How to Care For a Conure Parrot

The Conure breed of parrot is often referred to as the clowns of the parrot world. Conures come in many varieties but are among the most active and clever of the captive parrot breeds for its size. Before investing in one of these clever little birds it is good to have an understanding of the care needed for a Conure. Conure care is unique in many respects and proper care for your Conure parrot will yield many years of enjoyment.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Provide proper housing. Ensure that your Conure has a cage that is large enough to accommodate his active nature. While Conures are not large birds, they require a lot space to move around and play. Since most people do not have an aviary room, a cage with measurements of 44"x26"x40" is ideal and should come with a secure door entrance. Conures are smart little critters and will easily figure out how to enter and exit a cage that does not securely close. Your local pet shop normally will have a wide variety of cages to choose from and there are also many online options.

2. Become an interior decorator for Conures! Your Conure's new cage should contain at least two perches with one situated as close to the top as possible as this is where your Conure will sleep, and the other perch on a lower level with his food and water. A water bottle can be used instead of a water dish.

3. Provide regular bathing. Conures love the water and bathe every day. A Conure's bath can consist of a shallow Tupperware container, or even directly in the kitchen or bathroom sink. Conures love cold or lukewarm water and will thoroughly soak themselves and splash. You can also use a spray bottle on "mist" setting as Conures also love to take a shower!

4. Offer a balanced diet. Conures eat a variety of foods from standard bird seeds such as sunflowers and other multi-grain pre-packaged formulas to citrus fruits. In fact, Conures crave citrus and should be provided a semi-regular diet of fruits and veggies to support a seed diet.

5. Clip those wings. Many people think clipping a bird's wings is cruel. This is incorrect. A captive bird should have its wings clipped for its own safety to prevent it from flying into objects when startled. You can learn to clip your bird's wings but at first this should be done either by your breeder or a veterinary specialist who can then demonstrate the proper method to clip your bird's wings.

6. Engage their playfulness. Conures are playful, inquisitive types and should have toys to keep them occupied. Toys with bells and "shredding" materials are very popular and appreciated. You can also make your own toys out of things like popsicle sticks that a Conure will enjoy both playing with and chewing up.

7. Accustom them to frequent handling. Your Conure can be easily trained to interact with you and welcome your hand. It is recommended that you purchase a hand-fed baby as this will ensure that your pet bird will be comfortable with your hand and before you know it, your Conure will be demanding to be pet like they are a cat or dog.

Tips & Warnings

• As Conures typically have a life expectancy of 15 to 25 years (depending on the breed), be sure that you are ready to make a long-term committment to your potential new pet.
• Avoid feeding your Conure avocadoes or chocolate as these food items are toxic to most bird breeds.

[gyspyangel]

on 7/27/2009 My conure has been plucking his feathers out for sometime now. Can anyone tell me how to stop this behavior? He looks a little weird without chest feathers. [e-mail]

[firstflyer]

on 3/6/2009 my husband and i are first time owners of a conure. we were not given much info on her. we know shes about 1 year old and she was raised with only one other family. my husband has already been bitten several times. it makes me nervous to pick her up. we have a 2 year old daughter and another on the way. any tips would be fantanstic

[birdsrok]

on 10/21/2007 if your bird DOESN'T know how to fly when its a chick "clipped wings" it will not want to try to fly when it comes of age, in that case you may carry your bird around outside without the risk of a fly-away bird. and as it said, SOME consider clipped wings cruel.

[Parrotshop]

on 6/22/2007 Hi: I just lost my long time friend, Tasha. My dear sun conure. I raised her from a 3 week old baby. She has always been the sweetest bird we've owned. I raise and sell Conures (Sun; Nanday & Sundays). Most of them turn quite nasty when caged together. My sweet Tasha was quite the expection. Always loving and willing to come out to spend time with me. She just passed last week at the age of 20 and 1/2. My heart is broken. The past 3 years, she lost her ability to fly. I found her laying in her seperate mail box within my large avairy, almost covered with tiny feathers from 3 of my other sunconures (which were picking each others feathers out in order to cover her up. We incountered a few cold nights here, so I can't say for certain if they were trying to keep her warm in her final moments or giving her a proper buryial. Yes, they make great friends. Rest in peace Tasha.

[brdmom22]

on 12/27/2007 first of all NOT ALL conures are the same so these tips are just general tips,second disabaling your bird by clipping its wings is just wrong,my birds have been flighted in my home for years and have never injured themselves they are more likely to get injured by trying to fly clipped and not able to control the flight,they also need fresh foods not just dried old stale stuff that you can find at petstores,not all birds bathe everyday and its not necessary either and finally conures are not dogs and do not demand to be petted all the time many are very content just to be near you