Bird Guide

CONURES

Depending on the species, these birds range from Central to South America. They have a reputation of being noisy, nippy, and destructive. They can also be very affectionate, entertaining and intelligent. They range in size from 9 to 18 inches. There are 42 species of conures. There are 13 classifications of conures. Aratinga which means little macaw, Nandayus, Ognorhynchus, Cyanoliseus, Leptosittaca, Conuropsis, Pyrrhura, Enicognathus, the newly formed Guaruba.

Conures are a high energy bird and need to be kept busy. They need toys that they can chew and destroy, or they might decide to destroy your furniture or walls instead. They are not good talkers, though there are exceptions to this. Despite their reputation for being noisy, their personalities far outweigh their noise. They enjoy lots of attention and will in turn be affectionate.

Some species, such as the sun conures, are extremely striking and beautiful.

They are not sexually dimorphic and even by examining their behavior it is still difficult to determine their sex.

Depending on the species, Conures can live 15+ years.

Most conures are strong chewers and must be given plenty of things to chew otherwise they may start chewing on your furniture.

Conures generally love to bathe so offer them the opportunity to do so.

Some species of conures enjoy playing on their backs. Also some need a hanging bed or hut to sleep in.

The conures consist of five different genera, which are Aratinga, Nandayus, Enicognathus, Pyrrhura, and Cyanoliseus. Enicognathus is sometimes recognized as a conure but some breeders regard it as a parakeet. The slender-bill conure is in this genus. Some breeders will call it the slender-billed parakeet. Interestingly, while most species of conure have the reputation of being loud, members of the genus Pyrrhura are different. These conures possess a quieter voice. However like all species of birds, their personalities will not only vary among species, but among individuals. Members of this genus include red-bellied conures and the green-cheeked conures.

Members of the genus Cyanoliseus include the Patagonian conure. Patagonian conures have a very loud and far-carrying voice, thus many people stay away from them. But the Patagonian is a beautiful bird and makes a wonderful pet, despite its loud voice. Highly intelligent, Patagonians also enjoy cuddling with their owners. Capable of talking, his voice is high-pitched and very clear.

The most popular conures are the jendays, nandays,  cherry-headed, mitred, and the Patagonian. Unfortunately, certain species of conures are considered to be carriers of Pacheco's disease. A carrier usually shows no signs of disease itself. This occurs with imported birds or from birds where the background is either rather sketchy or totally unknown. Since birds are no longer being imported into this country, this is becoming rarer. With more conures being bred in captivity this is normally not a problem. However, birds are still being smuggled into the country. If the background of the bird is sketchy, and he is extremely cheap, beware. Before you buy a conure, check into the background of the bird first.

ARATINGA

Jendays (or Flaming Conure or Yellow-headed parakeet) are around 12 inches in length and weigh around 120 grams. While they have a reputation of being nippy and noisy, they have incredible personalities. They love to cuddle and are very affectionate. They are capable of talking as well.

Blue-crowned (or Sharp-tailed Conure) was first mentioned in 1818. Since then these 14-15 inch birds have been sort out. They are very playful and intelligent. Good talkers, they make great pets, though they could sometimes be a little nippy. They can be sweet, friendly and outgoing. If you want them to talk it is best that they are the only bird in the house. They can sometimes be demanding, wanting head scratches and cuddles.

Mitred, Red headed, Red-Masked and Cherry head Conures all make wonderful pets. They are not good with young children since they tend to be a little nippy sometimes. Red-headed Conures are the second largest of the conures. It takes around 1-2 years before they achieve their full adult coloring. Mitred Conures are real clowns. In Los Angeles there is a flock of around 40 feral mitred conures.  There is also a wild flock in Brooklyn, New York.

Dusky Conures are around 11 inches in length and weigh around 90-100 grams. Many consider them the ideal conure. While not known for their talking ability, they are quiet, friendly and love to be cuddled. They are not as noisy or active as some of the other species of conures, but they do tend to get loud when excited.

Peach-fronted Conures are around 10 inches in length and weigh around 70-80 grams. Their personalities make them seem like they are 10 feet tall. People sometimes confuse them with the Orange-fronted conure, but they have more orange coloring on their heads.

Orange-front or Petz or Half-moon were once very popular in the 70's and 80's but their popularity is now on the decline. They have great personalities and can become good talkers. They are a great pet for an older child. They could be loud so they don't make a good pet for those living in an apartment. They are around 11-12 inches in length and weigh around 80-90 grams.

Sun Conures are strikingly beautiful birds. They are playful and can be very loud! They are extremely affectionate but can be nippy if they don't get all the attention they crave. They love playing on their backs and if you have more than one they may even wrestle with each other. They have what is considered to be the highest pitched scream of all the conures. They are around 12  inches in length and weigh around 100-150 grams.

Golden-capped or Flame-capped Conure are steadily gaining in popularity. They are easy to breed and this makes them readily available. They have huge personalities and are fairly quiet most of the time. They aren't great talkers, but they could learn some words and phrases. They are around 12 inches in length and weigh around 150-200 grams.

Other species of Aratinga conures include: Green Conure, Finsch's Conure, White-eyed Conure, Red-throated Conures, Jamaican (Aztec or Olive-throated) Conure, Cactus Conure, and St. Thomas (Brown Throated) Conure.

NANDAYUS

Nandays or Black-hooded Conures are probably one of the more frequently kept of the conures. They have a bad reputation for being noisy and nippy. However, if acquired as hand-fed babies that were properly socialized, along with a knowledgeable owner, they make wonderful pets.  They are around 12 inches in length and weigh around 100-200 grams. It takes around 1-2 years before they achieve their adult coloration. They are very social birds and need plenty of interaction. If they get this they are very affectionate and loving to the person that they pick.

ENICOGNATHUS

Slender-billed or Long-billed conures may look funny, but they make excellent pets. They love games and they are also good talkers. Despite the long beak, they are not strong chewers. They are around 15-16 inches in length.

Austral or Magellan or Chilean Conures are not noisy birds but when they scream they are loud. They possess even temperaments. These 13-14 inch birds are hard to find but they do make excellent pets.

CYANOLISEUS

Patagonian Conures or Burrowing Parakeets get their name because in the wild they sleep and breed in burrows that are dug into the sandstone cliffs. These burrows could be as long as 10 feet in length. They are the largest of the conures, being around 18-21 inches in length. While they may tend to be loud, they have wonderful personalities. Their call is the loudest of all the conures.

PYRRHURA

Green-cheeked Conures (also Sordid or Yellow-sided Conure) are around 10 inches in length and weigh around 60-90 grams. They are fairly quiet so they make a good choice for people living in an apartment. To sum them up in 3 words: sweet, affectionate, playful. They are a good family pet and are good with children. Young children always need to be supervised with any bird. Interestingly, in Australia a license is required to one one of these birds. In some states they may also be illegal.

Maroon-bellied Conures are sometimes confused with Green-cheeks. They are around 10 inches in length and weigh around 60-90 grams. They are very self-assured birds and don't let their small size get in the way. They will even challenge birds much bigger than themselves. They form very strong bonds with their chosen person and will want to go everywhere with them.

Interesting fact: 1) The name conure comes from the Greek Kone and Ourus which means cone shaped tail. 2) The Carolina parakeet, a member of the Aratinga genus was once native to the United States. They are now extinct. 3) In San Francisco there is a feral flock of mitred and cherry headed conures. These birds are now famous and are known as the Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill. 4) The Patagonian conure is the only member of the conure family that has feathers covering their nostrils.