SUN CONURE

Family: Parrot

Origin: The Guineas and north western Brazil.

Size: Length is 300mm

Description:

Although some of these birds vary in colour they usually have yellow bodies with orange through the chest and very fiery colouring on the head.

And the wings are very dazzling with brilliant yellow and blue green contrasts. They have white rings around the eyes and shiny black beaks. There is no visible difference between the cock and the hen and the only sure way to tell is by surgical sexing.

Care:

These are a fairly powerful bird and can soon destroy everything around them if it is not built sturdily enough. They can even cut their way through the wire on their cages and aviaries if it is not thick enough.

This needs to be taken into consideration when providing any perches and nest boxes need to be made of extremely strong wood for them to last, or just provide the bird with hollow logs. Non poisonous materials should always be used.

All food and drink containers should be cleaned regularly and only use mild detergents and then rinse off thoroughly.

It’s also a good idea to place sawdust over the base of the nest, but be sure to replace it with fresh material once any chicks have hatched.

Eats:

Fresh fruit and vegetables and soaked seed should be given daily as they eat very little dry seed, chopped apple, celery and orange is also enjoyed by these birds along with sweet corn, peas, cos lettuce, carrots, capsicum, red chilli peppers, grapes, bananas, stone fruits, peanuts and cheese. Cuttlefish bone and grit needs to be provided too.

Features:

Conures form strong bonds and can often be seen feeding and preening each other. Some hens will pluck their chest feathers and their chicks’ feathers to line their nests. Eggs are incubated for 26 days before the chicks hatch.

Call:

It’s a grating, screeching call.

Personality:

These fiery coloured birds are both introverts and extroverts because they can be boisterous and sensitive, obstinate, noisy and very inquisitive and gentle – and bite if the fancy takes them!