Categories: Pets

An Introduction to Sun Conures as Pets

Sun conures are probably the most popular pet parrot in the U.S., and it’s not hard to see why — they’re gorgeous! Tame and friendly sun conures are also social, lovable, and very intelligent. Their smaller size makes them much easier to keep in the average home than macaws or cockatoos, but they have just as much personality. However, not all is “sunny” in the world of sun conures. Far too often, cuddly baby sun conures are sold to unsuspecting people who only then discover just how difficult these lovely little animals can be. First, there’s that VOICE. If they aren’t evicted or forced to give up the bird because of the awful racket, they may keep baby Sunny around until he grows up… only to discover a sexually mature parrot can be a little terror! Sun conures are very popular, but they’re also one of the birds most likely to be rehomed and end up at rescue organizations. By far the best way to prevent this happening is to do your research and educate yourself before bringing home one of these lovely, but potentially home-wreaking, little parrots. Which I suppose is why you’re here!

First things first. I consider it important to know not just about the pet bird, but about the wild bird. Even the most humanized sun conure is only a few generations from wild, at most. This means that in a very basic sense, our pet sun conures are wild animals. Hand-raising them makes them tame, but not domestic. It’s no different than raising a tiger cub in the home and calling it a pet. Sun conures aren’t going to maul you to death, thankfully, but just like a pet tiger, they still have all their wild behaviors and instincts. Domestic animals like cats and dogs can be expected to fit well into our homes, with a little training. After all, our homes are their natural habitat! But with wild animals like sun conures, the fit doesn’t always come easily. People who choose to keep wild animals must be willing to adjust their lifestyles to their pet’s, rather than the other way around.

Wild sun conures have only a fairly small range in northeastern South America. Despite their bright “rainforest” colors, they live in dry woodlands. They’re usually seen in small flocks of a dozen or two birds, probably family groups. They feed in the forest canopy on a variety of fruits, flowers, seeds, nuts, plant matter, and likely grubs and other small invertebrates. It was thought the wild population was doing well until recent surveys, which found them gone from most of their range and very rare where they do still exist. In 2008, they were uplisted to Endangered by the IUCN Red List, which estimates their population at less than 2,500. Habitat loss may be a problem, as sun conures seem to require fairly large areas of intact forest, but by far the greatest threat to wild sun conures is trapping for the pet trade. These illegal birds probably do not enter the U.S. — importing wild-caught birds has been banned here since 1993. Although some illegal importation of parrots still occurs, it probably isn’t economically worthwhile to bring sun conures across the border when so many captive-bred birds are available. But trade in wild-caught sun conures, legal and illegal, continues in other countries. It would truly be a shame if their desirability as pets leads to the extinction of sun conures as wild, free animals As pet keepers, there’s not much we can do but support organizations that protect parrots in the wild, such as the WWF, BirdLife International, and World Parrot Trust.

In captivity, though, sun conures are doing just fine. They’ve always been favored by bird breeders because of their high desirability and fairly high prices, and they’re quite prolific as well. Pairs often nest two or three times a year, producing as many as five or six chicks per clutch. In the U.S., prices vary, but generally range in the $250-$500 range for tame birds from breeders, up to $700 from retail pet shops. Sun conures are readily available in most areas and it shouldn’t be difficult finding a quality breeder who can offer a well-raised, tame youngster with a health guarantee. Alternatively, consider adopting an adult conure from a rescue organization or someone who must give up their pet. Sun conures normally adjust well to new homes, and adult birds have some advantages over young ones. Their personalities are already developed, so if you find an adult you really hit it off with, you don’t have to worry about things changing too much down the line. Often, these birds have few or no behavioral issues, and may have only been given up because of their loud voices — a trait of all sun conures.

We must talk about that voice. For most people who live with sun conures, this is the single greatest drawback of their pet. Suns have high-pitched, high-volume, screechy voices which they like to use on a regular basis, just for fun. This is part of a sun’s natural behavior repertoire and often a signal of a happy bird. Screaming is not something that can be trained out of a sun, and shouldn’t be discouraged. This normal, healthy screaming is enough to get them evicted from some homes. It can get worse. All parrots are socially needy, and sun conures more than most, and if they learn that screaming will get them attention, they’ll do it much more often. Suns will also scream when bored, frustrated, or generally stressed. This “problem screaming” can become habitual and difficult to resolve. It’s much easier to prevent than to treat, by never teaching young birds that screaming will get them attention of any kind, and keeping them entertained and emotionally healthy. All sun conures scream, but some scream much less than others.

Unfortunately for those with their heart set on a talking parrot, this big voice doesn’t necessarily translate into talking ability. Suns can and often do talk, but most individuals never learn more than a few words, and have squeaky, difficult-to-understand voices.

I like to look at their loud voices as a manifestation of sun conures’ loud personalities. Individually, sun conures can be very different from each other — some are outgoing, others shy, some lean towards aggressive, others are very gentle — but whatever they’re feeling, they’ll show it in ways that are obvious to anyone who can recognize a bird’s signals. They’re highly emotional birds and display these emotions without reserve. This is in contrast to their African alternatives, the Poicephalus parrots, for instance, who can be quite subtle. Conures are not subtle, as a rule.

Many sun conures are cuddlebugs, and this is especially true of youngsters. Baby sun conures are oh so easy to fall in love with! They seem to want nothing more than to be with you, as close as possible, preferably snuggled into your cupped hands or pressed against your neck, even under your shirt. This is where it becomes so easy to respond to them every time they call, thereby training them that screaming gets them what they want. Their neediness is adorable and, I must say, flattering, but if they’re not taught to be more independent as they grow up, sun conures can remain emotionally needy and unbalanced throughout their lives. This isn’t good for them, and it often means problem behaviors that their keepers find difficult to deal with, as well.

Sun conures should absolutely get all the attention their humans can spare for them — they’re flock birds, after all, who in the wild would never be apart from their flockmates. But this attention must be given in ways that encourage independent play and discourages overdependence. Their flockmates wouldn’t dote on them every time they wished to be doted on, and neither should you. Instead, acting like a true flockmate, participate in activities together with your pet — eating, playing, cuddling — but don’t let him make all the demands or set the rules.

It’s extremely important that sun conures are encouraged to entertain themselves independently, but they also must have the means to do so. In the wild, there’s always something to do — parrots spend a large portion of their time foraging for food, which is basically a combination of play and eating. In a house, with all their basic needs provided for and nothing much else to do, birds get bored. This is where cages and toys come in. Sure, cages are for containing your pet, but they shouldn’t be just a prison. The cage should be a home where your bird feels comfortable, safe, and, yes, entertained. Size is important. I recommend a minimum cagesize of about 18″ x 18″ x 30″, with wide cages being better than tall, narrow ones. If possible, I also recommend having a playstand — or even several — in other areas of the house, so the bird has more than one space to hang out and see the world from.

Older birds who were never offered enough toys may not appreciate them, but most sun conures love toys. They should be offered a variety, and toys should be rotated or replaced regularly. Conures will use many sorts of toys ranging from smaller, cockatiel-type toys with small beads and string, to large, climbable toys like swings, rope “boings” and the like, even those sized for birds as large as Amazons and greys. I especially recommend forage toys to keep your bird entertained. These are toys with treats in them that require a little thinking or dexterity to get to, such as tiny pinata toys, treat “cages” and skewers, and the like. They can also be made by wrapping treats in paper or in wax-free Dixie cups. Homemade toys in general are just as good as store-bought and much cheaper. Just be sure to use bird-safe materials.

Eating is entertainment for conures, too, which is one reason to feed them a wide variety of foods. The other is simple nutrition — no pellet or boxed food can replicate the variety and quality of fresh, whole foods. Dry foods are great for snacking on between meals and can form up to 50% of the diet, but a variety should be offered: not just pellets, but also seeds, grains such as barley, brown rice, oats, etc. and legumes such as peas and lentils. (Other beans should only be fed cooked.) The other half of the diet should be fresh fruits and vegetables, the more variety the better, as well as cooked beans and even a little meat and low-lactose dairy (yogurts and cheeses.) Colorful orange-, red- and yellow-fleshed produce such as carrots, sweet potatoes, peaches, cantaloupe, winter squashes, etc., as well as dark leafy greens, tend to be the highest in the more important nutrients, but all produce can be fed except for avocados. Avocados are toxic to parrots and can kill. Veggies can be fed raw or cooked, depending on your bird’s preference and what you’ve got to offer. Nearly all tame parrots love the social experience of sharing meals, so if you eat healthy, feel free to share yours, or make your bird his own meals he can eat while you eat yours.

The truth is, sun conures are not easy pets to care for. Their diet is more complicated than opening a package and throwing it in a dish, they need constant sources of entertainment, and they have large and complex social and emotional needs. They can be expensive, not just to buy but to care for, and avian veterinarians can be hard to find and even more expensive than dog and cat vets. But if they’re respected as the wild, independent, sentient beings they are, sun conures can develop amazingly deep, close relationships with their people. And these relationships can last a long time. Properly cared for, sun conures can live 20-30 years.