Blue Crowned Conures

Nargle

Anybody got any experience with Blue Crowned Conures? I'm thinking maybe someday I'll get one (Not for a LONG time, but I like to plan ahead =3)

So far, from what I've read, they sound flippin' awesome =D I'd like to see some second opinions, though!

What I'm looking for in a bird, is a real snuggler. Skittles, my Green Cheeked Conure, just LOOOVES to snuggle, and I think it's adorable. Sometimes I'll just watch TV or use the computer as Skittles chills out on my hand and snuggles my face or something. But Skittles is VERY bitey. I've read that GCCs are notorious for their beaky nature, and I thought it would be nice to get away from that. I heard BCC are a lot more laid back and mellow, and don't bite as much, as well as being huge snugglers. I love Skittles to death, but come on! He gets a little rowdy sometimes!

Also, I don't think noise would be a big factor... Skittles is already pretty noisy at night and in the mornings, and occasionally if there's a heated discussion going on in the living room and he feels like chiming in. But I plan on getting another bird AFTER I buy my own house, so I'll only be bugging myself =3

Finally, brilliant, pretty colors are not important to me. Come on, I think GRACKLES are pretty! XD I don't need a rainbow of a bird, Blue and green is just fine with me =3 I do have a bit of a problem with tiny eyes, though... Like.. birds like Parakeets and Ringnecks kind of creep me out.. but BCCs have nice big pretty eyes =D So, that part suits me just perfectly!

So yeah, do you think BCCs are a good match? Also, any good tips and advice will be taken with appreciation! =D

Katzyn

Lol, I think Grackles are gorgeous, too! But I think ALL birds are, so...=P

I don't know much about BCC themselves, and you've already covered the problem of being noisy, so...I don't have much to add! Just do all the research you can, join a forum, or something and talk to real people who own them, and see how they would sound for you. Maybe you could visit a BCC breeder and meet their birds?

Criosphynx

Personally i'd shy away from most conures because of the noise factor... Perhaps a caique, senegal, or a quaker would work better if you where worried about noise.

I've raised a red crown conure which i believe is in the same genus, and he was an AWESOME bird. Very mannered, very quiet. Smart. (aren't they all)


but yeah, if noise and color aren't any concern, then you can pretty much pick whatever bird you want...

Did you want to stay small? I'm partial to Amazons.

Nargle

Crio- Well, noise and color aren't a problem, but I'd prefer to stay small. I've heard that bigger birds like Macaws are REALLY needy... And that African Greys are like children... Skittles is perfectly fine with me going to school and leaving him by himself, but I'm afraid that if I get one of the bigger parrots they'll get stressed out and start plucking feathers out of boredom. I'd like to have a career, and that wouldn't work if the bird required me to stay home all day... I actually wanted an African Grey, but after reading up on them I got scared off.. But bigger parrots are like that, right? Or am I just misinformed?

Katzyn

Each individual parrot is different, but from my experiences, yes, the bigger parrots are more needy (not to mention much more EXPENSIVE) to keep happy and healthy. Even a silly little thing like a broken feather can cause an African Grey to start feather picking.

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Criosphynx

Well no, they are needy.... but there aren't just large parrots and small ones... there are inbetweens.... I don't see amazons as needy personally, like say a big macaw or cockatoo, but yes they are needier than your conure.

I personally don't care much for greys, they don't learn language as early as i'd like ,but mostly whistle for the first year.

Maybe a pionus? Or a lorikeet? There are also Severe macaws, which is like a mini macaw. Gosh there are soo many to pick from..

Nargle

Gosh that's totally how I feel @.@

I'll definitely look into those =3 Got any recommendations on which parrots to avoid? Based on.. Snuggles are important, and neediness is bad... =3

I think I've already figured that African Greys, Macaws (The big ones) and Cockatoos aren't for me.. Also Rosellas (I researched them a bit because they are SO pretty! But it turns out they're very aggressive and don't snuggle... So I stopped thinking about prettiness as a priority =3)

I've heard a lot of good things about Caiques, though.

Criosphynx

caigues are very good birds... they are pricey for the size of bird you get, but its worth it..

If you want to go smaller there are always parroletts.



I like eclectus too, they are a quieter med-large bird, i have no hands on experience with raising them, but the ones i've met didn't seem needy.

Willowy

Hahahahaha.......my brother has a Quaker, and noise very definitely IS a big factor. He screams, talks, mutters, mumbles, whistles, etc. ALL DAY LONG. AFAIK, all Quakers are like that. I wouldn't suggest them for someone who doesn't like noise.

Criosphynx

lol! I stand corrected!! I've only dealt with babies.

mutters....lol....like a little feathery serial killer.

Willowy

He IS a little feathery serial killer.....LOL.....he HATES me and will bite me every chance he gets. He likes my brother, but will still bite him if he's in a mood. He LOVES my mom and will never bite her. I met a lovely Sun Conure at a small pet store before they got Louie, such a pretty bird and so nice----but noooo, they had to go and get this little beastie . Ugh....I'm not into birds as pets. I like the warm fuzzies and the shelled coldbloods (I have 4 Russian Tortoises). Birds take a lot of work, and need so much attention!

Criosphynx

agreed!! Main reason i don't have one. If iam ever dogless tho, i might try a parrot or two, just not now.

I love russians btw.. Iam recently russianless, as my rescue found a home with a vet in santa barbara



But yeah Nargle... how you going to pick??? Maybe go visit a few birds and then decide? Are you going to adopt or buy a baby?

Nargle

Lol, Skittles does that all the time. He's always whispering or mumbling or chattering about something... It's great, though, that he only screams at dawn and dusk =3

I was surprised that Conures were considered HUGE noise makers, because Skittles is really reasonable. Except sometimes it'll be completely quiet, and just out of the blue he'll randomly start screaming a couple times. For no reason! I think he's dozing off and waking up again XD

But other then that, he's actually really quiet. Maybe I'm just more tolerant of the occasional "tweet" then most people, though. Either that, or I've taken action to control his noise level (I think it's called like the "abandonment" training method or something? Whenever he gets too excited and screams, I just shut my mouth and turn away from him. He's all like "Wait.. wha? Where'd you go? **Big eyes**" I think people tend to make the mistake of running up to the cage and checking on them every time they scream, or turning around and yelling "SHUT UP!" All of those PROMOTE screaming!!)

Well, I was thinking about getting a baby, because that's what I did with Skittles. Plus, all the shelters here only have chickens XD

But birds are a LOT more mailable when they're young then when they're adults. They're nothing like dogs, who forget the past, but instead they keep grudges and remember lost loved ones. Sure, they can be trained to accept another owner, but I'm really not all that experienced with birds. Skittles was my first bird, and GCCs are like.. the ideal beginner bird XD Not a challenge at all! Maybe in the future I'll adopt, though. After I get a little experience under my belt =3 Until then, I think I'll avoid the deep end of the pool...

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