TheTameParrot.com - Say “BYE” To Your Parrot Problems

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We recently had a question about Nanday Conures. This lady purchased and older bird for a pet and all it does is scream and holler. She can hold it and work with it, but the screaming is beginning to create problems with the neighbors.

* For starters, you really need to do some research into the birds you plan to buy, and especially their behavioral traits. Nanday Conures are known to be a very loud bird. Their screech can be heard all over the neighborhood, and make it a terrible pet if you live in an apartment.

This behavior comes from their past. They are a very sociable bird, and in the wild would often stay in very large flocks. It is not unusual to see them with flocks of Monk Parakeets. Their mating and social habits are associated with their screeching.

Nandays that have been born in captivity and hand fed are usually not as loud. This is why it’s preferred to get them when they are quite young.

As a pet, they are very playful and affectionate. They are a very good “intermediate” bird for people interested in raising them, and the price is not that expensive. We usually recommend this type of bird to someone with no bird handling experience, and are considering the purchase of a large parrot. Once you can get the hang of a Nanday, and can train and handle it, you are ready to take on the challenge of a large bird.

As a pet, Nandays are fairly hardy. They do take a lot of showers, and should be allowed access to a water bowl for bathing daily. Like many conures, they are more then happy sitting in a sink while you use the sprayer to “rain” down on them.

Nandays are capable of talking, but it does take some work. I have heard stories of success with those “Get your parrot to talk” tapes, but I have not talked to anyone who has ever been successful with this. Just use the tried-and-true method of working with your bird, praising it when it makes appropriate sounds, and socialize with it. Interaction with your bird works far better then those store bought tapes!

To get your bird to stop screeching all the time, there are some methods. First, keep in mind that this behavior can be triggered if the bird is afraid. Something in the environment is bothering him and needs to be changed. So look around.

They also scream when they feel neglected, depressed or bored. Get your bird more toys and swap them around frequently. One mistake bird owners will make is to put the bird into a distant part of the home, so their screams can’t be heard. This may only cause it to scream more! They want attention! They are calling for their flock!

Sometimes a bigger cage will help. Just keep in mind that this breed of bird is loud by nature. They tend to scream in the morning and evenings.

DIET

Nandays diet should consist of lots of fruits and vegetables. They require a low to medium protein content, with lots of dark green and orange vegetables. They are used to having a variety of foods, and will become quickly bored with an all pellet diet. Try to get your Nanday on a 60% pellet diet, and push those veggies!

The Nandays we had were suckers for apples! We would put apple quarters into their cage and they would be devoured! This made it easy to add additional vitamins and calcium to their diet by sprinkling them over the apple.

They also like grapes, broccoli and carrots. You can get protein into their diets by adding some diced eggs and bits of cheese to their food dish. Also give them a few shreds of chicken and meat occasionally.

HEALTH ISSUES

I have noted that Nandays have a tendency to pluck their feathers. This is usually caused by a combination of a poor diet and boredom. They are also prone to Conure Bleeding Syndrome. This disease results in internal bleeding of the bird and can be fatal. This is thought to be cause by a diet lacking in Vitamin K and Calcium, both of which are readily available in broccoli. I won’t touch the stuff, so my Conures got to clean off my plate! One more reason to keep Conures as a pet…….

Just remember, a proper diet will ensure that your bird will stay healthy.

*Picture taken from http://www.birdchannel.com/images/species/subspecies/nanday-conure.jpg