R2’s stressful day



R2 getting his claws trimmed by professionals. He doesn't
like it.



On March 23 we took R2 to get his wings and claws trimmed. Once a birds wing feathers get damaged they shed the damaged feathers and grow back new ones. This means if you don’t want your bird to fly, which during the warmer months is quite dangerous, you have to get their wings clipped. Also their claws grow fast and their talons can become like those of an eagle or hawk so unless you want scratches and holes all over your body they need to be trimmed. Unless your experienced in bird grooming it is best you let your vet or a professional bird groomer groom your parrot.



R2's carrier.



We waited till mid-day to take R2 out to get his grooming done since it would be warmer; parrots are not fond of the cold. We packed him in his little traveling case with a blanket and a vegetable cracker and headed out. R2 rarely goes for a drive in the car so he hates going on travels but at times we have to take him up and he gets all worked up. On the way to Exotic wings, the pet store we got him from and the ones who board and groom him, R2 would occasionally panic in his little carrier but he seemed rather quite.

 When we got to the store and took him out we found he had thrown up in his carrier so while he was being groomed we had to clean it. After he was groomed he had a bit of a flapping fit in our arms and cuddled close.

We let him pick out some treats from the store as an apology to stressing him out then when we headed home he threw up a little more before we finally got him home. Once back in his cage we gave him one of his new treats but he decided to give us the cold shoulder and wanted nothing to do with us the rest of the day. He’s been a little cranky since then but he has settled down and forgiven us since. He is having a little trouble grasping with his feet since he is not used to having groomed claws, his claws were originally like little fish hooks not the blunted chopsticks they are now.

Stress is just as bad for birds as it is for people. Many things can stress a bird from care rides and grooming to things such as a sound or object. All birds react differently to stresses. Some throw temper tantrums, some become aggressive, others like R2 get sick and cry and the most drastic is they die! Bourke's, a small

The Bourke parrot. Stress literally can kill them!

parrot from Australia and quite common in the bird trade, is famous for dying when stressed. These birds are preferable kept by the elderly or someone who can give them the highly stress free environment they require. Little kids running around and screaming could kill them! Bourke's are easily stressed and something as simple as a wing trimming can causes them to die. Kind of makes you feel lucky when you’re getting stressed. All us humans have to worry about from a little stress is a bad attitude, feeling tired and our hair falling out not the grave. Thank goodness R2 is a tough bird and doesn’t keel over from stress like a Bourke would. He’s better now but R2 probably won’t want to go for a car ride anytime soon.

The sad tale of the Carolina Parakeet

             The Carolina Parakeet, also known as the Carolina Conure, has much in common with another North American bird who suffered under man’s reign, the Passenger Pigeon. The Carolina was the only parrot native to North America that had a range in the states as far north as New York state and possibly Southern Ontario Canada. These parrots ranging in size of 31-33 cm formed large flocks in old growth   

The territory the Carolina lived in.

forests and are famous for being one of the few animals able to eat the fruits of the cocklebur, a plant that is highly poisonous to other animals. The Carolina ranged from the Gulf of Mexico to at least New York state though a fossil found in Southern Ontario could prove they ranged a little further north than the states. It then went from the Atlantic Ocean west to Louisiana. They were the only indigenous parrot to the eastern states and were very common in their territory.      

 

 Description

 They were commonly seen in large flocks feasting, preening and playing in the trees and were quite friendly to people. It is believed that they might have associated with the natives and when they were still common they had been kept as pets. They were known to be loud and  boisterous and when feeding they would chatter away in the trees. They would feed by day and roost at night in a communal roost often in large trees. They nested in tree cavities and it is believed that several females would nest together in the same hollow in the trunk. Females were often seen flying from feeding areas to the nest from March to June and the female laid two near circular eggs the gestation period of which is not known. They were noted for being very agile and acrobatic and seemed to favour using their left foot over their right foot.  

Aubdons drawing of the Luisiana Subspecies.
Sadly this is the only known representation
of this animal.



Original Aubdon drawing.



 

At least two subspecies were identified when they were still alive. The regular bird and a Louisiana sub species that showed a natural colour mutation. Whereas the regular Carolina Parakeet was green with an orange yellow head, wrist/carpal edges and thighs the Louisiana variant was a more bluish green with more subdued colours. Juveniles of were typically more green acquiring their orange and red colours as they got older.

For a short time they had been kept as pets but as their numbers began to dwindle they were no longer being kept as pets.  

   

Diet 

They fed on Cockleburs, sandspurs, fruits, seeds, berries, corn, wild grapes, buds, nuts, flowers and insects. It is believed that eating cockleburs, a highly poisonous plant, was the reason they had almost no natural predators. Like their South American cousins they were reported to eat mud high in minerals that they didn’t often acquire in their natural habitat and to cleanse the body of harmful chemicals.

Threats and Extinction  

Since they had few natural predators the major threat to the Carolina was man. They were hunted for their feathers and trapped for the bird trade. Man’s expansion into the wild and for farming destroyed their natural habitats. This combined with the promise of easy and plentiful food caused the Carolina Parakeet to raid farmers’ fields and destroy their crops. The angry farmers soon seen the birds as pests and destroyed the birds as often as they could. By the early 1900’s few birds remained in the wild and the last few were killed by scientists for specimens. The last wild flock lived in Florida but despite being healthy, stable, breeding and no longer being hunted by farmers or scientists the flock all died in a short period of time. The mysterious circumstances of the Carolina Parakeets final demise is not well understood but two hypotheses have been put forward. It is believed either a disease originating in poultry or a sudden frost wiped out the birds.

             The last known Carolina Parakeet died in the Cincinnati Zoo in 1918. In the same Zoo and Aviary Pen   the last Passenger Pigeon, Martha, had died in only four years earlier. The species was finally deemed extinct in 1939 after they hadn’t been seen for over 20 years. Between 1937 and 1955 footage of what was believed to be the Carolina Parakeet was filmed in the Okefenokee Swamp but scientists have concluded the footage is of some other parakeet species that was released from captivity not the Carolina. Sadly all that is left of this bird are some stuffed specimens held in museums and some artwork for future generations to see.        

A Carolina Parakeet next to a Passenger Pigeon. Both now are nothing but a memory.

                                                                                                       


Parrots and our other companions

Parrots, like us, are social beings and no matter the shape, size, colour or appearance of their flock members they want to socialize and bond with them all. This though can be a serious danger when they decide to do it with our other animal companions. The predator animals are the ones who pose the most danger to your parrot. Snakes, large lizards, ferrets, dogs and cats are the commonly kept predatory pets but even a gentle herbivore like a rabbit or an iguana could prove to be dangerous.

Rex, Mittens and Polly

Dogs are the biggest (unless you for some insane and probably stupid reason you have a lion or a crocodile as a pet). Just because almost all dogs have lost their predator instinct due to mans selective breeding of them doesn’t mean they won’t try to bite them, dogs are just as much a threat to parrots as cats. They also pose more dangers than just biting. Large dogs could knock the birds’ cage over either hurting the bird or releasing the bird from its cage, if knocked over some cage doors will open on their own, and if your bird is loose it could be in serious danger now from more than just your other pets.

Probably the most common, dangerous and famous threat to parrots are cats. Natural born greater than excellent hunters who are famous for their desire to kill birds or so you would think but I have witnessed firsthand that this famous stereotype isn’t that accurate. Sure cats are one of the greatest hunters nature has come up with a perfect predator but they don’t desire to kill birds. As a matter of fact a lot of cat owners would probably agree that their cat would rather laze in the sun or look out a window than hunt the family parrot or even the finch that sits on the window sill to tease them.







R2 biting Princess's, my one of three cats, toes. She has
never tried to harm R2, she's scared of him.

            Oddly parrots though seem to have an odd fascination for cats! As a matter of fact they get along better with cats than with dogs. This fascination can get to the point that the parrot often ends up terrifying or torturing the cat. Sometimes to alleviate boredom during the time people aren’t home a parrot may learn to use the cat for its amusement. Many parrots like to groom their feline companions or even share things with them like food and beds. Parrots sometimes like to attract cats towards them then playfully attack them to the cats shock. If your feline and avian friend do play with each other it is best to keep the cats claws trimmed and/or, the best method, buy protective covers for their claws. Most pet stores have these covers or can tell you where to get them. These covers are easy to use and come with fancy colours to add some flare to kitties paws. They are safe and don’t harm the cat in either a physical or mental way, like declawing does, and they just might prove to save your parrots life.

            If your dog bites or your cat bites or scratches your parrot it needs immediate medical attention. It might seem fine at that point but cats and dogs posses lethal bacteria in their saliva and claws that will kill your parrot within 24 hours. Symptoms of the infection from the bacteria are almost never seen so even if they look fine a special shot from a vet can save their lives, sadly sometimes this doesn’t work but many parrots have survived. Many who had a cat or dog attack their bird and never sought veterinary care found there birds dead in less than 24 hours.

The Other pets

Reptiles of all kinds could give your bird Salmonella so it is best that they rarely or never have close contact with these pets. Parrots are often attracted to fish tanks and since they can’t swim always keep the tank covered and the lid closed when your birds out of its cage. It is also best if they don’t get too close to creatures such as rats and hamsters. A large parrot could kill the small mammals while the mammals could hurt a small parrot. Though there isn’t much of a danger from rabbits and other small mammal pets supervision should always be taken when the animals are together. One type of pet you never let your parrot near are insects like Tarantulas, Scorpions and ants from ant farms. Parrots will eat your ants and the scorpions and tarantulas will poison your bird when it tries to eat these insects. Parrots eat insects in the wild so never get along with insects; an insect is just lunch to them not a family member. Ferrets are never to be kept with parrots, you can’t stop their instinct to hunt birds, and they will do it so if you have a ferret you should wait till it passes before getting the parrot you want.





Cockatoo beating up a cat.



            Parrots themselves can prove a serious threat to any smaller birds like canaries, finches and doves. Even larger parrots are threats to smaller ones. The larger bird could kill the smaller one and most parrots will kill and destroy the eggs of canaries, finches and doves. Parrots can get along with other parrots but supervision should always be present but parrots with other bird groups should never happen.



            Probably the most common, dangerous and famous threat to parrots are cats. Natural born greater than excellent hunters who are famous for their desire to kill birds or so you would think but I have witnessed firsthand that this famous stereotype isn’t that accurate. Sure cats are one of the greatest hunters nature has come up with a perfect predator but they don’t desire to kill birds. As a matter of fact a lot of cat owners would probably agree that their cat would rather laze in the sun or look out a window than hunt the family parrot or even the finch that sits on the window sill to tease them.

The Sylvester and Tweety syndrome

   

Princess just realising R2's on her.



I grew up watching the Looney Tunes and the cat and bird dynamos were my favorite of the gang but I always thought that cats would always beat the bird, everyone would think that. As a matter of fact one of my biggest fears when bringing R2 home was that the cats would try to kill him. I was surprised to find that the Looney Tunes were right, birds can and do best cats. I own three cats: (ages are correct to the time of writing) Princess is our 12 year old Siamese mix (mix means ¼ of something) who is the most motherly of cats, Duchess is our fat 9 year old black cat we rescued from the shelter while my cat is Keiko a 6 year old Siamese cross (meaning she is half Siamese). R2 is not even 1/3 their size and it wouldn’t take much for them to hurt him but after the first few hour after R2 came home they lost interest in him. Princess is even terrified of him, she bolts or cowers when he comes waddling up to him. Oddly R2 loves Princess and he loves to groom her and kiss her till she freaks and bolts. Even our high predator cat with experience on the streets has no interest in hunting him, as long as he keeps his distance and doesn’t touch her belongings and stays off her floor and pelt she doesn’t even acknowledge him. R2 meanwhile knows Duchess is dangerous and wants nothing to do with her.









Duchess wearing a knitted hat.



Our only problem is with Keiko. The Siamese has the lowest predatory drive of all cats but it craves attention and easily gets jealous of other pets. If someone’s paying attention to R2 Keiko immediately comes running in to try and steel the lime light and R2 does the same to her, he’ll panic and throw a temper tantrum in his cage to get your attention. Once R2 bit Keiko’s tail and was sent flying across the room as she bolted away in pain from his little beak and another time Keiko tried to sit on R2 to crush him under her butt. Their rivalry though lately has become dangerous since she has tried to bite him, out of jealousy not instinct but rarely does she go near him. Our cats don’t want to be anywhere near him so he is relatively safe but even still the whole family always supervises him when he is out of his cage.




            When it comes to parrots there are three ways a cat could react. The first is they will be a constant danger to the birds life meaning you might not be able to keep the bird then, where my cats sit, they usually don’t have any interest with the bird and only rarely go after the bird and finally there is the final group who have no interest once so ever in hunting the bird or are even terrified to go near them. Most cats usually fall in the middle of the spectrum.



Keiko, it is easy to see the siamese in
her.



            One reason cats don’t often attack parrots compared to canaries and finches is that parrots are loud. In the wild cats hunt animals that are quite and don’t possess ear piercing screams and squawks that hurt their sensitive ears. Parrots also have a usually big sharp hook shaped beak, something the natural preys of cats rarely have. If you were a cat looking at that giant beak of a macaw you would probably be terrified thinking this bird is some sort of monster not lunch! The only cats that naturally prey on parrots are species like the ocelot, small tree dwelling cats of tropical forests.  

            Whether your cat attacks the bird also has to do with the cats’ gender. Male cats have a lower predatory drive than females and are more tolerant of other animals than females. Females instinctively have the urge to provide for their family while the males just want to relax on the couch with some snacks and drinks while watching TV. Age also plays a difference. Older cats are less inclined to do any hunting than younger ones while kittens are very playful and are prone to accidently hurt their playmates. Breed can also play a difference. Some like the Siamese and its kin generally have a lower predatory drive than any other breeds while wild cat hybrids have a higher instinct due to the wild cat ancestry, Siamese and their kin though are prone to jealousy issues with other pets so they are just as dangerous as any other cat breed.

Always the best precaution to prevent problem relationships with pets is supervision and proper introduction, training and socializing. Cats and dogs can be trained to ignore the parrot and proper socializing can prevent many problems in the future. It may seem a lot of work to properly train and socialize pets with each other but it will pay off in the future.

            That said many parrots have formed long lasting and loving relationships with other pets, largely cats and dogs, and both parties have been known to save not just their humans lives but each others as well.

 

Mighty Macaws

The Macaws are the quaint essential parrot, what everyone thinks of when you say Parrot. They are big colourful and often appear on a pirates shoulder. This however is a stereotype. Parrots can’t swim so they make poor companions for a sea raiding pirate and only the large (yes I said large cause there is two sizes of Macaw) Macaws are colourful.

            Everybody knows that the Macaw comes from South America but few realise that there are two sizes: Regular and Mini. Despite the sizes all Macaws share a few similar traits. They have the intelligence of a three to eight year old but the emotional abilities of a two year old and just like a two year old they can throw temper tantrums, screaming and tossing their toys around. These are birds for the experienced owner; these birds can be dangerous and need an owner that knows what they are doing and how to handle them.



Shamrock Macaw, a rare hybrid made from breeding
the Scarlet Macaw with the Military Macaw.



            Mini Macaws range in size from 30.5 cm to 45.7 cm while the large Macaws have a size range of 48.3 cm to 101.6 cm in length. Macaws are the longest living of Parrots with some individuals having lived over 100 years of age but the average life expectancy is between 50-80 years of age. These are a lifetime commitment birds and might even need to include their bird in their will. These birds need as much if not more care and attention as a large dog. They need a large to huge cage and plenty of strong toys that they can chew up. This chewing ability allows the big macaws to crush even the toughest nuts like chestnuts so don’t be surprised if your macaw destroys a toy in only a day or two or chews up the dining room furniture when your not paying attention. This makes the larger species of macaw hazards. They have the strength to both take your arm and rearrange your entire face. This means a large macaw should not be treated as a shoulder bird and preferably not be allowed on your shoulder at any time. They can sit on your forearm and hand but no higher unless you want to risk personal injury. I once met a satellite installer who told the story of how he once went to service a person’s house in Elmira Ontario was attacked by a large macaw. It appeared no one was home but when he knocked on the door he heard someone say ‘come in’ but when he opened the door a large macaw came flying talons forward towards him. He said he would rather face a Rottweiler over a macaw again. These are animals that when they come at you can scare an unknowing person to death let alone severely hurt someone.

That said Macaws are intimidating birds to look at and many Macaws take advantage of their size and will intimidate people and other pets. This trait means that Macaws are for experiences parrot owners only and for those who know how to properly work with them and won't be intimidated by their size and imposing beak.



             One thing you must remember, not so much with the some of the minis but definitely with the bigger ones, is that these are big birds and big birds need lots of space and the perches often are as thick as a small tree branch, 2.5-6.4 cm. Some people who have large macaws or cockatoos convert a small not very often used room into a makeshift cage for their birds. This can be dangerous and the risks can often out way the benefits. In a household a cage is the best and safest option to house your bird even so a macaws cage can take up a good portion of a room so before going for a big bird consider if you have the space for them.

            Macaws love to splash in shallow water and while a mini can do this in a bowl a large macaw would need a kiddie pool or the tub filled with a water level a few centimetres deep to splash in. I know from experience that wet bird can be the most horrid smells you could ever smell, it beats wet dog for miles. Please note though that you never use anything to dry a parrot, a light gentle towel rub is all you can use. Anything else will hurt the bird so you have to learn to deal with the smell and the bigger the bird the more the feathers so the longer it will stay wet. 

            Macaws need a varied diet with fresh food and good quality pellet food to thrive. Just like all parrot species macaws need lots of food and can eat as much as a large dog in a day. I have seen bags of food for macaws and they can be as big as a bag of food for a large dog.

            Mini macaws are often much harder than the big macaws to find for several reasons though the most common is that few people are knowledge in all the different species of parrots like with dogs and the larger macaws are colourful and seem to catch people’s eyes more. Large macaws are not recommended for families with small and young children. Macaws in general are empathetic creatures who need to be handled in a gentle manner. They need owners who are experienced in caring for parrots and will provide gentle guidance while keeping and setting rules. These precautions will let prevent aggressive behaviour and make a much more loving and wonderful companion. Macaws generally aren’t mature till age 2 or 3 and around age one they tend to challenge their owners, much like rebellious teenager would challenge their parents.






The Big Guys:










The Hyacinth, the gentle giant.

 Hyacinth Macaw: these are the largest macaws and have something unique in the animal kingdom. Not does their tongue have two colours but they have a bone in their tongue, the purpose for this feature is unknown at this time. They are a solid violet blue colour with a giant black beak and a canary yellow ring of bare flesh around their eyes. Hyacinth’s are generally gentle giants with sweet temperaments and who will lie in your arms like a baby. They are not as noisy as other macaws but require a diet higher in fat. When properly raised, socialized and handled they can make wonderful family pets who are very loyal and bond strongly to their family.



Blue and Gold Macaw.

 





The Blue Throated Macaw.

Blue and Gold Macaw: the Blue and Gold is  highly popular and breeders are quite common due to its popularity. They are beautiful and clownish but tend to be screamers especially at dawn and dusk. They are active birds who need plenty of toys to keep them busy and like to roughhouse. They like to cuddle but these birds often love to play tug of war or wrestle with their beaks so you want to be careful that neither partner gets hurt when playing. Accidents can happen so care and attention is required when roughhousing or wrestling, this goes for all birds. The Blue and Gold has a similar appearance to the lesser known Blue Throated Macaw but they can be easily told apart by two major differences; the Blue and Gold has some green on its forehead often and black facial feathers, Blue Throated has blue, and less of them than the Blue Throated. The Blue and Gold is a good talker and can develop a good vocabulary.













The Green Winged Macaw

 Green Winged Macaw: the Green Winged Macaw and the Scarlet Macaw often get confused but the two are distinctly separate species. As its name suggests the Green winged has green on its wings while the Scarlet has yellow and the Green Wing has red feathers on its facial skin patch where as the Scarlet has no facial feathers, its facial patch is bare. Green Wings are the second largest macaws and have a temperament that is a mix between the Hyacinth and the Blue and Gold Macaws. They are considered to be the most intelligent of the Macaws and can figure things out quickly so they might prove to be a mental challenge for owners.

 



The Scarlet Macaw.

Scarlet Macaw: the Scarlet has gained a reputation for being nippy and aggressive, opinionated, stubborn and strong willed. They need owners who are experienced, consistent and can properly train and socialize them, the aggressive tendencies have often proven to be linked to improper rearing and handling. They are not as cuddly as other macaws and would never be a good choice for a family with children.








The Catalina Macaw.



Catalina Macaw: The Catalina Macaw is actually a cross between the Scarlet and Blue and Gold Macaw. It occurs occasionally in the wild but breeders have often bred them in captivity for their desirable traits and stunning appearance so they are quite common. They are intelligent, affectionate birds who readily bond with their owners. They do have a few of the Scarlet’s high strung tendencies but the Blue and Gold genes mellow their temperament to make a more relaxed and easily handled pet than the Scarlet. They are friendly animals who thrive on plenty of attention. Like all Macaws they need plenty of training and proper handling.

      

The Mini's:







Severe Macaw.



Military Macaw.



Red Shouldered Macaw.

Military Macaw: is actually one of the smallest of the mini Macaws. When not properly socialized they become nippy but to an owner who handles them regularly and knows what they are doing they make wonderful companions.



Severe Macaw: Severes are also called Chestnut Fronted Macaw and is well established in captivity so they are relatively easy to find. They tend to be loud but are devoted to their owners.



Yellow Collared Macaw: these Macaws are spirited little birds who only appeared in the bird hobby during the 1970’s but has become quite common thanks to its charming and sweet personality and with a good talking ability.

Red Shouldered Macaw/ Hahn’s Macaw: These are amongst the smallest of Macaws. Some Conures such as the Patagonian and the Nanday are larger than this mini Macaw. The Red Shoulder is a delightful companion and an excellent mimic. They are quite common in North America. 


Yellow Collared Macaw.









Other mini macaws include the Red Fronted and Illigers but these are not common as a companion parrot and you probably won't find one in the bird trade. 



Illigers Macaw.



Red Fronted Macaw.









Clowny little Conures



My Parrot R2 enjoying his juice, all parrots love fruit juices.



Not many people know just how many different species of parrots there is in the bird trade or in the world so I have decided to share knowledge on some of the common and less known members of the pet parrot trade and wild parrots that deserve to be mentioned. Currently about 350 species of parrots are known.

            I will start off with a group I know well for I live with one. Conures are actually a grouping of a few different sub groups each with a whole bunch of different species to choose from. Despite this they all share a similar behaviour and personality traits. They are all time clowns who are the most active of parrots and love to perform acrobatic feats in their cages. They will hang upside down from perches and the cage roof; they climb all over the place, love to play with their toys and love to dance along with their owners. Conures are birds for an owner who wants a bird that is eager to interact with their human family. Conures in general are not known to be talkers. Some like the Blue Crowned Conure, a species famous for its role as the protagonist of the DreamWorks film Paulie (click here for a trailer of this movie), are good talkers but most either never talk or learn a limited vocabulary. They do however learn noises from their environment so don’t be surprised if they mimic your cat or dog, the microwave and even kisses.

            Conures can prove to be loud, demanding and destructive and require an owner who will set down rules and stick with them. All Conures need at least one to three or four hours of daily interaction with their owners, the more attention they get the happier the bird will be. Conures are very playful and benefit from lots of toys in their cages. These birds are also well known to use their owners as play gyms. Conures are affectionate, outgoing little parrots who are full of personality. Many find after owning one that they might not want to choose any other kind of parrot to be their friend. Conures though cannot be neglected; they need daily interaction, love and care just like a dog or young child if they are to stay healthy and happy. Ideally a Conures cage should be placed in the family or TV room or any room other than the kitchen where everyone hangs out. These birds are only happy when they are with their people and enjoy being part of your daily hustle and bustle. A quite room in a part of the house where people don’t spend much time is a poor choice to place their cage.



The extinct Carolina parakeet.
They probably would have
made wonderful companions
but sadly we will never be
able to know.



            Conures are little birds who think they rule the world. They are not afraid to challenge other pets, including larger birds, so interactions with other pets should be very carefully supervised or, preferably with cats and dogs, rarely or never allowed. Conures will also look for trouble so you will have to parrot proof your home. They will chew on cords and investigate fish tanks which if they were to fall in would kill them; Parrots can’t swim so will easily drown in even a small amount of water.

            All Conures originate from South and Central America and were only more recently, around the end of the world wars, brought into the bird keeping hobby. Two species used to live in the southern states but during the 1800’s they were treated as pests and hunted to extinction. The Carolina Parakeet was determined to be extinct in 1939 after the last one died in 1918; in the same cage as the last passenger pigeon had died four years earlier. A few wild populations of escaped Conures have been found in cities of the southern states, most notable the parrots of Telegraph hill in LA. 

Common Conure species:



Sleeping Sun Conure.



            Here is a list of the most commonly found Conures in the bird trade that make great pets. Conures are often labelled as Parakeets but this name is incorrect and used by those outside of the bird hobby. Conures are not by definition a parakeet (parakeet is the general term given to any small parrot and shows no relation of its members), they are not closely related to and share little in common with parakeets. Conures are actually closely related to macaws and the two groups share similar appearances and traits.

 Sun Conure:

The Sun Conure is highly beautiful and very colourful. They are common in the bird trade and make great pets. They can learn to speak a few words but aren’t known to be talkers. Words of warning though, these Conures are some of the loudest but they can be trained to be quitter. They are boisterous, affectionate and playful birds with an average life expectancy as pets of 30-40 years. They are about 30 cm in length and require a medium to large cage and plenty of toys. They are excessive chewers and are very inquisitive demanding an owner who is willing to make sure they won’t get into trouble when they are out of their cages. They are very friendly to their families but are prone to being aggressive with strangers. Due to excessive trapping in the wild the Sun Conure is regarded as endangered so try to help this species by if you ever decide to get a Sun Conure buy it from a breeder or reputable pet store and not someone or someplace who deal with the black market bird trade.



The Sun and Jenday Conures are very similar. The easiest way
to tell the two apart is that the Sun has green only on its wings while
the Jenday has green on more than just its wings.

 Jenday Conure: (also spelt Jendaya)

The Jenday has a similar appearance to the Sun Conure and shares a similar temperament. They are sweet, sociable, playful and cuddly little birds. They are highly intelligent and easily learn tricks. They are the same size as the Jenday and require similar care. They are loud birds with a metallic sounding call. They live for about 20 years and up and aren’t as common as most other Conures. Jendays are the closest living relatives of the now extinct Carolina Parakeet/Conure that once lived in North America, its’ range had covered much of the USA.

Blue Crowned Conure.

Blue crowned Conure:

The Blue crowned is regarded as the best talker in the Conure group and make intelligent, affectionate and playful companions. They are 37 cm long and live for about 30-40 years. They would require a medium to large cage with plenty of toys. They are loving and loyal high energy birds who need ample room and attention. They are one of the easier conures to own. These Conures are not as common in most places of the world but are quite common in the states. The Blue crown used to be rare but after the release of the DreamWorks film Paulie they became more common. The movie showed the truth about these little parrots and their popularity still remains high today.



The Nanday.

 Nanday Conure:

The Nanday is 30 cm in length with a life expectancy of 35-45 years. They are handsome, affectionate and playful birds who aren’t as loud as the Sun Conures but they are one of the loudest. They are generally easy to handle and train well. They are hardy and loving companions. While most conures are happy to spend 1-4 hours a day out of their cages Nandays often require 4-6 hours a day out of their cages. The Nanday has escaped in some areas into the wild and stable, and possibly growing, populations can now be found in several areas of the states and even parts of southern Canada.

Green Cheeked Conure:

The handsome little green cheek is the most common and one of the most common pet parrots. Unlike the other Conures they make excellent companions for a first time bird owner and tend to be quitter though they do have their loud moments, at these times, trust me, you don’t want them near your ears. They are one of the smallest Conures being only 26 cm long so need only a medium sized cage and are the easiest of conures to own. Despite their small sizes they are lively, playful, acrobatic and have sweet personalities. Despite their small size they eat lots and are very active, they can play for hours and still have energy to spare. They come in a few colour mutations whose availability depends on your area. Their life expectancy is about the same as a cat or dog so they are a good choice if you’re not ready for the longer commitment of other birds.




The Green Cheeked Conure and its four colour mutations.

From left to right the yellow sided, Pineapple, regular,

Turquoise and Cinnamon headed.

 



 


 


            There is many other species to be found but availability is depended on your area. Peach fronted, Pearly, Mitred, Black capped, Golden, Red fronted and Patagonian are just a few of the many Conure species to choose from.