Meet Jimmy. He likes swimming, foot rubs, motorcycle rides, a nice dinner and drinks.
Although this reads like a dating profile, Jimmy is anything but date-able.
He is an 18 year old Black Capped Conure. They are known for their playful and inquisitive personalities. Jimmy lives with Amy, her husband, 6 cats and 1 dog. Before Amy became his owner, she bird sat for him and when his owner passed away, Jimmy went to live with her. He also lost a bird companion a couple of years before losing his owner. Amy describes him as bipolar. “He is so loving but has a spicy side”, she says.
When Amy asked me to communicate with Jimmy due to his behavior, I was happy to and interested because I had never communicated with a bird before. He would bite, then cuddle, making him untrustworthy to say the least.
The last thing you want is a bird cuddling or sleeping down inside your shirt, then biting you!
Jimmy grieved for the loss of his former owner. Yes, birds can grieve. During this time he didn’t bite and let Amy touch him. As his grief lessened and he became more comfortable in his new world, he started biting again and only letting her touch him on his terms.
During my communication with him, Jimmy told me that he sees Amy as his mate and while he likes her husband, there is some jealousy there. He dislikes the cats immensely but is okay with the dog. He is easily overstimulated and screams a lot. He is often overwhelmed by his feelings. He really likes to talk. He has sweet conversations with the sparrows through the back door window.
Bird courting behavior can be a bit strange. They may bob their heads up and down when they are excited or interacting with another conure. This behavior can be similar to nodding “yes” or dancing. Conures may preen each other as part of courtship. They can regurgitate food and offer it to a potential mate. When a conure rubs its cheek on you or an object, it’s typically a sign of affection and comfort, indicating that they feel safe and bonded with you.
Turns out that Jimmy was cheek rubbing and regurgitating food for Amy.
A Conure’s signature sound is a high-pitched screech, which is often emitted when the bird is excited, startled and/or when it wants attention. They can be quite loud. So Jimmy is spot on with that!
One of the cats bats him around, which is probably why he has such an intense dislike of all of them.
Conures are one of the more varied groups of parrots. These small to medium parrots with long tail feathers range in size to just under 10 inches to just over 20 inches, depending on the conure species. A properly cared for conure can live between 20 to 30 years.
Amy has started discouraging the courting behavior and her husband has been spending more time with him. Interaction with the cats is discouraged but he still doesn’t like them. While he is still bipolar, he behavior has evened out and he is less bitey.
Would you like to know more about your animals behavior? Or do you just want to know what they are thinking? Book an appointment now!