Aspiring Conure Owner - Advice Is Appreciated!

[Reggie]

Ever since I was younger I've loved budgies and conures. Both birds are a great size for someone as small as I am, and I already own budgies and love every single one of them, but I want to own conures as well.
I'm soon going to be moving out of my parents' house and into my own place (hopefully pet friendly - fingers crossed) and when I'm able (financially as well as having enough time) I'd like to own a conure. I know of several people who all own one who adore their bird and their birds' personalities are amazing! The kinds I like best based on what I've heard and how they look are Sun Conures, Nanday Conures, and Black Cap Conures.
I'm planning on adopting from a rescue in Colorado called the Gabriel Foundation (I don't know if anyone's heard of it), but I'm open to suggestions on the rescue!
I'm beginning to do research and I've read the good, bad, ugly posts on conures (even the ones I'm not particularly interested in) on this board and now I'd love to hear some horror stories so I know exactly what I'll be signing up for!
(Good stories are encouraged too!)

 

[Diesel13]

There are so many different types of conures that you've got a lot to choose from! I commend you for choosing a rescue and recommend to let the conure choose you. There may be species you're interested in, but nothing is greater than the bond formed with a bird that chooses you. I had never imagined owning a nanday, but Diesel chose me and we have an amazing bond.

I think the biggest factors to consider are space and noise. While some of the smaller species may be more nippy, proper training and socialization can prevent persistent nipping. My nanday is pretty perfect and everyone I meet loves her, but she is loud at times. I don't get constant screaming from her, but when she's playing, happy, or contact calling she can be relatively loud. She's just vocal in everything she does. I don't mind it, but many people do.

 

[Animallover03]

Definitely visit a rescue- one may pick you! I would recommend GCC, but I may be biased
I also met a Sunday conure this past weekend and they (there was two) were more laid back. They can be pretty loud though

 

[Reggie]

@Diesel13 That's what I was thinking! I'd love to have a special bond with a conure. I was just suggesting breeds for advice purposes! I do know that conures are definitely louder than budgies, but I don't think I'd mind it either. I'm glad I'm moving out before I get a conure because my parents would be annoyed all of the time, because they can't even handle the quiet chatter of my budgies!

@Animallover03 Sunday conure? What kind is that? (Nandy x Sun?)
I'm okay with loud lol and I'm biased to GCC as well

 

[Animallover03]

@Diesel13 That's what I was thinking! I'd love to have a special bond with a conure. I was just suggesting breeds for advice purposes! I do know that conures are definitely louder than budgies, but I don't think I'd mind it either. I'm glad I'm moving out before I get a conure because my parents would be annoyed all of the time, because they can't even handle the quiet chatter of my budgies!

@Animallover03 Sunday conure? What kind is that? (Nandy x Sun?)
I'm okay with loud lol and I'm biased to GCC as well

Sun X Jenday I believe
Here is a picture of one of them:

 

[Animallover03]

And I know that it depends on the bird, but Grumbles is quieter than a budgie. the only noises he makes are duck quacks, clicks, and some words. He will occasionally contact call when I leave the room, but it has nothing on a sun.

 

[Beth In Alaska]

GCC Rio is quiet, or fairly quiet, but demanding of my time and wants to hang off me constantly. She also alternates between adoration and hatred, wanting kisses, cuddles and love with the occasional bite (most of them seem not like angry bites but rather something else) and the occasional rampage, like today where I had to protect my feet with a broom because she was attacking them. Not playfully, either. She's a bossy little tyrant, who is also smart and funny and cute.

If I were you I would look for an adult bird who has the personality you are looking for with a livable amount of noise.

 

[Reggie]

Sun X Jenday I believe
Here is a picture of one of them: View attachment 234703

Those are just adorable! I love their patches! There's one at my local PetCo that's incorrectly labelled then, because he looks just like that and his name is Skittles. If I were a tadbit richer I would've already brought him home. He's got the most adorable personality!

And I know that it depends on the bird, but Grumbles is quieter than a budgie. the only noises he makes are duck quacks, clicks, and some words. He will occasionally contact call when I leave the room, but it has nothing on a sun.

See and that sounds fantastic! I wish all conures were quiet like that!
Duck quacks?? That's the cutest thing I think I've ever heard!

If I were you I would look for an adult bird who has the personality you are looking for with a livable amount of noise.

That's exactly what I was thinking! That's why I'm going to go "conure shopping" at a rescue, and see if a nice birdie chooses me!

 

[Sylvi_]

Conures are fantastic birds, like little clowns really. Tons of personality and charm.
The aratinga's are known to be louder, while the Pyrrhura's can be quieter. My GCC girl can be quite loud, and can really produce a high-pitched screech if she wants. (Though, I think this may be a combination of my lovebird's noises she mimicks. )
She also does the "quacks" like @Animallover03 's Grumbles, I agree it's totally adorable.

Nippiness can be a common problem and it took some time for Yuka and I to get to a point where she didn't leave me running for band-aids on the daily.
I still get the nips often, and sometimes they can be harsh but nothing like what she did in the first few months.

Good luck finding the conure for you! Just let the bird choose you and see where it leads.

 

[Reggie]

@Sylvi_ Thank you so much for the advice! When you say Aratinga and Pyrrhura what do you mean? (I've never heard those terms before, oops.)

 

[Sylvi_]

@Sylvi_ Thank you so much for the advice! When you say Aratinga and Pyrrhura what do you mean? (I've never heard those terms before, oops.)

They're both a separate genus of conure.
As an example: The popular Sun conure is in the Aratinga's, while the Green cheek conure is in the Pyrrhura's.

Links:

Aratinga - Wikipedia

Pyrrhura - Wikipedia

 

[Reggie]

Oh! Thank you! I'll be sure to read those!

 

[Diesel13]

Those are just adorable! I love their patches! There's one at my local PetCo that's incorrectly labelled then, because he looks just like that and his name is Skittles. If I were a tadbit richer I would've already brought him home. He's got the most adorable personality

He's most likely not incorrectly labled. Young sun conures look very similar to sunday hybrids. As sun conures age they molt out their baby plumage and grow in the bright yellow and orange feathers they're known for. Young jendays can also look very similar to young sun conures and sundays.

 

[Animallover03]

Those are just adorable! I love their patches! There's one at my local PetCo that's incorrectly labelled then, because he looks just like that and his name is Skittles. If I were a tadbit richer I would've already brought him home. He's got the most adorable personality!

See and that sounds fantastic! I wish all conures were quiet like that!
Duck quacks?? That's the cutest thing I think I've ever heard!


That's exactly what I was thinking! That's why I'm going to go "conure shopping" at a rescue, and see if a nice birdie chooses me!

I will have to get a video of the noise.

I agree with what @Diesel13 said

 

[Reggie]

@Diesel13 Ohhh, that makes more sense lol. I forgot that all birds molt there for a second.

@Animallover03 I'd love to hear it! Thank you!

 

[karen256]

I think a Nanday would be too loud for an apartment. But a GCC, black cap, or other Pyrhurra conure could be the perfect bird for you (greencheeks tend to be the most common). The little conures do tend to be more nippy/beaky than the larger ones, but are smart, personable, usually very affectionate little birds. A rescue will most likely be able to help you choose a bird that is right for you and help you get started.

 

[Reggie]

@karen256 Thank you for the advice! I'll look into it!

 

[camelotshadow]

The Arat group is usually very loud compared to Pyr which can sometimes be loud.
You have to think 20 to 30 years down the line as a really loud bird will limit your housing & may get you evicted.
My Rio is a Pyr Red Bellied Conure similar to GCC. He's very quiet & not that active. My quiet couch potato suits my lifestyle & apt living just right. There are some GCC that are very loud & vocalize often so its hard to tell.

 

[bumblebee]

The Arat group is usually very loud compared to Pyr which can sometimes be loud.
You have to think 20 to 30 years down the line as a really loud bird will limit your housing & may get you evicted.
My Rio is a Pyr Red Bellied Conure similar to GCC. He's very quiet & not that active. My quiet couch potato suits my lifestyle & apt living just right. There are some GCC that are very loud & vocalize often so its hard to tell.

Agreed! Aratinga conure are usually soo loud and noisy. I abosutely LOVE aratinga conures but if you appreciate peace and quiet... they may not be the right bird for you. I abosutely loved my sun when I had her. She was a bundle of fun and never failed to make me laugh but she never. shut. up. ! Thank goodness she was cute and made up for it but my mum and boyfriend were not as swayed by the cuteness and found her screeching incredibly hard to live with. I miss her dearly (she passed away around 4 years ago) but I do not miss her screeching. Suns, and all aratinga conures, have a very shrill, hitch-pitched screech which I've found they like to do as often as possible. It's quite a grating sound and it really does get on your nerves sometimes...

I also think it's quite funny, if anyone has watched Roku and Friends on FB/YouTube - he often free flys his macaws with a sun conure... out of the several macaws, cockatoos, alexandrines and ekkies all flying around screaming, can you guess which bird you can hear often the top of all of them?

They are wonderful birds, but their screeches are really something that need to be fully experience before committing to one. As long as you can handle that - then I say go for it!

 

[bumblebee]

Oh and to add - greencheeks (and other pyhurra conures) are a good compromise if you want a conure but don't want the noise of an aratinga conure.

Peanut is incredibly quiet. He will screech (not very loudly) if he hears a flock of birds fly by outside but is otherwise very quiet. He will chatter and grumble away when he's sleepy or playing in his cage, and sometimes will get loud if something exciting is happening, but is otherwise pretty calm. I live in an apartment and I'm pretty sure my neighbours don't even know I have him. I have noticed Hazel can screech a bit louder than him, which I suspect is because she was in a pet store with other loud birds where as Peanut came from a breeder who only breed GCC and cockatiels.

In terms of nippiness, I never had an issue with Peanut. Even when he gets mad or I accidentally poke a pin feather he doesn't nip me, he just yells at me, lol. Hazel is quite beaky, but most baby birds are - they're still learning after all.

If you are worried about noise or live in an apartment, I think a pyhurra conure would be a great fit. I don't think you could have any of the aratinga conures in an apartment unless you had very understanding neighbours that were ok with it. Personally, I would never get a larger or louder bird again unless I was older and owned my own home. It's too risky to adopt a louder bird when you're younger and could be living in apartments etc... especially with new apartments, they are built with such thin walls nowdays.