Brown-throated Conures - also known as the Brown-throated Parakeets or St. Thomas Conures
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The Brown-throated Conures (Aratinga pertinax) - also known as the Brown-throated Parakeets or St. Thomas Conures - are endemic to northern South America, specifically Aruba, Barbados, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, French Guiana, Guyana, Mexico, Netherlands Antilles, Panama, Puerto Rico, Suriname, Venezuela, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Their natural habitats include subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, and subtropical or tropical dry shrubland.
Description:
The Brown-throated Conure averages 10 ins (25 cm) in length. Its general plumage is green. The forehead, sides of head and chin are yellowish-orange. The crown is bluish, and the throat and upper breast are pale olive-brown. The lower breast is yellowish-green, turning into orange on the abdomen. The under wing-coverts are yellowish-green. The tips of the primaries (longest wing feathers) are bluish. The outer webs of secondaries blue and the underside of tail and wings are olive-yellow. They have a whitish periophthalmic ring and yellow irises. The bill is blackish and the feet are grey.
Immature brown-throated conureshave brown cheeks and horn-colored upper beak,; throat and upper breast are greenish.
Similar Species:
The Brown-throated Conure looks similar to the Aztec Conure - however, the Brown-throated Conure can easily be distinguished by he yellow rings around its eyes. (Please refer to photo above)
Personality / Pet Potential:
The Brown-throated Conure, and its related subspecies (listed below), are intelligent birds that have the capability to talk. However, as is the case with any parrot species, there never is a guarantee that an individual bird will actually learn to talk.
Brown-throated Conures usually make very affectionate pets - provided they are well socialized and handled frequently. Brown-throated Conures tend to choose one member of the family to bond with rather than bonding with multiple people.
The Brown-throated Conure may be very loud and can be prone to destructive behavior. They need to have plenty of toys to keep them from growing bored.
The Brown Throated Conure has an average lifespan of 10 years, though - with proper care - they can live to be 25.
They love to play!
They are very active parrots that like to play, explore and chew. Lots of toys are recommended to keep their beaks from "getting busy" on your furniture.
- Toys can be home-made or purchased online or are available at your local bird store.
- Toys can also be things that I bet you never thought were toys at all! Please refer to the foraging page for easy, inexpensive or FREE tips to entertain your pet.
How much attention do they need?
Like all parrots, they are social birds. They do require daily interaction with their social group, entertainment, things to do -- or else they will become bored and develop behavioral problems. In the wild, they would never leave the company of their flockmates. In a captive pet situation, a hand-fed conure requires the same social interaction from you and your family.
If you have little time to give, a parrot would not be a good choice for you. You would need someone at home several hours a day at a minimum, preferably someone should be home most of the day. I would recommend that there be people at home, with the bird, for at least several hours every day or the majority of day.
It's best to keep your pet conure where the center of activity is, usually the family room, and leave the cage door open or allow your pet to be on a playpen whenever someone is at home. During this time some direct interaction should be provided, such as talking to your pet, petting it, or placing it on your shoulder while you surf the internet, watch tv or go about your other activities. My parrot even joins me in the gym!
Do they make good family pets?
In general, conures make good family pets as long as they have been well socialized. They don't mind a lot of activity - in fact, the more "fun stuff" is going on, the more entertained and happier they tend to be. They usually get along well with all family members, although they are likely to eventually choose a favorite; but as long as they are exposed to, and socialized by, other family members, they should maintain their friendliness with the others. Conures love to be touched and handled - another reason why they often do well with kids.
However, they go through nippy phases that can be hard on children as well as on adults. Teaching the child appropriate handling of the conure will help prevent some painful experiences - however, it will never entirely eliminate them. The tamest pet bird gets startled and bites - without this being a true reflection on its personality. It's a natural reaction. Experienced pet owners learn to read the body language of their pets and can avoid most of these "accidental encounters." Training is important to prevent an accidental bite from turning into a behavioral problem.
It is difficult to instruct smaller children on proper parrot handling, and their interactions with the conure should always be supervised. But children who have learned to handle the conure gently and confidently usually don't have a big problem with aggression. How well the child-parrot interaction goes really depends on the maturity level of the child, as well as the proper socialization-level of the parrot. Admittedly though, some genetics come into play as well. Some individual parrots are more aggressive than others. Often this is a family trait and one parrot pair produces sweet babies, while others produce nippy offspring. Sweet babies can turn nippy, if not socialized well, and nippy (usually nervous / fearful birds) can be taught to be good family pets. Birds do pick up on stress and anger that we humans may feel and this can impact their personality and likelihood to be aggressive towards us. It is always best to approach a bird calmly and focus on, and enjoy, the interaction with the parrot rather than reflecting on problems in your life. Doing so will actually be conducive to your own health, as it will help you relax.
There never will be a guarantee that a meaningful relationship between the children in the family and the pet parrot develops and if things don't go well, the conure may end up being a pet for the adults only. For this reason, it is not recommended to buy a parrot as a pet for the kids - this needs to be a family pet, with the adults taking on most of the responsibility.
Training and Behavioral Guidance:
Conures, albeit their smaller size, do present their challenges, and they are not the best "starter" birds, although some species are easier to keep than others. Conures are known for their loud and harsh calls, which is a natural way of communication and social interaction and shouldn't be "trained away" -- however, they can develop into excessive screamers, which really requires early intervention. Conures will discover their beaks as method of "disciplining us" once they are out of the "baby stage" and they can generally be somewhat naughty, as can all parrots. It really is important to learn to understand them and to guide their behavior before an undesirable behavior has been established. Undisciplined parrots will chew on electric wiring potentially causing house fires. They regard anything in your home as a "toy" that can be explored and chewed on; destroying items that you may hold dear or are simply valuable. Even a young bird that has not been neglected and abused requires proper guidance; this becomes even more challenging when it involves a rescued bird that may require rehabilitation. Behavioral challenges that conures present include:
- Excessive Chewing: Any parrot will chew. In nature, they use their beak to "customize" their favorite tree, to enlarge the size of their nest in a tree hollow. Doing this keeps their beaks in good condition. The problem is excessive and undesirable chewing. Undisciplined conures will chew on electric wiring potentially causing house fires. The owner needs to provide plenty of "healthy" chewing opportunities (bird toys, natural wood branches, etc.) and training is necessary to teach your pet what is "off-limits."
- Biting: Conures can become nippy. Like most parrots they are likely to discover their beaks as a method of "disciplining us" once they are out of the "baby stage." It really is important to learn to understand them and to guide their behavior before an undesirable behavior has been established.
- The "Noise" Factor: As is the case with many conure species, the Brown-throated Conure has a reputation for being noisy. Not everybody can tolerate their high-pitched screech that can be annoying. However, even though it can't (or should not) be entirely eliminated, there are ways to discourage screaming / screeching in your conure.
Training and behavioral guidance will help your pet be the kind of companion you want it to be ...
- AvianWeb Resources: I put together web resources for you to help you understand your pet bird and properly direct him. Please visit this website for valuable tips on parrot behavior and training. If you found a way to resolve a "parrot behavioral issue" please share it with others.
- If you are, as I am, a visual learner and prefer step-by-step instructions to train your pet, I recommend:
- the Parrot Training Course to teach your parrot to:
- Stop Biting
- Perform Tricks &
- Tame ANY SIZE bird you could possibly own
- and/or try the "Teach Your Parrot to Talk" Training Course.
- the Parrot Training Course to teach your parrot to:
If you are considering a conure as a pet, the following web resources might be of interest:
- Procuring your Parrot
- Breeders:
- Ohio, Columbia Station: Dr. Geoff Gammon - Certified Avian Specialist; Forest Park Aviaries
Address: Royalton Road, Columbia Station, Ohio 44028, Tel: 440-236-6355 - Websites: http://www.forestparkaviaries.com/ , http://www.birdbreedersinternational.com/index.html, http://www.tropicalbirds.org/,http://www.forestparkaffiliates.com/index.htmlBreeds: Pacific Parrotlets (green, blue, yellow, split mutations); Quaker Parrots (green, blue mutation); Senegal Parrots; and various species of Conures (Suns, Green-cheeks and their several mutations, Brown-throats, Peach-fronts, Cherry-heads, etc.) - Will Ship
- Click here for a listing of breeders by state / country. Do you breed this species and would like to be listed? Click here to see your options.
- Ohio, Columbia Station: Dr. Geoff Gammon - Certified Avian Specialist; Forest Park Aviaries
Housing & Caring for Your Conure: Conures love to climb and play and need to be provided with a cage that allows them to move around freely and toys to entertain themselves with. Please refer to the following websites for information:
These conures are fairly easy to breed. Below are the dimensions of nesting boxes usually used for these conures. However, the dimensions can vary widely, as they are influenced by the owner's and the birds' preferences. The preferences of the breeding birds can also be influenced by the size and type of nest-box / log in which the bird was hatched and reared.
If space allows, offering a choice of sizes and types of logs or nest-boxes, and placed in various locations within the aviary, can allow the parent birds to make their own choice. Once a pair has chosen a specific nest-box/log and been successful in it, offer that one to them each breeding season. Try and keep that one for their exclusive use. Once a pair has chosen its log or nest-box, the other ones can generally be removed. If the "spare" boxes are to be removed and moved to another flight, ensure the log / nest-box is cleaned to ensure the receptacle has the minimal contamination of mites, parasites and pathogens.
Breeding among the Brown Throated Conures usually happens between February and September. The female will need a nesting box, with good nesting material, cork being a good choice. Make sure the entrance hole in the box is about 3 inches in diameter. If your Brown Throated Conure is using the nestbox for sleeping, that is a good sign. They usually have to get used to it before laying an egg. The clutch will have from 3-6 eggs that incubate approximately 23 day. The young Conures usually fledge after 50 days. The young ones will sometimes stay with their parents, even after leaving the nest. Brown Throated Conures can have several clutches a year.
Log / Nest-box:
Marcy Covault from Feathered Companions Aviary suggests using a deeper box, either a bootbox or a vertical grandfather box (18" - 24" deep). Some conures do accept cockatiel-sized boxes, but using a deeper box will reduce the conures' tendency to remove the shavings and lay their eggs on the bare wooden base.
- Length / depth: approx. 16 - 24 inches (400 - 600 mm)
- Log / nest-box internal dimensions approx. 10 inches square (250 mm square)
- Diameter of entrance hole: approx. 3 inches ( ~70 - 80 mm)
- Inspection hole: Can be square or round, approx. 4 inches (100 mm) in diameter.
- A Removable top / lid can be a useful access point for inspections and for cleaning.
- Location and height of log / nest-box: Install in a sheltered part of the aviary at about 5 feet (~1.5 - 1.8 meters) height, but not too close to the roof to cause heat problems in the hotter months.
- Angle of log or nest box: 45 degrees through to vertical. Most boxes are vertical.
- Nesting log / nest-box material: Add about 2 inches of decomposed suitable nest box litter to the bottom of the box to help stabilize the eggs and absorb the droppings from the chicks.
Options for suitable nesting material are decomposed non-toxic saw dust, corn cob, shredded newspaper, clean straw / dried grass or wood shavings (i.e., Aspen shavings or wood chips). The larger wood chips the better, so the parents don't feed it to the babies or the chicks accidentally ingest it.
Please note that some wood shavings - such as pine, cedar and redwood - give off aromatic hydrocarbons (phenols) and acids that are toxic and can cause dermatitis, allergic symptoms and irritation of the digestive tract. They should not be used in cages, aviaries, or nestboxes. - Incubation: Both hen and cock share in incubating the eggs.
Conures have a habit of removing all the nest box material and laying their eggs on the bare wooden base.
Nest inspection is generally not tolerated. If nest inspection is necessary, wait till both parents have left the nest. They can be aggressive and protective of the nest area when breeding.
For additional breeding-related information, please visit this website.
Taxonomy:
Genus: Scientific: Aratinga ... English: Conures ... Dutch: Wigstaartparkieten ... German: Keilschwanzsittiche ... French: Aratinga
Species: Scientific: Aratinga pertinax aeruginosa aka Eupsittula pertinax aeruginosa ... English: Brown-throated Conure ... Dutch: Bruinwangparkiet ... German: Braunwangensittich ... French: Perruche à joues brunes
Nominate Species and Sub-Species: ocularis, pertinax, xanthogenia, arubensis, aeruginosa, griseipecta, lehmanni, tortugensis, margaritensis, venezuelae, chrysophrys, surinama, chrysogenys, paraensis
CITES II - Endangered
Distribution: Northern Colombia, North-western Venezuela
Relevant Web Resources: Lexicon of Parrots
Aruba Conures or Aruba Brown-throated Conures: Please scroll up for additional information
Genus: Scientific: Aratinga ... English: Conures ... Dutch: Wigstaartparkieten ... German: Keilschwanzsittiche ... French: Aratinga
Species: Scientific: Aratinga pertinax arubensis ... English: Aruba Brown-throated Conures, Aruba Conures ... Dutch: Aruba Bruinwangparkiet ... German: Aruba Braunwangensittich ... French: Perruche Mais de Aruba ... CITES II - Endangered
Distribution: Island of Bonaire in Netherlands Antilles, Northern Coast Venezuela
Relevant Web Resources: Lexicon of Parrots (Please scroll down to no. 5 - and click on link to view photo.)
Bonaire Brown-throated Conures: Please scroll up for additional information
Genus: Scientific: Aratinga ... English: Conures ... Dutch: Wigstaartparkieten ... German: Keilschwanzsittiche ... French: Aratinga
Species: Scientific: Aratinga pertinax xanthogenia aka Eupsittula pertinax xanthogenia ... English: Bonaire Brown-throated Conure ... Dutch: Bonaire Bruinwangparkiet ... German: Bonairesittich ... French: Perruche à joues orangées ... CITES II - Endangered
Distribution: Island of Bonaire in Netherlands Antilles, Northern Coast Venezuela
Relevant Web Resources: Lexicon of Parrots (Please scroll down to no. 2 - and click on link to view photo.)
Brazilien Brown-throated Conures: Please scroll up for additional information
Genus: Scientific: Aratinga ... English: Conures ... Dutch: Wigstaartparkieten ... German: Keilschwanzsittiche ... French: Aratinga
Species: Scientific: Aratinga pertinax chrysogenys aka Eupsittula pertinax chrysogenys ... English: Brazilien Brown-throated Conure ... Dutch: Braziliaanse Bruinwangparkiet ... German: Brasilien Braunwangensittich ... French: Perruche Mais du Rio Negro ... CITES II - Endangered
Distribution: Negro River Region, North-western Brazil
Relevant Web Resources: Lexicon of Parrots (Please scroll down to no. 12 - and click on link to view photo.)
Brown-eared Conures: Please scroll up for additional information
Genus: Scientific: Aratinga ... English: Conures ... Dutch: Wigstaartparkieten ... German: Keilschwanzsittiche ... French: Aratinga
Species: Scientific: Aratinga pertinax ocularis aka Eupsittula pertinax ocularis ... English: Brown-eared Conure, Veragua Brown-throated Conure ... Dutch: Bruinooraratinga ... German: Augenstreif Braunwangensittich ... French: Perruche Mais de Panama ... CITES II - Endangered
Distribution: Pacific lslands of Panama
Related Websites: Lexicon of Parrots (Please scroll down to no. 14 - and click on link to view photo.)
Colombian Brown-throated Conures: Please scroll up for additional information
Genus: Scientific: Aratinga ... English: Conures ... Dutch: Wigstaartparkieten ... German: Keilschwanzsittiche ... French: Aratinga
Species: Scientific: Aratinga pertinax lehmanni aka Eupsittula pertinax lehmanni ... English: Colombian Brown-throated Conure ... Dutch: Colombiaanse Bruinwangparkiet ... German: Kolumbianischer Braunwangensittich ... French: Perruche Mais de Colombie ... CITES II - Endangered
Distribution: Eastern Colombia
Relevant Web Resources: Lexicon of Parrots (Please scroll down to no. 6 - and click on link to view photo.)
Ecuadorian White-eyed Conures: Please scroll up for additional information
Genus: Scientific: Aratinga ... English: Conures ... Dutch: Wigstaartparkieten ... German: Keilschwanzsittiche ... French: Aratinga
Species: Scientific:Aratinga leucophthalmus callogenys aka Psittacara leucophthalmus callogenys ... English: Ecuadorian White-eyed Conure ... Dutch: Equador Witoogaratinga ... German: Ekuador Weißaugensittich ... French: Perruche de Guyana Salvadori ... CITES II - Endangered
Distribution: Tropical Zone Eastern Ecuador, North-eastern Peru, Upper Amazon, North-western Brazil
Relevant Web Resources: Lexicon of Parrots (Please scroll down to no. 2 - click on link to view photo.)
Margarita Conures: Please scroll up for additional information
Genus: Scientific: Aratinga ... English: Conures ... Dutch: Wigstaartparkieten ... German: Keilschwanzsittiche ... French: Aratinga
Species: Scientific: Aratinga acuticaudata neoxena aka Thectocercus acuticaudata neoxena ... English: Margarita Conure ... Dutch: Margarita Blauwvoorhoofdparkiet ... German: Margarita Blaustirnsittich ... French: Conure à front bleu de Margarita ... CITES II - Endangered
Distribution: area of Boca del Rio on Venezuelan island of Margarita
Related Websites: Lexicon of Parrots (Please scroll down to no. 5 - click on link to view photo.)
Orange-cheeked Conures aka Guiana Brown-throated Conures: Please scroll up for additional information
Genus: Scientific: Aratinga ... English: Conures ... Dutch: Wigstaartparkieten ... German: Keilschwanzsittiche ... French: Aratinga
Species: Scientific: Aratinga pertinax chrysophrys aka Eupsittula pertinax chrysophrys ... English: Guiana Brown-throated Conure, Orange-cheeked Conure ... Dutch: Guayana Bruinwangparkiet ... German: Guayana Braunwangensittich ... French: Perruche Mais de Guyane ... CITES II - Endangered
Distribution: Guyana, Cerro Roraima district, South-eastern Venezuela, extreme Northern Roraima, Brazil
Relevant Web Resources: Lexicon of Parrots (Please scroll down to no. 10 - and click on link to view photo.)
Saint Thomas Brown-throated Conures: Please scroll up for additional information
Genus: Scientific: Aratinga ... English: Conures ... Dutch: Wigstaartparkieten ... German: Keilschwanzsittiche ... French: Aratinga
Species: Scientific: Aratinga pertinax pertinax aka Eupsittula pertinax pertinax ... English: Saint Thomas Brown-throated Conure ... Dutch: Maisparkiet, Pertinax Parkiet ... German: Sankt Thomas Braunwangensittich ... French: Perruche à joues orangées ... CITES II - Endangered
Distribution: Island of Curacao in Netherlands Antilles, Northern Coast Venezuela
Sinú Brown-throated Conures: Please scroll up for additional information
Genus: Scientific: Aratinga ... English: Conures ... Dutch: Wigstaartparkieten ... German: Keilschwanzsittiche ... French: Aratinga
Species: Scientific: Aratinga pertinax griseipecta aka Eupsittula pertinax grisreipecta ... English: Sinú Brown-throated Conure ... Dutch: Sinú Bruinwangparkiet ... German: Sinú Braunwangensittich ... French: Perruche Mais à gorge grise ... CITES II - Endangered
Distribution: Sinú River Valley in North-eastern Colombia
Related Websites: Lexicon of Parrots (Please scroll down to no. 4 - and click on link to view photo.)
Surinam Brown-throated Conures aka Surinam Conures: Please scroll up for additional information
Genus: Scientific: Aratinga ... English: Conures ... Dutch: Wigstaartparkieten ... German: Keilschwanzsittiche ... French: Aratinga
Species: Scientific: Aratinga pertinax surinama aka Eupsittula pertinax surinama ... English: Surinam Brown-throated Conure, Surinam Conure ... Dutch: Surinaamse Bruinwangparkiet ... German: Surinamischer Braunwangensittich ... French: Perruche Mais du Surinam ... CITES II - Endangered
Distribution: French Guiana and Surinam. North-eastern Venezuela
Relevant Web Resources: Lexicon of Parrots (Please scroll down to no.11 - and click on link to view photo.)
Tapajos Brown-throated Conures: Please scroll up for additional information
Genus: Scientific: Aratinga ... English: Conures ... Dutch: Wigstaartparkieten ... German: Keilschwanzsittiche ... French: Aratinga
Species: Scientific: Aratinga pertinax paraensis aka Eupsittula pertinax paraensis ... English:Tapajos Brown-throated Conure ... Dutch: Tapajos Bruinwangparkiet ... German: Tapaj¢s Braunwangensittich ... French: Perruche Mais de Para ... CITES II - Endangered
Distribution: Tapajos River, Cururu, Northern Brazil
Relevant Web Resources: Lexicon of Parrots (Please scroll down to no. 13 - and click on link to view photo.)
Tortuga Brown-throated Conures: Please scroll up for additional information
Genus: Scientific: Aratinga ... English: Conures ... Dutch: Wigstaartparkieten ... German: Keilschwanzsittiche ... French: Aratinga
Species: Scientific: Aratinga pertinax tortugensis aka Eupsittula pertinax tortugensis ... English: Tortuga Brown-throated Conure ... Dutch: Tortuga Bruinwangparkiet ... German: Tortuga Braunwangensittich ... French: Perruche Mais du Tortuga ... CITES II - Endangered
Distribution: Tortuga Island, off the Northern Coast of Venezuela
Related Websites: Lexicon of Parrots (Please scroll down to no. 7 - and click on link to view photo.)
Venezuelan Brown-throated Conures (Aratinga pertinax venezuelae)
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