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What kind of conure is this?

Mockinbirdiva

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It's been about 6 hours.....still doing ok?
Strong gusts of wind with heavy rains... to be continued all day, all night and tomorrow. We're in the red zone of this now downgraded storm. It's a tropical storm now but is still over 300 miles wide. Quite impressive when you see a satellite view and still downright scary. There will still be a 4-6 foot storm surge and with this storm on the border of South and North Carolina traveling at 3mph it's slow and the water coming for this length of time flooding is going to happen. The center of this storm will be right over my area later tonight.
 

Colbon2

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after reading everything over the last while, I truly believe you've made remarkable progress. Try showing her bird videos of birds training with their owners, maybe a monkey see monkey do sort of deal could occur. I did that to teach my bird some words and it worked. :D I played them while I was away.
 

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Strong gusts of wind with heavy rains... to be continued all day, all night and tomorrow. We're in the red zone of this now downgraded storm. It's a tropical storm now but is still over 300 miles wide. Quite impressive when you see a satellite view and still downright scary. There will still be a 4-6 foot storm surge and with this storm on the border of South and North Carolina traveling at 3mph it's slow and the water coming for this length of time flooding is going to happen. The center of this storm will be right over my area later tonight.
Hope all will be well. Great that it has been downgraded but too bad it is moving so slowly.
 

Mockinbirdiva

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Hope all will be well. Great that it has been downgraded but too bad it is moving so slowly.
I hope so too. It's really blowing and raining hard. I have no doubt we will have some flooding before the early morning, I just hope it doesn't come up to the house. Eventually it gets to the point that water has no where to go drainage wise. If it calms down a bit I may go out and check things out.
 

cab124

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You've done a lot of good things for Mango and she has shown interest in interacting with you even though it's not consistent and it's not as much as you want, but you have made progress. Is the cage still partially covered? Do you play with the toys in front of her? Does she have any foraging type toys?
She makes me think of my cockatiel, Kuiper, a bit and also my red-bellied parrot Lucy.
Kuiper does play with his toys, though, and comes over to see me but no interest in stepping up and if I try and hand him food he runs away. I only got him to take food from my hand once. I know that Lucy plays with toys because I see them swinging in her cage or I find pieces of the toys on the bottom of the cage but most of the time when I am in the bird room she is sitting on what I call her safe perch and staring at me. If I hand her a treat that I know she will take it from me but then just toss it. It's almost as if she is saying I like that but don't want it if you hand it to me. Sometimes I think she is a primadonna and sometimes just "strange". I've known her a long, long time. She sees me interact with the other birds and hold them and sees her ex-husband come over to me and take food from me and then eat that food. She sees him interact and talk to me. I know that she is tired of me medicating her twice a day and that doesn't help but she was stand-offish before that. Still I "love" her and continue to try with her.
Hehe.....I was being a little bit sarcastic with my tone in that last post.

Seriously though, yes, I have tried my best, but she is becoming even more entrenched in her "leave me alone" behavior. It's a shame because it appears to make her seem very sad and depressed.

Yes, part of the cage is still covered. Oh yes, I eat, play with toys, read, work, etc. right in front of her. She hates it! Go away!!!

I like your descriptions: "primadonna" and "strange." That is a good description of Mango as well! You are right though, we have to continue to try. It's such a shame that you have to medicate Lucy twice a day. Will that end soon?
 

cab124

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Strong gusts of wind with heavy rains... to be continued all day, all night and tomorrow. We're in the red zone of this now downgraded storm. It's a tropical storm now but is still over 300 miles wide. Quite impressive when you see a satellite view and still downright scary. There will still be a 4-6 foot storm surge and with this storm on the border of South and North Carolina traveling at 3mph it's slow and the water coming for this length of time flooding is going to happen. The center of this storm will be right over my area later tonight.
Wow, I feel bad for you! I used to live in Florida and I have been through a few hurricanes. No fun!!!

To be honest though, there are times when I think that I would rather go through another hurricane than to have to go through another loooooong, cold, dark miserable Ohio winter. Winter here is horrible and I hate it. We can go weeks at a time without a hint of sunshine. So depressing.
 

cab124

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Hope all goes well with Mango's vet appt.
Thank you. I am very nervous about catching her to put her in her travel cage. I am thinking of asking a friend to do it!!
 

cab124

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after reading everything over the last while, I truly believe you've made remarkable progress. Try showing her bird videos of birds training with their owners, maybe a monkey see monkey do sort of deal could occur. I did that to teach my bird some words and it worked. :D I played them while I was away.
That's a great idea! Yes, I will try that. Thank you!!
 

faislaq

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Thank you. I am very nervous about catching her to put her in her travel cage. I am thinking of asking a friend to do it!!
Nothing wrong with doing it yourself, but I see nothing wrong with having someone else do it either. :p Bonus: My birds seem way more friendly at the vet's office. Harley lets me get her pin feathers and Buzzard huddled into my arms! :faint: Scotty still doesn't like to be held, but hams it up and dances for the vet tech with the high-pitched voice. :hehe: He was flirts so hard it reminds me of our shameless Pistachio. She says, "Birds and dogs love me; cats hate me!" :rofl:
 

Mockinbirdiva

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So, you think that the reason she is so timid has to do with having another very dominant baby in the clutch? I have wondered if the timidity is more a product of environment or is it innate. I am a very shy, timid person, and it feels like it is almost 100% innate, just built into my personality.

There is no telling without knowing her history. She may never have been handled and or taught to step up as a young bird. Shy birds generally don't get picked first. Most people want a bird that is sweet, loves to be held from the get go. And honestly I think too many people have high expectations on birds as companion pets and end up in the end dumping them when they don't get exactly what they want and even those tame sweet birds mature and start to bite. I do greatly appreciate that you have reached out for help from other people and you know that we do feel your sorrow and support you for all your efforts. I hope you can stay with it. I do think there will be a turning point. When my clutch of crimson babies hatched, two weeks later the father suddenly got very ill and while I was doing food cups he vomited in front of me. I immediately took him to the vet. He had lost weight and we struggled for two weeks with medicines and feeding but he eventually passed away from his illness. I hadn't anticipated pulling the babies to hand feed too soon but with one parent I made that choice. My breeding pair was not tame. I had them for three years before they laid this clutch. After the male died I would open the door up and let the female out and she would eventually fly to me for company and sit on my shoulder. I wouldn't look at her just in case she would bite my face. She was comfortable sitting on me and would gently nibble my ear lobes. I tell you all this because even a wild bird can adjust to a human for company and I certainly hope this will be the case for you. One never knows until time passes as to what it could come to be.



No, she can't fly and this is good! If she could fly I would never have been able to get her back into her cage the first couple of times that she came out, and she likely would have flown into a window.

Do you have perches on the outside of the cage? If not I would suggest putting a rope perch in a U shape over the outside of the door opening to see if she will spend some time out of the cage. Has she ever attempted to fly and landed on the floor? If she ever does I would approach her and see if she will climb onto your hand.. be patient and slow. Sit in a chair and place her on your lap to see if she can relax and visit with you and of course have a treat to reward her. If this happens and she climbs up to your shoulder sit for a few minutes to see how she reacts to being on you. If she is too uncomfortable return her to the cage on the outside perch. Instead of using your hand to remove her from your shoulder just lean over to that perch and let her climb off at her pace. She will learn to trust you because you didn't keep her from her comfort zone.



Yes, she will come out when I feed her seeds, but then quickly retreats afterward and at the slightest perception of a threat.

But she doesn't actually climb onto your hand for the treat? If she ever does, slowly turn around so she doesn't see her cage and has more focus on you. Just for a couple of minutes though. It's all about building tolerance on her part and still giving her the option of returning to her comfort zone. This is exactly how I worked with Miss Scarlette. I don't just open her door to let her out all the time... I also reach in and have her step onto my hand... ask for my kiss on the nose and then let her go to her perch. But, I can also walk away from her cage and turn my body from it to get one on one focus. I keep it short because I do know what she wants and that is to be with Casey when I let him out. We both give and take with respect.



I have tried offering her chop and lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, but she won't go near them. Her diet has now become: Avi-cakes, Nutri-Berries, safflower and sunflower seeds, and small amounts of apple.
What is your chop? Remove the other foods and only leave the chop for her to eat for an hour or two and then remove it because fresh food spoils. If you haven't tried pellets it's time you do. Everybody has their preference. I feed the natural colored Zupreem pellets in a separate dish and my seed blend in another cup that also has Roudybush mini pellets mixed in. In essence I feed two different types of pellets but also allow seed. Evenings I provide the fresh vegetables. Mine really love sugar snap peas, small sweet carrots, broccoli and the small sweet peppers I buy in a bag at Walmart. The peppers are mixed colors... yellow, orange, and red. Wash and cut one in thirds and give her a third of one pepper... clip it to the cage to see if she has an interest in it. Beware... red peppers produce red poop just as the orange peppers produce orange poop. The more variety you try of vegetables you will figure out which are her favorites in the long run. If you shop at Walmart look for Kamut and Pearled Farro grains that you have to cook. You can add other ingredients to these grains like split peas, lentils and a bit of wild rice... just before it's done you can add some sweet potato, carrot, kale and more ( chop in a food processor but not too fine that it over cooks and turns to mush in the grains. I do rinse my chop after it's cooked in a fine strainer, I realize it removes some of the nutrients but that's my choice other wise it's a bit messy. You don't have to rinse. I put enough in zip lock bags and press it flat to freeze and can take out one bag at a time and break a portion off the thaw and heat a bit in the microwave. I finely dice other vegetables to mix in so it's not all cooked vegetables. I rarely ever feed corn, but once in a while the birds like a one inch thick slice of corn on the cob I cook. I clip it to the cage for them to have something they can eat or shred. I hope some of this helps for her to come to know you as a good guy!
 

Serin

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I think Mango should be given a conure companion if at all possible, and then should be enjoyed for what she is. A wild bird. It is very likely her personality would blossom with company she can finally relate to even if it's not with a bond to you. She very much sounds like a parent-raised, unsocialized bird and unfortunately these do not always ever come around to what we'd see from a hand-raised bird, and to expect them to is unreasonable. It's wonderful the care you have given her and the life you are providing is so much better than the pet store but if she were my bird, and she were not making more progress in this span of time, I would not feel right keeping her as an only bird.
 

Mockinbirdiva

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Mango has been nothing but a snob to me all week. Unless I am holding a seed in my hand she wants absolutely nothing to do with me and continually tells me to just go away.

Now it is payback time because this Tuesday I am going to grab a towel and reach into her cage, and yank her snooty little bird-butt off of that high perch and take her to the vet. No more Mr. Nice Guy. If she hates me for it, I don't care. What difference does it make? She doesn't interact with me anyway.

My appointment agenda:
  • General exam
  • Check her weight
  • Grooming (wings clipped, nails clipped, etc.)
  • Read her bands
  • Estimate her age
  • DNA sexing
  • Consult about her diet
Now, now, Craig...Mango is bird with trust issues that she ( or he) can't help. I believe you CAN help her. How are you going to transport Mango to the vet? A smaller travel cage or crate? If you do have a smaller cage on hand I would get her into the smaller cage long before your appointment. As calmly as you can if you can avoid going at her in her flight cage with a scary towel. You certainly don't want her to get injured trying to get away from the towel. Do you best to entice her out of her flight cage and close the door so she can't go back in. Since she can't fly away from you use this opportunity to try to get her to step up onto your hand without grabbing her. Avoid stressing her out if at all possible but it may take a few tries until she gets on your hand and then place her in the smaller cage. Do have the smaller cage ready with food and water and let her stay in that until you go to the vet. You might find it more beneficial and easier to work with her in a smaller cage until she becomes more comfortable to you. I have no idea where you live but if you were close enough I would be more than willing to help you make friends with her. From all that I've experienced with my own birds, they can be VERY forgiving. I've trimmed toenails for DNA tests, regular trimming, in the past I have trimmed flights and none of them ever held it against me for doing it. ( all of my smaller birds are flighted now but my bigger birds are not for aggression reasons), and the five months I didn't do any of their care when I broke my leg ( hubby did it because I physically couldn't). They all accepted me as if there was no break in time... well, Lola and Henry didn't but they are accepting of me now... it just took a long time.
Patience my Dear.... patience.
 

Mockinbirdiva

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Wow, I feel bad for you! I used to live in Florida and I have been through a few hurricanes. No fun!!!

To be honest though, there are times when I think that I would rather go through another hurricane than to have to go through another loooooong, cold, dark miserable Ohio winter. Winter here is horrible and I hate it. We can go weeks at a time without a hint of sunshine. So depressing.
Oh yeah... I hate cold weather but as I get older I appreciate cooler weather more than I do hot, humid sweaty weather... with annoying frickin' mosquitos. On the up side, hurricanes don't last as long as winter. The down side, they are nerve wracking and can destroy your home. You should turn a room into a beach room with a big full spectrum light to sit under on a lounge chair... sip a mai tai ... listen to beach music.... :cool4:
 

iamwhoiam

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Hehe.....I was being a little bit sarcastic with my tone in that last post.

Seriously though, yes, I have tried my best, but she is becoming even more entrenched in her "leave me alone" behavior. It's a shame because it appears to make her seem very sad and depressed.

Yes, part of the cage is still covered. Oh yes, I eat, play with toys, read, work, etc. right in front of her. She hates it! Go away!!!

I like your descriptions: "primadonna" and "strange." That is a good description of Mango as well! You are right though, we have to continue to try. It's such a shame that you have to medicate Lucy twice a day. Will that end soon?


You may want to consider uncovering the cage. How do you think she would react if you moved her favorite perch?
Do show her the carrier and maybe work on getting her into that before you take her to the vet. Also consider putting some of her favorite treats inside the carrier.

Medicating Lucy is ongoing. Her uric acid level is elevated and until it remains lower consistently she needs to be given allopurinol (zyloprim) twice a day. As soon as she sees either the syringe or the towel she jumps off her safety perch and goes elsewhere in her cage.
 

iamwhoiam

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A few of my hand raised and hand fed red-bellied babies became phobic when they were just a few months old. Sweet and friendly babies turned into fearful and overly shy babies and then adults. Babies who started talking at young ages wouldn't say anything any more, they wouldn't come out of their cages and wouldn't come near me even when they were in their cages. So sad. It took a few years but all 3 who had became very phobic finally came out of it although Zack is still on the shy side but he comes over to me so I can pet him and will even wrap his foot around my finger.
 

cab124

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Wow, after reading through much of the excellent advice here, I decided to take a step back and not do anything that might damage the progress that Mango and I have made. I temporarily canceled her vet appointment until I can train her to climb into her travel cage on her own. No grabbing her. No towel. Just patience! Eventually, however, she has to go to the vet!!! It's for her own good.

It took a few years but all 3 who had became very phobic finally came out of it
That takes A LOT of patience!! But good to know that coming out of it is possible.

I would not feel right keeping her as an only bird.
If it turns out that Mango simply cannot be content without another bird, then I will find a way meet her needs, either by getting another bird (which I don't want to do), or by finding someone else who already has multiple birds who would like to have her (but it would be hard to say goodbye to her. I really love the little snob).

THANKS AGAIN for the input. You guys are amazing!!!!!!!
 

cab124

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If you haven't tried pellets it's time you do.
She always has Zupreen natural, and Harrisons High Potency Fine in her bowl. She refuses to touch either.
 

Mockinbirdiva

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She always has Zupreen natural, and Harrisons High Potency Fine in her bowl. She refuses to touch either.
Mine do eat the zupreem but will not touch the Harrisons. My green cheek "Astro" is a funny girl when it comes to her pellets. Her pellet dish is right next to her water cup. She will pick up 3-4 of those zupreem round pellets at a time ( like some dogs that can hold 3 or 4 tennis balls at a time) and she'll go over to her water and drop them all in. They float so she will pick one up at a time from the water and crunch it, dip it, crunch some more and then pick up the next one to eat. She also shakes her head to get rid of excess water .... and her cage gets coated with fine crumbles.. very messy. But, she eats her pellets. The crimson bellies are way more tidy about their nuggets!
 
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