Sun Conure Profile - All The Facts You Need To Know

A Sun Conure gets its name from its warm, summery tones of yellow, orange, green, and the rest of the colours of the rainbow. A sun conure will not only brighten up any room but it will brighten up your life and heart too.

Common names: Sun conure, sun parakeet

Scientific name: Aratinga solstitialis

Adult size: 12 inches or 30 cm

Weight: up to 4 ounces or 110 grams

Life span: 25 to 30 years

Personality: Cheeky, social, playful, funny, extremely cute. Sun conures smart, interactive, athletic, fun and highly trainable. They can also be very cuddly and loving to their chosen human flock. Sun conures aren't shy and think they are big and tough even though they are small. They can be nippy or aggressive if they are fearful, annoyed or provoked.

Loudness level: Extreme but — it can be trained. This species will let you know vocally if they are bored, need attention or if their needs are being neglected. Gender: The sexes are practically identical in colour and markings. To determine sex, your bird would require genetic testing.

Colour: Mature sun conures bodies are mainly bright yellow, with plenty of reddish-orange details, mostly on the belly and the face. The back over wings is lush green, with some details that are blue. Juvenile sun conures are less colourful. The first feathers are olive green in colour, which start to change into yellow around 6 months of age. Full-Colour plumage occurs at approximately 18 months to 2 years of age.

Origin: The sun conure is native to northeastern South America, including Venezuela, northern Brazil, and Guyana. They are mostly found in inland tropical habitats, but can also be spotted in the dry savanna woodlands and coastal forests.

Diet: In the wild, sun conures enjoy a variety of fruit, nuts, and seeds but in captivity, they do best on a balanced diet with leafy greens, assorted veggies, healthy grains, and pellets with fruits, nuts, seeds fed as treats. You can give them an unlimited amount of pellet food; they will only eat what they need. As for a fresh chop with veggies, grains and legumes can be offered in the morning and in the evening too. Water must be changed regularly and daily.

Exercise: As with any bird, proper exercise is imperative to good health. Sun conures are very active and athletic birds so they need adequate space to fly, explore, and play. Your sun conure should get at least 3 hours of out-of-the-cage time each day. Foraging and other forms of enrichment are essential as well. Sun conures need a variety of intriguing toys to keep their minds and beaks busy. The toys should be rotated regularly to prevent boredom.

Sun conures are social birds and can be great companions for those who can dedicate a considerable amount of time each day to them. Sun conures thrive off of interaction, they are naturally playful and cuddly when they get the attention they need. If you want to have a positive relationship with your bird, training is the key. Birds respond well to positive reinforcement for training and do not respond well to scolding or negative reinforcement.