Green cheek seems too bored without me

[cryfie]

I've had my green cheek for six years and I think he's too dependent on me for entertainment. Whenever I'm gone, he seems to throw around his toys just for a bit before napping until I take him out of his cage again. I've seen him play for much longer with his toys, but it's only when I am sitting in the same room eating or working. He also doesn't seem interested in chew toys for too long and hasn't touched any foraging boxes I've made for him (boxes of seeds with crinkle paper and toys covering the top).

The cycle repeats when I move around his toys to keep his cage layout interesting. Beepo seems fine when I take him out of his cage and he's his usual rowdy self, but is everything else deeply unhealthy for him?? I'm leaving the house for uni soon for at least 5/7 days of the week and I'd hate for him to nap all day with no stimulation for his brain. Are there ways I can teach him to be more independent in keeping himself entertained?

In addition he's extremely attached to me (jumps around when I leave the room for a few minutes, tries to fly to me, screams when I put him back in his cage) and I'm not sure if that may be a good thing in my situation or if it's normal for conures who have such big personalites

 

[Mizzely]

Birds are flock creatures and it's totally normal for them to be more subdued when you aren't there. Being bored easily with the same toys and surroundings is also normal..

How big is his cage? Have you tried to only feed him his pellets and seeds in Foragers? Maybe he needs some puzzle toys that can be easily refilled, especially if someone else is going to be taking care of him a lot.

You could try some overnights away before you'll be gone completely and put a wifi cam on him to see how he does, and it will give him some practice.

 

[cryfie]

Birds are flock creatures and it's totally normal for them to be more subdued when you aren't there. Being bored easily with the same toys and surroundings is also normal..

How big is his cage? Have you tried to only feed him his pellets and seeds in Foragers? Maybe he needs some puzzle toys that can be easily refilled, especially if someone else is going to be taking care of him a lot.

You could try some overnights away before you'll be gone completely and put a wifi cam on him to see how he does, and it will give him some practice.

Not sure about the exact dimensions but he has a very large cage for one bird! One of those very sturdy iron ones.

I’ve filled his toys with some of his usual seed mix and nutriberries, and he gets fresh chop every morning and evening. I’m just afraid that keeping his seed mix almost exclusively in toys will make him hungry but I may just be paranoid since that logically will make him forage

As for overnights, I’m afraid that will be near impossible but I have been spending less time with him lately because of schoolwork—it’s actuallt the reason I’ve noticed and gotten worried about this behavior

 

[Mizzely]

In the wild they would be doing several things:

Flying a lot
Interacting with their Flock
Nesting/Breeding/raising babies
Looking for food

When they're in their cage by themselves, with just a bowl of food, is it any wonder they get bored?

You can slowly ramp up the foraging. My Jardine's gets almost all his food in foraging toys and areas around his cage. At night I do give him some "free" pellets to top up before bed as he has trouble with keeping and maintaining weight (and no, it's not foraging related, as I've tried to leave him a full bowl of food and it didn't change anything.)

You can also try new materials to chew on. Sometimes they get bored. Ripley goes through phases scared all he wants to chew is pine, then he suddenly wants nothing to do with it for a couple weeks and wants just balsa and cardboard. Then he's back at it.

 

[cryfie]

In the wild they would be doing several things:

Flying a lot
Interacting with their Flock
Nesting/Breeding/raising babies
Looking for food

When they're in their cage by themselves, with just a bowl of food, is it any wonder they get bored?

You can slowly ramp up the foraging. My Jardine's gets almost all his food in foraging toys and areas around his cage. At night I do give him some "free" pellets to top up before bed as he has trouble with keeping and maintaining weight (and no, it's not foraging related, as I've tried to leave him a full bowl of food and it didn't change anything.)

You can also try new materials to chew on. Sometimes they get bored. Ripley goes through phases scared all he wants to chew is pine, then he suddenly wants nothing to do with it for a couple weeks and wants just balsa and cardboard. Then he's back at it.

Alright! Starting just now I've decreased the food in his bowl and added more of it in his foraging toys. And I'll look into new chewing materials—thank you!!

 

[Birdie Mama]

You could try some music or talk shows or bird sounds on while you are ‘out/hiding round the corner’ and see if that makes him take an interest.

Bailey kee himself amused all day but my tiels and lovebirds in the past hardly ever played or did anything…may be the bird itself..