Red-fronted Conures
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The Red-fronted Conure or Parakeet (Aratinga wagleri) is native to Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. Seasonal migrations, between latitudes as well as from one area to another, occur depending on the availability of food and suitable nesting sites.
It is usually seen in flocks of 20 to 200 birds -- on rare occasions, even up to 400 of them can be found at favored feeding locations. They are conspicuous because of their loud calls -- particularly whenever larger groups congregate.
Their flight is described as swift and straight with rapid, light wing-beats.
Diet / Feeding:
Their natural diet consists of various types of fruits (including berries), seeds and nuts found in trees. Occasionally they raids fruit plantations and grain fields causing considerable damage.
Captive diet should consist of a balanced diet including a quality seed mix of safflower, hemp, some sunflower (also sprouted), hemp, buckwheat, canary seed and rowan berries; as well as plenty of fruit, vegetables and greenfood. A regular supply of fresh branches with edible flowers and buds should also be available to satisfy their urge to chew as well as for extra nutrition. Mineral and vitamin supplements as needed.
Breeding / Nesting
In their natural habitat, breeding season commences in April and goes on until June or July. They usually breed in small colonies and nest on high, inaccessible cliffs.
Description:
The beautifully colored red-fronted conure is the second largest of all conure species. They average between 14 to 15 inches in length. Their plumage is predominantly green, with breast feathers being colored lighter green than the body feathers. The face above the ceres, forehead, crown and bend of the wing are red. The undersides of its flight feathers, under-wing coverts and tail feathers are olive-yellow. The iris is yellow-red; the bills are horn-colored and the legs of a brownish coloration.
Personality:
Generally speaking, Red-fronted Conures are easily trained and make good companions for those who will make an effort to make sure that their environment is stimulating and that they get the attention they so crave. They need larger cages to accommodate the different toys to keep them entertained when their human companions are not available to play with them. This conure learns to talk quite well.
Although they are not as noisy as other Conure species, they do have the conure high-pitch shriek that may irritate many but the most tolerant bird lovers. However, they usually scream only if startled or very excited.
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. It really is important to learn to understand them and to guide their behavior before an undesirable behavior has been established.
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.
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:
- 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 Red-fronted 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 to teach your parrot to:
- Stop Biting
- Perform Tricks &
- Tame ANY SIZE bird you could possibly own
- and/or try the "" Training Course.
- the 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 - The cost of a red-fronted conure averages $300 to $400 - depending on source
- Breeders:
- Click here for breeders. Do you breed this species and would like to be listed? Click here to see your options.
- 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:
Breeding/Reproduction:
Breeding in aviculture is rarely achieved as this species is difficult to obtain and are rarely kept. This conure often only breeds after several years.
This is a lively, yet initially shy, conure that can be kept in a colony system, even in the breeding season. It is hardy once acclimatized. This is a fairly loud species, which needs to be kept in mind if neighbors are nearby.
This conure is a hard chewer and a constant supply of fresh branches needs to be provided to satisfy their strong need to chew. They enjoy bathing and daily bathing opportunities need to be available to them.
Their flight should have the following minimum dimensions: 3 x 1 x 2 m (9 x 3 x 6 ft). In a communal aviary, 2 sq. meters or 20 sq. ft of floor space per pair should be calculated. A suitable shelter and a roosting box to protect them from the elements needs to be provided all year round.
The average clutch consists of 3 to 4 eggs. The incubation is about 23 days and the young fledge when they are about 50 days old.
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). Other breeders do well with nesting boxes of the following dimensions: 25 x 25 x 60 cm (10 x 10 x 24 ins). 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: Aratinga ... English: Conures ... Dutch: Wigstaartparkieten ... German: Keilschwanzsittiche ... French: Aratinga
Species: Scientific: Aratinga wagleri wagleri aka Psittacara wagleri wagleri ... English: Red-fronted Conure ... Dutch: Waglers Aratinga, Colombiaanse Aratinga ... German: Kolumbiasittich ... French: Conure à front rouge
Nominate Species and Sub-Species: wagleri, transilis, frontata, minor
Sub-species:
Carriker's Conures: For additional information, please scroll up.
Genus: Scientific: Aratinga ... English: Conures ... Dutch: Wigstaartparkieten ... German: Keilschwanzsittiche ... French: Aratinga
Species: Scientific: Aratinga wagleri minor aka Psittacara wagleri minor ... English: Carriker's Conure ... Dutch: Carrikers Aratinga ... German: Carrikerssittich ... French: Perruche de Carriker
Description: As Scarlet-fronted Conure below except smaller (15 ins or 38 cm long), and with darker and duller plumage; less pronounced notch to upper beak.
Distribution: Central and Southern Peru ... CITES II - Endangered
Peter's Conures: For additional information, please scroll up.
Genus: Scientific: Aratinga ... English: Conures ... Dutch: Wigstaartparkieten ... German: Keilschwanzsittiche ... French: Aratinga
Species: Scientific:Aratinga wagleri transilis aka Psittacara wagleri transilis ... English: Peter's Conure ... Dutch: Venezuela Aratinga ... German: Venezuelasittich ... French: Conure de Venezuela
Description: As Red-fronted Conure featured above, but smaller (13.5 ins or 34 cm long) and generally with darker green and red feathering; red to head not so extensive.
Distribution: Northern Venezuela, Eastern Colombia ... CITES II - Endangered
Scarlet-fronted Conures: For additional information, please scroll up.
Genus: Scientific: Aratinga ... English: Conures ... Dutch: Wigstaartparkieten ... German: Keilschwanzsittiche ... French: Aratinga
Species: Scientific: Aratinga wagleri frontata aka Psittacara wagleri frontata ... English: Scarlet-fronted Conure ... Dutch: Peru Aratinga ... German: Perusittich ... French: Conure de Perou
Description: As Red-fronted Conure featured above, but bigger (15.5 ins or 40 cm long) and red on head extends to eyes; bend and edge of wing as well as thighs red. Immature birds may have ared band to breast; red of forehead and the crown does not extend to the eye.
Distribution: Western Ecuador, Western Peru ... CITES II - Endangered
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