Patagonian Conures aka Lesser Patagonian Conures
Conure Info / Conures as Pets ... Conure Species ... Conure Photo Gallery ... Conures as Pets ... Diseases of the Conure ... Conure Nutrition / Foods
The Patagonian conure, Cyanoliseus patagonus, is a large conure found in the Patagonia region of south-central Argentina and Chile. This conure is also known as the "burrowing parrot," due to its habit of nesting in holes in the ground. The Patagonian conure has exploded in popularity since the 1990s, leading to an increase in illegal importation which threatens the wild populations
Description:
The overall plumage is drab on the top and brighly colored underneath.
Behavior / Pet Potential
Patagonian conures are very playful and rarely remain still. They are true clowns that like to play, dance, climb and tumble for most of the day. Their considerable size, reasonable price, lively personality and good talking abilities makes them very desirable as pets. As other conures, Patagonians tend to be noisy.
Conures as Pets (Suitability, Personality, Pros & Cons, Care Requirements)
Breeding / Reproduction:
They are monomorphic and reach sexual maturity around two years of age. The cock usually sits on or near the nesting box.
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.
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.
- Diameter of entrance hole: approx. 3 inches ( ~70 - 80 mm)
- Inspection hole: Can be square or round. Diameter: ~4 inches (100 mm)
- 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.
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: Cyanoliseus ... English: Patagonian Conures ... Dutch: Rotsparkieten ... German: Felsensittiche ... French: Perruche de Patagonian
Species: Scientific: Cyanoliseus patagonus patagonus ... English: Patagonian Conure ... Dutch: Patagonische Rotsparkiet, Rotsparkiet ... German: Felsensittich, Patagoniënsittich ... French: Perruche de Patagonian
Nominate Species and Sub-Species: patagonus, byrni, aniduns
Distribution: Central and Southern Argentina, Uruguay ... CITES II - Endangered
Sub-species:
Genus: Scientific: Cyanoliseus ... English: Patagonian Conures ... Dutch: Rotsparkieten ... German: Felsensittiche ... French: Perruche de Patagonian
Species: Scientific: Cyanoliseus patagonus andinus ... English: Andean Patagonian Conures ... Dutch: Andes Patagonische Rotsparkiet ... German: Anden Felsensittich ... French: Perruche de Patagonian d'ile Argentin
Distribution: North-western Argentina ... CITES II - Endangered
Genus: Scientific: Cyanoliseus ... English: Patagonian Conures ... Dutch: Rotsparkieten ... German: Felsensittiche ... French: Perruche de Patagonian
Species: Scientific: Cyanoliseus patagonus byroni ... English: Greater Patagonian Conure ... Dutch: Grote Patagonische Rotsparkiet ... German: Großer Felsensittich ... French: Grand perruche de Patagonian, Perruche de Chili
Distribution: Central Chile ... CITES II - Endangered
High Quality Species Photos, Videos and/or Articles Contributions are welcome! Upload your Articles and Images
Please Note: The images on this page are the sole property of the photographers (unless marked as Public Domain). Please contact the photographers directly with respect to any copyright or licensing questions. Thank you.
The Avianweb strives to maintain accurate and up-to-date information; however, mistakes do happen. If you would like to correct or update any of the information, please send us an e-mail. THANK YOU!
