How to Care for a Conure Parrot

Choose the right cage. Conure parrots are active birds that love to stay busy. Your parrot will need a spacious cage to jump around and play with toys. For smaller conures, the cage should be at least 46 x 46 x 46 cm. Larger parrots require a cage with dimensions of at least 91 x 91 x 91 cm.

• The cage can be horizontal or vertical.
• The bars should be placed horizontally to allow the parrot to climb. The spacing between the bars should not exceed 2 - 2.5 cm.
• Consider purchasing a cage cover to make your parrot feel secure while sleeping. Alternatively, you can use a large blanket or towel to cover the cage at night.

Place the parrot's cage in an ideal spot in your home. The conure parrot's cage should be placed in a room free from harmful kitchen smoke. You should also make sure that the cage is not in direct sunlight. A room temperature between 21 and 27°C is most comfortable for the conure parrot, and it is also a common room temperature in most households.

• The room should not have drafty conditions.
• Many types of smoke and fumes can be harmful to the conure parrot, including those from perfumes, sprays, and fumes from cleaning products and non-stick cookware.

Place the essential items in the parrot's cage. Perches are essential in any birdcage. You should choose at least two perches, each with a diameter of around 1.5 cm, for your conure parrot.

• Place the perches so that the parrot's tail does not touch the cage bars when perched. Position one perch near the feeding and water bowls.
• Consider using perches of varying sizes, shapes, and materials. This will help strengthen your parrot's feet. You can find a variety of perches at pet stores.
• Place two or three bowls in the cage for food and water. One for water, and one or two for food.
• Conure parrots enjoy bathing. Add another bowl of water to the cage, preferably large enough for the parrot to step into. You can find these bowls at pet stores or home goods stores.
• Line the bottom of the cage with newspaper or cage liner.

Regularly clean the parrot's cage. Conure parrots can be quite messy, so you need to clean their cage regularly. You should clean the food and water bowls daily. Conures often dip their food in water, so you may need to wash the water bowl several times a day.

• Change the cage liner daily.
• Clean the parrot's toys and perches daily. Dish soap is sufficient for cleaning these accessories. Be sure to rinse off any soap before returning the items to the cage.
• Depending on how dirty your parrot's cage gets, you should disinfect the cage weekly or monthly. Bleach fumes can be toxic to conures, so keep your parrot in a separate room while disinfecting the cage and wait for it to dry.
• Ask a veterinarian specializing in birds or an avian expert to recommend safe cleaning products for your parrot's cage.

Place toys in the birdcage. Conure parrots are very active. Without something to do, they can get bored and start plucking their own feathers. Your parrot will enjoy entertainment with various toys placed in the cage. Popular toys for conure parrots include foraging toys, wooden toys for chewing, and shredding toys.

• Foraging toys simulate the natural food-searching behavior of conures in the wild.
• Shredding toys can help your conure reduce stress and boredom. If you don’t want to buy shredding toys, you can place some newspaper in the cage for the parrot to shred.
• Avoid toys with small parts. These can get caught in the parrot’s beak or nails, causing harm or injury.
• Place a variety of toys in the cage to keep your parrot entertained with more than one option.
• Consider attaching a perch for toys to one corner of the cage to display the toys.
• You can find all sorts of parrot toys at pet stores.

Provide exercise tools for your parrot. Conure parrots need regular exercise to stay healthy and happy. Swings and ladders can help your parrot stay active throughout the day. Make sure to position the swing and ladder inside the cage at a height that prevents the parrot's tail from brushing against the cage bars.

Consider placing a mirror in the parrot's cage. A mirror can be an entertaining distraction that keeps your parrot occupied. However, only introduce the mirror once your parrot has bonded with you – otherwise, it may become more attached to its reflection than to you!

• A mirror may trigger mating behaviors (such as food regurgitation or tail-flicking).
• Mating behaviors can be particularly troublesome in female parrots, as they may lay eggs without mating. If you have a female conure, this could lead to egg-laying, causing physiological stress and health issues.
• Your conure may view the mirror as a “love toy.”
• Consult a veterinarian if you're unsure whether to place shiny objects in your conure's cage.

Select pellets and mixed seeds for your conure's diet. Bird pellets are available at pet stores. Your parrot's diet should consist of 60-70% pellets. Pellets come in various colors to prevent your conure from getting bored.

• Pellets paired with a seed mix provide a nutritious meal for your conure.
• Some seed mixes contain fillers or harmful additives. If you are unsure which mix is best for your conure, consult a veterinarian or a pet store employee. Look for options labeled "organic" or "all-natural."

Add fresh fruits and vegetables to your parrot's diet. Variety is key to providing a balanced and nutritious diet for your parrot. Fruits and vegetables are a great way to enrich their menu. Some fresh vegetables you can offer your conure include kale, spinach, pumpkin, and zucchini.

• Fruits like mango, blueberries, kiwi, and apples are also suitable for your conure.
• Fruits and vegetables provide essential vitamins and minerals for your parrot's diet.
• Make sure to wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly to remove pesticides.
• Consider purchasing organic produce.
• Cut the food into small, manageable pieces.

Add nuts to your conure's diet. Nuts provide protein and healthy fats, making them an essential part of your parrot's daily meal plan. Some nuts you can feed your conure include hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, peanuts, and Brazil nuts.

• Ensure the nuts are low in salt.
• Although nuts are important, they should only be fed in small quantities as they are high in fats. Overfeeding nuts can lead to obesity in your conure.
• If feeding peanuts, always remove the shell as the peanut shells contain a fungus toxin called aflatoxin that can cause serious illness in your parrot.

Feed your parrot grains and legumes. In addition to nuts, grains and legumes are key components of a conure's diet. You can feed your parrot various nutritious grains like cooked barley or brown rice, along with cereals, pasta, and biscuits.

• Conures have difficulty processing sugars, so avoid feeding them sugary cereals.
• Legumes such as lentils and various beans (like mung beans, black beans) are great options.
• Grains and legumes are rich in vitamins, minerals, and fiber, making them essential to your conure's nutritional needs.

Supplement your parrot's diet with vitamins and minerals. You may need to provide specific nutrients to your conure, including calcium and vitamin K. Incorporate foods rich in these nutrients into their diet (such as dark leafy greens, soybean oil, and fish meal). Adequate levels of calcium and vitamin K can prevent a condition known as bleeding syndrome in conures.

• There are calcium branches available for conures to gnaw on to supplement calcium intake. Cuttlefish bones are another source of calcium but are not recommended for conures.
• You can add water-soluble vitamins to your parrot's drinking water.
• Consult your vet before adding supplements to your parrot’s diet.

Avoid feeding your parrot certain foods. While conures are not particularly picky eaters, there are some foods they should never consume. For instance, avocados, cocoa, and onions are toxic and can be fatal to your parrot.

• Human food often contains high amounts of sugar, salt, and fats that should be avoided, as your parrot’s digestive system cannot process these well. Processed foods generally contain these harmful substances.

Create a feeding routine for your parrot. It's best to feed your conure twice a day: once in the morning and once in the evening. At each feeding, provide a variety of fresh fruits, cooked foods, and seeds in your parrot's food bowl. After about an hour, remove any leftover food.

• In the morning, offer some pellets after removing all previous food. Your parrot can nibble on pellets throughout the day.
• Conures are prone to obesity, so to prevent overeating, only provide enough food for one meal at a time. This may take some trial and error to determine the right portion size for your parrot.
• Conures tend to be messy eaters and enjoy dunking their food in water, so you may need to change their water every time you feed them.

Win your parrot's trust. Conure parrots are lively and social birds, making interaction an essential part of their care. To engage effectively with your conure, you first need to gain its trust. One way to do this is by speaking to your parrot in a calm and gentle voice.

• Talk to your conure throughout the day, especially when feeding or cleaning its cage.
• The more your parrot hears you when you're nearby, the more comfortable it will feel around you.
• Another way to build trust is by approaching the cage slowly and gently. Once your parrot realizes you’re not a threat, it will feel much more at ease with your presence.

Get your parrot comfortable with your hand. In addition to trusting you, your parrot needs to feel comfortable with your hand. Start by gently placing your hand above or beside the cage. Talk to your parrot while your hand is nearby to help calm it.

• Once your parrot is used to your hand outside the cage, slowly introduce your hand inside. Hold some treats (like millet or dark leafy greens) in your hand, allowing your parrot to approach and explore your hand.
• It may take a few days or even weeks for your parrot to feel comfortable with your hand. Just be patient with your feathered friend.

Teach your parrot to step up. Once your parrot trusts you and feels comfortable, you can start training it with various tricks. For example, you can teach your conure to step onto your hand. Use your index finger as a perch and gently touch your parrot’s chest (just above its feet) to encourage it to step up onto your finger.

• Reward your parrot with its favorite treat and praise when it steps onto your finger.
• When your parrot has mastered stepping onto your finger, you can start training it to step up outside the cage, perhaps in another room like the bathroom.

Teach your conure to talk. Parrots are famous for their ability to mimic speech, but conures are not as skilled at talking as some other parrot species. Your conure may only learn around five to ten words.

• Your conure needs to be fully focused on you when learning to talk. Turn off any distractions (TV, radio, phone) that could divert its attention.
• Choose simple words that are associated with specific objects or actions. For example, you might say 'Are you hungry?' when feeding your parrot or 'Goodbye' when leaving the room.
• Use an enthusiastic tone when speaking to your parrot. The more upbeat your voice, the more excited your parrot will be to mimic you.
• Keep in mind that your conure will have a high-pitched voice.

Help your parrot take a morning bath. Another great way to bond with your conure is by helping it with its morning bath. Use a spray bottle to mist your parrot with water.

• If your parrot allows it, gently wrap it in a towel and hold it close to your body until it dries. Conure parrots tend to be cuddly, so your parrot might enjoy snuggling with you after the bath.
• Once dried, your conure will preen its feathers. It will use its beak to collect oil from its oil gland (located near the tail) and spread it on its feathers.

Dance with your parrot. Believe it or not, conure parrots have a sense of rhythm and love to dance! When your parrot gets excited and tries to mimic your movements, it will sway back and forth. If you enjoy dancing, play some music and perform in front of your conure. You’ll be delighted to watch your parrot shake its body in time with your movements.

Play with your parrot. Playing games is a wonderful way to interact with your conure. A simple game is 'peek-a-boo'. Wrap your parrot in a towel and say 'peek-a-boo' as you reveal its face. You can play this game as many times as you like. Your parrot might even enjoy repeating this game with you.

• Try playing a game of fetch with your parrot. Toss a soft, stuffed toy towards your parrot. Keep in mind that your parrot may not be skilled at catching, but it will enjoy the activity. It might even throw the toy back at you.
• Mimic your parrot’s actions and teach it to copy you. For instance, when your parrot stretches its wings, stretch your arms as well. Try swaying, and you’ll see your conure do the same.
• Make a mess with your parrot. Conure parrots love tearing things up. When your parrot is out of its cage, sit on the floor and tear up some newspaper with your parrot. Give it a sheet of paper to rip apart.

Teach your parrot to lie on its back. Many parrot owners love teaching their birds fun tricks. To get started, place your parrot on your finger, then rest your parrot on your chest with its back facing outward. Gently place your other hand on your parrot's back and slowly lean forward very gently.

• Keep your hand on your parrot’s back as you lean forward. The lying-on-the-back position may feel odd to your parrot at first, so it will need the support of your hand to feel safe during this move.
• Once your parrot feels comfortable lying on its back in your hand, you can playfully tickle its belly. You can also provide your parrot with some toys to play with while it is on its back.
• Once your conure is used to lying on its back, you can teach it more advanced tricks like rolling over.

Ignore your conure’s screeching. Just as important as bonding with your parrot, it’s crucial not to respond to its screeching. Conure parrots are known for being loud, and their screeches can be very piercing. However, it’s essential that you ignore these sounds.

• If you always go to your parrot’s cage when it screeches, it might learn to associate screeching with getting your attention. For your parrot, your attention is a reward for its behavior.
• Regularly interact with your parrot and provide it with plenty of toys to help reduce the likelihood of it screeching.

Understand that all birds molt. Molting occurs when a bird’s feathers naturally shed and are replaced by new ones. It’s an essential process for the development of all bird species (including conure parrots).

Know the age of your parrot. Molting typically begins when a conure parrot is around 8-10 months old and continues annually. The timing of the molt varies depending on the conure species.

Understand the stress of a conure parrot. During molt, your parrot may become more irritable and less cooperative. It might feel itchy as its new feathers grow. You can help alleviate this discomfort by misting your parrot with water.

Preen your conure parrot's feathers. You can help your parrot by gently scratching its body to assist in the growth of new feathers. If you have a pair of conures molting at the same time, they will preen each other and rub against each other for mutual grooming.

• Be gentle while preening your parrot, as new feathers can be sensitive and may cause discomfort when touched.

• Conure parrots enjoy being near their owners. Try to spend as much time as possible interacting and playing with your parrot.
• Conure parrots are easy to train. Your parrot will enjoy learning new tricks and words if you encourage it (reward with its favorite treats and praise it verbally).
• You will find it easier to train your conure parrot if you trim its wings. Schedule an appointment with the vet for this task.
• To make mealtime more exciting, offer your parrot food in different shapes, colors, sizes, and textures.
• Although very active, conure parrots also need time to rest. Ensure your parrot gets 12 hours of continuous sleep each day.
• Conure parrots are sturdy and rarely get sick. However, if your parrot shows signs of illness (such as loss of appetite, drooping head while perched, or ear discharge), take it to the vet for treatment.

• Peanut shells contain a fungal toxin called aflatoxin that can poison your conure parrot. If feeding peanuts to your parrot, be sure to remove the shell first.
• Certain fumes and aerosols (like perfumes, sprays, or non-stick cookware) can be toxic to conure parrots.
• Some foods like cocoa, avocado, and onions are toxic to conure parrots.
• Conure parrots often bond closely with one person and may bite strangers.
• Conure parrots tend to screech, and their vocalizations can be quite unpleasant.
• Parrots may pluck their own feathers, which is a serious behavioral issue. Feather plucking can be a form of self-harm caused by boredom or stress. Along with enriching their environment, you should consult a vet to address this behavior.
• Female conure parrots may lay eggs naturally, leading to nutritional deficiencies, osteoporosis, and other serious health conditions.