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ABOUT

Below are some fun facts about sun conures:

  • Name: Sun Parakeet (Aratinga Solstitalis), aka Sun Conure

  • Appearance: Golden-Yellow Plumage and Orange-Flushed Underparts and Face, with mottled Green and Blue Flight Feathers

  • Gender Appearance Difference: N/A, Sexually Monomorphic

  • Native Region: North-Eastern South America

  • Conservation Status: Endangered (Loss of Habitat and Trapping)

  • Lifespan: 25-30 Years

  • Size: Small to Medium, 30 cm (12 in) in Length

  • Weight: 110 g (4 oz)

  • Noise Level: Moderate to Loud

  • Talking/Trick Ability: Poor to Fair

 

Below is an informational video with a Zoologist from Auckland Zoo talking about sun conures:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Below is a map with the sun conure's native region highlighted in red:

SMALL BIRDS, BIG PERSONALITES​

"Like the other Aratingas, rowdy little clowns who make lots of noise."

- Liz Wilson, CVTm CPBC

 

Sun conures are social parrots. In the wild, they form flocks of up to 30 individuals. They forage for fruits, flowers, berries, seeds, nuts, and sometimes insects. Captive sun conures can live up to 25-30 years when properly cared for and watched. In the wild, their lifespan is shorter and varies because of predation, accidents, climate conditions, and loss of habitat.

 

Appearance and Maturity

 

Immature sun conures mainly have green feathers; in the wild, their green feathers serve as a defense mechanism by helping them blend into the trees. When they are two years old, they become sexually mature and their feathers become the beautiful, brilliant yellow, orange, red, blue and green. At nine to ten years of age, sun conures lose their fertility.

 

Gender Differences

 

Although sun conures are sexually monomorphic, expert breeders have noted some differences. Male sun conures are said to be slightly brighter and louder, while female conures are duller and quieter. Males are said to have a squared, flatter head and females have a rounder, smaller head. However, these noted differences are not foolproof. DNA sexing is recommended to determine the actual gender of a sun conure.

 

Personality and Behavior

 

Sun conures are sociable, active, adventurous, inquisitive, intelligent, vocal, and expressive. They love attention, but will bite when provoked. They are playful clowns, often seen playing on their backs or dangling from their toys. They are easy to train with time and dedication. They are loving, affectionate, and loyal toward the owners they bond with. Once they have bonded with their owners, they can be extremely aggressive toward strangers, especially after they matured. When they do not receive the attention they need, they become destructive and self-mutilate (i.e. plucking their own feathers). When they feel lonely, they can be persistently loud.

 

Speech and Sound

 

Sun conures are mainly vocal during the morning and afternoon. In the wild, their high-pitched voice helps them find their flock when separated. Their squawking can carry for hundreds of yards through thick forest, which means their voice can be easily heard through walls. They are notorious for noise because their cry is shrill and piercing, emitting in rapid succession. Periods of noise and silence are normal.They can learn to talk, but are limited to shrieks and squawks. They can imitate simple sounds well, such as human laughter, doorbell rings, and telephone rings.

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