Sun Conures — HFFN member birds

A Sun Conure in full color — HFFN member photo

The Sun Conure is one of the most visually spectacular parrots in aviculture — a medium-sized conure (about 30 cm) with brilliant orange-yellow plumage that intensifies with age, accented by green and blue flight feathers and a distinctive white eye ring. Adult birds in full color are genuinely breathtaking. They are also among the loudest birds in the conure family — their contact call is piercing, carries extraordinary distances, and is produced with enthusiasm and frequency. A Sun Conure in full voice is not something neighbors will fail to notice.

Personality-wise, Sun Conures are bold, playful, and intensely affectionate. They crave physical contact and will actively seek out their person for cuddling, preening, and burrowing under clothing. They are not subtle birds in any dimension — their emotions are expressed loudly and physically at all times. For the household that loves an expressive, engaging, visually magnificent bird and can manage the noise level, a Sun Conure is extraordinary. For apartment dwellers or noise-sensitive households, they may not be the right fit.

The Sun Conure is listed as Endangered in the wild, primarily due to habitat loss and past trapping for the pet trade. All Sun Conures in the United States are captive-bred. HFFN has a number of members who keep and breed Sun Conures in Hawaiʻi, and the species is well represented in our community.

Sun Conures — HFFN member photo

HFFN member’s Sun Conure · Oʻahu

Red Factor Sun Conure — deeper, richer red-orange throughout

The Red Factor mutation intensifies the orange-red pigmentation significantly

The Red Factor Sun Conure is a selectively bred color mutation of the standard Sun Conure — not a separate species, but a bird bred specifically for enhanced red-orange pigmentation that goes beyond what normal Sun Conures display. Where a standard Sun Conure is brilliant orange-yellow, a Red Factor is deeper, richer, and more intensely red-orange throughout — particularly on the face, breast, and abdomen. The green and blue flight feathers are typically reduced or absent in high-expression individuals.

The Red Factor mutation has been developed and refined by dedicated breeders in Hawaiʻi, and our islands are home to some of the finest Red Factor Sun Conure breeding programs in the country. The photographs on this page represent some of the exceptional birds produced and owned by our community.

HFFN member’s Red Factor · Oʻahu

HFFN member’s Red Factor · Oʻahu

Red Factor alongside a normal Sun Conure — the difference is striking

Red Factor and normal Sun Conure chicks — HFFN member breeding program

HFFN member’s Birds · Oʻahu

HFFN member’s Red Factor with a Jenday and a normal Sun Conure · Oʻahu

Sunday Conure — the vivid hybrid of Sun and Jenday

Sunday Conure — blending the color patterns of both parent species

The Sunday Conure is a captive hybrid between a Sun Conure and a Jenday Conure — two closely related Aratinga species that are sometimes considered subspecies of each other by some authorities. The Sunday Conure blends the characteristics of both parents: the vivid orange-yellow of the Sun Conure and the bold green body markings of the Jenday, producing a bird with a distinctive and attractive color pattern that varies between individuals depending on which parent’s traits dominate.

Sunday Conures do not occur in the wild — they are intentionally produced in captivity. In temperament they share the general Aratinga character: loud, playful, affectionate, and physically demonstrative. Like all hybrids, each individual’s personality reflects its own combination of parental traits. Sunday Conures are not as commonly produced as pure Sun or Jenday Conures but are occasionally seen in the HFFN community and are always a conversation starter at our meetings.

Jenday Conure · HFFN member photo

Jenday Conure · HFFN member photo

Jenday Conure · HFFN member photo

The Jenday Conure is one of the most striking members of the Aratinga group — a vivid bird with an orange head and breast, bold green back and wings, and blue-tipped flight feathers. It is native to northeastern Brazil, where it inhabits forest edges, palm groves, and agricultural areas. Some authorities treat the Jenday as a subspecies of the Sun Conure rather than a separate species, reflecting their close genetic relationship — a relationship that makes hybrid Sunday Conures possible.

In temperament, Jendays are very similar to Sun Conures — loud, physically affectionate, playful, and bold. They are perhaps slightly more outgoing and less easily startled than Sun Conures, with a reputation for being confident and fearless in their interactions. They are excellent birds for those who want the Aratinga personality and the beautiful orange-and-green coloration, in a bird that is slightly more commonly available than the Sun Conure. Like all loud conures, they require a housing situation where the noise level is acceptable to both the owner and the neighbors.

Cherry-headed Conure · HFFN member photo

Cherry-headed Conure · HFFN member photo

Cherry-headed Conure · HFFN member photo

The Cherry-headed Conure — also known as the Red-masked Parakeet — is a medium-sized, predominantly green conure with a vivid red mask covering the forehead, crown, and cheeks that gives the species its common name. Native to Ecuador and northwestern Peru, it inhabits dry forest and woodland. It is the species made famous by the documentary The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill, which followed a flock of Cherry-headed Conures living wild in San Francisco.

In Hawaiʻi, Cherry-headed Conures have established self-sustaining feral populations on Oʻahu (most famously in the Kahala and the Pupukea Paumalu Forest reserve on the North Shore) and on Hawaiʻi Island in the Kona district. These wild populations trace their origins to escaped and released pets and have persisted for decades. See our Wild Parrots of Hawaiʻi page for detailed coverage.

As companion birds, Cherry-headed Conures are intelligent, social, and affectionate — sharing the broad Aratinga personality of bold engagement and physical expressiveness. They can be loud, though perhaps slightly less ear-splitting than Sun Conures at their peak. They are good talkers by conure standards and form strong bonds with their people. Occasionally seen in HFFN rescue when the wild-caught boundary becomes complicated by injured or grounded feral birds — HFFN follows strict protocols in these situations.

Black Cap Conure — the dark head is the defining field mark

Black Cap Conure · HFFN member photo

Black Cap alongside Green Cheeks — close in size, different in temperament

Photo courtesy of Casey Baker

The Black Cap Conure is a member of the Pyrrhura genus — the quieter, gentler branch of the conure family — and is one of the most underappreciated small parrots in aviculture. A compact bird of about 25 cm, it has a distinctive dark brown-black head, scalloped green and maroon body feathers, and a long green tail. It is native to Peru, Bolivia, and western Brazil, where it inhabits humid lowland forest.

Pyrrhura conures as a group are significantly quieter than Aratinga species like the Sun or Jenday — their calls are less piercing, less frequent, and considerably more apartment-compatible. The Black Cap specifically is known for being gentle, cuddly, and affectionate without the intense, sometimes overwhelming energy of the louder conures. They love to burrow and cuddle and form strong bonds with their people without being as demanding of constant attention.

Black Caps are less commonly available in Hawaiʻi than Green Cheeks but are occasionally seen in the HFFN community. For someone drawn to the Pyrrhura family but wanting something slightly different from the omnipresent Green Cheek, the Black Cap is an excellent choice.

Normal Green Cheek Conure — the wild-type coloration

Yellow-Sided mutation — one of the most common GCC color variants

The Green Cheek Conure is the most widely kept Pyrrhura species and one of the most popular small parrots in aviculture worldwide — and within the HFFN community, it is far and away the most commonly seen conure. The normal (wild-type) Green Cheek is predominantly green with a maroon tail, dark brown-black head, grey scalloped chest markings, and the bright green cheek patches that give the species its name. But what has truly elevated the Green Cheek to its current popularity is the extraordinary range of color mutations that breeders have developed — mutations that have produced some of the most vivid and spectacular small parrots in aviculture.

As companion birds, Green Cheek Conures are cuddly, playful, mischievous, and deeply affectionate. They have a cheeky, almost comedic personality — they like to hang upside down, wrestle with toys, steal objects of interest, and generally make their presence felt in the most entertaining way possible. They are considerably quieter than Aratinga conures, making them genuinely apartment-compatible in most situations. They are a wonderful first conure and a deeply rewarding long-term companion.

Pineapple mutation — yellow-orange body with red eyes

High Red Pineapple — enhanced red expression

Violet Yellow-Sided Turquoise — multi-gene mutation

The color mutation range in Green Cheek Conures is among the most extensive of any small parrot species. The major mutations include Yellow-Sided (replacing the dark body with bright yellow sides and red undertail), Cinnamon (warm brown replacing the dark pigment throughout), Pineapple (a combination producing vivid yellow-orange coloration), Turquoise (replacing green with blue-green), Violet (adding a purple suffusion), and many combinations of these base mutations. Multi-gene mutations like Violet Yellow-Sided Turquoise produce some of the most extraordinary coloration in small aviculture.

Green Cheek Mutations in Hawaiʻi:

Violet Yellow-Sided Turquoise

Photo courtesy of Casey Baker

Violet Green Opaline

Photo courtesy of Casey Baker\

Multiple Mutations Together

HFFN member birds · Oʻahu

Pale Green Color Morph

HFFN member birds · Oʻahu

Pineapple

HFFN member photo · Oʻahu

High Red Pineapple

HFFN member photo · Oʻahu

HFFN Members’ Green Cheeks — A Gallery: