The Conure is a small species of parrot that is every bit as friendly, adorable, and sweet as any other parrot. The conure is highly intelligent and they can become very animated. Many conures learn to talk very well and some conures only learn a few words. The average lifespan of a wild conure is fifteen years but many have been known to live as long as thirty-five years in captivity. I think with proper cleanliness and nutrition your bird can live well past the average lifespan.
The conure loves your attention! They are highly social birds, and socially complex birds, and need quality time with you, their adopted family every day. They love to play and can easily learn to do tricks.
They do enjoy the company of other conures. Unless you want fertile eggs it is best to keep the genders separate. I spent hours one day watching two hand-fed baby sun conures playing together. It was delightful. They also got very jealous when I paid attention to each of them, both attempting to get more attention than the other did.
The downside of the conure is that they can be very noisy. They can screech rather loud so they may not make a very good pet if you live in an apartment or are close to neighbors. The nanday conure is one of the noisier conures.
There are many varieties of conures coming from many areas such as South and Central America, parts of Mexico and even the West Indies. They range in price according to popularity and rarity.
Cedar Hills; Crimson Belly Conure and Hoffmann's Conure, (Sulphur-winged or Sulfur-winged Parakeets)
Conure are available in a wide range of colors from the brilliant, sweet sun conure to red-headed, green mitred conure. Most exotic birds have fascinating color combinations.
Purchasing a Conure
A conure should be purchased from a reputable breeder, supplier, or pet store. Never buy a bird that has been wild caught. Some varieties of conures are extinct or are endangered. Exploitation and habitat loss are the reasons for their extinction and endangerment.
The conure should appear to be healthy with smooth bright feathers, bright shiny eyes, and no discharge from the nose. The vent should be clean and free from soil. Look on the bottom of the cage to make sure the droppings are firm and well-formed. The bird should be active and aware of his surroundings.
Before you buy and bring home your bird, have him tested by an avian veterinarian. These tests should include a complete blood count, (CBC) Chlamydia Screen and a culture of the throat and vent. Make sure a signed veterinarian certificate accompanies the bird.
The best pet birds are the ones that are hand-fed babies. Hand-fed babies grow up to be outstanding pets. It is usually wise to choose a bird that has been weaned and is eating on this own. Some of us have been taught to hand feed, but unless you are experienced, this could lead to torn or burned crops, infections and other problems.
Before introducing your new bird to your other pets they should be quarantined for at least eight weeks.
Cages and Accessories
The conure needs a big cage the bigger the better. Be very cautious on the amount of spacing between bars especially since conures are smaller than other parrots and could get their heads trapped. There should be vertically and lots of horizontal bars. Conures enjoy climbing. The cage should not be round it should be square or rectangular. The conure needs to exercise his wings and it is much easier and a lot less dangerous in a square or rectangular cage.
Supply different perches of different diameters. Having an assortment of diameters helps maximize optimal foot health. Never place the perches above the food or water dishes. The bird will eliminate in its food or water and this can be very unhealthy due to bacterial growth. Watch perch placement in relation to the cage bars so that the conure does not wear his tail by brushing against the cage all the time.
The cage and accessories need to be kept clean and sanitized. Plenty of fresh water should be provided every day. If the bird has soiled in his water be sure to clean the dish and supply fresh water.
Lots of toys should be available for your conure to play with. They need physical exercise and mental stimulation. They should also have lots of playtime outside of the cage. Rotate the toys frequently so they always appear fresh and new.
Be careful on the types of materials you use for a cage cover. Conures like to chew and they will chew the cage cover; producing hanging strings that could entangle and strangle the conure.
Health and Nutrition
Seed mixes and pellet mixes are a good beginning diet for a conure. Often time’s conures will pick out the sunflowers seeds and then only eat the sunflower seeds. Sunflower seeds are fattening. So it is better to pick out the sunflower seeds and offer them as rewards or treats. Some pellet mixes come in a variety of shapes and colors. Conures are more inclined to eat the pellets if they are different. Supplement the diet with lots of fresh vegetables, fruits, greens, and proteins. Always remove fresh foods from the cage after he finishes eating. These foods can spoil and you don’t want your bird to get sick. I feed my bird most any healthy food that we eat. They should never have chocolate, caffeine, avocado, or alcohol.
I prefer to keep my bird’s wings clipped. Far too often they fly out a window or door, or into windows and mirrors. If they have free flight they can accidentally fall into open toilets or open pots of boiling liquid. Many pet birds have fallen into glasses of liquid; their broken hearted family finds them dead. There are many dangers in your home.
If you do not clip their wings you will have to supervise them 100% of the time.
There are toxic fumes in your home. Never smoke cigarettes around your bird. Never use Teflon around your birds. When Teflon is over heated is emits deadly fumes. Scented candles and perfumes can be toxic. Air fresheners are bad for birds. Birds breathe differently than mammals and many things can be deadly. In addition, keep all poisonous plants out of your home away from your bird. Do not cut tree branches for your birds that have pesticides, toxins or that are poisonous.
Conures like most birds enjoy a bath. Use a bird bathing tub or save the bucks and use a shallow dish you have lying around the house. Gently wrap the bird with a towel until partially dried. The conure will finish the drying process by preening and flapping. Do make sure the room is warm before allowing your bird to become wet.
Summary
Conures make exceptional companion pets. They are sweet and intelligent. They are always up to their antics! Many conure are not as expensive as many other parrots. They can be exceptionally loud and may not make good pets if you live close to your neighbors. With proper nutrition, regular vet checkups, and keeping their cage, accessories and environment clean they can have long lifespan. Watch for the many dangers in your home. Please spend a great deal of quality time with your pet conure. They need the time with you they are highly social birds. Above all else enjoy your pet conure.
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