Sun conure - Behavior Health Breeding and Endangered

Sun conure: It is a very colorful bird, hence its name! Its head and its belly are of an intense yellow but also present red-orange. Its wings are predominantly yellow-edged with green (unlike its sister Jandaya which has all green wings!). The beak is black, as are the legs.

Very similar to the Jandaya conure, we confuse them a lot! And yet… these are indeed two different species! First

Size: 30cm
Weight: 110- 130 grams
Family: Psittaciformes
Order: Psittacidae
Genre: Aratinga
Species: Solstitialis

Sun conure behavior

Despite their robustness, it is a species that adapts rather poorly in captivity. Indeed, they are extremely noisy birds and do not support life in restricted spaces.

They are small parrots with strong characters. They are very active and often express themselves in a loud and, to be honest, unpleasant way. Nevertheless, as with all conures, they are very sociable birds and greatly appreciate living in a group. They are playful and very curious. They are known to be adventurous.

For my part, I also find them very touching and very expressive in their look and their way of being! They are also very tactile and appreciate caresses. They enjoy snuggling around the neck or in clothing. They are excellent and faithful companions.

However, they still have their fine print and can sometimes become exclusive. At sexual maturity, some individuals, particularly males, also tend to become territorial and aggressive towards other individuals, whether human or bird. This can then make cohabitation with other species difficult since despite their small size, they are reckless! Indeed, they are famous for carrying out attacks in flight like mini-birds of prey.

Overflowing with energy, if they remain locked up too long, they abandon themselves to other substitution activities such as stereotypies or even hyper-vocalization. So you have understood, you need large spaces and many occupations to satisfy these hyper-active little beings.

they are known to perform mid-air attacks like mini raptors. Overflowing with energy, if they remain locked up too long, they abandon themselves to other substitution activities such as stereotypies or even hyper-vocalization.

So you have understood, you need large spaces and many occupations to satisfy these hyper-active little beings. they are known to perform mid-air attacks like mini raptors. Overflowing with energy, if they remain locked up too long, they abandon themselves to other substitution activities such as stereotypies or even hyper-vocalization. So you have understood, you need large spaces and many occupations to satisfy these hyper-active little beings.

The main reason for their abandonment in captivity is their cry. Aratinga conures are the loudest! Their cries are loud (up to 100 decibels) and are also frequent. They are naturally very talkative!

Sun conure sounds

SOURCE: African Grey Parrot Pet

Sun conure food

The diet of sun conures is made up of 50% fruit and vegetables supplemented by 50% dry food or “kibble” to complete their nutritional intake. Quality, varied and healthy food will translate into a healthy and happy parrot. Of course, you need to study the particular parrot species to finish defining its diet correctly.

Remember that a diet with a deficit of vegetables and fruits favors the appearance of diseases and a low level of activity in the sun conure.

Sun conure Health

Sun conures are very robust parrots and rarely fall ill in conditions that properly meet their needs (varied food, etc.). However, if these birds do not exercise enough, they tend to develop liver problems which then encourage the development of plumage and skin abnormalities. This can then lead to over-smoothing of the feathers or pecking. Thus, as for everyone, it is recommended to have a balanced diet and to do physical activities!

Breeding sun conure

The female lays 3-5 eggs, which she will incubate for 23-25 days. The young leave the nest around the age of 2 months and are weaned a few weeks after their first flight. As with the Jandaya conure, sexual dimorphism is invisible in young birds as well as inconspicuous in adults. In general, the male has a slightly larger beak than the female.

Sun conure adoption

For these sun conures, I highly recommend someone who already has experience with parrots. Indeed, put in inexperienced hands, these birds can develop serious behavioral problems, and become even more noisy and even aggressive. They are therefore not suitable birds for beginners, nor for people who live in apartments.

Sun conure as pets