Conure Care Guide

Conures are medium-sized parrots known for their vibrant colors, playful personalities, and strong bonds with their human families. These social, intelligent birds make excellent companions for those prepared for their energetic nature and vocal tendencies.

Disclaimer: This article provides general information about pet care and should not replace professional veterinary advice. Always consult with a qualified avian veterinarian for specific health concerns or medical guidance.

About Conures

Conures are a diverse group of small to medium-sized parrots from Central and South America. The term “conure” includes several genera, with over 40 species ranging from the tiny painted conure to the large blue-crowned conure.

Key Characteristics

• Size: 9-20 inches depending on species
• Weight: 2-8 ounces (60-230 grams)
• Lifespan: 20-30 years with proper care
• Personality: Outgoing, playful, affectionate, sometimes mischievous
• Intelligence: High problem-solving abilities, quick learners
• Social nature: Highly social, form strong flock bonds

Popular Pet Species

Sun Conures:

• Size: 12 inches, bright yellow and orange
• Personality: Extremely outgoing, loud, affectionate
• Noise level: Very loud, not suitable for apartments
• Beauty: Stunning golden coloration

Green-cheeked Conures:

• Size: 10 inches, green with red tail
• Personality: Playful, mischievous, relatively quiet for conures
• Trainability: Excellent for beginners, very trainable
• Color mutations: Many beautiful color variations available

Blue-crowned Conures:

• Size: 15 inches, largest common pet conure
• Personality: Gentle, intelligent, excellent talkers
• Noise level: Moderate for conures
• Appearance: Blue head with green body

Nanday Conures:

• Size: 12 inches, black head with green body
• Personality: Social, active, can be nippy
• Noise level: Very loud, especially in groups
• Hardiness: Very hardy and adaptable

Pineapple Conures (Green-cheeked mutation):

• Size: 10 inches, yellow and red coloration
• Personality: Similar to green-cheeked, playful and affectionate
• Popularity: Very popular due to beautiful coloring
• Care: Same requirements as green-cheeked conures

Housing Requirements

Cage Specifications

Minimum requirements:

• Small conures: 24” W x 24” D x 30” H
• Large conures: 32” W x 24” D x 36” H
• Bar spacing: 5/8 to 3/4 inch
• Horizontal space: More important than height for these active birds

Cage Features and Placement

Essential features:

• Multiple perches: Various diameters and textures
• Toy attachment points: Multiple locations for enrichment items
• Large doors: Easy access for cleaning and interaction
• Secure locks: Conures are intelligent escape artists

Optimal placement:

• Family area: Where household activity occurs
• Natural light: Near windows but not in direct sun
• Social interaction: Where they can participate in family life
• Safety: Away from kitchen fumes, other pets, drafts

Out-of-Cage Requirements

Daily exercise needs:

• Minimum: 2-4 hours supervised out-of-cage time
• Flight exercise: Essential for physical and mental health
• Play gym: Designated play areas with toys and perches
• Social interaction: Active engagement with family members

Diet and Nutrition

Balanced Diet Foundation

High-quality pellets (70-80% of diet):

• Age-appropriate: Different formulations for young vs. adult birds
• Size-appropriate: Medium pellets for most conure species
• Quality brands: Harrison’s, Roudybush, Zupreem Natural
• Daily amount: 1/4 to 1/2 cup depending on species size

Fresh Foods (15-20% of diet)

Daily vegetables:

• Dark leafy greens: Kale, spinach, dandelion greens
• Orange vegetables: Carrots, sweet potato, winter squash
• Cruciferous: Broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts
• Colorful variety: Bell peppers, corn, snap peas

Fruits (2-3 times weekly):

• Tropical fruits: Mango, papaya, pineapple
• Berries: Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries
• Tree fruits: Apples (no seeds), pears, cherries (no pits)
• Citrus: Small amounts of orange, tangerine

Seeds and Treats

Limited seed portions (5-10% maximum):

• Training treats: Use favorite seeds for positive reinforcement
• Variety mix: Safflower, sunflower (limited), millet
• Fresh nuts: Almonds, walnuts, Brazil nuts (appropriate sizes)
• Healthy treats: Whole grain crackers, cooked quinoa

Foods to Avoid

❌ Toxic to conures:

• Avocado (highly toxic)
• Chocolate and caffeine
• Salt and high-sodium foods
• Apple seeds and fruit pits
• Onions and garlic
• Mushrooms
• Alcohol
• Teflon/non-stick cookware fumes

Health and Veterinary Care

Finding Qualified Veterinarians

• Avian specialists: Essential for proper conure care
• Medium bird experience: Familiar with conure-specific health issues
• Emergency availability: 24-hour exotic animal emergency services
• Regular checkups: Annual wellness exams minimum

Common Health Issues

Proventricular Dilatation Disease (PDD):

• Symptoms: Weight loss, undigested food in droppings, vomiting
• Cause: Viral infection affecting digestive system
• Treatment: Supportive care, anti-inflammatory medications
• Prognosis: Variable, some birds live well with management

Feather destructive behavior:

• Causes: Boredom, stress, medical issues, hormonal changes
• Prevention: Adequate stimulation, proper diet, veterinary care
• Treatment: Address underlying causes, behavioral modification
• Management: Environmental enrichment, sometimes medication

Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease (PBFD):

• Symptoms: Feather abnormalities, beak deformities, immune suppression
• Transmission: Viral, highly contagious between birds
• Prevention: Quarantine new birds, good hygiene
• Treatment: No cure, supportive care only

Nutritional deficiencies:

• Vitamin A deficiency: Common with seed-only diets
• Iron storage disease: From poor diet or genetics
• Calcium deficiency: Especially in egg-laying females
• Prevention: Balanced diet with pellets and fresh foods

Signs of Healthy Conures

✅ Healthy birds display:

• Bright, alert eyes and clear nostrils
• Smooth, colorful, well-preened feathers
• Active, playful, curious behavior
• Good appetite and normal droppings
• Strong, confident flight and perching
• Social interaction and normal vocalizations

Warning Signs

🚨 Contact veterinarian immediately for:

• Sitting fluffed on cage bottom
• Loss of appetite for more than 12 hours
• Changes in droppings (color, consistency, frequency)
• Difficulty breathing or tail bobbing
• Discharge from eyes, nose, or beak
• Sudden behavior changes or lethargy

Behavior and Training

Understanding Conure Behavior

Natural behaviors:

• Flock calling: Loud vocalizations to contact flock members
• Play behavior: Wrestling, hanging upside down, acrobatics
• Exploration: Investigating everything with beaks and feet
• Social grooming: Preening themselves and bonded companions
• Foraging: Searching for and manipulating food

Communication signals:

• Contact calls: Loud calls when separated from flock
• Excitement calls: High-pitched sounds when happy
• Alarm calls: Sharp calls indicating danger or distress
• Chattering: Content, social communication
• Body language: Head movements, feather position, posture

Basic Training

Foundation behaviors:

• Step-up: Basic handling and transport behavior
• Target training: Teaching bird to touch target with beak
• Station training: Going to specific locations on command
• Flight recall: Coming when called (in safe environments)

Training principles:

• Positive reinforcement: Reward desired behaviors immediately
• Consistency: All family members use same commands and rewards
• Short sessions: 5-10 minute training sessions
• Patience: Allow time for learning and relationship building
• Fun focus: Keep training enjoyable for both bird and trainer

Managing Noise Levels

Understanding vocalizations:

• Natural behavior: Conures are naturally loud birds
• Dawn and dusk: Most vocal during these times (natural behavior)
• Attention-seeking: May scream for attention if reinforced
• Flock behavior: Calling to locate and communicate with “flock”

Noise management strategies:

• Ignore attention-seeking: Don’t respond to screaming for attention
• Reward quiet: Give attention and treats during quiet times
• Establish routines: Predictable schedules reduce anxiety calling
• Environmental enrichment: Busy birds are often quieter birds
• Realistic expectations: Conures will never be quiet birds

Enrichment and Mental Stimulation

Physical Enrichment

Exercise opportunities:

• Flight time: Daily supervised flight essential
• Climbing: Multiple levels, ropes, ladders
• Foraging: Hide treats throughout cage and play areas
• Destructible toys: Safe materials for chewing and shredding
• Rotation: Change toys and arrangements regularly

Environmental variety:

• Natural materials: Safe branches, leaves, flowers
• Textures: Different materials to explore and manipulate
• Seasonal changes: Adapt environment to provide novelty
• Social areas: Multiple locations for interaction with family

Mental Stimulation

Problem-solving activities:

• Puzzle feeders: Make birds work for food
• Foraging toys: Hide treats in various containers
• Training sessions: Regular learning opportunities
• New experiences: Safe exposure to novel situations

Social enrichment:

• Family interaction: Include bird in appropriate family activities
• Training games: Fun learning activities with family members
• Mirror time: Limited supervised mirror play (avoid obsession)
• Music and sounds: Exposure to variety of safe sounds

Breeding Considerations

Before Considering Breeding

Important factors:

• Experience level: Should have extensive conure experience
• Genetic knowledge: Understanding of species genetics and health
• Space requirements: Multiple cages, breeding setup, baby care
• Time commitment: Hand-feeding may be necessary
• Market research: Ensure homes available for babies

Breeding Requirements

Pair compatibility:

• Same species: Don’t hybridize different species
• Age: Both birds should be at least 2-3 years old
• Health: Complete veterinary examination before breeding
• Bonding: Allow natural pair formation

Breeding setup:

• Larger cage: Minimum 36” x 24” x 36” for breeding pair
• Nest box: Species-appropriate size and design
• Nutrition: Enhanced diet with increased protein and calcium
• Environment: Quiet, stable conditions for breeding success

Social Integration

Family Dynamics

Multi-person households:

• Socialization: Encourage interaction with all family members
• Consistent handling: Everyone uses same techniques
• Shared responsibilities: Multiple people involved in daily care
• Respect boundaries: Allow bird to have preferences while maintaining relationships

Children and conures:

• Supervision: Always supervise interactions with young children
• Gentle handling: Teach proper handling techniques
• Respect signals: Learn to read bird’s body language
• Shared activities: Age-appropriate involvement in bird care

Other Pets

Multi-pet households:

• Careful introduction: Gradual, supervised introductions
• Species compatibility: Consider natural predator-prey relationships
• Separate spaces: Ensure safe retreat areas for all pets
• Supervision: Never leave unsupervised with potential predators

Creating Lifelong Bonds

Building Trust

Relationship development:

• Patience: Trust building takes time with intelligent birds
• Consistency: Regular, positive interactions
• Respect: Honor bird’s personality and preferences
• Communication: Learn to read and respond to bird’s signals

Long-term relationship:

• Growth: Relationships deepen and change over time
• Challenges: Work through behavioral issues together
• Adaptation: Adjust care as bird ages and needs change
• Commitment: 20-30 year relationship requires dedication

Remember: Conures are dynamic, engaging companions that bring joy, laughter, and sometimes challenges to their families. Their playful nature, strong personalities, and capacity for bonding make them wonderful pets for those prepared to meet their social, physical, and mental needs. Success with conures requires understanding their natural behaviors, providing appropriate stimulation, and building relationships based on trust and positive interactions throughout their long lives.