Cactus Conures aka Caatinga Parakeets
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Description:
10 to 11 inches (25 to 26cm)
Brownish-green on head, gradually turning olive down back and on wings, lighter brown under chin, turning to orange rust below breast.
Distribution / Habitat:
They are found in the South American rainforests of Brazil.
Personality:
A friendly, affectionate conure that gets along relatively well with other conures.Diet / Feeding:
In the wild, they feed primarily on cactus seeds (hence its name), as well as fruit and berries.
Care and Feeding:
Suitable for roomy cage or aviary. These 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. Boredom is often the most common cause for destructive behavior. Please refer to the following websites for information:- Optimal nutrition to keep your bird healthy
- Housing your bird
- The 3 Key Elements to Your Pet Bird's Happiness and Health
- Caring for your companion bird
Breeding / Reproduction:
The hen lays 3 to 4 white eggs, incubation lasts 28 to 30 days. The young fledge after about 40 days.
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. 70 - 80 mm (or approx. 3 inches)
- Inspection hole: Square or round) 100 mm (or approx 4 inches)
- A Removable top / lid can be a useful access point for inspections and for cleaning.
- Location and height of log / nest-box = in a sheltered part of the aviary and at about 1.5 - 1.8 metres 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: Decomposed non-toxic saw dust, wood shavings or other suitable material/s.
- Incubation: Hen / cock / both 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.
Genus: Scientific: Aratinga ... English: Conures ... Dutch: Wigstaartparkieten ... German: Keilschwanzsittiche ... French: Aratinga 
Species: Scientific: Aratinga cactorum cactorum aka Eupsittula cactorum cactorum ... English: Cactus Conure ... Dutch: Cactusparkiet ...
German: Kaktussittich ... French: Perruche de cactus Sub-Species: caixana, cactorum CITES II - Endangered Distribution: State of Bahia, North-eastern Brazil
Related Websites: Lexicon of Parrots
Sub-species:
Pale Cactus Conures: Please scroll up for additional information
Genus: Scientific: Aratinga ... English: Conures ... Dutch: Wigstaartparkieten ... German: Keilschwanzsittiche ... French: Aratinga
Species: Scientific:
Aratinga cactorum caixana aka Eupsittula cactorum caixana
... English: Pale Cactus Conure ... Dutch: Bleke Cactusparkiet
... German: Blasser Kaktussittich ... French: Perruche
de cactus Caixana CITES II - Endangered Distribution: North-eastern Brazil Related Websites: Lexicon of Parrots (Please scroll down to no. 2 - click on link to view photo.)
If you would like to add to or correct any of the above information, or would like to share with web visitors your own experiences, please e-mail the webmaster.
Photo contributions are welcome!
