Missing Bird Found In Box - Noel's New Sleeping Area

[Monica]

While I was rearranging my room, I had put two boxes full of items up on my "closet" shelf where Noel and Casey eat, drink, and sleep. Both cardboard boxes had handles on the side, so Noel decided to chew on the one that she could reach. She chewed most of the way from the handle down to the bottom of the box, and luckily, nothing came out of the box.

I took the boxes down so that for sure, nothing could hurt Noel if something fell out, and later had cleaned both boxes out. Since Noel had chewed on one, I put it back up on the shelf, upside down. Casey took an immediate interest in it and kept peeking in to see what lay inside. Noel took the interest to nibbling on the box, however, was unsure since it was empty and dark inside. Neighter had ventured in, and a couple days later, I put Casey in, and let her walk back out. After that, I put Noel inside, and she quickly clambered back out, as I would not put them in for a second time...

However, that night, at 11pm, I went into my room, turned on the light, took off my sweater and shoes, then looked up to make sure that Casey and Noel were fine. I found Casey by the entrance of the box, but I could not see Noel. It surprised me as Noel is usually always up there with Casey, sleeping. I went and looked inside the box, and had found Noel. I had slightly woken up Noel, and had startled her some, so she got on the opening of the box. I told her it was alright, and to go back inside to sleep. She did just that, I turned out the lights, and went to bed. The next day, during the middle of the day, I found Noel back in the box checking it out. I had startled her once more and she climbed out. I took one of my sheets that I was not using, folded it up, and put it in the bottom of the box, or on the shelf. That was yesterday.... and last night, she slept in it again, with Casey, once more, standing gaurd at the entrance!

I have noticed, for these two nights, that Casey has been more friendly when she gets disturbed at night (if she gets disturbed while sleeping, she will have a hissy fit if I approach her, however, these nights, she bowed her head down and let me give her a quick headscratch before going to bed myself). Noel on the other hand, I have yet to notice any behavior changes, and luckily, neither of them have seen this cardboard box as a nestbox, and neither are territorial over it. Noel is the one or goes in it mostly, Casey usually only goes in for a quick look around and hops back out!

I've heard in plenty of places that there are conures that love to sleep in a nestbox at night, especially the larger species. I do not have a conure nestbox, nor have all the tools to make one, and instead, I have a box that Noel now enjoys sleeping in (which is a complete surprise to me!). The cardboard box itself is about 20" long, by 9" wide, and 1' tall. I'd take some pictures, however, a customer of my mothers is borrowing all three of our digi cam batteries... And I'm not sure when we'll be getting them back...