Sun conure good pet?

Question

Im getting a sun conure and ive done my rersearch and they seem like GREAT pets i just wanted some opinions.

Answer 1

It depends on what you are looking for in a pet.  My sun conure is sitting on my head right now and he's everything I want in a pet.  He also comes with quite a few burdens and commitments as well.  If you want a companion animal that you can understand, train easily and will be lovable, adopt a dog.  Someone low maintenance and independent but still loving/cuddly, get a cat. If you want someone small and -really- low maintenance, get a millipede.  Birds are a whole 'nother breed of animal and require a LOT of attention and dedication.  Dogs and cats require quite a bit, but birds require even more so and are not something I recommend to anyone who wants a pet and is not a ready for a severe commitment.  With birds they require interaction and play on a daily basis, A LOT of it.  With dogs you can put them out in the yard all day, let them run around, play and they're good. Birds you have to take out of the cage at least two hours every day for interaction.  You HAVE to keep up with them because they end up having severe behavioral and mental problems if you don't- which ends up with them plucking their feathers or becoming a "bad bird" and biting all the time.  A LOT of people end up getting rid of their birds because they start screaming all the time and biting them- the result of them not knowing how to behave and interact with the bird. With dogs and cats its easier to understand behavior, with birds, not so much.  (Ex: With a cat, a water-bottle works to curb bad behavior. Not with birds, with birds it's a mental game. If a bird starts biting and nipping, ignoring the behavior is the best way to curb it.  Birds are drama queens. If you say "no!" then they go "Hey, cool, a reaction!" and do it again. And again.  And then they figure out harder bites gets a BIGGER reaction. And it spirals. No reaction, the biting becomes boring and slows and stops.)  

There is also the health aspect.  Dogs and cats are pretty well durable. They can deal with a lot of things.  Birds cannot.  For example: if you have Teflon or nonstick pans, get rid of them.  Teflon will KILL a bird- it emits a poisonous gas that will kill your bird.  So will avocados. Candles and incense are also exceedingly bad.  Birds have really sensitive immune systems and are bad about showing signs of illness and if not treated immediately by an avian vet (a dog and cat vet can't deal with birds immune systems, its so specialized) then it tends to spiral very fast.  

Birds are -not- good pets for someone who wants a companion but is not willing to take on a commitment that falls just short of having children.  

That said, birds are WONDERFUL companion animals.  I cannot live without them.  My sun, Aya, is wonderfully sweet.  He will curl up under the covers when I am reading a book in bed and play with string, tassels, etc.  He loves to hide in things. Hes also quite cuddly. His favorite places to chill out are my head (as he is as I am writing this) and my shoulder, where he will press himself up against my ear to get as close as he can.  He's highly intelligent (more so than any of the dogs I've had) and catches on to things quickly.  Sun conures, as someone already pointed out, are the loudest of the conures.  You do not comprehend the level of ear piercing shriek they can do when they want to.  Suns his a certain pitch that I've never heard in any other bird, and it will make you go deaf for a few minutes. Its painful.  (Find a video on youtube of it if you want.  A recording comes close, but the mic can't record it as it is IRL because it bottoms out the mic.) Suns are not a bird you get if you live in an apartment.  I love my sun and for a dedicated bird owner that loves conures I'd recommend suns.  I'd also recommend a green cheek conure.  They are smaller, very quiet and very very sweet. They are also quite the little comedians and most that I've met have a tendency to roll on their backs and play with their feet, your fingers, a toy, etc.  It's cute overkill to the max.

I cannot stress enough that birds are not for a light pet owner.  If you are committed to getting a bird and really want a sun, I do recommend these bits of advice:

1) learn how they think and behave and train them accordingly.  This is invaluable.  It will keep you from accidentally teaching your bird to bite and scream. (No they don't do this because they are bad or mean, they do this 99% of the time because people s***w up and don't know how to train them/react to them. If the bird fluffs up and his eyes pin when you stick your hand in the cage, you're asking to get bit.)

2) SOCIALIZE THEM.  The biggest mistake I made with my bird is I did not socialize him.  He is sweet as can be with me, my brother and my best friend, but I never socialized him when he was young, so around anyone else, he views them as a danger and turns "h**l bird" and screams the Sun-Conure-Scream *wince* and tries to tear out their eyes. --*

3) Join parrot lovers on Livejourna

Answer 2

My mother had one for many years. He was a great companion animal. Smart and funny, but loud. I like conures very much, but do not have one myself. I have an African Grey.

Be sure to do your homework when selecting one though. Make sure he/she is handfed, healthy and he/she isn't overly nippy. Sometimes if conures are overbreed they can be aggressive or nervous as adults. This would cause a lot of biting and feather plucking.

Answer 3

they are good pets but there the loudest of the conure family and love to be held if you dont like i loud i would look at a green cheek conure there not a loud and just as fun  

Answer 4

I personally have never owned one, but I have friends that do so have seen many pictures of them with the Sun Conure enjoying one another.

Sure there are some, but I haven't heard anyone say they were disappointed in theirs.

Like all new birds, depending on how they are fed and treated and trained.

Answer 5

I have had a Sun and a Cherry Headed Conure.  The Sun was a delightful bird.  He loved to sit on my chest and preen my beard.  There is nothing like a beard full of bird spit.  It was fun days with Little John.  

Answer 6

I have a Sun and a Green Cheek Conure.    Both are sweethearts!   I do agree with the person who said that the green cheeks aren't as loud, or not as shrill as the sun.  If you don't mind the noise and and you don't have neighbors living on top of you, then yes the sun conure is a great bird!  

I'll tell you one thing though, my sun named Chiquita is a one person bird, mainly.  Chiquita does NOT like my bf!!!  She is ok as long as he is giving her food.  But as soon as he gives it to her, he needs to get his hand back.  She is fine with me!  She's never really learned to talk much, only a couple things. It is not cuz I haven't tried.  She just chooses not to.  She acts like she'd like to.  The breeder and the people at Ranch hand that sells birds also, told me that no matter what s*x in most parrots, some talk and some don't or won't.

Suns have the cutest personalities too!  If your sun bonds with you, it will love to give kisses, and snuggle against your cheek and under your chin.  Chiquita takes food from my lips, like her Nutra-berries.  

Answer 7

yes!  i had one for years, he was friendly and could say a few words and imitate my laugh. he loved to cuddle and sit on my shoulder. they are fairly easy to care for.  they enjoy fresh fruit. He used to throw his orange peels down at our dog when he walked under his roost. LOL.  he would also play a game i would chase him with my fingers and he would turn around and chase them back. he was a great bird.  

Answer 8

They'll be good to you if you're good to them.  This is true for all birds.  I'm a bit biased towards cockatiels, but sun conures are great!  :)