014 9:24 pm

Harpmaker wrote:Watch for one invading the other's cage to get food or toys. Most birds won't stand for that sort of territorial conversion.


And as far as I can tell from your posts this would be the only really dangerous time as the larger bird could trap the smaller one inside of a cage and then a fight could be a major problem. But with both out in the open with plenty of perching options they will likely be fine out together.
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