Unexpected . . .

[Nymphicus]

My dad works for a TV company now so he goes into a lot of different houses. A few days ago while I was doing school, he dropped by home briefly and called me into the house (we have a separate schoolhouse where we do our home-school): "I need your help in the house. Stop what you're doing and come quickly!"
As I headed down the walk, I heard very strange sounds coming from inside. My first thought was, Oh great. A bird flew in through the window.
Imagine my surprise when I opened the back door to find myself face to face with a beautiful sun conure.

Daddy quickly explained, "Somebody didn't want him, so I brought him home. They said they didn't handle him much so he probably needs some training.”

This bird is already adored by my whole family still at home – a feat none of my other birds have ever accomplished (Okay, one did. But that was five years ago). He is just the sweetest thing. I have honestly never met a bird who liked to be cuddled so much. Anica is very “hands-on” but she’s more of the “Play with me!” type. This bird is . . . a lap bird. I can’t understand why anyone wouldn’t want him.
I think I’m going to name him Sparkles or Tangelo (Tangelo as in the fruit). Mom really wants me to name him Sparkles, but I’m more-or-less leaning away from that because one of my first birds was called “Sparkleberry.” (We used to move around a lot and the birds couldn’t always come with us. That’s why there are so many birds I “once had.” We stay put, now.)
He’s under quarantine and is looking/acting surprisingly healthy for a bird who arrived in a cage as filthy as his was (that same cage is thoroughly spotless now.)
Now, this isn’t all fun and joy. I am not so sure I can handle two parrots alongside my other birds, but we shall see. I’m hoping and praying this works out.
As far as his “need for training” goes, the only problem I’m seeing in his behavior is that he doesn’t step-up; but I don’t see why that can’t be sorted through.

So, yeah. Any tips on my unexpected new friend?

[Phill]

His gorgeous!
GOod on you for taking him in!

Tips.. They are LOUD! LOL

[Nymphicus]

I have certainly figured that out. Screech! Screech! I hadn't realized how much I appreciate my red-bellied's silence.

He is a darling . . . doesn't care much for Dad, though.

[anotherlineinasong]

Oh my goodness! He is BEAUTIFUL! We were considering a Sun Conure as our next parrot, but he got sold before we could get him. Then we found someone selling some Quaker babies and decided on that instead. (And I'm really excited about it, too! )

I think Tangelo is a great name! If you're taking votes, then there's mine. lol I don't really have any suggestions as I've never had a Sun Conure. I have a Green Cheek Conure (Desmond) and I think they're supposed to be similar (both Conures, after all) but to be honest, Desi's been a learn-as-I-go bird. lol Some of his particular mannerisms: He gets loud and rather vicious when for some reason he doesn't get out of his cage all day (which is rare, but he lets us KNOW there is a problem when we go on day trips and leave him home. lol). He also gets really screechy when there's ANYTHING in his water (like paper shreddings, which he throws EVERYWHERE) and he wants to take a bath; Even if I just gave him fresh water, if he drops whatever he's got in there in his excitement, he will flip out. He's a little spoiled brat, I'd say.

Basically, as you probably already know, birds have their own individual personalities, so there are no hard and fast rules for dealing with them. lol Just make sure cage is clean, water's fresh, that he's been fed, and that he gets lots of love and out of cage play time. That's the secret to the least amount of screeching, in my experience.

[Nymphicus]

Okay, it's been a while now.
Tangelo is great - surprisingly, I seem to be the only one who gets annoyed by his loud voice. Mom claims that she finds it "sweet and welcoming." I have to wonder on the sanity of that.
He gets along beautifully with Zyda. They aren't exactly best friends, but they aren't at each other's throats either. Zyda seems to prefer Tangelo's cage over his own and spends many of his "out" hours playing around on the conure's territory.
As you say with Desmond, Tangelo also gets very cranky if anything is in his water. Stark contrast to Zyda - I really have to watch the red-bellied's water 'cause he'll drink it no matter what.
I took Tangy out on a long walk with my mom yesterday. The wind picked up a bit on our way back and he climbed down my arm to cuddle against my hands. It was so adorable! I wish I had had a camera with me.

. . . In case anyone was alarmed by the above paragraph, he was in a flight harness.

Well, updates on the rest of the troops:

Anica:
As sweet and beautiful as ever. She still takes every chance she gets to visit her "true love." I only wish she'd realize that Forest is a budgie and not a lovebird. Oh well, love knows no bounds, right?

Starburst:
Ah, she's a little darling once you get her out of the cage but I think she'll rip the skin off your hand before that. I find it as no wonder that her previous owner deemed her as impossibly wild . . . however, I have to disagree. She loves to cuddle . . . you just have to get her out of her territory first.
She still has a problem with plucking but it seems to be improving.

Zyda:
Gotta love the red-bellied. She's my spoiled one in every sense. I tote her all over the house and listen joyously to all the nonsense she tells me about herself.
The other day I was talking to my little sister about Texas and Zyda suddenly repeated "Texas!" It was rather amusing.

Kalian:
Kali, Kali . . . I'll be calling her home-to-be tomorrow, hopefully. She's a gorgeous bird to be sure, but she really doesn't fit in my flock. Sigh, sigh. Hopefully she'll work out better in her new home.

Zeeba II:
It's been a long time since I've been this taken by a budgie. He's the little guy in my flock - at least, the only little guy who really gets much attention - I love his incessant warbling and the tickling of his tiny beak when he eats millet from my hand.
He's adorable . . .

Rahkamiz:
For some reason Rahky seems to have had a popularity boom among my two best friends. Out of the three sibling tiels, she's always been a favorite, I think but . . . both my friends, at separate times, asked if we could take Rahky out on her harness. Not a problem but . . . seriously, why the sudden interest? Oh well.
On another note, she's just as playful as ever. I love watching her acrobatics with her toys. Silly bird.

Keeralay:
Okay, if I said Rahkamiz was acrobatic, I mean that three times over with her sister. There's a swing in the tiel cage and Keeralay is the only bird I've ever seen do this: She'll be sitting on the swing preening or whatever and suddenly she'll jolt forward and hang upside down from the swing with her wings spread. Then she'll flip back upright and repeat the action a couple of times. It's so much fun to watch.

Jeremy:
What can I say . . . he's still the one that serenades everyone with his endless whistling. He still plays that silly repeating game with me where I'm the one who repeats what he whistles. I've been noticing that my brother seems to have picked up on the rules as well and will whistle back to Jeremy through the thin walls of our living room.

Cupcake:
I, uh, really don't have much to say of this bird. Just a wild budgie who hangs out with the cockatiels and looks pretty.

Forest:
He's in love with Anica, but other than that . . . just the same as Cuppy.

There's my report on the troops. I must say good-night now.

[Phill]

like always I love your posts!

I love your updates and good to hear that all is well.