Conures

Conures can be found in the Western Hemisphere, particularly Central and South America.   One can consider them as either large parakeets or small parrots but they are much more noisy and less likely to talk than its larger relatives.   They are known for their numerous varieties of colours ranging from green to bright yellow through blue, red, brown and other mixtures of colour.

Description:   The Conure living in the wild will be found in Central and South America.   They are very light in build compared with other parrots and have long tails and beaks which are considerably smaller, but equally as strong as its larger counterparts.   The beak of the Conure always has a small cere and will be horn-coloured or black.   It is difficult to characterise the Conure as it is a very diverse group of birds consisting of many species.  

The Conure does not fall into one scientific grouping and therefore cannot be defined as one individual category.   One of their close relatives is the Macaw family and it is possible that the Macaws could also be called Conures.   Hence these birds are often called parrots or parakeets.

Diet:   In the wild these birds will feed on nuts, fruit seeds, vegetables and berries.   However, due the more sedentary life of the cage bird its diet should be more controlled and restricted to such things as sunflower seeds, fruit and seeds such as safflower as a stable diet.   As with all feeding variety is necessary to keep the bird interested in its food so, such things as, peanuts, dry corn, monkey chow and vegetables should be given occasionally.   The recommended fruits for the Conure include apples, pears, oranges and grapes.   Then to add further variety vegetables such as corn on the cob, carrots, endive and sweet potatoes can be given.   Like humans they should have five different types each day.   If you feed the vegetables cooked then vitamins should be sprinkled on them or, if fruit is cooked then, they should have some wheat germ or cod-liver oil sprinkled on them.