White-eared Conures
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The White-eared Parakeet or Maroon-faced Parakeet (Pyrrhura leucotis) is a small Pyrrhura Conure. The Painted or Venezuelan, Grey-breasted and Pfrimer's Conures were formerly classed as subspecies of this conure, but are increasingly treated as separate species.
Distribution
The White-eared Conure is found in eastern Brazil where it occurs from Rio de Janeiro state north to southeast Bahia. It inhabits the canopy of humid forests from the lowlands up to 500 meters above sea-level.
These conures prefer dense, tall trees and tend to move around a lot. They are only conspicuous because of their occasionally loud contact or alarm calls; as they are otherwise well camouflaged by their plumage. They are generally not nervous and only become alarmed if deliberately disturbed, at which point they fly away loudly protesting. Outside the breeding season, they are usually seen in groups of 15 to 20 birds. Pairs usually stay close together. Marked population declines have been noted due to deforestation and resulting loss of habitat.
Description:
Size:
White-eared Conures are quite small, and most do not grow to be more than 8.5 inches or 21 - 23cm long, including the long tail, and usually weigh no more than two and a half ounces.
Coloration:
The plumage is mostly green; the chest is generally barred green and has yellow-orange edging with dark gray or black tips. A band of mahogany red is located above the cere. They have white marks where their ears are located. Their foreheads, lower cheeks and occasionally their napes (lower back of the neck) are bluish. The upper cheeks, napes and crown are a mahogany red color. They have maroon abdomens and lower backs.
The tail is also maroon, edged with green. The underside of the tail is dull brownish-red. The shoulders have red splashes, and often the wing-coverts are aqua colored with blue primary flight feathers. The feet and legs tend to be a shade of grey, and the beak and eye rings are a brownish grey color. The base of the bill is narrowly striped with dark brown.
Immature birds look like adults, but have a duller plumage.
Similar Species ID:
- The Grey-breasted Conure looks similar but has a larger head, longer bill and larger white ear-patches.
- The Pfrimer's Conure also looks alike, but has a bluish crown and nape (lower back of the neck) and lacks the ear patches.
Personality:
These are inquisitive and playful conures that easily grow confiding. They are active and enjoy flying. They tend to be quiet and are only heard when alarmed or excited. Once acclimatized, they are hardy. They enjoy bathing and chewing and fresh branches should be provided to satisfy their urge to chew. They can get aggressive towards other birds (scroll down for more information on personality and pet potential).
Voice / Vocalizations:
The White-eared Conure has a sharp call which is repeated three or four times.
Breeding / Nesting:
Captive breeding is regularly achieved and not difficult. It's best to isolate pairs during the breeding season, as they can disturb each other.
They need a spacious flight 2.5 x 1 x 2 m (9 x 3 x 6 ft) with adjoining shelter 1 x 1 x 2 m (3 x 3 x 6 ft). They should not be exposed to temperatures below 5°C (41°F). Provide a roosting / nest box 20 x 20 x 70 cm (8 x 8 x 28 ins) all year round.
In their natural habitat, the breeding season usually commences in May; in North America they may get started as early as February or March (especially in the southern states) and April in the northern areas. The average clutch size consists of 4 to 6 eggs (of which 1 or 2 eggs are usually infertile). Each egg measures about 26.3 x 20.5 mm (1.04 x 0.81 ins). The incubation period is about 23 days and the young fledging about 50 days after hatching and are mature when they are about 10 months.
Diet / Feeding:
Their natural diet consists of fruits, flowers, seeds, berries, insects and their larvae. These conures usually forage in flocks.
Captive birds should be provided with plenty of fruit, vegetables and greenfood; as well as a quality seed mix of safflower, oats, some sunflower (also sprouted), hemp, buckwheat, millet, canary grass seed and rowanberries. Millet spray is also eagerly accepted. Also provide fresh branches with edible flowers and buds to satisfy their urge to chew and for added nutrition. A vitamin and mineral supplements as needed.
Personality:
These charming and beautifully colored conures are not as popular as some of the more flashy cousins. Although they have many desirable personality traits. Well socialized white-eared conures make sweet, loving and talkative pest. They are seldom destructive and are generally not screamers, often choosing to mimic speech instead.
They are intelligent and quite independent, and are social animals, and will do well when kept in pairs. As is the case with just about all Conures, they are playful and very entertaining.
Owners report that they are smart and interactive, but are also more prone to behavioral problems than are cockatiels or budgies - but this would be the case with any conure. They all require a committed owner who will work with their pets to guide their behavior, while cockatiels and budgies are "beginner birds."
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.
They are Smart!
Most will hold their own with any of the mid-sized or medium-large parrots in terms of smartness. They can be taught simple tricks pretty easily and more complicated tricks with some training.
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:
- 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 all conure species, the white-eared conure can get noisy, but they are quieter than other conure species. However, people who are sensitive to noise may not be able to tolerate their natural voicing. Although 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:
- 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.
- 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:
Taxonomy:
Genus: Scientific: Aratinga ... English: Conures ... Dutch: Wigstaartparkieten ... German: Keilschwanzsittiche ... French: Aratinga
Species: Scientific: Aratinga leucophthalmus leucophthalmus aka Psittacara leucophthalmus leucophthalmus ... English: White-eyed Conure ... Dutch: Witoogaratinga, Guyana Parkiet ... German: Pavuasittich, Weißaugensittich ... French: Perruche de Guyana ... CITES II - Endangered
Sub-Species / Races Including Nominate: emma, auricularis, leucotis
Distribution: Guianas, Eastern Venezuela, Eastern Colombia, South of Meta, Bolivia, South Brazil, Paraguay, Northern Argentina
Distribution: Coastal Range in Northern Venezuela, from Yaracuy to Miranda. This conure is relatively common within its range. These conures prefer dense, tall trees and tend to move around a lot. They are only conspicuous because of their occasionally loud contact or alarm calls; as they are otherwise well camouflaged by their plumage. They are generally not nervous and only becomes alarmed if deliberately disturbed, at which point they fly away loudly protesting. Outside the breeding season, they are usually seen in groups of 15 to 20 birds. Pairs usually stay close together.
Description: Emma's White-eared Conure averages 21 cm or 8.25 inches in length (including its long tail). It looks like the nominate species featured above, but the front of the crown and nape (lower back of the neck) are pronounced blue. The breast features a broad whitish edging, becoming dull yellow on the lower breast. The cere and periophthalmic (eye) ring is whitish.
Personality:
These are inquisitive and playful conures that easily grow confiding. They are active and enjoy flying. They tend to be quiet and are only heard when alarmed or excited. Once acclimatized, they are hardy. They enjoy bathing and chewing and fresh branches should be provided to satisfy their urge to chew. They can get aggressive towards other birds.
Breeding / Nesting:
Captive breeding is regularly achieved and not difficult. It's best to isolate pairs during the breeding season, as they can disturb each other.
They need a spacious flight 2.5 x 1 x 2 m (9 x 3 x 6 ft) with adjoining shelter 1 x 1 x 2 m (3 x 3 x 6 ft). They should not be exposed to temperatures below 5°C (41°F). Provide a roosting / nest box 20 x 20 x 70 cm (8 x 8 x 28 ins) all year round.
In their natural habitat, the breeding season usually commences in May; in North America they may get started as early as February or March (especially in the southern states) and April in the northern areas. The average clutch size consists of 4 to 6 eggs (of which 1 or 2 eggs are usually infertile). Each egg measures about 26.3 x 20.5 mm (1.04 x 0.81 ins). The incubation period is about 23 days and the young fledging about 50 days after hatching and are mature when they are about 10 months.
Diet / Feeding: Their natural diet consists of fruits, flowers, seeds, berries, insects and their larvae. Captive birds should be provided with plenty of fruit, vegetables and greenfood; as well as a quality seed mix of safflower, oats, some sunflower (also sprouted), hemp, buckwheat, millet, canary grass seed and rowanberries. Millet spray is also eagerly accepted. Also provide fresh branches with edible flowers and buds to satisfy their urge to chew and for added nutrition. A vitamin and mineral supplements as needed.
Genus: English: Red-tailed Conures ... Dutch: Roodstaartparkieten ... German: Rotschwanzsittiche ... French: Perruche à queue rouge
Species: Scientific: leucotis emma ... English: Emma's White-eared Conure ... Dutch: Emma's Witoorparkiet ... German: Emmas Weißohrsittich ... French: Perruche oreillon blanc Miranda
CITES II - Endangered
Distribution: The Monagas White-eared Conure ( Pyrrhura l. auricularis) is found along the coastal range from Anzoátegui to Sucre and Monagas in northeast Venezuela, where they frequent forests, edges of forests, adjacent open country and occasionally in parks and around villages. In Brazil, they typically can be found up to 600 m (2,000 ft) elevations, and in Venezuela, up to 1,700 m (5,700 ft). Within its range, this conure is generally common, although it is considered endangered because of habitat destruction and capturing for the pet trade. These conures prefer dense, tall trees and tend to move around a lot. They are only conspicuous because of their occasionally loud contact or alarm calls; as they are otherwise well camouflaged by their plumage. They are generally not nervous and only becomes alarmed if deliberately disturbed, at which point they fly away loudly protesting. Outside the breeding season, they are usually seen in groups of 15 to 20 birds. Pairs usually stay close together.
Description: They average 21 cm or 8.25 inches in length, including the long tail. They look similar to the Emma's White-eared Conures described above, but the ear patch is more whitish and more extensive. The green of the flanks, back and upper tail-coverts (feathers covering the tail) are darker and less yellowish. The periophthalmic (eye) ring and cere are blackish.
Personality:
These are inquisitive and playful conures that easily grow confiding. They are active and enjoy flying. They tend to be quiet and are only heard when alarmed or excited. Once acclimatized, they are hardy. They enjoy bathing and chewing and fresh branches should be provided to satisfy their urge to chew. They can get aggressive towards other birds.
Breeding / Nesting:
Captive breeding is regularly achieved and not difficult. It's best to isolate pairs during the breeding season, as they can disturb each other.
They need a spacious flight 2.5 x 1 x 2 m (9 x 3 x 6 ft) with adjoining shelter 1 x 1 x 2 m (3 x 3 x 6 ft). They should not be exposed to temperatures below 5°C (41°F). Provide a roosting / nest box 20 x 20 x 70 cm (8 x 8 x 28 ins) all year round.
In their natural habitat, the breeding season usually commences in May; in North America they may get started as early as February or March (especially in the southern states) and April in the northern areas. The average clutch size consists of 4 to 6 eggs (of which 1 or 2 eggs are usually infertile). Each egg measures about 26.3 x 20.5 mm (1.04 x 0.81 ins). The incubation period is about 23 days and the young fledging about 50 days after hatching and are mature when they are about 10 months.
Diet / Feeding: Their natural diet consists of fruits, flowers, seeds, berries, insects and their larvae. Captive birds should be provided with plenty of fruit, vegetables and greenfood; as well as a quality seed mix of safflower, oats, some sunflower (also sprouted), hemp, buckwheat, millet, canary grass seed and rowanberries. Millet spray is also eagerly accepted. Also provide fresh branches with edible flowers and buds to satisfy their urge to chew and for added nutrition. A vitamin and mineral supplements as needed.
Genus: English: Red-tailed Conures ... Dutch: Roodstaartparkieten ... German: Rotschwanzsittiche ... French: Perruche à queue rouge
Species: leucotis auricularis ... English: Monagas White-eared Conure ... Dutch: Monagas Witoorparkiet ... German: Monagas Weißohrsittich ... French: Perruche oreillon blanc Zimmer et Phelps
CITES II - Endangered
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