Fact Sheet: GREEN-CHEEKED CONURE - Pyrrhura molinae

(Original title: Rainforest Birds - Green-Cheeked Conure)

Green-cheeked Conure perching in an aviary at Kuala Lumpur Bird Park, Malaysia.
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Bird Name:

Green-cheeked Conure

Latin Name:

Pyrrhura molinae

Status:

Least Concern

Scientific Classification:

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Aves

Order: Psittaciformes

Family: Psittacidae

Genus: Pyrrhura

Species: P. molinae

General Information:

Another common name for the Green-cheeked Conure is the Green-cheeked Parakeet. This small parrot is common in captivity, where it's known for being playful and intelligent. In the wild, this social species occurs in central South America where it often forms large flocks in the treetops. There are five subspecies.

Physical Description:

This bird is usually between 9 - 10 inches in length and weighs close to 70 g. Its coloration is primarily green. It has a reddish-brown forehead and its nape is brownish green. The cheeks are a bright green and there are dull green patches on the sides of the neck, throat and upper breast. The tail is maroon, wing feathers have a bluish tinge and the breast is grayish. There is purple on the belly and the beak and ear covers are brown. Sexes are similar, and it is difficult to determine males from females. The juveniles have duller plumage with darker irises. They also exhibit less of the maroon coloration on the abdomen.

Diet:

A bird feeds on a diet of fruits, such as bananas and raisins, and seeds, such as sunflower and hemp seeds.

Habitat:

This parrot ranges from west central and south Mato Grosso, Brazil, through portions of northern and eastern Bolivia, and down to northwestern Argentina. It inhabits forests and other woodlands, congregating in large flocks.

Reproduction:

The mating season for the Green-cheeked Conure begins in February and several matings are possible. Females lay 4 - 6 eggs per clutch and average an incubation period of about 24 days.

By Tony Mandarich - Article Source: EzineArticles

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SUN CONURE Parrots - Analyzing the Exotic Sun Conure Parrot

Sun Parakeet (also known as Sun Conure) in a zoo.
 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If you look in a book of birds it's amazing at how many beautiful birds there are. There are small birds, ones that are great pets and ones that are just breathtaking. When you're flipping through there and find the parrots, one that will catch your eye is the sun conure parrot. These parrots are a lot smaller than the large blue or green macaws but are just as beautiful. If you want a parrot but don't want something too big or too expensive, a sun conure parrot might be the bird for you.

The sun conure parrots can be found all over the world in pet stores, but to find them in their natural habitat you would need to travel to Central and South America, Mexico or even into the West Indies. This is where these parrots reside in large flocks of up to twenty or more birds all year round, even during the mating season. When you see a large flock of conure parrots flying overhead towards the horizon they look like a beautiful sunset themselves. Actually, that is how they got their name. The bright iridescent colors of orange, red, yellow and green that cover their bodies are the same colors that you would experience when watching a beautiful sunset over the horizon. When a sun conure parrot is young there are far more green feathers that cover their bodies than anything. It isn't until they reach approximately six to eight months of age that they begin to molt and acquire the vibrant adult colors.

One of the noticeable differences between a conure and some of other parrots is that they don't have a very large speech capability. Their voices are far more screechy and birdlike than many of the other parrots. Now don't think that the sun conure parrots don't like to entertain you with sound though. They love to imitate noises such a doorbell or microwave. These parrots are able to learn some language, just not very much and the voice that they possess isn't one that most would love to listen to. Like I said, the sun conure parrots have a very screechy voice which they love to use to let you know what they're thinking. If your sun conure is happy, it'll screech to let you know. Unfortunately, it will also screech if it is mad, annoyed, bored or just trying to tell you good morning. For this reason, a conure might not be the best pet for someone who lives close to people that don't like to hear birds.

A sun conure parrot would be a wonderful bird to own because they do really love to be around people. Some parrots are just as content to be alone or with another parrot but the sun conure parrots love human companionship. Their lifespan is about twenty-five to thirty years if taken care of properly and so could be a good pet to have for many years.

By Laura Belle - Article Source: EzineArticles

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RED TROATED CONURE Parrots - 7 Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

If you are considering a Red Throated Conure, or have just recently decided to add one to your family, they will require a fair amount of your time. In return, they will give you their love and affection for possibly next 20 years. Here are 7 answers to the frequently asked question about this rare and beautiful parrot.

Red-throated Conure or Red-throated Parakeet (Aratinga rubritorquis) upper body. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

1. Is there any difference between the Red Throated Conure and the Red Throated Parakeet?

No, this is just an alternate name for the same bird. You may also see it referred to as the Orange Throated Conure.

2. How big are they when fully grown? They average between 9 and 12 inches in length and weigh between 4 and 5 ounces.

3. How much attention do they need? You should plan to spend a minimum of several hours a day interacting one on one with this parrot. The more you socialize with your parrot, the more chance you stand of avoiding biting, screaming, and feather plucking.

It is easier to avoid these behaviors than it is to redirect them once they have become a habit. And if your Conure becomes emotionally unhealthy, deterioration of physical health often follows and often opens the door to disease and infection which can ultimately shorten the life of your companion.

4. What kind of cage is best? A stainless steel cage is the best overall choice. It is an expensive cage, but you will only need to purchase one of them because they will last for the lifetime of your bird.

The cage should be large enough to allow your Conure to fully expand its wings in any direction inside the cage. The cage should also contain a variety of toys, perches at different levels, and bar width that is narrow enough to prevent your bird from getting its head caught between them.

5. What's the best way to find an avian vet? One of the best ways is by word of mouth. There are many bird related bulletin boards, forums, and chat rooms. Become a member, join in the discussions, and post your questions.

People are more than happy to share their personal recommendations about vets that they have found helpful. Your breeder is also an excellent resource for finding a vet.

6. How loud are they? On a scale from 1 to 10 with 10 being really noisy, Conures generally approach an 8. They make loud screeching sounds that can eventually become distracting at best. Again this is a generalization, and you should keep in mind that each bird is different. Using a cage cover that does not let in light will help delay the noise until you remove it in the morning.

If you are still on the fence about a Red Throated Conure, spend some time around the bird to get some idea of how loud the bird you're interested in really is. Then access, whether you think all in your family, will be able to tolerate this for the next 20 years or so. If the answer is yes, you've found a friend for life.

7. What type of air purifier is safe for my Conure? A high-efficiency particle arresting (abbreviated as HEPA) air purifier is safe, efficient, and economical. It is designed to run 24 hours a day to stay ahead of and remove particulates that can clog your bird's air passages.

These particles include feathers, dust, bird dander in addition to those that are found in the average home-- dust, mites, mold and mildew spores, bacteria, and viruses.

A HEPA air purifier is capable of removing bird dander as well as other fine particulates and produces only fresh clean air. A bird dander air purifier can literally add years of life to your Red Throated Conure and you.

By Debbie Davis About the Author: An excellent HEPA air purifier to remove airborne pollutants from your Red Throated Conure's air is offered by PurerAir.com-- the Bird Dander Purifier See it now at http://purerair.com/bird_dander_air_purifier.html Articles Source: EzineMark

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Teaching and Training SUN CONURES - 5 Tips on Training Sun Conures to Talk

If you've ever had the privilege of owning a sun conure parrot, then you already know the joy these beautiful little birds can bring to the household. They overwhelm us with their warm and friendly behavior while mesmerizing us with their naturally beautiful colors. What more could we ask out of these cuddly little friends?

Well, for starters, you have to remember sun conures belong to the parrot family and if you have ever wondered how difficult teaching and training sun conures could be, always remember that the same rules for training parrots apply to training sun conures.

Photo  by Makuahine Pa’i Ki’i 

There is a little degree of difficulty being that sun conure parrots are not as talkative as an Amazon parrot, but nonetheless, teaching and training sun conures is definitely worth our time and effort. I have discovered 5 tips on teaching and training sun conures to talk that will sure make your lives easier.

First Tip:

Using a primitive microphone on your computer, record yourself repeating simple cute phrases such as; hello, pretty bird, how are you, goodbye, etc. and burn the audio track onto a CD. Leave the CD playing in your home stereo system in repeat mode during the day while you are at work so that your sun conure bird can listen to the repeated words throughout the entire day. In about a week, he will be speaking those phrases to you.

Second Tip:

If the first tip works like a charm (and it has never failed in my dedicated years of teaching and training sun conures), make sure to praise your sun conure parrot by giving him a small treat such as a pumpkin seed or piece of fruit every time he successfully repeats a phrase.

Third Tip:

Train your conure to talk in small 5 minute sessions throughout the week. Sun conures are delicate birds and you do not want to frustrate them or stress them out. Just take 5 minutes of your day and repeat some phrases to your sun conure, each time he repeats it on cue, praise him with a treat and happy cheer.

Fourth Tip:

Never ever hit your sun conure parrot or spray him with water if he is not learning as quickly as expected. Teaching and training sun conures to talk requires patience. If your sun conure parrot does not cooperate, do not hit him or punish him. Instead, end the training session and try it again later in the day or the following day.

Fifth Tip:

Try to have them relate a certain phrase with an action. If you feed your sun conure at a certain time of the day every day, and you happen to say the words lunch time each and every time you are feeding them, they will associate this phrase with their hunger and will consciously speak those words when it's time for lunch.

If you are truly dedicated to teaching and training sun conures, you will find that these 5 tips will help you get your pet sun conure parrot to speak in no time. I suggest starting out by having a short 5-minute training session with your sun conure parrot today using an easy word such as hello or its name.

Follow the rest of the tips for about 2 weeks and if practiced correctly, you will see a huge improvement in your sun conure's speech vocabulary.

Folks, did you know that 75% of sun conure parrot owners have never heard them speak a single word or phrase? Studies show that most sun conure parrot owners aren't even aware that their conures could be trained to speak or perform tricks. Find out how you can do both!

By Laura Belle   Laura Belle has been training exotic birds and parrots for over 22 years. Article Source: EzineArticles

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