The Parrot Page - Quincy The Blue Crowned Conure

I not only live with my wonderful Standard Schnauzers but also with two adorable parrots. When I got my first parrot I was a complete novice about birds but my Quaker Parrot, Reba, was so easy and sweet. I was totally unprepared for Quincy, my Blue Crowned Conure. Blue Crowned Conures are known as sweet, lovable birds that are good talkers. Quincy was not sweet or easy or even very likable.

My New Conure Hated Us -
In the store, he said "What are you do'in", cocked his head, ruffled his feathers, danced around, and seemed very friendly and cute. He was just 6 months. When I got him home, he came out of his little box mad, spitting nails, and hating me, my friends, and my family. He bit me every time I tried to touch him, would not eat, wanted to stay in his cage, growled, and struck at anyone who came close. We were all afraid of him.

What To Do -
I realized I had two choices, return him to the store or train him to be a good bird. I got on the Internet and went to the Up at Six Chat area and asked for help. I got lots of good advice but the best advice
was to read two books which are responsible for the love I now have
for Quincy.

Guide To A Well-Behaved Parrot

My Parrot My Friend

	Gaining His Trust - I realized that I had to gain Quincy's trust and he also had to gain mine. I started by teaching him to "step-up" on a stick about the size of his perch. I didn't let him refuse but kept at it until he complied. Then I carried him, on the stick, into a quiet room where I placed him on a bird stand. I did this several times each day. He gradually grew to feel safe on the stand and I would talk to him and offer him tidbits. Apples were the only thing he would accept but finally he took to pistachio nuts. Success - While in the quiet room we practiced "step-up" and "step-down" with the stick. After a few days, I offered my hand instead of the stick. He bit it. By this time I had lots of bad bites. I realized that if I wanted to get him to accept me I would have to accept the bites for a while. I spent 3 or 4 hours a day working with him. I learned to put my hand out quickly pressing under his tummy and saying "step-up" before he realized it was my hand rather than the stick. Pretty soon he was agreeable to stepping onto my hand. Such a great success! Still, it took a little more time for me to trust him. It took about 2 weeks before Quincy began to work with me and become a nice pet. One day when he was sitting on my hand, he puffed up his head feathers, cocked his head and said "What are Ya Do'in". I was sooo thrilled. I do not often let him sit on my shoulder even today. He learned to ride around on my hand and eat treats from my fingers. Now I just make sure I spend at least one hour with him "one on one". Quincy and Reba are kept in a busy area where there is lots of traffic. They sit on top of their cages most of the day but I move them around to different rooms and set them on a stand. I am very busy with things besides the parrots so I feel they need to be able to entertain themselves. I practice lots of "step-ups" with both birds throughout the day. Today Quincy is My Dear Friend - Quincy now loves me and I love Quincy. We have trust in one another and have fun together. He has turned into a great talker and LOVES the Quaker. He still doesn't like to be petted but is getting better. He is fearless of the dogs and nice to my friends and family. I encourage those who aren't afraid of him to let him sit on their hand. He kisses but still nips so I am careful with the kisses. He doesn't bite anymore but loves to nip, especially if he is on my hand and I am on the phone. He likes to nip my ear and preen my hair. He loves to work on the computer with me and usually does a lot of talking while I type so he can get some of my attention. He is a clown and loves toys and glasses. Quincy loves to talk on the phone which my Mother enjoys. Quincy's Vocabulary - Quincy will say anything if I just hold him in front of me and say the phrase over a few times. He will also say things I had no intention of teaching him. He has a sweet childish voice and some things he says I don't understand. His pronunciation is not always good. But things he says well are: hello, what are you dooo'in, bye bye, hello, I love YOU, I love the Quaker, I love Reba, the Quaker the Quaker, come here, give me a bite, Ahhh Ah, hmmm hmm good, good boy, good morning, nite-t-nite, baby baby baby, Hug a Parrot, Hug a Parrot I love YOU, I'm a little Quaker short and stout, Sweety Pie, Oh Boy Oh Boy, Get Me Out, Yep Yep Yep, coughs, laughs, barks. As you can tell, he has picked up words from Reba. He also says "no no no no" in a sing-song voice. That is usually after I have told him NO. Some of these phrases have meaning to Quincy. He calls the Quaker and the Parrot in the mirror - Reba. He says "give me a bite" when he sees food. He says "Good Mornin" in the morning when he wants uncovered. He says "Nite-t-Nite" when he is tired. When I say go home, he crawls into his cage. He is smarter than the Quaker - but the Quaker is much sweeter and does talk also but is harder to understand. The last 3 pictures on the left are from the movie Paulie courtesy of FreeZone. Thanks to Paulie's page for our Parrot Button. Listen to Quincy talking below. Quincy loves to listen and talks along with his WAV files. Hear Quency-11K or Hear Quency-192K

Some things to know before you get a Parrot -

Parrots are not an easy pet like a dog or cat. They like to bite. They like to scream. They don't understand us or especially want to please us. They are a wild animal who just happen to live with us. They are definitely not for everyone.

Birds like to yell. If it bothers you, then you should not have a bird. They will yell less if you ignore their yelling and it doesn't get them attention. My birds rarely yell but when they do it is ear splitting and they usually yell together.

If you do not have at least one hour a day to give your Parrot your undivided attention, then you should not have a bird. The hour can be 15 minutes here and 15 minutes there, but a happy bird gets attention. Of course, on good days our Parrots get a lot more than one hour. But I feel that on a bad day they should still get an hour. Some Parrots, such as Cockatoos, need more attention than do Conures or Quakers.

If you have allergies, then consider that birds have coverings on their new feathers that turns to powder and float in the air. Some Parrots are dustier than others. I have asthma so I keep an air cleaner close to the cages. So far, my two birds have not given me any problems. Note, however, that Quincy did learn to cough.

Never hit a Parrot. Once you lose their trust, it takes a lot of hard work to get it back. They have long memories.

Use your voice to shame your bird but don't shout.

You can wobble your hand and say No but Quincy thinks this is a game. I do it anyway.

I have learned to recognize the signs when Quincy is about to nip and if I say NO he has second thoughts.

Be sure to feed a good diet recommended by your vet. I feed my birds pellets, fresh fruit, and fresh veges. They need 10 hours of sleep.

They need a clean environment for their health and yours. You must change the papers at the bottom of the cage and wash the water and food dishes daily. Wash the cage weekly. I put the cages in the bathtub. If you feed pellets, then dump the old and put in new pellets daily.

If you have children, be careful that the Parrot you choose is gentle. Parakeets, Quakers, and other small birds are good with children. Bigger birds should be considered with caution. Their beaks can do grave damage even to adults.

Parrots have temper tantrums and get out of sorts occasionally. This is the time to give them some solitude.

It is best to buy a very young baby parrot and then you won't have the trouble I had with Quincy. Also, you will have a more cuddly parrot. I have never had a baby parrot so I can not give any advice on their care.

Remember - Parrots live from 35 years to 100 years depending on the type of Parrot.

Parrots are cute, funny, adorable, affectionate, they love us, and they talk to us. That is if you have spent the time and effort to train your Parrot to be a Gooood Bird.

Please Rank My Parrot Page.

Visit my Quaker page.

Visit Teaching Quincy to Talk.

Visit the PetStation BirdBarn which has a great write-up on Blue Crown Conures and great pictures.

Visit the set of Paulie the Blue Crowned Conure Movie Star.

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