HELP WITH SCARED GREEN CHEEK

[SSGSS]

Hello everyone I bought a green cheek conure 8 weeks ago he's still a baby as he was born earlier this year. I did clip his wings as soon as I got him home because the owners told me he was very tame but once I got him home I received an email saying that he was never tame. I've been attempting to tame him for 8 weeks now, I spend lots of time around his cage talking to him, bringing him food etc but he is just as terrified of me now then what he was when I first got him home. He tries to get as far away as me from possible when I'm a few inches away from the cage. He won't let me touch him, feed him or anything. I feed him and change water twice a day but still nothing. Sometimes when I whistle he will chirp and attempt to get close before going away as quickly as possible. But when I go and sit on the sofa which is about a meter or so away from his cage he will come close to the bars and chirp at me a few times and when I go over he cowers away one more thing he likes is when I ring his bellin his cage. He rubs his beak on his bars and puts his tail feathers really close to the area of the bars where my other hand is letting me touch it for about 10 seconds before freaking out. I know I have to gain his trust but I thought after 8 weeks he would at least be a little used to me. Any advice am I doing something wrong ? Thank you

 

[SSGSS]

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[webchirp]

There are some birds that take a lot more patience and time. The first thing I suggest is that when he chirps at you or interacts...don't move closer. Slowly and I mean a week or more at a time, shorten the distance but always read where he is comfortable with you sitting.

Lots of talking and perhaps placing a favorite treat in a spot for him until you can get him comfortable.

 

[webchirp]

There are some birds that take a lot more patience and time. The first thing I suggest is that when he chirps at you or interacts...don't move closer. Slowly and I mean a week or more at a time, shorten the distance but always read where he is comfortable with you sitting.

Lots of talking and perhaps placing a favorite treat in a spot for him until you can get him comfortable.

@Newbie GCC

 

[Monica]

I wouldn't have recommended clipping his wings... that's kind of "anti-trust". Immobilizing a parrot and not allowing them the choice to escape can potentially result in more fear. They feel as if they can't escape, which makes them more scared which results in stress. You want to work on the *right* kind of trust, not the wrong kind. It sounds like he's ready for hands off interaction but not hands on. He wants attention, but he's still scared. It's better to build trust from afar where he feels safe and comfortable rather than up close and personal where he'll become stressed.

You might try getting some millet spray and holding it up against the cage bars with your arm stretched out. Don't look at him directly and see if he'll come over for a snack. It's usually easiest to do this before they've eaten breakfast in the morning. If he's afraid to do that, then sitting near him while he eats a favorite treat (i.e. millet or sunflower seeds or safflower seeds or dried fruit....) may help. If he wont eat the treat when you are a foot away from the cage, then sit three feet away. You want him to relax and realize you are not a threat. The more he relaxes while you sit x-amount of feet away, the more you can try inching slightly closer the next time you go to give him a treat. Eventually, you may be able to sit next to the cage with him relaxed.



Here are two links that go in depth more on gaining trust.

Working with Fearful Parrots: A Study in Videos | Learning Parrots

Parrot Behavior Myths: Building Trust | Learning Parrots

 

[SandraK]

I hate to say it because I don't really want to make you feel guilty, but I agree with Monica. Taking away the ability to fly would be like chaining your legs so you couldn't walk or run. Bear in mind that it will take a while, and by that I mean months before you and your fid start becoming comfortable around each other.

 

[Newbie GCC]

Baby steps! I have had Rhema for 11 months. She is and older rehomed GCC. She will ride on my head, take treats, but just this last 2 weeks has started stepping up on a perch. And does not want to be touched at all. She likes to be talked to and lets me kiss her belly and sometimes her beak at bedtime, but only through the bars of her cage. She really is a sweetie and her personality is still coming out. I have the patience to let her be her.

 

[Pentameter]

Remember first and foremost that birds are prey animals. It goes against their instincts to trust us (which makes it even more special when they do); we have eyes on the front of our heads, which reveals us as predators. We are also big and scary and tend to be touchy-feely (more than most animals). Things that we understand to be harmless might frighten a bird, because over millions of years of evolution they've survived and thrived by flying first and thinking later.

Trust takes time, and some birds are more anxious/timid than others. My Zorro is very timid around most people besides me, whereas Beans will readily interact with new people. Zorro is just more timid period, but he's younger. It can take months to build up the trust you want your bird to have, but it's worth the wait, so be patient. As Webchirp said, just talk to the bird for a bit. When the bird talks to you, just talk, don't move. Let the bird have their space for a while.

Birds are not domesticated. They can be tamed, but their brains are still wild. Getting used to people takes time. 8 weeks is really not much time at all, especially if the bird came from a stressful environment beforehand. Since the people you got the bird from apparently made no effort to work with the birdie, you're kinda starting from scratch.

 

[Lady Jane]

You were given bad advice to clip wings. Will take the better part of a year to grow them back. Everyone is correct in moving very slowly with this bird. This is critical or you will end up with behavior issues like biting when maturity sets in.