GreyOwnerMark

Oh man, this brings back memories. When we were dealing with this with Maple, I thought we'd never get through it. Now it's just a funny memory. It gets better, I promise.

Great question! So in my experience with sun conure, this usually comes down to a few things. First, spending at minimum 2 hours of supervised out-of-cage time daily. Second, make sure they're getting enough sleep — 12 hours of uninterrupted dark sleep is crucial. And third, pay attention to stress from loud noises like construction because that was a huge factor for my Jade. Hope that helps!

Noticed a small red bump on my blue and gold macaw's foot. Could this be bumblefoot? I have varied perch sizes but maybe not enough natural wood. What should I do? Is this a vet emergency or can I treat at home?

Okay but counterpoint — what about birds that are the complete opposite? My budgie breaks every rule lol.

How long have you had them? Sometimes it takes a while for birds to settle into a new home.

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

My Tango went through a phase like this around 6 months. I was terrified but it passed. Birds are weird sometimes lol.

I struggled with this too until I started spending at minimum 2 hours of supervised out-of-cage time daily. Now it's like a completely different bird.

So I had this exact problem about a year ago. Let me share what I learned. The key thing is adding a full-spectrum Arcadia UV light near the cage. A lot of people also recommend joining an online support group for Eclectus owners. My avian vet in Mississauga also suggested checking for dry winter air from forced-air heating which can sometimes be an underlying factor. Good luck — feel free to DM me if you have questions!

I got mine from the pet section at Costco in Hamilton. Great selection and the staff actually knows about birds.

Quick rundown of toys I've gotten for my caique this year: BEST — palm leaf shredders, lasted weeks and kept Tango busy for hours. WORST — some overpriced plastic thing from PetSmart that my bird was terrified of and I couldn't return. What are your best/worst buys?

Just wanted to give a shoutout to Bird Sitting Toronto. Left my green-cheek conure with them for 10 days while we visited family and Clover came home happy and healthy. They sent daily photo updates. Honestly the best experience. Highly recommend for anyone in Vaughan!

Couldn't agree more. This has been my experience as well.

Been thinking about adopting a rescue instead of buying from a breeder. Any experiences with rescue birds in Ontario? What should I expect in terms of behavioral challenges? Which rescue organizations do you recommend?

My Skittles went through a phase like this around 5 years. I was terrified but it passed. Birds are weird sometimes lol.

My vet in Guelph suggested rearranging the cage every couple weeks to prevent boredom and I noticed a change within the first week. Highly recommend.

Totally agree with this! My caique is exactly the same way.

What water do you give your birds? I've been using Toronto tap water (which is generally good) but now I'm second-guessing myself. Is filtered necessary? Distilled? Spring water? Am I overthinking this?

Reading this hit home. My sun conure went through the same phase around the same age. What helped us was leaving the radio or TV on when I'm out — background noise helps. Also just accepting that birds are gonna bird, you know?

Welcome to the forum! Great to have another bird lover from the GTA. Your lineolated parakeet sounds adorable — what's their personality like?