Petey Blog

I have a small confession to make: I am not who the blog says I am. I created this blog just for fun a little after my roommate got Petey. I write and take the photos and post them under his name. In December he moved across the country for training, and he couldn't bring Petey along with him. The options were for Petey to stay with me or find him a new home. No wanting Petey to end up with strangers, he stayed with me. But in May I was about to start a lot of moving around myself, so I couldn't take care of him properly for a few months. My roommate had gotten a house where he was, and I was going to be on that side of the country for my first trip. It was a punishing 1am flight across the country. I was so filled with anxiety that he was going to scream that I nearly got an ulcer, but he never made a single squawk except when the TSA guy took him. All of the security people were giving him so much attention, commenting on his unusual colors, nobody seemed to care if he had a certificate of health or anything. Anyways, this photo of him was taken the morning I left. It won't be the last post as I plan on visiting, but hopefully this will explain the delays.

Comments:
Ann-Marie : Hi there, I love your bird! I had a couple questions if you don't mind. Do you occasionally go out of town on weekends and is he ok on his own with enough food/water for the two days? Also, how much time a day are you able to spend with him? I work during the day and might have other activities after, but would be able to devote a couple hours at least on weekdays to a conure (thinking about getting green-cheek). Just wanted your thoughts, thanks so much!
A-M : Hi, I love your bird! I had a couple questions if you don't mind. Do you occasionally go away for the weekend and is he ok with enough food/water? And how much time are you able to spend with him during the day? I am thinking about getting a green-cheek and work full time and have some after work activities, but would be able to devote a couple of hours a weekday at least...Thanks so much!
A-M : sorry- thought the first didn't go through :)
Stewie the Sun Conure : When are we going to get more updates on Petey??
Amy : Hi Petey, I love your blog! I run a bird related blog too, about caique parrots. I was wondering if you would be interested in trading links? Drop me a line if you are!
Fabe : We have a Sun Conure named Sunny, not sure if it's a male or female, but for argument's sake we'll say female...because she keeps trying to feed me! She loves her baths, and tends to get right cranky if she doesn't get one EACH day! There was a time where we went for 2 days without giving her one, and you guessed it...she used her water bowl. We came home to water all over our new leather couch. The cage has sinced been moved, just in case! haha
Meg : hey, ur blog is pretty cool, u hav some awsome pix of ur roommates conure. in response to the person who is thinking about getting a green-cheek, i think it is probably not a good idea if the only time you will have for it is on the weekend. all conures are very social and my green-cheek screams if i dont get him out at least twice a day. on top of this you need to think about the time you need to clean the cage as they need quite a large cage for all their toys. maybe you should look into something that needs a bit less attention like a cockatiel.

Here is the damage after about a month. We will subtract off the time Petey was away from it and at a friend's house. You can see that he is cheating now, trying to kill the toy by going for its head.

Comments:
Paul : Neato!
otilius : wow, Petey! you really tear **** up!
Sue : Gorgeous bird! We have two budgies at home, and despite their size they can get into a lot of mischief!
Jacinta : Your bird is identical to mine! I've seen heaps of sun conures but usually there is a difference somewhere. His feathers and colours are exactly the same as mine. His name is Caesar. You've got some fantastic pictures here, sun conures are so photogenic.

Petey is content sitting on most people's shoulders, but for a select few he is not satisfied until he burrows down your shirt. This can be a good thing. For example, if you are on the phone, most of the time he is fairly quiet when he is inside shirts. If you have ever had a Sun Conure near you, you know how hard it can be to conduct a phone conversation when the bird wants your attention. For the people who haven't had the pleasure, between the noise he makes when he is not on your shoulder trying to get on your shoulder and attacking the phone randomly when he gets on your shoulder, it makes it virtually impossible. Getting back on topic, sometimes he even peacefully sleeps on your belly for extended periods. But there is an ugly side to bird shirt burrowing, one or two of the follow may occur if you are only wearing one layer. If you are ticklish, expect the bird to exploit that and use his beak to tickle you if he is in a calm but not sleepy mood. Or if if the bird is full of energy expect to have scratches from his claws as he explores, and gets stuck in your sleeves. One solution to the problem is to wear at least two layers and only let the bird in between the layers.

Comments:
blueyes : Never seen a bird do that but I guess he's gotta really like the person to do it.
Carwyn : Love this picture!
moirana : our sun conure girl bella does the same thing.... she spends hours sitting in the shirt enjoying the world...great pics of petey... have to say, i LOVE the flight pic...
Bruce -- Harper Blue : Actually, I can think of a third, rather alimentary problem....
sweet_wolf : I have a Fallow green conure that loves to burrow in clothing, she will fall asleep when she is that close to myself and her papa
katrina : can we please have more petey???
Christine : That is funny my sun Conure loves to climb in my sweatshirts when I am holding her. When I hold her she leans back against my chest or shoulder. she does not like to sit on my finger.

Petey is able to fly pretty well now, but his ability to fly is a double edged sword. On one hand he gets quite a bit more exercise and seems very happy. But on the other, he can get in to more trouble than before. Although he only flies between people and his perches, even that can be a nuisance as he does not like to be left behind. Even if you just want to sit on the couch a few feet from his perch without him for a moment. Then there are the obvious arguments against flighted birds. They can have fatal accidents with windows, fans, or other hazards. They can also get loose and lost, although this can happen even with clipped birds too. Some people report that birds also become less social and more independent. Petey does not seem to be any less social or independent than before, in fact other than flying back to the people he is used to when handed off to a stranger, he is more social now that he can fly back to us. I guess the big question has not been answered yet.

Comments:
Pete : Glad to see Petey back! Fantastic pictures. Quetzal says, "Hello".

Over the summer Petey has been getting used to his Happy Hut Hideaway. For about a week he ignored it. After that week he started sleeping in it after dark until his cage was covered. Lately he can be found sleeping in it when he wakes up in the morning. There have been reports of birds getting snagged in the threads. Just like other objects in the bird's environment, they should be regularly checked and have loose threads removed. Many birds prefer having Happy Huts that match their predominant color.

Comments:
stewie bird : Stewie bird LOVES his Happy Hut. Our vet said that it's probably not a great idea to leave it in his cage all the time because it makes conures get nesty and territorial... but I couldn't imagine taking it away from him; it's his little happy place.

Petey is a helpful bird, he likes to do his part around the house.

Comments:
otilius : My seeing eye dog doesn't wanna do that... ;)
jan : Funny. Almost wants me to trade my dogs for a bird.
rickyvaldez : petey sucks....
blueyes : Always the helpful one :)
Tweety : Hi, this is my first time to your site. I would love to be in contact with you. As I posted in another photo I have a sun conure and she is a blessing. LOUD but I'v really enjoyed having her, just need some help. If you could I would really appreciate it. Petey is a BEAUTIFUL conure.
Cass : Where's Petey gone? There hasn't been an update in a while...I hope he's OK.
moirana : I found your blog when I was checking on conures and their motivation to bathe (seems like Petey does not show any hesitation at all). Valo is a baby green cheek conure and the cutest little feathery guy I ever came across (of course, petey is very very close). But he's not too thrilled about water... I was wondering if you moviatee Petey to bathe?! moirana@gmx.net
pete : What equipment are you using for your shots? They are awesome. Quetzal, my gold cap conure, says,"woot quack" to Petey. Pjejtjejr.gjrjajbjkjo (at gmail.com) remove the letter j's. Anti-spyder.
robby101 : Hey, petey looks like a really cool bird, i have a few cockatiels and was thinking about getting a sun conure. If you have any helpful hints please e-mail me.

Petey often exercises his wings inside his cage. It is very important to have a cage large enough that allows birds to fully extend their wings for exercise. Clipped birds should flap their wings rigorously at least a few times per day in order to maintain their muscles properly. Improperly clipped or weak wings can cause the bird serious injury or death should they fall. The wings should be clipped evenly or the bird will be out of balance. Too aggressive of a clipping will cause the bird to drop like a rock. Whether or not to clip your bird's wings is highly dependent on the environment they live in.

Comments:
Gidget : I had a sun conure. They are great birds, loud, but sweet

Petey has found one more food that he will get excited for, Lafeber Tropical Fruit Nutri-Berries. The bag explains it can be used as a complete diet for your bird, but Petey has just been eating them in addition to his regular diet. He not only likes the papaya, pineapple, mango and bananas in the food, but he really seems to like the berry shape. At first all he was interested in was breaking them apart; however, he quickly he realized what he was dropping. The description says the shape minimizes wasted food, and claims that 96% of it is eaten. Maybe it just takes some practice because Petey does drop quite a bit of it as he breaks it apart. He has gotten noticeably better at eating them in the past week though.

Comments:
Jade : Petey looks like a Sun Conure...is he? I had one a long time ago. Best pet I've ever had! I'm trying to talk current hubby into getting me another one (the last one died a horrible death and it's taken me 10 years to get over it!)! First time here, I am sure you can tell! Good luck in the battle! :-) I'm off to explore more! I adore Petey!
Carina : Just wanted to say, that Petey is soooo cute!! I have a couple of red-rumped parakeets, but they are afraid of hands and rather shy at all, but also cute. :-)
stewie bird : I think the 96% eaten thing is a marketing ploy. Stewie drops at least a third of his NutriBerries (probably because he knows there's tons more where those came from. spoiled little bird)

People have asked if Petey will let people pick him up. Petey is a very social bird, and is in fact spoiled with attention. He uses his beak only as a tool to help him climb up you or keep from falling off you. The only time he will not step up on your finger from inside his cage is when he is tired or you are new to him, but even then he most likely will step up on your finger. If he is with someone he knows, he will gladly be passed around the room to new people. Right now he is tickling the back of my neck and ears. He is also randomly pulling out small hair he finds that are out of place.

Petey likes to protect the beer in the house, he sits, waits and watches to make sure nobody mooches off our beer. He takes his job personally, but usually he squawks before he bites. His bites are similar to an American Staffordshire terrier (pit bull) bite, he locks on with his beak and won't let go. Just kidding, Petey is a very gentle and sensitive bird, and he will share his beer with other people too. It has been almost four and half months since his wings were last clipped, but he still sinks pretty fast when he tries to fly. It doesn't even look like there are any flight feathers that are big enough to clip yet.

Comments:
kathryn : what a cool bird.
blueyes : Petey rules!! ;)

Nothing new to say about Petey, here is a photo I just took of him. I like it because it isn't from any of the previous angles I've taken.

Comments:
Mike : That is a great shot of a gorgeous bird :)

Here is a overview photo of Petey's cage. He used to like being on top of it quite a bit, but now he likes to be on people more. His cage is quite large for a parrot of his size. Petey likes to pose for the camera, he is trying to be funny for April Fool's Day.

Previously we had no means to quickly give Petey positive reinforcement. He already is a pretty well trained bird; he steps up on anyone's finger just about every time except in the evenings. But we would like to see if he can do more advanced activities. He loves banana chips, but he takes quite some time to finish them. To help with his training, we needed something that he would work to get, and could also finish eating it quickly. We found out that he goes crazy for dried papaya bits. At first he did not have much interest in them, but soon we found him climbing out of his open cage to get the bits left on top of his cage. The brand we used was made by Kaytee and named Healthy Toppings. We had experimented with another Kaytee treat, Yogurt Tropical Mix, but Petey has no interest in those yet. I would recommend that you don't give up too quickly when testing a treat with your bird. I have read that Conures and other parrots may benefit from seeing other birds or even humans eat a food before they have much interest in it.

Comments:
Charlotte : I love your parrot Petey! Is it a sun conure? I have a Meyer's Parrot who is ugly. xD

Some visitors have asked if Petey's wings are clipped. Yes his wings were clipped before he came home. Most people agree that clipping a bird's wings is necessary. It is noninvasive. When done right the bird should not be able to gain altitude, but also should not sink like a rock. If the wings are clipped incorrectly, the bird can injure itself if it falls from a height. Even birds with clipped wings can gain altitude if the winds are sufficient, therefore just because a bird's wings are clipped doesn't make it safe to take your bird outside. A leash or Feather Tether Bird Harness is highly recommended if you take your bird outside. If Petey will not use the Feather Tether, then clipping his wings will be mandatory. So far progressing with the harness has been slow. In the photo, Petey is playing chewing on the Cal Sea Yum Bird Toys I mentioned before. Lately he has begun to chew on the rubber, before he would just crunch up the calcium wafers.

Comments:
YummY! : Do you clip his wings yourself, or do you get a vet to do it?
The Creep : You blog about a stupid bird, how fucking pathetic.
Anji : What lovely photos. The information is interesting too.
jill : i don't think blogging about a bird is pathetic, especially if you've ever owned a parrot you would know how much they mean to their owners and how most of them have way more personality than some humans I know. Documenting parrot antics is quite funny. anyways it's better than your lame site. BTW petey is adorable. I have a 2 yr old girl named sunny, she is a crackup. I just love them.

Whenever Petey sees his mirror image, he barely takes notice of it and loses interest quickly. I've read that birds can become obsessive of their own mirror images if given a mirror toy in their cage. Some cases say that the birds will start to feed their mirror image, even groom it. Mirrors used to be a popular toy for birds, but new opinions are beginning to question its effect of the bird's social behavior. Either way, Petey seems quite content without a mirror and I would suggest avoiding mirrors if your bird is already social with you and other people. The photo with this post is of Petey perched on a food bowl above his cage, it was taken a while ago. He seems to prefer being up there less now, he likes being in his cage to eat or sleep, on his perch in the living room when people are in there, or being on people when he's awake.

Petey enjoys water quite a bit, if he isn't given an opportunity to take a formal bath, he just hops in one of his water bowls. More water ends up outside his cage than on him though. Currently, I use Ultra Care Bird Bath Spray from Eight in One on him and it seems to work pretty well, definitely better than water alone.

Comments:
Alejandro : Did you cut his wings? :?
mike : petey is probably the coolest bird ever, if they dont like it talk to chas he will want to box them
anlempert : awww such a cutie pie

Petey has been quite active lately, if people are in the house, he likes to be out with them. He becomes quite irritated if they leave the room. People say Sun Conures need their alone time, even if they are affectionate, but Petey doesn't seem to like being out of the social circle unless it is past his bedtime. He doesn't mind being alone though, as long as he is not aware that anyone is home.

This is Petey, he is a Sun Conure (Aratinga solstitialis). He was hatched on March 2, 2005. I got him in December after doing extensive research. It was between Petey and an African Grey, but the African Grey was sold at the time. Petey is a quite active and social bird. Overall besides waking up early, most of the house gets along with him very well.