Sun conures are extremely loving companion birds that come with a great sense of humor. These little clowns are extremely intelligent and capable of learning tricks and can even speak. They are extremely easy to get along with as they are so friendly and positive to everyone!
Sun conures are great for anyone looking to adopt a loyal companion with a great attitude and an incredible sense of humor.
Sun conures are small to medium-sized birds that belong to the parrot family. Its name literally means “cone tail” which describes how most conure’s tails are formed.
In the wild, they live in large flocks just like many other birds. They love to be together and alone in captivity they separate from their flock. Their color varies according to the species to which they belong.
Some of the more common species include Aratinga, which is one of the naughtiest Sun conures, as well as Pyrrhura, which are smaller and generally calmer. What is very interesting is that, unlike other birds, the
Sun conure family contains many species from all over the world. Sun conures can be found in the wild from Florida to South America.
What is even more interesting is that the beloved conures we have today so lovingly were once considered pests, as they enjoyed feasting on crops.
Lifespan Of A Sun conure
It is very important to consider the amount of time you should spend with your pet sun conure. Conures are amazing companions and will become your friends for life.
They have a very long lifespan compared to other pets like cats, dogs or fish. Sun conures can live from 25 to 30 years, and occasionally even longer. Your lifespan is determined by your nutrition, exercise, and general health throughout your life. This is great news for us Sun conure enthusiasts, however, it is not good news for impulsive buyers.
It is highly recommended that you take your time when making such an important decision to adopt a conure. You don’t want to buy a cute little bird just to realize that they are not suitable for you and your lifestyle.
Making an impulsive purchase is incredibly easy for almost anyone. I know that even as an experienced bird owner I find it difficult not to adopt prettier birds when I visit the pet store.
I have to think to myself that I already have enough pets at home and how happy I am with my current pets. For inexperienced people, it is even easier to fall in love with these adorable creatures since they have no idea what they are getting into.
One second, little Sussy, is asking you for a pet sun conure, and the next, you’re trying to get it back by realizing that you didn’t know the little bird would outlive you.
Sure they are cute, but they require a lot of commitment, dedication, and responsibility.
Is A Sun Conure Good Pet For You?
Before heading to the pet store, it is always important to make sure that your new family member is right for you. Sun conures are very easy to tame and are very intelligent parrots, which are excellent companions for life.
They love being with you and require you to pay close attention to them, as they will see you and your family as their new flock. It is important that you have enough time each day to spend time with your pet bird.
If you are new to parrots, these wonderful birds are a great place to start as they are so kind and loving.
They are also great for any level of bird owners and are good for all ages as they are very soft for the most part. They are a little noisy at times, as they are in fact wild animals.
They make some loud vocalizations but they are not as loud as the largest parrots. You may see this as different if you have never had a pet bird.
However, you adjust to its noise and it’s not a big hassle once you get used to it. They are small to medium-sized birds, which is a bonus as they don’t take up as much space as large parrots.
The bigger the cage, the better, but it is not necessary to keep them in a huge cage, as they will be allowed to be outside most of the day anyway.
If you are interested in owning a sun conure, I definitely suggest adopting a conure, as long as you make sure it is right for you and your family.
What I recommend to all first-time bird owners is to take a few weeks or even a month to research.
Think about why you want a bird, why you should and shouldn’t have one, and how you plan to care for it. Sometimes all it takes is a few days of reflection before you realize you are not ready for it, or you could fall even more in love with the idea.
I know that many times it is children who convince their parents to adopt a new pet. This is a good time to sit down with your child and explain the responsibilities of pet ownership.
Companion birds are a great way to teach responsibility, and conures are great with kids. Here are some tips for making your decision.
- Visit family and friends who own parrots to understand their behavior and ask questions about their experience with owning birds. This is one of the best ways, as you can freely interact with your parrots and spend as much time with them. This is the only way to really see how people live with parrots.
- Check with local pet shelters for more information on abused and neglected parrots. This will give you an idea of how difficult it is for people to care for them, and in return, they are injured and handed over to shelters. The local shelter can also tell you about caring for your pet bird and preventing neglect and abuse.
- Do a local search for breeders and possible stores. This will allow you to see what kinds of species are available and what is the best place to adopt in your area. Contact breeders who will give you detailed information on what it takes to have one.
- Make a list of what the professionals and the cons of having a parrot are for your family. Remember that each family member needs to have a say in their decision to adopt a pet.
- Review your budget and create a simulated shopping list to see how much you will need to invest and how much you can afford. People find it shocking when they realize how expensive a little bird can be when you consider everything from food to vet bills. ·
- And finally, relax. After reading this article, all your questions must be answered and you will have a clear idea of whether to adopt a sun conure as a pet or not.
Preparing For Your Sun conure
Having the right pet supplies for your Conure will ensure that they live a happy and pleasant life in their new home. T
here are many things necessary for proper bird care and it can all be confusing for new bird owners.
This guide will walk you through the necessary items you will need. There is a wide variety of pet supplies, but as always, starting with the basics is the best option.
We will learn about food and nutrition, cages, toys, entertainment and much more.
Food And Nutrition
The most important thing is to buy the right kind of bird food to ensure that your Sun conure receives adequate nutrition.
There are many mixes of bird food, which have different types of seeds that they enjoy. A good rule of thumb is to buy foods with the greatest variety; Some higher-priced foods include pieces of fruit and other snacks.
However, be sure to get the correct one as some variations are for smaller parrots like cockatoos, parakeets, and canaries. Look for the label where it says what type of bird or parrot it is for.
In addition to store-bought bird food, it is also recommended that you cook foods for them to have a more balanced diet.
Think of store-bought bird food as fast food or junk food for us humans, it would not be considered healthy or balanced.
It’s also great if you can buy extras like fruit snacks, nuts, millet spray, or sunflower seeds that are great treats, especially for training. In addition to your food, you should also buy vitamins that will help keep your skin and feathers healthy.
Follow these tips and your Conure will be the healthiest bird on Earth!
The Bird Cage
One of the most important supplies is the birdcage that will keep your feathered friend safe without being supervised. It is highly recommended to purchase the largest possible cage you can afford.
They don’t need as much space as they are not huge birds, but it is always good for them to have room to move around.
Another consideration is how many you will house in a cage if you only have one, it is ok to have a smaller cage.
There are a variety of cages with different styles and different colors. The important part is making sure it is suitable and safe for your conure.
Make sure the doors are large enough to allow your Sun conure to enter and exit the cage safely.
Also, keep that in mind when considering cage size that will add extra things to the cage such as toys, food trays, mirrors, and other fun stuff.
Toys And Entertainment
Toys are always fun to buy and great for your Conure’s cage as they add character to your new home and keep them entertained.
Sun conures, like most parrots, have a high level of intelligence and having toys for them to play with helps stimulate their minds and helps them stay healthy. There are a wide variety of toys available at the pet store, and some of his favorites are ladders and mirrors.
Ladders provide exercise in their cage, while mirrors are great for looking and feeling comfortable. They love to spend hours in front of the mirror whistling and talking to themselves, which is great when they don’t have a golden friend or have to be alone for a while.
A great idea to save money on bird toys is to simply buy children’s toys at the dollar store and put them together to make your own bird toys.
Aa long as they are safe and do not contain small parts that may cause a choking hazard.
You can easily create toys by using cords or strings and attaching different little toys together for their cage. It’s a great way to get creative, and your Conure is sure to enjoy it.
Additional Accessories
Some other supplies that can make your Sun conure happier are extra hangers and food/water trays. Perches that are made from real wood are the preferable option as they are more natural as you would find in nature.
Another recommendation is to use perches that are easy to grip with your feet. Some perches may be too small for Conures and can cause arthritis if worn too long, as your feet never rest in a natural extended position.
You can also purchase separate perches to keep around the house so they are safe outside of their cage. With independent perches, it is better to have short perches if their wings are trimmed, as they can fall off if they try to get down.
If you allow them to fly, the height of the perch shouldn’t be a problem as long as they stay safe. Extra food trays can be used for extra food or fruit to keep it separate from its seeds.
Sometimes they are picky eaters to have their food together and it is also better since the fruit may be moist and the seeds may stick to it.
Depending on the number of Conures that share the cage, you will need to have additional trays to allow everyone to eat at the same time in their flock.
Caring For Your Sun conure
Sun conures are relatively easy to care for as they are not as demanding as other pets, such as cats or dogs.
However, knowing everything you need to do for your conure will allow you to give them a good happy life.
Some of the most important aspects of caring for your Sun conure include feeding, keeping its cage clean, bathing them, spending quality time with them, and keeping them active.
Feeding your conures is relatively easy since they don’t eat as much as other pets. The important part is keeping it varied by supplementing your regular seed diet with fruits and vegetables.
If you feed them different foods from a young age, they will get used to and keep their healthier conure. A great way to implement healthy treats is to use dried fruit.
You can buy them in many stores and they last a long time since they are dehydrated. Birds love it and it will add more nutrition to their daily meals.
To see what kinds of foods are safe for your Sun conure, be sure to ask your vet as many foods are toxic and the list is always growing.
Some of the things to avoid are avocados, chocolates, caffeinated beverages, fruit pits, and other more obvious items like alcoholic beverages.
Your Sun conures will greatly appreciate it if their cage is kept clean and comfortable. Make sure you have a large enough cage and clean it regularly.
Once every two days is fine if you only have one conure but they can usually be very messy. You will discover that they are finicky and some of their food will get to the bottom of their cage, as well as a lot of poop.
Depending on how clean they keep it is how often you should clean it. To clean the cage, you should try to use only water, as many soaps like dish soap can harm them.
When cleaning the cage, make sure you have everything right and also clean your toys and food/water trays.
Their water trays can change color, as feces can go in there frequently and it is not good for them to take it from their dirty dishes.
Their hygiene is also extremely important as they can keep them clean and disease-free. To keep your conure clean, you should bathe it regularly. An easy way to do this is to provide them with a large bowl of water. They will curiously go into the bowl to splash around and take a bath.
As always, be sure to monitor them and make sure the bowl is not completely full. The water should be under your chest to avoid accidents.
As we previously covered, one of the most important parts of keeping a Sun conure happy is spending as much quality time as you can together.
They really value him as you and your family become his flock and see him as the leader. It is always important to let them out of their cage.
Some of the great activities they enjoy include playing, exploring, climbing, resting on your shoulder, touching your hair, and anything else that involves being with you, like watching TV or reading a book.
If you have to leave them alone during the day while going to work or running errands, try to keep them entertained.
A great idea is to keep the TV on and allow them to watch their favorite shows. They really enjoy watching nature movies and love to watch other birds on T.V.
Taming Your Conure
When purchasing your Sun conure from a breeder, it is always good to know if they were hand-fed.
Hand-fed conures will adapt to humans and for the most part, they are already tame. A meek conure will be curious about you and will not mind being held back or showing resistance, like running away in orbit.
When you’re looking for the right conure, try to see how they respond to you, and if possible try to keep the conure. If your new friend conure is not tame after adopting him, it is relatively easy to tame him very quickly.
The most important part is to trust since he is new to you and his environment, basically, you must show them that you are friendly and that you are not a threat.
You can take simple steps for a good bond with your conure. The first few days try not to disturb your conure, instead of spending time with him, but don’t try to get him out.
It is always important to make sure they are comfortable in their new home before removing them from their cage. As long as you make sure to keep your Sun conure company and keep him/her from feeling lonely.
It is a good idea to keep their cage in a part of the house where everyone tends to hang out. Like the living room or dining room to allow you to meet the whole family and see how they are all.
After a few days, you can open his/her cage door and see what happens when your bird notices that the door is open. If it doesn’t come out soon, try offering your hand and see if it jumps.
Sometimes they can be shy and need some encouragement, other times this can be scary. If they jump and fly scared, it’s a good idea to step back to allow them to relax and not see you as a threat when you try to do it again.
Never force your conure out of its cage by grabbing it, as it will instill fear and make the domestication process more difficult. Wait until later when you are more relaxed and eventually the curious conure will come out on its own.
The key here is persistence since at first an untamed Sun conure is usually frightened by human interaction. Once the conure is finally out, the next step is to get comfortable with being out of your cage.
Make sure that, as stated above, you keep him safe and avoid any injury while outside. If you can fly, make sure you don’t get hurt or fly at all, especially since you might not be tame and easily scared.
It’s usually best to have their wings clipped off before letting them out when they’re not tame.
They can be easily injured if you or your surroundings scare them. When you’ve been away for about an hour, try to get close to him and see what his body language and reaction looks like.
They will usually know by then that you are not there to hurt him and that he is in a safe place and will allow himself to be more accessible.
Don’t hover over them; rather try to bend down to your height by lying down or sitting next to their perch. You may look like a giant compared to his small stature.
If he comes to you greatly! You’re ready to move on, if not just keep trying. Now that your conures can get out of their cage and hope to be with you, it’s time to do tricks!
You are on your way to creating great friendship and a lasting bond with your conure.
Teaching Your Sun conure To Talk And Whistle
Sun conures are very vocal and can learn a variety of small words and phrases, as well as fun tunes. Male conures tend to be more vocal and can learn to say more words and whistle more complex melodies.
In the wild, males are stronger and vocalize more to attract mates, however, female conures can also learn. Every time people discover that I have parrots, they immediately ask me if they can speak or whistle.
It seems this is the “coolest” part of parrots, as not all pets can say their name or whistle happy birthday to them. It is a unique quality for parrots and it is great to see how smart they are and how they have the ability to basically communicate with their owners in words.
They have an impressive ability to imitate their voice and with repetition, they can communicate using the words they learn.
However, speaking is a slightly softer and scratchy voice than you would hear from a larger parrot like a macaw.
A great way to start teaching your conure to speak is to just talk to them often so they feel comfortable.
They are able to say simple words more easily, so choose which small words you would like him/her to say. After you’ve decided what your first word will be, you can repeat the word multiple times while interacting with him throughout the day.
The best time to repeat the word to them is when they are excited. This has proven to be extremely effective as their emotions increase and they will remember anything easier.
You can be sure they will be excited if they haven’t seen you all day or if it surprises you. Every time you enter his area, just say the word out loud and enthusiastically. Repetition is key when you teach your conure to speak or whistle.
Whistling is the same thing that you have to decide on one melody at a time and repeat them every time you think they will be excited or surprised by your presence. They may all be sitting down and if you come in and start whistling happily at them, you can be sure they will remember and practice the tune.
Another great way to teach your parrot to speak or whistle is to play a DVD with short words and phrases or funny tunes. This way, your conure will stay entertained while you’re not around and will learn at the same time.
This type of DVD can be purchased online ready-made. What I would recommend is to create your own recordings using your phone or other recording devices. In this way, they hear your own voice and are not bored when listening to strangers repeat words over and over again.
I once bought a DVD like this just to throw away after realizing how devious it can be. I don’t want it to repeat all day if it were a Sun conure. However, once I recorded myself saying their favorite words and phrases, I could see how excited and happy my conure and other parrots would feel.
This really helped them to speak as I would catch them repeating silently the words I was trying to teach them. It seems that they like to practice the sentences before starting to use them normally.
It is also very important to note once again that all conures are different and all come with a variety of personalities. Some may be more willing to sing and talk, while others may be calmer. Sun conures, by nature, very vocal parrots, so this is generally an easy endeavor, however, if they don’t feel like learning to speak or whistle they probably won’t learn what is also perfectly normal.