Vocal Behavior of a Hand-Reared Sun Conure

Because of their flashy beauty, sun conures frequently appear in the pages of magazines and books. They are funny, bright and active. Depending upon the individual hand-reared sun conure, some even learn to talk.

  1. Squawking and Screaming

    • Normal sun conure vocalizations include a certain amount of squawking and other noises common to all conures. Normal squawking for fun should not be confused with screaming, which is extremely loud and can signify boredom, fear, anger, displeasure or a warning that perceived danger is near.

    Talking

    • Many hand-reared sun conures learn their first words as babies. They pick up words they hear regularly, especially words said emphatically, loudly or in high-pitched, excited voices. Many vocally gifted adult sun conures continue to learn new words throughout their lifetimes. However, not all sun conures learn to talk, and prefer to use only conure-type vocalizations. This is normal behavior, even for hand-reared sun conures.

    Specific Sun Conure Vocalizations

    • Like most flocking birds, sun conures tend to vocalize several times a day. This is normal vocal behavior for conures, including hand-reared sun conures. Sunrise, sunset and meal times usually elicit contact calling behavior. The vocalizations signify the calling together of the flock members, including human family members, by a hand-reared sun conure to make sure everyone is accounted for.