Patagonian Conures aka Lesser Patagonian Conures
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The Patagonian conure, Cyanoliseus patagonus, is a large conure found in the Patagonia region of south-central Argentina and Chile.
Drab on the top, brighly colored underneath, the Patagonian conure has exploded in popularity since the 1990s, leading to an increase in illegal importation which threatens the wild populations.
It is also known as the "burrowing parrot," due to its habit of nesting in holes in the ground. (Source: Wikipedia.org)
Pet Potential
Their substantial size, reasonable price, lively personality and good talking abilities makes them very desirable as pets. As other Conures, Patagonians tend to be noisy. Patagonian conures are very playful and rarely remain still. They like to play, dance, climb and tumble for most of the day.
Potential Problems:
Conure can be very noisy. Their high-pitched screech can be annoying. They can get nippy. Have a strong urge to chew. The Patagonian Conure is known as the "burrowing parrot," due to its habit of nesting in holes in the ground. Unsurprisingly, Patagonians in captivity are great chewers, and have been known to munch through furniture and even walls.
Training and Behavioral Guidance:
Conures, like other parrots, generally present their owners with several challenges, such as excessive screaming or chewing. They do discover their beaks as method of "disciplining us" once they are out of the "baby stage" and they can generally be somewhat naughty, and it really is important to learn to understand them and to guide their behavior before an undesirable behavior has been established. Undisciplined parrots will chew on electric wiring potentially causing house fires. They regard anything in your home as a "toy" that can be explored and chewed on; destroying items that you may hold dear or are simply valuable. 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.
- Web 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 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:
Care and Feeding:
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:- Optimal nutrition to keep your bird healthy
- Housing your bird
- Caring for your companion bird
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. 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: 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 Sub-Species: byrni, aniduns, patagonus CITES II - Endangered Distribution: Central and Southern Argentina, Uruguay
Related Websites: Lexicon of Parrots ... CentralPets.com
Sub-species:
Andean Patagonian Conures: 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 CITES
II - Endangered Distribution: North-western Argentina
Related Websites: Lexicon of Parrots (Scroll down to no. 2) ... CentralPets.com
Greater Patagonian: 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 CITES
II - Endangered Distribution: Central Chile
Related Websites: Lexicon of Parrots (Scroll down to no. 3)
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.
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