ConureChaos

I just snorted coffee out of my nose reading this. My caique is looking at me like I've lost it.

Great question! So in my experience with budgie, this usually comes down to a few things. First, introducing new foods by eating them in front of the bird — monkey see monkey do. Second, make sure they're getting enough sleep — 12 hours of uninterrupted dark sleep is crucial. And third, pay attention to a dietary deficiency, especially calcium or vitamin A because that was a huge factor for my Paco. Hope that helps!

This is one of those topics where I think there genuinely is no right answer. Both sides have valid points.

Birds are basically tiny dinosaurs with attitude. My Sunny has me completely trained at this point.

Your bird is in good hands. The fact that you're researching this shows how much you care.

I literally cried. After about 10 days of patient work, Pistachio finally stepped up for the first time today. I know it sounds small but if you've been through the bonding process with a nervous bird you know how HUGE this is. Never give up, it's so worth it.

Welcome!! Looking forward to hearing more about your feathered friend. Don't be shy about asking questions!

So what I ended up doing was putting treats inside paper cups, folded paper, or tissue for foraging. Within a few days there was a noticeable improvement. Definitely worth trying.

Nice to meet you! Always great to connect with fellow bird owners. You're going to fit right in here!

This reminds me of when I first got Gizmo. I was so overwhelmed but looking back, those early days were actually really special. The bond building phase is tough but beautiful.

There's a great little shop in Etobicoke that specializes in parrot supplies. Way better selection than the big chains.

I've tried a bunch of brands and Hagen Tropican is hands down the best value. My Gizmo devours it.

My Snowball read this post over my shoulder and started nodding. I'm only slightly concerned.

A friend who's had birds for 20 years told me to try putting treats inside paper cups, folded paper, or tissue for foraging. I was skeptical but it actually worked.

Reading this hit home. My Indian Ringneck went through the same phase around the same age. What helped us was introducing new foods by eating them in front of the bird — monkey see monkey do. Also just accepting that birds are gonna bird, you know?

I know everyone says keeping birds in their own environment is ideal, but honestly? A good boarding facility with experienced staff who monitor them all day is way better than a random sitter who checks in twice. My caique actually thrived at BST when we went on vacation.

I actually disagree with this. In my experience with my sun conure, the opposite was true. But I know every bird is different.

Just wanted to come back and say the advice in this thread WORKED. My zebra finch finally stopped being hormonal and aggressive after I tried stuffing paper towel rolls with treats for foraging.

How old is your bird? That might explain it — my green cheek conure went through something similar around 18 months.

This is so true. Had the exact same experience with Pistachio.