# Blue Crowned Conure



## Yvonne G (May 23, 2015)

I took in Waldo as a rescue. I used to keep Brotogeris (orange chinned parakeets), and when the last one died I have this big aviary with no occupants. I am friends with a bird rescue lady and she had a conure looking for a home. 

Waldo had been kept by an older couple and in his cage with him was a parakeet. All of you bird people know, parakeets are mean little devils. And the parakeet in Waldo's cage grabbed hold of Waldo's lower beak and ripped it away from the beak bed. It healed, but one side is now not attached. 

The man part of the older couple used to hand feed Waldo. The bird said quite a few different words, but mainly, "Hello!" He said that every day all the time. One felt compelled to respond, so the whole time I'm outside working, I'm answering him, "Hello!" He was also very vocal when my metal leaf rake was scraped across the black top, raking leaves. I've heard him say, "What's your name?" and when Misty barks, he barks back at her. When visitors came by he was very vocal and talked and chirped and squawked a lot at them for attention.

About a month or so ago I noticed I hadn't heard anything from Waldo and took a close look at him. He seemed a little puffed up (not a good sign in birds) and was very quiet. I figured since he was an old bird, he might be reaching the end of his life, so I set him up in my bedroom in a large cage.

Waldo has been an indoor bird for about a month now. He still doesn't make any sounds...no bird sounds, no human sounds. But he seems perfectly healthy. He loves it when I bring my lunch into the bedroom to eat in my recliner, and begs for bites. He'll eat anything, especially things that aren't good for birds. 

His regular diet consists of veggies (usually what I'm feeding the tortoises that day), seeds and pellets. He takes the pellets one at a time and dips it in his water to soften it. He holds one seed at a time in his paw and breaks it open to eat the meat inside. If I shell a peanut he'll eat that too.

Do any of you bird people out there have any ideas why he's silent? Nary a peep out of him in over a month.

(I'm aware his beak and nails need trimmed. I do it as needed and right now it's needed):


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## bouaboua (May 23, 2015)

So who will occupy the outdoor cage now? Or you will have Waldo back out again when he "talk" again??


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## bouaboua (May 23, 2015)

@maggie3fan are you watching NASCAR Hisense 300 now??


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## Yvonne G (May 23, 2015)

bouaboua said:


> So who will occupy the outdoor cage now? Or you will have Waldo back out again when he "talk" again??



No, it's just going to stay vacant. I might use it occasionally to house a quarantine tortoise.


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## parrotlady (May 23, 2015)

If he hasn't made a peep in a month then all is not well, something is going on. I bred these guys for over 20 years. His behavior is not typical for his species. Trimming of the beak an toes wouldn't make any difference in his vocalization. How does his fecal look? Check his vent, nares and eyes. I really don't see anything that jumps at me from the picture you posted. Any idea on his age? They generally are fairly long lived birds. I know that you have already looked for the obvious things. Just in the off chance has anything been recently changed in his room? A new piece of furniture, a floor just installed? It seems strange but a change nearby can cause them to go silent for awhile.


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## Yvonne G (May 23, 2015)

parrotlady said:


> If he hasn't made a peep in a month then all is not well, something is going on. I bred these guys for over 20 years. His behavior is not typical for his species. Trimming of the beak an toes wouldn't make any difference in his vocalization. How does his fecal look? Check his vent, nares and eyes. I really don't see anything that jumps at me from the picture you posted. Any idea on his age? They generally are fairly long lived birds. I know that you have already looked for the obvious things. Just in the off chance has anything been recently changed in his room? A new piece of furniture, a floor just installed? It seems strange but a change nearby can cause them to go silent for awhile.



He lived outside in a 4x18' aviary all by himself for over a year. Nothing out there changed. Just one day I noticed he was quiet. So I set him up in the house in case he was sick, under a partially covered cage with a CHE to warm him. That was over a month ago. He's not noticeably sick, and still quiet. He takes food from my hand, sleeps in his little snug, eats well, has well-formed poop, isn't molting, is not excited when I change his paper, just an all-round quiet and calm bird. But not normal at all. I don't know how old he is, but was told by the Rescue that he is aged.


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## parrotlady (May 23, 2015)

It sounds like your doing everything right. It is possible it is just old age, I have not encountered this type of behavior before. I would just continue like you are doing and observe for any changes. I expect that if something happens it will be sudden with very little warning.


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## WithLisa (May 24, 2015)

I would take him to an experienced vet, there are some diseases that can make birds silent. My first parakeet was silent (without other symptoms) until he was treated for air sac mites. 

Why did you keep him alone, was it not possible to get him a partner? I would recommend to exchange those perches for real branches, it's much better for their feet, especially if he is already old. 

I hope he gets well soon!


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## Yvonne G (May 24, 2015)

Thanks for the tip, Lisa. I have a vet who comes to the house, so I'll ask her to take a look at him.


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## Tom (May 24, 2015)

A silent conure? Hmmm.... Now THAT is an anomaly...

The only time I've seen them go quiet like that is when they are sick, and you know how well they can hide it. First thing to do when you are sick is NOT attract a lot of attention.

Time to run some cultures and tests if saving him is your goal.


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## Yvonne G (May 28, 2015)

Well, it turns out that Waldo had a granuloma growing in his trachea. It was making it difficult for him to breathe. I had the vet put him out of his misery. I'm closing this thread because I don't think I'd be able to handle the sympathies. I can't talk about it.


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