About Conure Parrots

"Conure" is an umbrella term for any small parrot or large parakeet from Central or South America. Some scientists insist on calling them "parakeets," but the name conure has been around for so long in the pet trade that it's stuck. The word "conure" is from Latin "conurus," which means "cone-tailed." Conures tend to be more adaptable to temperature and diet changes than other species of pet birds.

  1. Size

    • Conures average about 11.8 inches (30 cm) in length from beak to tail tip and weigh 2.2 pounds (one kilogram). Often, their tails can be nearly as long as their bodies. They need a large barred parrot cage to live in, but also need time outside of the cage. The cage needs to be large enough for the wings to spread. The bars need to be 1/2 to 7/8 inch apart so the conure can climb and perch but not escape or hurt its toes.

    Advantages As a Pet

    • Conures can live an average of 35 years. They are colorful, affectionate and can breed well in captivity. They are not fussy eaters. They are highly intelligent, making them capable of quickly learning many tricks. Some conures have been successfully trained to talk and some to fly to the same spot in a home in order to relieve themselves. They are among the calmest of pet birds.

    Disadvantages As A Pet

    • Conures need a lot of attention from their owners. They are best for people who spend a lot of time at home. Conures get bored easily and need to find things to do, or they will develop bad habits, including plucking out their own feathers and chewing up anything within reach. Conures also have incredibly loud screams, which they will do every day. Like all birds, when awake they will need to defecate about every ten minutes.

    Types

    • These are the most popular species of pet conures. Patagonian conures are green and black with a bright white eye patch and sometimes bright blue tail feathers. They are considered the most aggressive of pet conures. Sun conures are smaller conures with spectacular plumage of yellow and green, with orange patches on the head. The Green-cheeked conure is mainly green but captive-bred birds now come with different colors mixed in with the green. They have been known to learn to talk and are highly intelligent. The most common pet conure is the Nanday conure, which are green with black heads. They are hardy, intelligent birds with incredibly loud voices.

    Considerations

    • One species of conure, the Carolina Parakeet, did live in North American but became extinct in 1918 due to habitat loss and over hunting. Because some conures have escaped and formed feral flocks, it is illegal to own conures in some American states like Tennesse.