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.