Sun Conure

Adult sun conures are bright and bold, but the young aren’t nearly as colorful.

At maturity, a sun conure is bright orange and yellow with traces of green and blue on their wings and tail. Juvenile sun conures, however, are not nearly as colorful as adults. This is actually a natural defense mechanism. The young sun conure’s first feathers are olive green in color, evolving to a mixture of yellow and orange at around six-months-old. They receive their full-color plumage at approximately one-year-old. Sun conures also have black beaks and feet and white patches around both eyes.

Like fingernails, sun conures trim their beaks.

Much like our fingernails, sun conures’ beaks are made of keratin and grows continuously throughout its life. Because of this, sun conures must trim down their beaks periodically to a proper length and shape in order for it to stay healthy. It is not unusual to see a sun conure sitting with a twig or other stick, shredding it. The constant chewing keeps the beak trim. The birds will, at the same time, strip the thin bark of a twig and gain nourishment from the underlying cambium layer. The birds are also often observed rubbing their beaks on rough surfaces, which helps to maintain the beak as well.

Birds of a feather, flock together.

Sun conures like to sleep in tree hollows, sometimes communally. They are often seen in large flocks and can give themselves away with raucous squawking. Their call is shrill and carries some distance.

Flocks of conures will follow the wave of ripening fruit and can become bothersome in an agricultural area. A large flock can do considerable damage to the trees, as well as the fruit crop.