How Does Sun Conure Show Affection?

The sun conure, or sun parakeet, is a beautiful bird painted in vivid orange, yellow, green and blue feathers. A native of South America, this pretty little bird is known for being sweet and full of affection. Its coat of bursting colors grows as it matures although, when born, its feathers are a dull shade of green. The sun conure appreciates attention and will be sure to shower others with it as well.

  1. Cuddle Appreciation

    • The sun conure loves attention so much that, if he doesn't get it, his behavior could become quite undesirable. He may become destructive and even use his loud, high-pitched shriek to force others to pay attention. He enjoys being picked up and cuddled gently. The companionship of other birds is also appreciated. Sun conures can pick up some words and imitate sounds they hear in their environment, so he will also appreciate being talked to. Sun conures who are a person's only bird will often form extremely close bonds with that person.

    Greeting

    • The sun conure is known for his loud, squeaky voice. Though he doesn't mean to come off as sounding so alarming, he simply can't help it. He will greet his people and other birds in the morning with loud screeching. This is really his way of saying, "Good morning!" He may also greet you in the evening when you get home from work. The loud screeching is his special way of announcing he's in good spirits and feeling happy.

    Affection Toward Other Birds

    • When two sun conures are paired together, they have been known to feed one another. This is also how sun conures feed their young. They will groom each other in elaborate grooming sessions before breeding with one another. After breeding has taken place between two birds, they will show aggression toward other birds and extreme affection toward one another. In captivity, the two birds may even attack their keeper if he comes too close.

    Sun Conures and Lack of Attention

    • A sun conure may begin to bite, scream and chew if he is not receiving enough interaction and attention to maintain a healthy well-being. These behaviors are not exactly affectionate, but in order to show affection, this bird needs adequate attention and a healthy, clean environment. University of Michigan's Animal Diversity Web notes that the sun conure tends to exhibit more wariness than other species of conures.