(Pyrrhura and Aratinga)
Conures 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 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.”
Conures come in all shapes and sizes. Depending on the species, they range from 9 to 21 inches in length and can live 20 to 25 years. These are very attractive birds and come in a variety of colors with a fun loving, outgoing personality to match.
- Golden-Capped Conure
- Sun Conure
- Jandaya Conure
- Green-Cheeked Conure
- Blue-Crowned Conure
- Nanday Conure
- Peach-Fronted Conure
- Red-Masked Conure
- Orange-Fronted Conure
- Green Conure
- White-Eyed Conure
- Dusky-Head Conure
- Black-Capped Conure
Golden-Capped Conure
(Artinga auricapilla)
Colors:
Forehead and eyes are red-orange; under wing, breast, and belly red-brown; tail tips are blue
Pet Status:
Excellent Pets
Average Size:
12 inches
Life Span:
The average life span 25 years.
Talking Abilities:
Some
Behavioral Traits:
Peaceful, frequent bather
Natural Habitat:
Southwestern Brazil along forest edges
Sun Conure
(Artinga solstitialis)
Colors:
Almost all yellow, Flight feathers and tail tips – blue, eyes and belly – orange
Pet Status:
Excellent Pets
Average Size:
12 inches
Life Span:
The average life span 25 years.
Talking Abilities:
Slight ability
Behavioral Traits:
Sociable, frequent bather, likes to chew
Natural Habitat:
Savannah and northeastern South America
Jandaya Conure
(Artinga jandaya)
Colors:
Head and nape – yellow orange; breast and belly – red
Pet Status:
Good Pets
Average Size:
12 inches
Life Span:
The average life span 25 years.
Talking Abilities:
Can repeat a few words
Behavioral Traits:
Playful, needs lots of toys to destroy, loves to bathe, can be distrustful of new people, loud
Natural Habitat:
Northeastern Brazil
Green-Cheeked Conure
(Pyrrhura molinae)
Colors:
Forehead and crown brown, upper breast brownish gray, belly and tail maroon, and blue primary feathers
Pet Status:
Very Good Pets
Average Size:
10 inches
Life Span:
The average life span 25 years.
Talking Abilities:
Not likely to talk
Behavioral Traits:
Very lively bird, bathes regularly, moderate noise, picky eater, mischievous and energetic.
Natural Habitat:
Lowland forests of Brazil, Argentina, and Bolivia
Blue-Crowned Conure
(Aratinga acuticaudata – also known as the sharp-tailed Conure)
Colors:
Forehead, face, and crown blue, upper beak is light brown while lower beak is black. White ring around eyes
Pet Status:
Good Pets
Average Size:
15 inches
Life Span:
The average life span 30 to 40 years.
Talking Abilities:
Can repeat a few words, good mimic
Behavioral Traits:
Very easy going, interesting
Natural Habitat:
Forests of Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Uruguay
Nanday Conure
(Nandayus nenday – also called Black-Hooded Conure)
Colors:
Dark head and bill, blue flight feathers and breast
Pet Status:
Good Pets
Average Size:
12 inches
Life Span:
The average life span 35 to 45 years.
Talking Abilities:
Good
Behavioral Traits:
Good pet but load, frequent squawks, enjoys showers, good with other birds, needs wood toys
Natural Habitat:
Rio Paraguay basin
Peach-Fronted Conure
(Aratinga aurea)
Colors:
Forehead orange, flight feathers and tail tips blue
Pet Status:
Good Pets
Average Size:
10 inches
Life Span:
The average life span 25 years.
Talking Abilities:
Good
Behavioral Traits:
Gnawers, likes bathing, good at learning tricks, not cuddly at all, may be territorial about cage.
Natural Habitat:
Woods of Brazil and Argentina
Red-Masked Conure
(Aratinga erythrogenys)
Colors:
Head, lower cheeks, thighs, and under wings are red
Pet Status:
Good Pets
Average Size:
13 inches
Life Span:
The average life span 25 years.
Talking Abilities:
Can actually learn sentences, good mimic of sounds
Behavioral Traits:
Very tame, good bathers, strong gnawing
Natural Habitat:
Lowlands of Southwest Ecuador and Northern Peru
Orange-Fronted Conure
(Aratinga canicularis – also known as the Half-Moon Conure)
Colors:
Orange-Red band on forehead, blue crown and flight feathers
Pet Status:
Good Pets
Average Size:
10 inches
Life Span:
The average life span 25 years.
Talking Abilities:
Good mimic of sounds
Behavioral Traits:
Demands time with companions, good trick learner, doe not like to snuggle
Natural Habitat:
Lowlands of Northwestern Mexico to Costa Rica
Green Conure
(Aratinga holochlora)
Colors:
Pale green under wings, white ring around eyes
Pet Status:
Good Pets
Average Size:
12 inches
Life Span:
The average life span 25 years.
Talking Abilities:
Not known to talk but has a loud voice
Behavioral Traits:
Sociable, Gnawers, likes bathing
Natural Habitat:
Lowlands woods from Nicaragua to Texas
White-Eyed Conure
(Aratinga leucophthalmus)
Colors:
Red on head, neck, under wing edges, thighs, yellow under wings
Pet Status:
Good Pets
Average Size:
12 inches
Life Span:
The average life span 30 years.
Talking Abilities:
Can say some words, good mimic
Behavioral Traits:
Shy, very quick, Heavy gnawers, good bather, clowns
Natural Habitat:
South America
Dusky-Headed Conure
(Aratinga weddellii – also known as Weddell’s Conure)
Colors:
Head gray-brown with blue feather tips. Primary flight feathers black with blue edges, tail blue, white ring around eyes
Pet Status:
Very Good Pets
Average Size:
10 inches
Life Span:
The average life span 25 years.
Talking Abilities:
Not a good mimic
Behavioral Traits:
Shy, heavy gnawers, very quite, loves to cuddle
Natural Habitat:
Brazil’s Amazon Basin
Black-Capped Conure
(Pyrrhura rupicola – Also called Rock Conure)
Colors:
Brown forehead, crown, nape, and throat, wing feathers red
Pet Status:
Good Pets
Average Size:
10 inches
Life Span:
The average life span 30 years.
Talking Abilities:
Very limited
Behavioral Traits:
Lively but timid, good bathers, gnawers, not choosy eaters
Natural Habitat:
Tropical forests of central Peru
