pros and cons

[melissajean]

hello. I am looking for some pros and cons on green cheeked conures please. I am thinking of getting one as a first bird, among others, and need to make a pros and cons list. thanks

[Exogenous]

I've only had my green-cheek for a week and a half now, so I can't really say much, but I'll repeat what I've read about them:

A pro would be that they're not supposed to be very loud compared to other conures. I met a sun conure the other day, and I can definitely agree! The Baby has her hyper moments, but her squawking really isn't bad at all; most of the time, she just makes little chirps and "chuckling" noises, which are downright adorable! No headaches yet.

They're also supposed to be great first-time birds: All the personality of a big bird, without the behavioral problems, and a bit more forgiving of the little mistakes an inexperienced owner might make.

A con would be that they're really "beaky" birds, and like to get their mouths on everything. I honestly haven't had a problem with it yet, but we'll see what I think when she hits the "terrible twos."

I'll post if I think of any more....

[melissajean]

thanks

[NeapolitanSixth]

Pros: Intelligent, relatively cheap, likes to try new foods, loves to explore, can play independently

Cons: So active they are hard to keep track of (Bartok's been to the emergency room before), sometimes too brave for their own good, can be very nippy unless properly trained, intelligence makes them more prone to emotional problems if not taken care of and trained well.

They're also supposed to be great first-time birds: All the personality of a big bird, without the behavioral problems, and a bit more forgiving of the little mistakes an inexperienced owner might make.

If I had a choice, I definitely wouldn't get a GCC as a first time bird, just because of their big bird personalities--they really aren't too much more forgiving than your average medium sized bird. Bartok would probably be kind of messed up right now if I didn't have Sophie, my cockatiel, to help train *me*. Training is key with these little guys...since they can be so cocky, they are always testing boundaries and can become territorial. They have so much energy that if they aren't out for enough in a day, they will let this excess energy up aggressively with nips. But, they are better first time birds than other species can be.

A con would be that they're really "beaky" birds, and like to get their mouths on everything. I honestly haven't had a problem with it yet, but we'll see what I think when she hits the "terrible twos."

This is definitely true. They normally start being nippy around the time they are weaned. You really have to be consistent in your reinforcement, or they will take advantage of you and bite you throughout their lives (they can be quite bossy). They begin to test boundaries again when they get hormonal/hit their terrible twos. However, if you have them trained well enough, they will remember that "no" means no and will be easier to calm down and discipline.

Mainly, you really have to be consistent with them, and show them who is boss. They are wonderful little birds with tons of personality, but do require more discipline than some other birds.

-Nikki

[melissajean]

how do you dscipline ? I have heard of a few differnt methods.

[Squawk and Howl]

there is a principle of discipline called "nurturing guidance" that i wholeheartedly agree with. it's in the book "companion parrot handbook by sally blanchard that i would recommend all parrot people buy & keep on hand as a reference.

here is an article about it: http://www.companionparrot.com/articles/guidance.html

PLEASE get this book, it will help a lot, no matter which bird you choose. get it here: http://www.thebirdbrain.com

[melissajean]

ok thanks