The Good, The Bad and The Ugly about Green Cheeked Conures

[Scott Norman]

My jack and konner say hey baby and baby.

 

[Lodah]

The GOOD! Pilo is an energetic ball of acrobatics, companionship, quirks and a ball of fun! He loves to show of his talents if you are silly enough to mention his name and knows that he has a audience to watch him .
He is not cage territorial at all and is happy to meet anyone that will give him the attention that he craves for during the day. He is a good sleeper, knows when its bed time and will return to his cage before you have a chance to bring him to it! Loves most kinds of foods, is especially fond of fruit and will perform his tricks in the hope getting as much as his tummy will hold. Rarely poops on me, and does his bomb in the cage before he comes out in the morning. Loves showers and riding on my hand knowing what is install for him, which is usually a treat or ride around the house looking at pictures, furniture of anything that you are willing to narrate to him whilst he is with you.

The BAD Pilo gets cranky at times when he doesn't get his way, and will voice his opinion in that regard to let you know that a temper tantrum is on its way! This is usually whilst he is on my shoulder and good luck trying to get him off once he is in one of his moods! He was nippy during the honeymoon period, but rarely does that now since he realized that biting was a no no, and those hands brought him treats!

The UGLY. Pilo takes advantage of any situation where you cannot get to him, which is of course on your shoulders and where you cannot read his body language! BEWARE OF YOUR EARS AND JEWELLERY. Although he has bitten numerous times, he has yet to break any skin or draw blood! BTW... I wear a hoodie now and the ears are as safe as houses!

 

[Realgoneferby]

All of your babies are so adorable!!! Even though I'm sure you all have your moments where you're like ok shhh, I'm sure you would never ever give them up!

 

[Lodah]

Update on Pilo...

The Good... he is really starting to talk and practices the sound of the tap... Kisses.. and Clicks! Loves to chat to me at bedtime, with words that now consist of.. Love you! Pilo Scratches! and Time for Bed! He seems to have gotten over the nippy stage now that he has bonded to me and will generally only touch my skin to let me know if he wants to go back to his cage! Loves training... can Spin, does High Five, Steps Up, Goes to Perch, Pick up items and place them in the Container, and is also target and potty trained! Pilo is learning to place coloured rings onto the pegs at the moment!
Pilo is happy to climb from my shoulder to my arm at will and loves to help clean his cage and filling his bowls with food! All in all, a very happy, clever and loving fid! Did I mention he loves showers and bathing as well! Loves his toys in his cage! Gimme...Gimme... Gimme!

The Bad... Pilo is at times stubborn, especially when he wants to get his way! I have learned not to get obsessive about getting my way when he is like this (as the mood passes), once he realizes that I am not trying to persuade him.. he goes on his own accord and seems to be happy about having a choice! IN other words... I compromise and use treats so that he thinks that its his choice... not mine! Win... Win!

The Ugly... There is no more Ugly! Love him to bits and cannot think of my life without my very best buddy!

 

[Blupogu]

I have had Blu for 1.5 months, i do not know if i qualify for this post or not, but still i cannot stop myself.
THE GOOD:
As mentioned, maybe still we are in honeymoon phase, but all seems good, He eats good, sleeps good
also in 3 days he got hand tamed, he was not hand fed, nor had much human interaction.
But he craves human interaction with me, friendly with every single family member. He is the perfect pet
bird, more like a rat or possum or miniature dog, he stalks me everywhere.

THE BAD:
He screams a bit, specially in the mornings and evenings. He flings food and likes only sunflower seeds.
He doesn't touch veggies or sprouts.

THE UGLY:
He bit me initially, drew blood 3/4 times. But learned very quickly its not something to do on a regular basis,
he craves scritches very bad.

After 2 years I am trying to review again, during mating season/molting he bites and bites hard enough to draw blood..... He's fiercely loyal towards me.... He would cross every barrier to be on me (hahaha sounds so weird)... He would eat anything I offer to him by my hand, he trusts me very much even though he's a bit skittish..... I dnt clip him, he's fully flighted I forgot to close his caged door on my balcony for 30mins.... They I went to check when I heard his screams.... There was full open sky... His friends calling him out...... Instead of all that, he chose to fly inside the house to look for DeeDee.... Thats me!!!!!! It's just amazing amazing amazing level of loyalty....
Only one issue with this amounts of loyalty is that he holds his poop till I come back from office..... Which is 12/15 hrs..... I have never potty trained him or punished him for pooping on me.... I dnt know why he picked up this habit and how to correct it. But all in all he's a precious little jewel without whom my life is dull

 

[Parrotsrpeeple]

The good- Griffin is very cuddlish and energetic. He loves to fly around and cuddle against your face for hours. He loves to run around and explore. He's not too loud and doesn't poop on people... A lot. (Actually he does a lot on my mom) he makes cute little chirps that sound like frog croaks and does super cute dances like his special storytime. He walks back and forth bobbing his head up and down muttering complete jibberish. Oh also he is addicted to water. He takes baths in his water bowl AT LEAST 5 time a day. The bad - griffin gets nippy all the time and wants what he wants. He is a picky eater and will throw what he doesn't like all over. He requires constant refilling of his food and water he always dumps it.out! Hr can. be nibble too. , The ugly- the energetic part can be a bad thing too. He always hides and won't stay in one place when not cuddled. Other than that I don't have anything "ugly". He's my best friend added nico

 

[KatherinesBirds]

Green Cheeks are FULL of themselves. If you can handle that fact you will do fine. If you can spend a good part of your day with the little darling on your shoulder (wear a towel) they will make less noise. Mine are pretty quiet....I would suggest uncovering your bird more and letting it see you. The noise might stop .....for awhile! Until you leave the room anyway.
Since I started breeding GCC and some mutations I have raised maybe 60. All Good Things! They are devoted pets. Demanding. I wouldn't change a thing if I could.

No bad or ugly in my opinion.
All good

 

[amy burke]

Poppy is a pineapple gcc who will be a year in March.

The good: absolutely sweet. Comes running to the sound of water or if she thinks you are eating. Loves to snuggle. Loves to get scratches... though not during this molt she is having. She is testy when I am working on her pins, but she doesn't bite. She loves my human toddler. Doesn't scare easily. Now is a great eater. When she came to me she had never seen fresh food. The first few days I didn't think she would eat a thing. Then I made chop.
I sat and ate her chop, and after watching me she always comes running. I put foods on skewers too and she loves it. I have her learning to forage and she is picking it up fairly well. Adorable. She is quiet unless the hair dryer or vacuum is going.

The bad:
Only one thing. She chases my Senegal constantly. So yes she is aggressive towards bigger birds.

The ugly: not an ugly thing about her. She is close to the perfect bird

 

[Kim20013]

Pippy is our 1st conure, she just turned 1 a couple of days ago.

The good:
She's a charmer, a clown, super smart, I would say 98% of the time she will only poop in her cage. She loves to play with my youngest son and is really great with him most of the time, when she doesn't want to play anymore she's quick to give him a nip and he's quick to put her back. She's starting to talk which is exciting because I really didn't expect her to, she says pretty Pippy, whatcha doing, and I'm pretty sure she says Thank you. When I say goodnight she knows it's time to be quiet. She loves learning tricks. She's a great little eater and will try anything and she loves bathtime.

The bad:
If I go away for a couple of days (no worries she always has someone looking after her usually my hubby stays home with her)it takes about 3 days after I get home for her to forgive me for going away, she'll be moody and bite me like crazy! If I bring her home a new toy she holds less of a Grudge. She throws her food everywhere, she isn't very friendly with our love bird even though he wants to be friends lol she's very bitty with my oldest son mind you he gets really nervous and I'm sure she senses it.

Overall I can't imagine life without her!

 

[Lesley Yeung]

Lucky loves to be on his people (DH is his favorite< but since I am the one who allows him on me..he is my cling on).
He tries not to poop on me and will make a certain sound when he needs to go..such a good boy! (Big Bird poops on me several times a day!)
He is a talker and he tries to sing..it always makes me laugh. He also dances when he is excited to see you or to a song he likes.
He is not generally destructive and although very nippy in the beginning, he rarely nips and when he does it is very gentle!
Not too dusty!!

He is loud if he knows we are home and do not get him out of his cage right away! He gets louder and louder. He acts like a two year old throwing a fit.
He is always up early and will screech until you uncover him and get him up. He RARELY sleeps in.
He is a picky eater and fresh foods and veggies are not something he will eat..I continue to try.
He rarely plays with toys. He is not a clown like some GCC's. He thinks us humans are his play gym!
He gets easily startled and will take off flying frantically over some noise or sometimes an unknown thing.
He is very needy and although I have tried to teach him, he will not occupy himself.
He is the aggressor with Big Bird so I have to watch them closely. He could get hurt that way!!

I love him to death! But he is way more demanding and louder than Big Bird!

With all that said..he is fairly easy!

 

[Lesley Yeung]

I have only lived with one bird. His name is Bird. He is....well,

The good:
Bird loves my husband and me so much, but differently. Because I am always home, stern, safe and dependable; I get treated with respect and adoration. He won't climb all over me because I don't like it. He will sit on my finger or knee and preen. He laughs so exactly like i do and at the same time, so exactly that I didn't know he did it for a long time. Now he chuckles when he wants me. He is really funny. During the week, its me and Bird alone mostly. He waked me up by saying "wow-chick-wow" which started when i'd "wow" his wings when he stretched. But he now also says it before he does his Morning Poop. For some reason he can't start his day right without me there to witness his giant poop. It is gross, but funny. He then makes really loud noises, and says "shut up Bird" and laughs. Its pretty ridiculous. Which suits me.

My husband works long hours. He loves Bird to distraction. With him Bird is cuddly, affectionate, wants scratches, preens him.

My son is stand offish, and Bird is curious but gives him space.

The bad:
Screaming as loud as he can, for as long as he can for no apparent reason.

Biting and attacking. Even me if i am trying to pry him off someone. Especially my husband. He just latches on to a mole or ear, anything and won't let go.

Anyone who visits, especially if they are big, is jumped on, charged and climbed up or otherwise attacked. Bird laughs and goes for their eyes. He thinks it is a great game. He has no fear. None. He tried to attack a beagle!

He is messy. He throws all his food on the floor, then later regrets it and has to go get it. He destroys anything we show interest in.
We found a dime, a computer key and an led light, hidden where he sleeps, tucked away. Which is more funny then bad. But he loves to steal cash, wreck computer mice and keyboards, remotes, my yoga mat, the couch, cords(not to worry, he can't get to them anymore).

Poop. He has his favorite spots to do it. None of which are in his own space. My spot on the couch, on my husband, and the kitchen are his favorites. Sometimes he will run and hop onto my knee, poop, and flee and fast as he can.

(We keep his wings clipped because he flew away and it took 3 days searching and $500 to get him back)

He demands all attention all the time. If anyone speaks it must be to him. Or he inserts himself into the conversation. Rudely.

The ugly:
I guess nothing. He is a clown and he thinks he is big and bad. He can be trying. He can be really naughty. But he doesn't lack personality. That is for sure.

 

[Luigi]

The attributes listed in this thread are the experiences of each individual and your experiences may differ with your individual bird.

The Good~ Nala is by far the sweetest and most loving bird out there,she is happy to snuggle with me against my neck or hand for hours,or just content to sit on my shoulder snoozing while I watch tv,read or play on the computer. She gets along great with my dog Penny and loves to sit on her soft fur and run it through her beak,she is very playful and loves to be on her back in my hand,or to roll over like a dog and lets me pet her belly. But she doesn't like scritches,and will get annoyed if I touch her neck by mistake,but doesn't care if I touch the rest of her. Now that I have getting her more interested in toys{when I adopted her 6 years ago,she didn't know how to play or chew wood} she is more then happy to play in her cage for hours chewing and bashing her toys around. She is very quiet whitch is something I am very thankful for since I have rather sensitive hearing and her voice is just perfect for what I can handle.


The Bad~ She is very picky food wise,and still after trying for over 6 years,I can't get her to eat any fresh fruits or veggies,but go figure she loves juice. She does have one piercing shriek that she will use when she is alarmed or wants out of her cage,but thankfully its few and far between but when she does let loose I have to leave the room because its so painful. ETA,it doesn't bother me but I know this can be a make or break thing for some people, she can be nippy but only when she is playing on her back or specifically with my fingers,other wise she never uses her beak on me,unless its some gentle preening.


The Ugly~Well honesty I can't think of anything "ugly" per say,she is my heart bird and I wouldn't change a thing about her,for anything in the world and just cause,here's an adorable pic of her

The attributes listed in this thread are the experiences of each individual and your experiences may differ with your individual bird.

The Good~ Nala is by far the sweetest and most loving bird out there,she is happy to snuggle with me against my neck or hand for hours,or just content to sit on my shoulder snoozing while I watch tv,read or play on the computer. She gets along great with my dog Penny and loves to sit on her soft fur and run it through her beak,she is very playful and loves to be on her back in my hand,or to roll over like a dog and lets me pet her belly. But she doesn't like scritches,and will get annoyed if I touch her neck by mistake,but doesn't care if I touch the rest of her. Now that I have getting her more interested in toys{when I adopted her 6 years ago,she didn't know how to play or chew wood} she is more then happy to play in her cage for hours chewing and bashing her toys around. She is very quiet whitch is something I am very thankful for since I have rather sensitive hearing and her voice is just perfect for what I can handle.


The Bad~ She is very picky food wise,and still after trying for over 6 years,I can't get her to eat any fresh fruits or veggies,but go figure she loves juice. She does have one piercing shriek that she will use when she is alarmed or wants out of her cage,but thankfully its few and far between but when she does let loose I have to leave the room because its so painful. ETA,it doesn't bother me but I know this can be a make or break thing for some people, she can be nippy but only when she is playing on her back or specifically with my fingers,other wise she never uses her beak on me,unless its some gentle preening.


The Ugly~Well honesty I can't think of anything "ugly" per say,she is my heart bird and I wouldn't change a thing about her,for anything in the world and just cause,here's an adorable pic of her

 

[OllieTheConure]

We just brought home Ollie, our first bird, a little under a week ago.(We are still waiting on DNA results!) Ollie has lots of good: S/he loves to be out of the cage, whether playing or cuddling or just riding around on someone's shoulder! Ollie tries NOT to poop when on someone, which is awesome! Ollie is very smart and already learning tricks. The bad: We are having trouble getting Ollie to play with toys, but we are not giving up! Ollie can also be a bit nippy if s/he did not get a good night's sleep. But we still love our Ollie to pieces! The ugly: There isn't anything ugly about our sweet little cinnamon green cheek, even the partial toe (probably nipped off in the nest) just makes our little baby special!

 

[Kristina M]

Love this thread! I have Goose, 5 months old. Right now he’s making it VERY difficult to type this post.

The good- just about everything.... it’s been said in all these wonderful posts, cuddly, funny, smart...
The bad- he wants to help me do everything so it’s hard to get stuff done. I’ve given up knitting! And have to cage him to work on work done from home. He poops every 10 mins.
Ugly- zero

Question... at what age do gcc typically begin to talk?

...... idea for another thread - good, best, greatest things about gcc.

 

[Tinkgrrrbell]

I can sum up “the ugly” with 2 photos...LOL

 

[Wendy Jones]

Same with mine

Mine too!!

 

[Ninna]

Ouch!

 

[lifesaver]

Hello! I am new to this forum and totally loving all the great info. I came here while researching different birds as I am looking to get one. I had a budgie when I was a kid and just really loved him. After researching and looking I think I have decided on a Crimson Bellied Conure but I can't seem to find any forums on them as companions or pets. Most of the information compares them to the GCC and I was wondering if anyone here had any experience with them or knew just how much they are like the GCC. I look forward to learning!

 

[Lydia Deetz]

I realize this is probably a silly question, but is there really any kind of personality difference between the different color mutations of GCC's? I went to a sanctuary once and interacted with three baby GCC's of different color mutations and each had a varying degree of friendliness. Was this just a fluke?

 

[webchirp]

I realize this is probably a silly question, but is there really any kind of personality difference between the different color mutations of GCC's? I went to a sanctuary once and interacted with three baby GCC's of different color mutations and each had a varying degree of friendliness. Was this just a fluke?

I have found and just my personal experience...girls seem to be more apt to cuddle and be a bit gentler than the males in general. Boys can be nippy. My turquoise conures all display the same non-touch inquisitive side. They like kisses and nose rubs but not much else. However, @Parakeet88 has a lovely, snuggle bug (Ben). My pineapples seem to be playful and at times will sit still for snuggles...seem to be little clowns. My normals all vary widely but my yellow sided are by far the most people oriented and want to be with me.