Do you want to add a comical bird with a colorful personality and striking plumage?
These popular spunky birds vary in size and personality but conure birds can tick all of that requirements and can offer you more.
In this conure parrot guide, we’ll share with you:
- Conure birds’ personality and behavior toward their owners
- Their speaking abilities and sounds they can produce
- Conures’ lifespan and common health issues
We curated this to help you weigh in if conure birds are suitable for your flock and needs.
So, before purchasing your first conure, let’s dig into it.
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Conure Bird Overview |
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| Size: | Small to Medium; under 10 inches to over 20 inches depending on the species |
| Temperament: | Friendly, docile |
| Lifespan: | 20 years |
| Conservation Status: | Vulnerable |
| Speech Abilities: | Moderate; Can talk and mimic a few words |
Meet the Conure Birds
Conures are small to medium birds with lengths ranging from 1o to 20 inches or more. Their striking and kaleidoscopic plumage is as colorful as their personality.
They’re popular spunky pets with affectionate hearts and inquisitive nature.
Types of Conure
This group is diverse and it contains 25 species but the most popular are green-cheeked and sun conures. Here are other conure species:
- Green-Cheeked Conure
- Jenday Conure
- Sun Conure
- White-eyed Conure
- Queen of Bavaria Conure
- Red-Masked Conure
- Nanday Conure
- Patagonian Conure
- Half-Moon Conure
- Mitred Conure
- Austral Conure
- Dusky-Headed Conure
- Blue-Crowned Conure
- Golden-Capped Conure
- Peach-Fronted Conure
Now if you’re wondering about conure egg-laying behavior, these birds can lay 3 to 4 clutches per year. And each clutch has an average of 3 to 5 eggs.
Conure Origin and Natural Habitat
Conures are native to South America but they’re also found from Mexico to Argentina.
Some conure birds prefer to inhabit tropical forests while others live in either dry savanna, plantations, or coastal forests.
Conure Parrot Temperament and Personality
Conures are active, playful, and cuddly but loud birds. They’re inquisitive and busy birds that take pleasure in playing with plenty of toys and other mentally stimulating activities.
They’d thrive if given enough space to play, jump and climb.
Conure birds aren’t afraid to climb on their owner’s shirt during cuddle time. Others love to dance and mimic their human movements.
Due to their playful yet affectionate and outgoing personality, they make excellent family pet birds.
Furthermore, they’re patient with children. They tolerate being petted all over their body.
However, they require lots of socialization time and training, and children should be trained on how to handle conures as pets to avoid accidental bites.
Do conures like music?
Parrots like conure tend to enjoy music but they can be choosy regarding the type of music they prefer.
Others like listening to calm, classical music while others enjoy dancing to pop and folk music. But most birds dislike popular electronic dance music.
Are conures noisy?
They may be small but conure birds can be loud as they produce a high-pitch screeching sound that can be sometimes ear-piercing. Their screams can even cause headaches to caretakers and neighbors.
These birds are not afraid to express their frustration and disappointment through their voice.
So, if you’re living with noise-sensitive neighbors or you can’t handle loud screams, conures aren’t the one for you.
Do conures like to cuddle?
Yes, they definitely enjoy cuddling and receiving attention from their families. These birds do enjoy being held and picked up. However, they need a gentle yet firm hand to step onto.
Conure’s Speech and Sound
Conures produce a high-pitch screech when they’re excited, startled, or in need of attention.
But can conures talk?
Some conures can talk and although their vocabulary is not as extensive as others, they can learn to mimic a few words and phrases if trained consistently.
But other species may not be able to speak and mimic human words and phrases.
Where to Find Conure for Sale Near Me
You can purchase conure parrots from pet stores or reputable breeders near you which you can locate through google maps.
How expensive is a conure?
Conure bird price ranges from $200 to $3,000 or more, depending on the species and its rarity and quality.
But you can get these birds at a lower price of $25 to $1,000 if you’d go to conure adoption centers or rescue organizations such as the following.
But if you can’t find an available conure for adoption in rescue organizations, you may have to visit local breeders’ physical locations.
Beware of purchasing outside the normal range because an extremely low conure price may indicate that the bird has behavioral or medical problems or is traded illegally. And high conure cost does not always mean high quality.
Expensive conures should be pure genetically and come with extra bird supplies. Otherwise, the breeders are just being greedy and overpricing.
Conure Bird Lifespan
If taken care of properly in captivity, conure parrots can live up to 20 years or more. So even though they can’t outlive you, these birds require long-term commitment and responsibility.
Those in the wild can hardly reach that expected lifespan due to different threats they’re facing in the wild.
Furthermore, they’re prone to developing diseases that can cut their lives short.
Common Health Issues of Conure
Conures are susceptible to different avian problems like:
Proventricular Dilatation Disease (PDD)
This condition that primarily affects the nerves that supply the gastrointestinal tract of birds is linked to Avian Bornavirus.
It causes a lack of appetite, regurgitation, and in worse cases, depression, weakness, head tremors, and seizures.
This condition is fatal and no antiviral treatment is available for affected birds.
Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease
This highly infectious viral disease is common among parrots and is caused by a deadly psittacine circovirus.
One of the clinical signs of this illness is lesions in the beak and feathers. Young birds less than 3 years old are the common victims of this virus.
Unfortunately, there’s no treatment available for this disease but providing supportive care and a stress-free environment can extend the bird’s life for some time.
Psittacosis or Parrot Fever
The main culprit that causes this disease is Chlamydia psittaci. Birds like conures, parakeets, and other parrots can be carriers of this parasite and transmit it to humans.
Infected birds may have breathing difficulty or suffer from diarrhea, discolored droppings, weight loss, eye, and nose discharge, and lethargy.
They may not exhibit symptoms while carrying the bacteria for months so you need to look out and get your bird checked regularly.
Beak Malocclusion
It refers to the misalignment of a bird’s upper and lower mandibles caused by injuries or genetic deformities.
You can prevent beak deformity by providing lots of chew toys and a balanced diet for your bird.
Diarrhea
Conures can get diarrhea from bacteria, parasites, nutritional deficiency, and toxic foods.
If your bird is suffering from diarrhea, avoid fresh fruits and vegetables high in fiber and give your bird plenty of water to prevent dehydration.
It’d be best to provide him with foods enriched with vitamins and minerals and disinfect them to get rid of bacteria that might have caused it.
Aspergillosis
An aspergillosis infection brought about by fungi causes respiratory disease and problems in conures. It slowly damages the tissues of the bird’s body with little obvious evidence.
The treatment which includes oral, topical, intravenous, and aerosolized antifungal medications take a long time but takes a long time since it’s challenging to cure.
Feather Plucking
Medical causes of feather plucking include boredom and lack of mental stimulation. If your conure experiences this condition, you may need to provide them with lots of chew toys and a socialization period.
Top tip to ensure you get a healthy bird:
Only purchase birds with a health warranty and make sure that before you bring your new bird home, you’ll get him tested as well as the existing flock in your home.
Conure Care Tips
If you’re planning to raise conure as pets, here are some tips on how to raise them successfully and give them a healthy and happy life.
Conure Food and Diet
Nutrition is a commonly overlooked aspect of avian owners. But conures are susceptible to calcium and vitamin A deficiency and obesity.
So, you need to provide a proper and balanced diet to ensure your bird stays happy and healthy.
What food can conures eat?
Conures in the wild enjoy the following food.
- seeds
- nuts
- fruits
- berries
- insects
- larva
- vegetation like leaf buds
But those in captivity should have a pelleted diet because it’s the best bird feed with balanced nutrition. Ideally, it should be 75 to 80% of a conure diet and supplemented with fruits, veggies, and some seeds.
What foods can conures not eat?
These are the toxic foods for conures and other birds:
- avocado
- cassava
- caffeine
- dairy products
- onion, garlic, and scallions
- meat
- mushrooms
Grooming
Having a grooming routine is essential if you want to keep your bird looking and feeling good. So, don’t forget to groom them regularly through the following:
1. Bathing
You can use either a mist or shallow bowl to bathe your bird. And if he loves misting, you can even take him to shower with you.
But don’t use soap since it can strip the natural oil off of their feathers and let them dry off in a warm, steamy place after.
Never use a blow dryer on your bird because the non-stick coating on dryer coils is toxic for avian creatures.
2. Toenail Clipping
It can be tricky to clip your conure’s nails but you can do it strategically by explaining to your bird how clipping works on you and providing treats.
3. Trimming Conure Beaks
You can avoid trimming your bird’s beak by giving him a pelleted diet and fruits and veggies and chew toys like rope, untreated wood blocks, and coconut pieces. A conditioning perch with a flavored coating can also help to keep his beak in shape.
But if trimming is necessary, it’s best to leave it to the vets.
Exercise
A conure needs at least an hour of out-of-cage time to play and exercise. Make it even more interesting by giving your bird some toys like swing, chew toys, belles and perches.
Conure Cage and Housing
Conure birds are active so need a spacious cage to move around and for their toys.
You need a conure bird cage with a size of at least 36x24x24 inches but the bigger the cage or aviary, the better.
Don’t forget to clean them since they can be quite messy.
Do conures poop a lot?
Conures can poop once or twice an hour but others poop every 15 minutes and that’s normal because birds have a short digestive system.
Should conures be covered at night?
Conures can sleep without a cover at night as long as the place is dark and quiet. But you can try covering it to see if it works for him or not.
How Do I Bond With My Conure Bird?
If you want to establish a strong bond with your conure parrot, here are some tips for you.
1. Share meals with your bird
Just as sharing meals help strengthen humans’ bond, hand-feeding your bird and sharing your food with him can strengthen your bond as well.
2. Spend more time for socialization
Since conures love receiving attention, you should spend at least 2 to 3 hours per day playing with, dancing, singing, and talking to your bird.
It may take time to grow closer to him if your bird had bad experiences with its previous owner. But through time, he’ll be able to overcome that with your help.
3. Build trust through grooming sessions
You can take advantage of your grooming sessions to strengthen your bond. By massaging your bird’s back or helping him remove some loose pinfeathers, you can get him accustomed to your handling.
4. Hand him his fave treats
One of the easiest ways to win your bird’s heart over is its favorite treat. It can be a fruit, pellet, or veggie but be careful not to overfeed him.
How do I play with my conure?
Since conures acrobatic birds, they love to swing, flip, do back rolls, and cloth climbing.
How do you tell if your conure is bonded to you?
Here are the telltale signs that you a conure is bonded to you:
- He’ll perch on your shoulder and wants to cuddle with you
- He’s vocal around you and will try to mimic and get your attention
- He’ll dance and kiss you and allow you to pet him
- He brings you gifts like toys or a piece of food
- He recognizes you from afar
Do conures bond with one person?
Conures are not likely to be one-person birds if they have grown up in an enriching environment where everyone in the family socializes with them.
But it may vary individually because green-cheeked conures for example do have the tendency to be a one-person bird.
Training Conure Parrots
Conures are generally active and trainable birds but their age, personality, and relationship with them play a role in the training.
These birds are easier to train when they’re younger since their fresh mind is willing to take in new information. But know that not all birds are the same.
Are conures easy to train?
Some conures are easier to train and calmer than others. So it takes a lot of patience to teach them some tricks.
As we said earlier, having a strong bond with your bird is crucial in training because it’s the foundation of trust.
Furthermore, you need to clear distractions and use positive reinforcement(reward-based), repetition, and timed sessions to make the training effective.
But what tricks can you teach to your conure?
Conure birds can learn to wave, perform tricks like flipping and kissing, and spinning. You can also teach your conure how to fetch, and stash their coins into a piggy bank.
Can you potty train a conure?
Yes, you can potty train parrots no matter their age. It can even make them better pets and save you from lots of mess especially when they’re out of their cage.
Conures: Frequently Asked Questions
Is a conure a good pet?
Conure birds can make excellent pets due to their playful yet affectionate and docile nature. These inquisitive birds love to receive attention and play with their owners.
How long do conures live?
Conure birds are long-living creatures with a lifespan of 20 to 30 years.
Do conures remember faces?
Parrots have long-term memories so they can remember human faces. Given the fact this kind of bird can memorize hundreds of words and phrases, this isn’t really shocking.
Do conures recognize their owners?
Conures do recognize their owner with the help of their peripheral vision and hearing.
That’s supported by the study conducted by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that revealed that mockingbirds can recognize one person from another.
Do conures know their names?
Like other birds, they can recognize their names. Thus trait is more prevalent in conures and other birds like parrots, macaws, ravens, cockatoos, and budgies.
Do conures get lonely?
Yes! Conures are social animals who thrive with abundant social interaction so they become unhappy when left alone.
They need at least 2 hours of socialization daily and you shouldn’t leave them alone for more than 8 hours.
Do conures need a bed?
Conures can sleep on a perch or tree branch in the wild. So, they don’t necessarily need a bed but some parrots need one so it’s better to observe your bird if he needs one.
How long can a conure be left alone?
As said earlier, you should not leave your conure bird for 6 to 8 hours.
Why does my conure rub his beak on me?
That is a telltale sign that your conure is comfortable with you or he wants to gain your attention. They usually rub their beaks in a side-to-side motion.
Conure Birds: Our Final Thoughts
Conure parrots can be loud and messy birds but their playful, outgoing and affectionate personality paired with striking plumage and intelligent nature outweigh the cons.
Although their vocabulary is not extensive as other parrots like African grey, Budgerigars and macaws, these birds can learn to talk with consistent and rigorous training.
But before you commit to this kind of bird, you may want to check out another excellent pet option below.