Conure for me!

[Friend of the Feathered]

I posted this in the conure section too, but maybe I'll get more responses here...

I am getting a conure in the near future, and I think I have decided on a Dusky, since they are said to be on the quiet and peaceful side. The only problem is finding a hand-fed baby in my area

Any advice for a future conure owner? I have done my research, but just wanted to see if there were any hints/tips/stories from any of you!

Oh, and does anyone here have duskies?

[Friend of the Feathered]

BUMP

[Lori L]

Have no fear, I think the conure people are all out having a couple of cocktails...I'm sure someone with a dusky will answer. Be patient

I just got a Sun Conure so I'm a pretty new conure owner myself

[SweetPea]

Genus Aratinga This is by far one of the most popular genus of conures. There is some disagreement regarding the actual number of species, but the number seems to be between 15 and 21. The scientific name Aratinga derives from the fact that these birds are similar to macaws (genus Ara): "tinga" is a diminutive, so that "aratinga" means "little macaw."
Some of the birds that fall under this genus include the Sharp-tailed Conure, the Blue-crowned Conure, the Mexican Green Conure, the Red-throated Conure, the Brown-throated Conure, the Sun Conure, the Jenday Conure, The Finsch's Conure, the Mitred Conure, the Dusky Conure and the Queen of Bavaria Conure.

Genus Nandayus nenday This species is a very close relative to the Aratinga. In fact, it is listed as Aratinga or Nandayus nenday. The Nanday Conure is native to southeastern Bolivia, northern Argentina, and Paraguay. The birds live in large flocks, often together with Monk Parakeets. Nanday conures are considered to be sociable birds, even with other species. Their coloring consists of a blue-black head, cheeks and throats.

Genus Brotogeris These green colored parakeets have narrow tails and long, pointed wings that cover the tail. Some species are imported regularly every year and make ideal aviary birds. Some of the species that fall under this genus are the Tirica Parakeet, the Canary-winged Parakeet, the Orange-chinned Parakeet, the golden-winged Parakeet and the Grey Cheeked Parakeet. A great site featuring these birds can be found at The Grey-Cheeked Parakeet Page.

Genus Enicognathus This genus includes two currently quite popular species, the Slender-billed Conure and Austral Conure. Both come from southern South America. The Austral conure is mainly green, with most of the feathers darkly edged. The forehead and eye stripe are red. These birds are native to southern Argentina and Chile. The slender- billed conure is green, with an olive-colored belly. The flight feathers are bluish. They can be found in central Chili in noisy groups of 50-300 birds. In spring they move to the mountains.

Genus Cyanoliseus The Patagonian conure and its three subspecies belong to the genus Cyanoliseus. The Lesser Patagonian conure's upper side is olive-brown with an olive green sheen. This bird ranges from southern to central Argentina, occasionally into Uruguay. These birds have become increasing popular in aviculture, although their voices are loud and piercing. The Greater Patagonian is somewhat larger than the Patagonian conure and has a more robust beak. These birds are very hardy and need a daily supply of fruit tree and willow twigs, as well as thick branches, to satisfy their desire to chew.

Genus Pyrrhura Many members of this interesting genus are not often seen on the market, which is a shame because they are very beautiful birds and it is said they are not nearly as noisy as the Aratinga species. They are also said to be minimally destructive if regularly supplied with fresh twigs to occupy their attention. This genus includes the Green-Cheeked Conure, Blue-Throated Conure, the Painted Conure, the White-Eared Conure, the Crimson-bellied Conure, the Black-Capped Conure and the Maroon-bellied Conure.

[SweetPea]

unfortunately, the dusky falls in the artinga category, and they are the ones that gives conure the reputation of high pitch screeches...

my friend has a dusky, and it is quite loud..

as for me, i have a black capped conure that falls in the pyrrhua group, and he is quite quiet...the only time he makes noise is when he gets beat up by my lovies... lol.

so if you want a quiet birdie from hte conure species, i suggest one from the pyrrhua group...

if you cant find a breeder that sells hand fed babies, try petsmart..

they have hand fed birdies there, although they are a bit more pricey...

i got my gummy from petsmart, and he came tamed and very sweet!

[TooLover]

Sorry Sweetpea - have to disagree. Depends on what part of the country you are from as far as Petsmarts! My suggestion is a breeder who actually takes the time to play with the baby. Our Petsmarts here are awful, and the birds are NOt tame nor playful. Again, it depends on your area.
I have no conures so can't give advise on any of them.
I do wish you luck and please let us know what you have decided on!

[SweetPea]

i guess that can be true.... our petsmart is pretty good... all their birds are pretty well taken care of, see the vet, and we are even given a vet reference upon purchase. also they are fed a variety of food,and even given fresh food!

i always go in there and play with them.... and my gummy bear just caught my eyes... he was lyig on his back playing with a toy, and when he saw me, he stopped and ran straight towards me.. the girl took him out, sand he was all cute and cuddly, gave me a kiss, and climbed all over me! i just fell in love!

[Friend of the Feathered]

What a nice story! We don't have a petsmart...and I am glad b/c our petco is bad enough But i'm glad yours is good!

[Alika]

Oh, a dusky! Good choice! I handfed a dusky conure once, and I so loved that bird... I wish I could have taken him home. He was the sweetest little thing. He used to walk around with me cuddled up against my chest. He liked to climb into my shirt pocket and cuddle in there. I was so sad when that bird was sold.

[Friend of the Feathered]

Oh how cute!!! I hope I can get one!