imderanged asked:


I got a 3 month old sun conure from a beeder a week ago. He’s (or she, I don’t really know the sex) a sweet little guy with a friendly personality who lets me pick him up and pet him and everything, but he prefers my husband, even though I’m the one who feeds him, plays with most and has the most to do with his care. If he’s sitting on me and my husband comes into the room he flys off me trying to get to him. He calls for my husband and ignores me. I think he has an overall prefence for men…he reacts to my brother and father too. I think this may be because the beeder was male. I need some advice on how to handle the situation. I don’t want the bird to stop liking my husband, I just want him to like me as much, or atleast not run away from me when hubby’s in the room. And I don’t want the bird to develope any jelousy issues in the future and start to resent me because it has bonded to my husband as it mate!

Simona

5 Responses to “Is there anything I can do about my sun conure “picking a person”?”

1. kelley f on February 1st, 2010 11:15 am

   Edyth

   Sorry that is a bird for you!!Birds pick the person not the other way around. I use to run a bird rescue and this one Nanda Counure hated everybody!! One day this lady walk in to my house and he flew off the cage , hit the floor and crawled up her leg!!! She was petting him and kissing him!! Guess what I sent him home with her!!! That is the breaks birds pick the people they like best not much you can do about it.

2. Cliffieduckie on February 3rd, 2010 4:31 pm

   Bess

   Sounds like you have a “she”. Girl birds tend to bond to guys. As long as she still is nice to you, just let her prefer guys. You can’t stop nature. There shouldn’t be any jealousy issues, I’ve never had any. All of my female birds just ADORE my father, fiancee and guy cousins. Even guy friends that they have never met before! They’ll just jump right off of me and onto their shoulders. If there are ever any jealousy issues, just have your husband/brother/etc be the one to scold the bird or “punish” her. This will make more of an impact on the bird. Also, if she starts to bite you because she’s jealous, YOU need to be the one to gently pinch her beak and say “no, that’s too hard” in a stern but gentle voice. Look the bird right in the eye and don’t look away until the bird breaks eye contact. This will tell the bird that you’re the dominant female and it’s not allowed to mess with you.
   If you need any more training advice or want to email me, go to
   Good luck with your bird!

3. Buzz on February 3rd, 2010 6:21 pm

   Birdie

   You’ve only had this bird for a week, and he/she is attracted to men. This is quite common with birds: they do get attached to whichever gender they’re used to, and if they are mistreated they will avoid the gender of the person who mistreated them.

   My bird is the same, she was attracted to males first because it was a male human who bred her. But in time since I am the only one (the ONLY one) who feeds, looks after her and flies her she got attached to me.

   But get your husband to play with it as well, as well as the rest of your family – my bird is a bird of prey, but social birds can get possessive just the same. She’ll get used to you, she’ll just take a little longer to get over her prejudice. Think of it as like racism or sexism – if a racist has a friend from a different race, they’ll probably start thinking that their friend is the exception to the rule.

4. Parrothead on February 6th, 2010 2:49 am

   Lemuel

   They pick who they like best at different stages of their lives. You may find that after reaching sexual maturity it changes its gender preference.

   Play time can be an important bonding experience. Keeping them on their toes with new and challenging things will bring them back. Try teaching tricks (like wave, bow) in addition to rolling balls or hiding nuts in paper. Make sure you “show daddy” the new trick as a way of creating a circle with you, bird, and hubby instead of just one or the other having companionship with the bird. The more time you share as a group doing (not just being) helps.

5. birdcrazy on February 7th, 2010 4:47 am

   Jacinda

   Because you have had this bird for such a short time my well be the reason he if selecting the male in the house hold, as you say the breeder was male.

   Birds do in fact chose favorite people, color’s, foods and all else,BUT don’t become alarmed with this behavior so soon after his coming there, he may change favorite people for awhile, go back and forth. Besides, there isn’t anything you can do, but respect him enought to give him his choice.

   Give him time to settle in and be him/herself and adjust to all the newsness. Don’t take it personality either.

   I was one of my U2′d favorite’s for over three years, then he choose my husband as his favorite. I accept that, is his right.
   He still comes to me for wing flaps and hugs and to play toss the sock, but he want’s hubby to sit with and watch TV and hang out with.