Conures are the gateway parrot for many first-time owners, and they are also one of the most commonly rehomed parrot species. The pattern is consistent. The bird is acquired young, bonds intensely with one person, becomes louder and more demanding around age 2 to 3, and ends up advertised on Craigslist by year four with vague language about needing more attention. The honest version is that conures need exactly the attention they need from day one, and the owner discovered too late that this was more than they had time for. This guide covers what conure ownership actually requires, with focus on the elements that get glossed over in pet-store conversations.
Species matters: green cheek vs sun vs jenday vs nanday
The word “conure” covers more than 40 species, and the differences between them are large enough that no single care guide applies cleanly to all.
Green cheek conure (Pyrrhura molinae). The quietest, smallest, and most apartment-suitable. 10 inches long, 60 to 80 grams, 25-year lifespan. Calls peak around 90 dB. Personality is curious, mischievous, often comical. The most common pick for first-time conure owners.
Sun conure (Aratinga solstitialis). Stunning orange and yellow plumage, 12 inches long, 100 to 130 grams. Calls peak at 120 dB and the bird vocalizes frequently. Sociable, affectionate, but absolutely not apartment-suitable. A sun conure call at full volume carries through walls, floors, and most ceilings.
Jenday conure (Aratinga jandaya). Similar to sun conure in size and noise but with a green back. Same caveats apply.
Nanday conure (Aratinga nenday). Black face, green body. Loud, intelligent, often very vocal. Less popular but excellent personality.
For the rest of this guide, assume green cheek conure baseline unless noted otherwise. Sun and jenday owners should scale up cage size and accept the noise reality.
Cage size and setup
A conure cage is not a place where the bird is stored. It is the bird’s home, and the size matters for behavior, not just basic welfare.
Minimum dimensions:
- Green cheek conure: 24 by 24 by 30 inches, half-inch bar spacing
- Sun, jenday, nanday: 30 by 30 by 36 inches, three-quarter inch bar spacing
- Pair of conures (same or compatible species): scale up by at least 50 percent
Required cage furnishings:
- 3 to 5 perches of varying diameter and material (natural wood branches preferred over uniform dowels)
- At least 2 food bowls and one water bowl, positioned away from perches where droppings could fall into them
- 6 to 8 toys covering shredding, foraging, and manipulation categories
- A foraging area or hanging foraging toy
- Cuttlebone or mineral block for calcium
Cage placement:
- A room where the family spends evenings (not a back bedroom)
- Away from kitchen (non-stick cookware fumes are lethal to birds in minutes)
- Out of direct sunlight that cannot be retreated from
- Not next to drafty windows or HVAC vents
- One side against a wall for security
Diet beyond seed
Pet-store recommendations for conures still default to seed mixes, and these mixes are the single largest factor in conure premature death.
A correct conure diet:
- 60 to 70 percent high-quality pellet (Harrison’s, TOPs, Roudybush, Zupreem Natural)
- 20 to 25 percent fresh produce (leafy greens, broccoli, carrot, bell pepper, berries)
- 5 to 10 percent cooked grains and legumes (cooked quinoa, brown rice, lentils)
- 5 percent or less seeds, nuts, and treats
Foods to avoid absolutely:
- Avocado (toxic to birds)
- Chocolate (toxic)
- Caffeine and alcohol
- Onion and garlic (toxic in quantity)
- Fruit pits and apple seeds (cyanide-containing)
- Salty, sugary, or fatty human foods
Transitioning from seed: A seed-addicted conure can be slowly switched to pellets over 4 to 8 weeks by mixing pellets with the seed and gradually shifting the ratio. Forcing the switch by removing all seed instantly is dangerous and can lead to a bird that refuses to eat.
Sleep: 10 to 12 hours, dark and quiet
Conures need a long sleep cycle to maintain health and hormonal stability. Sleep-deprived conures become aggressive, hormonally activated, and prone to plucking.
Sleep requirements:
- 10 to 12 hours of dark sleep per night
- Cover the cage or use a separate sleep cage in a quiet dark room
- Consistent bedtime within a 30-minute window
- No television, lights, or activity in the sleep area during the sleep period
A conure that goes to bed at 7 pm and wakes at 7 am in a covered cage is a different bird from one that gets 6 hours of broken sleep with the TV on. The difference is most visible in temperament and feather quality after 3 to 4 weeks of consistent sleep hygiene.
Out-of-cage time and social bonding
Conures are intensely social. A bird kept in a cage with brief 30-minute interactions develops abnormal behavior. The minimum out-of-cage time is 2 to 3 hours per day, and 4 to 6 hours is more appropriate for a well-bonded bird.
Typical out-of-cage activities:
- Sitting on the owner’s shoulder while doing household tasks
- Play stand near the family’s main activity area
- Toys, foraging puzzles, and shreddable items in the play area
- Training sessions (target training, recall, trick training)
- Bathing or misting 2 to 3 times per week
Hazards during out-of-cage time:
- Ceiling fans (turn off any time the bird is out)
- Open windows and unscreened doors
- Other pets, especially dogs and cats with high prey drive
- Toilets, sinks, and large water containers (drowning risk)
- Hot stovetops, candles, and reactive surfaces
- Toxic houseplants (lily, sago palm, dieffenbachia)
Noise: the honest conversation
The most frequent reason conures are rehomed is noise. A bird-savvy owner accepts conure vocalization as part of the package. An owner who needs the bird to be quiet during work calls or evenings is going to be unhappy with any conure and miserable with a sun conure.
Realistic noise pattern:
- 15 to 30 minutes of loud calling at sunrise
- 15 to 30 minutes of loud calling at sunset
- Periodic excited calling throughout the day, especially when the family enters or leaves a room
- Quiet talking, chirping, and chatter for most of the day
This pattern is not a problem. It is what conures do. Apartment owners considering a sun conure should visit a household with one before committing. The noise reality is not communicable in words alone.
When to consult a vet
Conures hide illness skillfully until the disease is advanced. Signs that warrant an avian-experienced vet visit within 24 hours:
- Fluffed-up posture for more than a few minutes
- Tail bobbing with each breath
- Discharge from nares or eyes
- Sudden change in droppings (color, consistency, frequency)
- Loss of appetite for more than one meal
- Sitting on the cage floor
- Sudden silence in a normally vocal bird
An annual avian vet exam, including bloodwork after age 3, is the single most cost-effective preventive measure. This guide is husbandry advice and not a substitute for veterinary care. See our methodology for the testing approach we apply to bird-care articles.
Frequently asked questions
Are sun conures or green cheek conures louder?+
Sun conures are dramatically louder. A sun conure call routinely measures 110 to 120 dB at close range, in the same range as a chainsaw. A green cheek conure peaks closer to 85 to 95 dB. For apartment dwellers or noise-sensitive households, green cheek is the only realistic option among common conure species.
How big does a conure cage need to be?+
For a single green cheek conure, minimum 24 by 24 by 30 inches with bar spacing of half an inch to three-quarters of an inch. For a sun conure or larger species, 30 by 30 by 36 inches minimum. Width and depth matter more than height because conures need horizontal flight space. Cages sold as conure cages at pet stores are usually too small.
Can conures live alone?+
Yes, with substantial daily attention. A single conure bonded to a human treats that person as its mate and needs 3 to 5 hours of out-of-cage time and interaction daily. Without it, the bird develops screaming, plucking, or aggression. A pair of conures will bond strongly with each other and need less human interaction but will also be less hand-tame.
What is the conure bite force, and is it dangerous?+
An adult green cheek conure has a bite force around 350 PSI at the tip of the beak. A sun or jenday conure can exceed 500 PSI. Both can break skin and draw blood. Conure bites are rarely dangerous to adults but can be serious for children or for hands of someone on blood thinners. Bite training and clear handling boundaries matter.
How long do conures live?+
Green cheek conures live 15 to 25 years with proper diet and care. Sun conures live 20 to 30 years. This is a 20-year commitment in both cases. The leading causes of premature death are fatty liver disease from seed-heavy diets, respiratory disease from non-stick cookware fumes, and accidents (drowning, ceiling fans, doors).
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Priya Sharma
Priya Sharma writes for The Tested Hub.