Bonding With A Bell

What is it with Blue Crown Conures? When Ben first came to me, he was totally bonded to a bell that he considered his companion. He had a bell and a mirror. To this day if he is near a bell he will stick his head under it and wear it as a hat. It appears to give comfort.

Now I am working with a new Blue Crown Conure named Marley. He is much younger but is also firmly attached to his bell! Luckily both birds are outgoing and play well with other toys.

They are now caged together and I am hopeful that the companionship of another bird will alleviate the "need" for the bell hat. However, for now, the bells are left in to insure their "security blanket."

I don't feel it is a good thing to allow a bird to be so attached to one object. Whether it's a bell, a mirror, or any other object, I suggest that it be moved around and even removed for short periods.

Your judgment and observation is required when working with an insecure bird. You certainly don't want to stress them out. But gently and slowly desensitizing them to the object of attachment is warranted. As you move or remove the beloved bell, introduce some other fun and engaging toy to distract the attentions.

When a parrot is too bonded to one object, it decreases his or her activity and makes him more inhibited and shy.

You can see Marley in this photo and how stationary he is! His need for the bell seems to be mainly in the late afternoon when he is tired. So, I let him have it to calm him. He's such a good bird!