[accordion_item title=”Conure” open=”true”]ConureConures are a diverse, loosely-defined group of small to medium-sized parrots. They belong to several genera within a long-tailed group of the New World parrot subfamily Arinae.

Conures are either large parakeets or small parrots found in the Western Hemisphere. They are analogous in size and way of life to the Old World’s rose-ringed parakeetsor the Australian parakeets. All living conure species live in Central and South America. The extinct Conuropsis carolinensis, or Carolina parakeet was an exception.

Conures are often called the clowns of the parrot world due to their constant attention seeking behavior including hanging upside-down and swaying back and forth or “dancing.” Despite being large for parakeets, conures are lightly built with long tails and small (but strong) beaks. Conure beaks always have a small cere and are usually horn-colored (gray) or black.

Most conure species live in flocks of 20 or more birds. Conures often eat grain, and so are treated as agricultural pests in some places. Conures are as diverse a group as African parrots, so trying to characterize them all is difficult and inaccurate. The category conure is loosely-defined because they do not currently constitute a natural, scientific grouping. The term conure is now used mostly in aviculture. Scientists tend to refer to these birds as “parrots” or “parakeets”.

Some individuals are also recklessly loud with poor socialization and inadequate training. Playful, fun-loving, bold and inquisitive are all traits that describe a conure, but one word is true for them all…loud!

Native to South America, conures come in all shapes and sizes, and depending on the conure, they range from an average of 9 to 21 inches long and have a life span of 20 to 30 years. Because of their small size, conures make great family pets. They are highly attractive birds that come in a multitude of colors, with a spunky, outgoing personality to match. Conures can be taught to perform tricks and are known for talking, but they often express themselves vocally with high-pitched screeches and other calls. Although there are always individual exceptions, most conures are extremely playful, affectionate, easy-going, fun-loving, resilient and cuddly.

Learn More[/accordion_item][accordion_item title=”Natural Habitat”]Conures are native to South America[/accordion_item][accordion_item title=”Personality “]Conures can be very playful, very cuddly and, at times, very loud. A conure is more inclined to be curious and bold instead of shy and cautious. Conures are active and busy birds that need plenty of toys and other forms of enrichment to keep them happily occupied throughout the day. A conure can make a great family pet because of its playful and outgoing personality. In a family situation, children should be taught how to respectively interact with the conure, including proper handling and not forcing interaction. A conure loves to be where its people are or on them; even going so far as to climb under their owner’s shirt, head poking out of the collar, during cuddle time. Some conures will dance back and forth, and might even mimic its person’s movements. Conures can also be taught to perform tricks on cue if trained using positive enforcement.[/accordion_item][accordion_item title=”Speech & Sounds”]A conure’s signature sound is a high-pitched screech, which is often emitted when the bird is excited, startled and/or when it wants attention. Many owners make the mistake of inadvertently reinforcing a conure’s screech by running over to the cage or otherwise giving the bird direct attention whenever it begins to screech. Conures are capable talking and, although their vocabularies are not as extensive as that of other parrot species, they can learn to speak a few words and phrases.[/accordion_item][accordion_item title=”Care”]Conures are active birds and need a spacious cage to move about and to accommodate toys. A minimum cage size for a conure is 36 inches long, 24 inches wide, and 24 inches high. Conures generally love to bathe — in their water dish, in the shower with their owner or via a spray bath. A conure’s diet should include a nutritionally balanced manufactured diet, supplemented with fresh vegetables, fruit and healthy table foods. Conures have busy beaks, which makes Lafeber foods a conure favorite. Lafeber’s Avi-Cakes, Pellet-Berries and Nutri-Berries offer balanced nutrition that appeals to a conure’s chewing needs. A properly cared for conure can live between 20 to 30 years.[/accordion_item][accordion_item title=”Health”]Conures can be prone to feather picking. If a complete medical exam rules out medical causes of feather plucking, boredom and/or lack of appropriate mental stimulation can be a cause. Offer your conure an enriched environment with plenty of opportunities for play and exercise, as well as a staple supply of safe items to chew. Conures are also susceptible to Proventricular Dilatation Disease (PDD), Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease, Psittacosis, beak malocclusion and Aspergillosis. Regular health checkups by an avian veterinarian are crucial to your conure’s health, as they can help diagnose and treat many disease processes early on.[/accordion_item]

 

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