sun conures?

Question

I'm thinking of adopting a pet parrot after I finish school but I need a little help.
what is your experience with sun conures? any mood differences with sex? how are their personalities in a general sense?
would you advise a different parrot breed?

Answer 1

While sun conures are indeed very, very eye pleasing and beautiful and full of spunk, they're incredibly, insanely, ear-piercingly loud. So loud that if one were to squawk, you could hear it from two or more blocks away. They're very prone to picking up habits such as squawking for attention, simply because they can, and if you don't deal with this properly, neither you or the parrot will be happy. They're pretty obnoxious (among other parrots, they're very obnoxious), but by no means does this supercede their affection and love for their people.

If you're a beginner parrot owner, I would suggest a calmer, quieter parrot that is more easily tameable and cooperative. If you're still interested in conures, do a Google search for "pyrrhura conure" because that family of conures is known to be the more gentle, quiet, and calm family, while the sun conure belongs to the "aratingata" family. This family is definitely known for their piercing shriek. Many people suggest green cheeked conures because they are sweet and good for first time owners. They have a similar temperament to a cockatiel, which is also a good bird to consider.

If you're not into long term commitments (40 years and up) look towards the smaller parrot breeds, such as budgies, cockatiels, lovebirds, and parrotlets. They're smaller, but this does not take away any of their personality, as they're all affectionately named "huge parrot personalities in tiny bodies". Cockatiels and budgies are good "beginner" pets, but no matter what, the pet you want and have researched to the Nth degree is the one that will suit you best. The reason people recommend those is because they're generally easier to tame and care for, while others may have more complex needs. For example, some birds easily become neurotic without X amount of attention, some require totally different diets like nectar-eating birds (lories and lorikeets).

By sex, in general, birds aren't too different. You may notice signs of affection from males to be a bit of a nuisance. It can be anywhere from regurgitating for you or something he's bonded to in or out of his cage to humping things. With females, it's more of a health risk as if they're broody and hormonal, they'll try to lay eggs. This drains calcium and other essential nutrients and if the egg becomes lodged, it can be life threatening. In some species, males will be more vocal and singy, while females may be the better talkers if that species has a high ability to speak at all.

If you really want to look deep into a sun conure (I should also add: if you're living in an apartment or condo where you're going to be linked directly to other people's homes, a sun conure is NOT for you), you should really check out http://www.rationalparrot.com because the creator of that site has a few birds (along with a zoo of animals apart from that) of varying species, one includes a sun conure, and she has a webpage specifically about screaming. There are also other useful "essays" you should read on there that concern general parrot care, such as diet, biting issues, whether to clip or not clip flight feathers, owning various species of animals in the same home, etc. etc.

Lastly, may I recommend a few sites? You say you want to adopt, so it leads me to assume you're headed to a rescue or a shelter. Even if you're not, I strongly urge it! Many people think if you get a baby parrot, you can get it acclimated to you faster and train it to do what you want so you /have/ to get it from a breeder or pet store. I have to say that taking in adult birds is equally, if not more, rewarding. Not only have you skipped the terrible stage of sexual maturity where this sweet, innocent baby you once knew forgets everything you taught it because these hormones have taken over, and they become nippy and uncooperative. It takes a lot of work to get that sweet bird back, but adult birds have been worked with by rescues and foster parents. They can also tell you exactly what the bird likes and what it eats, so you don't have to waste your money doing trial tests on toys and food. Plus, you'd be giving a bird a second chance and I promise that won't be regretted. They're so grateful to go to loving forever homes and transfer bonds well, so you will definitely feel the love from them. Anyway, http://www.mickaboo.com is a fantastic avian rescue in CA and definitely worth checking out if you're within decent driving distance. You may also want to look through http://www.petfinder.com to see if any rescues near you have listed any birds you'd be interested in.

Good luck!

Answer 2

You really didn't give much information to be able to suggest a parrot that would fit well into your lifestyle. Since you mentioned that you are a student that means that you will be going out into the work force. Which helps in deciding how much time you will have with your new parrot.

Sun Conure: is a great first bird. They can be sweet and playful at the same time. they do not require that you be home all day and they are fairly quiet for apartment living.

Cockatiel: is another great first bird. They are lovable, playful, and curious. they also do not require you to be home all day and it's fairly is to take care of. They are quiet enough for apartment living.

Quaker: This is a fun parrot. You might want to read up on them a little. they have a great talking ability they are playful but can also become aggressive if not given enough attention. they can be VERY loud.

Parrotlet: this is a cute little parrot (not parakeet) just a little bigger than the size of your thumb with a big parrot attitude. They are quiet due to their size but lovable and fun to have around.

Any of the smaller conures and of course indian ringnecks.

for a bit larger you might consider an eclectus or timneh gray. Stay away from cockatoos you are still too young and don't have enough time. You'll probably want to stay clear of macaws until you are able to stay home when you are older. they need more attention and interaction with their owners

Which ever parrot you decide to get remember that just because they aren't velcro birds they still need a good amount of human interaction and out of cage time every single day. 2 hours of out of cage time a day is best. Do research before buying and see which bird is going to fit best into your lifestyle.

Answer 3

I just skimmed through the answers so sorry if I am going over what has already been said.

I am owned by a 6month old Sun Conure named Friday.
Sun Conures YES can be VERY VERY Loud when they want to be. and even though yours may not be all the time remember the Ability is there, which can eventually turn into habit.
I read the last Answer, and they are DEFINATELY like babies.
Mine requires me to keep a steady routine with him and he has to be out of his cage so many hours a day to be happy.
Mine literally Eats with me, Sleeps with me(naps), Showers with me, and he is CONSTANTLY on me.
Sun Conures are GREAT birds if Properly Trained, Kept Happy & Healthy. I love my Friday to death but sometimes I could do without his screaming and wanting me so much. But, it all comes with Parrrothood lol..

The personality of any Sun Conure I've met has been AWESOME...They love human attention and thrive on it.
For a first time bird owner I myself would recommend another breed of bird other than a Sun Conure.
I bought my Sun Conure for $250 which was a steal with the usualy price of $300-$450. then I payed $100 for his cage, $70 for his toys, $40 for his various perches, bowls, cuttle bone...and then $20 for the other foods/treats I got him.
So I ended up sending around $500 + on Friday to get started. I dont mean to scare you but, its the facts of life with any bird. To give them an adequate Living space(cage) & all his ther Essentials to be happy then you will need some money to get started.

Answer 4

If you have never had a parrot before I would suggest you start with another kind of bird, and if you live in an apartment don't get one regardless
All conures have extroverted personalities, they want attention, they want company, and they need to be out of their cages and with you (actually any companion bird needs to spend time out of it's cage with you)
A much under rated bird is a hand tamed parakeet. They can be very affectionate and have a vocabulary of up to 100 words.
A cockatiel is another great pet, also affectionate and sweeter than a conure

Answer 5

i have a maroon belly sun conure. Somehow he had been taken away from his mom too early( i didnt have him first, someone i knew ended up wihth him and couldnt take care of him), so i had to mash up his baby bird formula and syringe feed him( cause its similar to a mom's beak) anyways..hes never been treated badly by any male ever, but only likes females, especially me otherwise hes very vicious. He is a sweetheart tho and a little trickster, if my dad tries to hold him he'll pretend like hes going to sit on his shoulder and then bite my dads ears. Anyways he'll cuddle up under my hair and fall asleep while we watch tv. I'm sure that his mood and gender preference is only with him tho. They are very pretty, not messy (unless u have dogs cause like like to throw their food to the other animals lol) they dont talk but they will mimic whistling, doors squeaking, or any little clicking noise u make with ur mouth. Other parrots are pretty big and a little more expensive..otherwise i would say an african grey if you wanted a parrot that could talk or something like that.

Answer 6

Conures are very, very noisy! Sun conures are beautiful. They are easy to keep, very clownish. I'd advise getting a male, they are more likely to talk and you never have to worry about it getting egg bound.
I currently own a brown throated conure.

Answer 7

These people have no clue what they are talking about!!!!! I have a sun conure and he was my first bird!!!! they are like babies and they do need lots of love. If you have alot of time on your hands i would say its ok to get one but if not i would choose another type.

Answer 8

sun conures are pretty but very loud, try marron bellied conures instead, or a cockatiel.