Second thoughts about this bird?

Question

The type of bird my family wants is a Green-cheeked Conure. I have been doing some research about them and a lot of people/websites say they are very affectionate, but at times are aggressive. Do you have any comments about this bird? Also, what is a bird similar to a Conure that doesn't make load annoying noises, and is barely ever mean.

Answer 1

ive seen them at the pet store and they seem 2 be kind of loud/ angry.

Answer 2

All birds like humans can get grumpy but they get over it, they are fantastic birds.

Answer 3

Green-cheeks are actually one of the quieter conure species.  This doesn't mean they're actually quiet, just less loud than some of the others.  Also, while a hand-fed conure, or any other bird, that's treated well will likely be very sweet much of the time, birds are very intelligent animals and may be "mean" sometimes for a few reasons: testing their boundaries (in which case training is required), hormones, or sometimes just being in a bad mood, or fear; they are prey animals and get scared easily, especially in an unfamiliar environment.  A good rule is to not get a bird whose beak you're scared of.

Answer 4

ALL birds can be that way, some more than others. Even little budgies can get ornery at times. If you get a YOUNG bird, from a private breeder (as opposed to a pet store), you'll have a much better chance of getting a well socialized bird that won't take any time at all to settle in.

The key to keeping any bird from getting too aggressive is to handle it often -- and to NOT let it know you're afraid of getting bitten.

ALL birds make noise. Green cheeks are probably THE quietest of the conures.

I have three caiques -- they're a LOT noisier than a Green cheek, yet I've lived with them in an apartment now for going on 5 years and have never had a noise complaint. I'm very noise tolerant, though -- if you can't stand the sound of birds OUTSIDE, you won't be able to stand them INSIDE.

Most South American parrot species (and this includes Green Cheeks) can and DO get hormonal during specific times of the year - and THIS is when they get antsy and more likely to bite. All you can really do is be patient and know that they're not MEAN -- they're just going through a "phase".

I seriously recommend getting a bird from a PRIVATE breeder -- you'll pay a much fairer price, and you'll know exactly how the bird was raised. Even if you can't find any local breeders, you can look for one in another state and they will SHIP the bird to you -- and shipping a bird is a VERY common, and VERY safe procedure. They're not just crammed into a cardboard box and tossed into the back of a truck -- they're shipped as live cargo aboard regularly scheduled airlines. Two of my  three caiques came to me this way.