By Rosemary Low
The purchaser of a companion parrot that has had a previous owner must realise that its behaviour will have been influenced by that person. For better or for worse. This can explain unpredictable and unexpected behaviours in the new home.
A species that has gained a position as one of the most popular of all companion parrots is the Green-cheeked Conure (Pyrrhura molinae). This is partly due to its cheeky and endearing behaviour. Several other members of the same genus are equally wonderful.
I recently received an email from someone in Hungary who had kept two Green-cheeked Conures for about three years. They were full-winged. Their owner told me: “My birds do not have their feathers clipped, this is not humane. They have wings to fly. They are outside all day, they only go into the cage to eat and sleep. They have one big play area and two smaller ones where they can keep themselves occupied, and I spend a lot of time with them, teaching them tricks. The male is a rescued bird (I brought him from very bad conditions), and the vet didn’t give him a chance. But with a lot of care, he survived, but I can see that there are traces of his time with the previous owner.”