Conures

Originally called CONURUS these wedge - tailed parrakeets are now called CONURES. There are
several genii, the commonest being the ARATINGA's and the PYRRHURA's. All come from South
America, from the Amazon jungles and into the mountains and all terrain in between.

In many ways the Aratinga's are similar to MACAWs with the obvious difference that Macaws
have naked cheeks. In fact the white-eyed Conure is almost indistinguishable from the Noble
Macaw ( Ara Nobilis ). The colouration and size are identical.

The predominant colour in many Conures is green with splashes of red and yellow although
some like the Sun Conure and the Jenday Conure are mostly yellow. There is no visual
distinction between the sexes and immatures are usually duller than adults.

Most of these birds are lively and inquisitive, indeed they are very intelligent. There voice is
extremely loud and raucous. However in captivity they can quickly learn and mimic almost any
sound. A bird in my possession has a vocabulary of over 40 words and can associate words with
there meaning.

These parrots are not purely seed eaters as many people seem to think.Indeed a diet exclusively of seed will quickly render
these birds sick due to a lack of vitamin A.They are actually omnivorous and will eat pretty much what we do. My conure
has a good basic seed mix; sunflower,hemp,peanuts (shelled and unshelled),pinenuts and various grains.He also has
apple,orange and grapes daily. The rest of his diet consists of titbits from my plate including cheese (only melted on toast),
fish ( fish-finger is a favourite), potato (cooked in any form) and biscuits dunked in tea. All cooked food is cooled so it is
barely warm otherwise crop-burns will result. Some birds will also relish meat especially chicken. Some birds will eat spicy
food with gusto - they eat chile peppers in the wild, but again be carefull. My rule is just a little rather than a lot. These
birds can be greedy so restrict their intake especially greasy foods. A fat parrot is an unhealthy parrot !!!!.

Some foodstuffs should never be given. A few examples are apple seeds,peach kernels and almonds as these all contain
cyanides !!. Never give any parrot chocolate as it is HIGHLY POISONOUS to them.

My bird loves cherries, he eats the cherry and then plays for hours with the stone (which is safe).

Always have a supply of grit (oystershell is best) on the cage floor in a sturdy pot.All birds need grit in their gizzards to aid
digestion.Only use top quality seed and nuts as poor quality can harbour aflatoxin, a mould which is lethal to birds. I
personally recommend Ernest Charles as a supplier of seeds and nuts etc. You can even order online securely at
www.ernest-charles.com

Bear in mind that conures like other parrots will pair-bond with their owners and become very attached. This also can lead
to jealousy where other members of your family are concerned. In extreme cases they will attack what they see as rivals
and parrot bites can hurt and draw blood. They also should not be left alone for long periods as boredom will set in and
can result in feather plucking for example. They should also be allowed out of their cages at least once a day for at least
an hour or two. During this time make sure windows and doors are closed and that the bird is supervised. If you leave the
bird unsupervised the room it is in may not be the same as you remembered it. During this time it is a good idea to bathe
your bird, they liked to be lightly sprayed with luke warm water.

Finally owning a conure is a major commitment in time and care but can be very rewarding.

If you have any conure stories that you wish to share please feel free to e-mail me on the button below.