Relatively quiet Sun Conure? No such thing - Carbon's Rant

[Carbon]

So Nara is approaching 6 months of age, and let me tell you this, she has gotten LOUD. LOUD LOUD LOUD. You're not sure yet how loud? Let me reiterate. LOUD LOUD LOUD LOUD LOUD... LOUD. I swear it was almost an overnight transformation when she started her first molt, ironically, right after I told someone here that she was a very quiet sun and I don't know what people keep complaining about regarding the suns.

She's not a screamer, in that she doesn't go on screaming fits, not even in the morning or at night. So I don't think it's the number of squawks that increased, just the amplitude. She is extremely needy. I have to always be in her direct sight, within no more than 9 ft radius, otherwise we will squawk for as long as anyone can be heard or as long as anyone anywhere in the apt is making any kind of audible noise. In the morning, she knows I'm leaving when I put my backpack on, so she doesn't squawk. She just quietly eats her breakfast as I leave. However, at the end of the day, when someone opens that apt's door, all hell breaks loose. She will squawk until the walls shatter or someone walks into the bedroom and gives her attention. And she no longer has that baby squawk. She's a fully fledged turbo 4 wheel drive sun conure blow horn squawk. All you need to do is sit anywhere in the room in her sight, and she will quiet down.

She doesn't squawk for food or attention when you're in the room. She also doesn't squawk for the sake of squawking, because I've also trained that out of her. However, there is one thing you just can't train out of a conure when they're situated in the room in which you spend most of your time (which is where everyone recommends they be). For example, when she squawked for my attention while I'm in the room, I would ignore her or look away and not come to her unless she quiets down. Currently, if I'm in the room and she wants my attention, she just says "hello". Now, suppose you want to walk out of the room to grab a glass of water. As soon as you disappear from the room, the Sun will squawk. Since it's unrealistic to stay out of the room every single time until they quiet down, the Sun is going to be slowly conditioned into thinking that their squawking is what's bringing you back. Eventually you will have a Sun that will always squawk whenever you're not in the same room with them as long as they can hear that someone is somewhere outside.

So, I'm taking decisive action. There's just no way I can stay passive about this and hope it'll get better, it won't. I've ordered 3 audimute sheets. 2 of these are going to go over my bedroom's door. The purpose of these is two fold: 1- cut down on the volume of the squawks reaching the living room to minimize annoyance to the roommate, and 2- minimize the amount of sound coming inwards so Nara doesn'y squawk every time somebody out there does as much as walk around. The third sheet will be held behind her cage, with the othet side of her cage facing the window. Again, the purpose of this is two fold: 1- to cut down on the high frequency waves bouncing around my room and causing my ears to lose several decibels of my hearing range and 2- minimize her field of vision of the rest of the room and so the number of times she gets upsets when I move around. I've also been using a radio to keep her entertained when I'm not inside the room, and also to make it more difficult for her to hear what's going on outside, with great success.

So... Here's my rant (finally) and the solutions/futher plans of action that I've come up with. If more of this ends up working as I hope, I will let you know.

Finally, if you live in an partment with paper think walls, and only two rooms, and you want to get a sun, don't. I'm hoping the sound proofing is going to help a lot, but I still believe that the best case scanrio would be to have a 3 room apt. So until I can afford one, the radio and sound proof sheets will have to do.

Oh, and in case I haven't stressed it enough, Sun conures are LOUD. How loud? I want to rip my ears out loud. And I don't even have a screamer. I'm talking about the very few squawks she lets out per day, when I leave/enter the room. I cannot even imagine what people with screamer suns have to deal with.

Oh, and I'm definitely getting a pair of ear plus for when I'm inside my room.

Yes, they are LOUD. LOUDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD.

Ok, I'm done. PHEW.

[Abby]

I know I shouldn't laugh but....

I've always said that when my suns breed any potential owner has to come meet the parents and listen to them at full screech then decide whether this is still the bird for them.

They're loud, not terribly smart (sorry sun people but I'm yet to meet an intelligent sun) but OMG the the beauty of them. It just takes my breath away everytime.

[Carbon]

Feel free to laugh. A lot of it was tongue-in-cheek. I love my Sun, but OMG I have very sensitive hearing and it makes me want to claw my ears off. Right now I have crumbled tissue paper in my ears because I've exceeded my quota for loudness for today (my ears are already hurting) and I'm not willing to risk taking in even one more random squawk.

I don't know about sun's being dumb though. I think they can be as sneaky as the next parrot. You know that playing dumb is the most intelligent strategy, right? :)

[Emmilyy]

... Carbon, I'm sorry you're going through this - after you explained to me they're not that bad for volume..

She's very beautiful, though... a, err, does that help?


................... BAHAHAHAHAHAAH!.

Sorryy, i've been trying to hold in my laughs but i can't! hehe sorry!

[xafsmom]

*giggles*


(obligatory text)

[hollyhawkz]

Originally Posted by Carbon

Feel free to laugh. A lot of it was tongue-in-cheek. I love my Sun, but OMG I have very sensitive hearing and it makes me want to claw my ears off. Right now I have crumbled tissue paper in my ears because I've exceeded my quota for loudness for today (my ears are already hurting) and I'm not willing to risk taking in even one more random squawk.

I don't know about sun's being dumb though. I think they can be as sneaky as the next parrot. You know that playing dumb is the most intelligent strategy, right? :)

I'm sure the tissue paper was crumpled in your ears did it crumble from the yelling? LMAO!!!!

[Carbon]

Originally Posted by Emmilyy

... Carbon, I'm sorry you're going through this - after you explained to me they're not that bad for volume..

She's very beautiful, though... a, err, does that help?


................... BAHAHAHAHAHAAH!.

Sorryy, i've been trying to hold in my laughs but i can't! hehe sorry!

Actually laughing it off with the rest of you IS the point, so... thanks for laughing... Heh heh :)

Remember that post where I told you it's not that bad? THAT was when it started LOL. Maybe she saw that post and realized she's slacking behind on the rep?

Anyway, I think the fact that she's molting has a lot to do with it, because it literally started on the day she started dropping all these green feathers. Whether or not it sticks doesn't matter, I'm going all out with the sound proofing solution lol. There'll be leaving nothing to chance! I hope the audimute sheets get here soon. I'm excited to run that experiment.

[Abby]

If it helps I couldn't understand people who couldn't get their kids to eat veggies. I had no issues with my oldest. I'd sit their thinking well you just aren't trying hard enough and being very smug about my parenting skills. Well karma is a bitch because Finn came along. The child would spit his veggies at me at 6 months old. We tried all sorts of strategies. Not alot of success with any of them. At 11yo Finn eats lettuce, that's pretty much it. I have pointed out that it's green crispy water which he was good enough to tell his teacher earlier this year. I now know that when people say something such as my bird is loud, my child won't eat veggies blah blah that maybe I'm lucky for now.

[LovelySydney]

I dont think I could ever get a sun. I only say this because when I had my lovebirds Oslo and Gus I literally almost went mental over their shrieking. And they were just lovebirds!!! I think suns are beautiful but I think this thread should definitely be read by those new members (or current members) who are thinking about getting a sun. Just a little dose of reality ya know?? I think its a great post, Carbon - even if your ears ARE bleeding = )

[Carbon]

Originally Posted by Abby

If it helps I couldn't understand people who couldn't get their kids to eat veggies. I had no issues with my oldest. I'd sit their thinking well you just aren't trying hard enough and being very smug about my parenting skills. Well karma is a bitch because Finn came along. The child would spit his veggies at me at 6 months old. We tried all sorts of strategies. Not alot of success with any of them. At 11yo Finn eats lettuce, that's pretty much it. I have pointed out that it's green crispy water which he was good enough to tell his teacher earlier this year. I now know that when people say something such as my bird is loud, my child won't eat veggies blah blah that maybe I'm lucky for now.

Yep my thoughts exactly. I felt extremely lucky for about 3 months, up until the big molt started. I'm still hoping that all isn't gone and that the amplitude might go back down a bit after the molt is over. And if it doesn't, the sound proofing will take care of that anyway.