I was given a sun conure a year ago, they think its a boy but not sure, hes been well behaved and lovable for that year untill just this past two weeks. Cali has gotten very aggressive with biting and i dont know why. i know he needs vegies but they just rot away, untouched. i can get fruit in him but he only eats dried mangos and pineapple, he wont eat any pellets at all. He loves his unsalted peanuts and sunflower seeds of course, but when i with hold these to get him to eat healthy he refuses and eventually starts screamming. So my loving feather friend has become an attack bird and i need a solution or he has to go.
replied to: nanie
Replied to: I was given a sun conure a year ago, they think...
First off, the only way to tell the sex of your Sun Conure is to have it DNA tested. As Sun Conures male and female have no distiguising characteristics that are 100% fool proof to make their sex known. This can be done at your Vet.
Second, it seems to me that Cali is 2 years of age which means that he/she is reaching maturity. Your bird is going thru "puberty" and is becoming sexually mature. It is normal for the bird to become more aggressive during this period. From my own experience keeping the wings trimmed and also being very patient is key to make sure Cali doesn't stay aggressive. Expect to get bit and after a while it doesn't hurt at all. The most important thing is to not "jerk" your hand away when the bird nips at you as this shows him/her that you are afraid and it will think he/she is the boss. NEVER yell or hit the bird, this is abuse and will be counter productive. If the bird bites put her/him back in the cage and keep him/her there as punishment. (Sort of a time out) If the bird yells then DO NOT immeditely go to it, ignore it and come to him/her on your own time.
As far as food goes, I personally feed my own sun conure the Zupreem "Fruit Blend Flavor". It works well with my own Sun Conure as she too is more keen of fruits. Like humans birds have their taste preferences and some pellets may not "taste" too good and your bird may not like them. I suggest you try a variety of different pellets until you find the right one.
When introducing a pellet food to a bird that is used to a seed/fruit diet it is important that you slowly introduce the pellets. Start by mixing the pellets in with some seeds or fruit and slowly start reducing the amount of fruit/seeds and increasing the amount of pellets. This way your bird won't starve and he/she won't yell.
Another trick which I learned off another bird owner is to buy bigger sized pellets of the pellet food you intend to switch him or her too. For example instead of buying Zupreem Fruit Blend Flavor for medium size birds you might consider buying the same but for LARGE birds. The trick here is that the pellets are too big to be "food" but big enough to be a foot toy. As the bird plays with this toy he/she will taste the pellets.
Do try to keep the nuts and seeds to a minimum as these are high in fat content.
It is important to stay patient and attentive in order to train your Sun Conure properly. A "bad" bird doesn't exist just bad owners. I like to equate having any parrot companion as having a human child. If you aren't prepared to take care of it then you shouldn't have brought it into your household in the first place. These are living beings you are dealing with and it is important that you keep this in mind. Parrots are social creatures and if you take your time to get to know them you will realize that they are very smart.
I've had my Sun Conure whom I named "Mee" (originally Yoli but long story)I've had her since she was 7 months old and she is about to turn 3. A sweet and smart bird she is. Once you get to know your bird you won't have to wonder what you need to do, the bird will tell you. Pay attention and you will see.
