Sun conures are great talkers, as good as the famous amazon parrots and african grey parrots. In captivity they are able to mimic human speech up to 8-12 words.
Large flocks of a twenty or more may be found congregating in the trees bearing ripened fruit. Their loud, screeching calls are similar to the much larger macaws. Sun conures are very family oriented, and will often assist other parents with raising their young. These birds use cavities in trees as nesting sites. Due to high demand in the pet trade this once common species has declined dramatically in recent years.
Temperament of sun conures
The Sun Conures present an endearing, charming and playful personality packaged into a vibrant bundle of feathers.
Sun Conure As A Pet
As pets, the Sun Conures make great companions. With a little love, proper training, and socialization, these birds are sure to brighten the homes and lives of the people that choose to keep them. Colorful and intelligent, these birds have inherent playful and affectionate nature blended with charming personalities. Sun Conures are basically very social birds, and may not be the best choice for those who have little time to spend with a pet. If they don’t receive attention for long hours or feel bored and lonely, many Sun Conures often become screamers and some even resort to destructive behavior.
Feeding
What to feed your sun conures
A well-balanced sun conure diet consists of:
- Nutritionally complete and balanced pelleted food specially formulated for conures, which should make up 60 to 70% of your conure’s diet, plus smaller amounts of fresh vegetables, fruits and fortified seeds as an occasional treat
- Clean, fresh water, changed daily
- Do not feed birds avocados, fruit seeds, chocolate, caffeine or alcohol, which are toxic to birds and can cause illness or death if consumed, and avoid salty, sugary and fatty treats
Things to remember when feeding your sun conure:
- Fresh food and water should always be available
- Vegetables and fruits not eaten within a few hours should be discarded
- Treats should not exceed 10% of total food intake
- Provide separate food dishes for dry food, fresh food and water. If more than one conure is housed in a single habitat, provide multiple feeding stations to reduce competition
- Although birds are social and like to eat when their flock mates eat, never share food from your plate or your mouth; people have microorganisms in their mouths that can cause illness in birds
- Since conures remove the hulls from seeds before eating them, they do not need to be offered grit to grind up food.
