Peach-fronted Conures
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Peach Fronted Conures (Aratinga Aurea) are around 10 inches (25 cm) in length and weigh around 3.7 ozs. (105 g). They are native to Brazil, south of the amazon and eastward to Rio Madeira, eastern Bolivia, Mato Grosso, and San Paulo.
Description:
The Peach-fronted conure has a grayish-green back with a lighter green color on the breast. The forehead and part of the crown are bright orange. The rest of the crown is blue-green. There are black tips on the wings and blue tips on the tail. The beak is black.
They are similar in appearance and size to the three subspecies of Orange-fronted Conures (see the Half-Moon Conure) but have a smaller black beak rather than horn colored, and their colored frontal band is larger
Personality / Pet Potential:
Peach-fronted Conures are easily available on the pet market and are popular pets that love to play and climb. Natural branches and lots of toys are recommended. Half-moon Conure can be very noisy and destructive as they like to chew on things. Providing them with toys and / or non-toxic wood / branches is a good way to stop them from chewing on items you would like to keep whole (like your furniture :-). Like most conures, they are wonderful sentinel (watch) birds alerting you to anything they feel should not be there. They do like to chew on things and should be given lots of toys to keep them happy. Like most conures, Peach Fronts love to bathe. Some like their water dishes, others learn to love spray baths.
These small birds become quite partial to their owners, may be taught a small amount of speech and can make wonderful pets. Since they have a low-pitched sound, they would make a great apartment bird. They are relatively inexpensive compared to other conures, about $300 U.S. dollars.
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
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:
Breeding / Reproduction:
They are relatively easy to breed. The recommended nesting box should be 13" x 10" x 10" in size, with an entrance hole about 3 1/4" in diameter. The hen lays 2 to 4 eggs, which she incubates for about 26 days. The nestlings fledge after about 52 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 tor 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 aurea aurea aka Eupsittula aurea aurea ... English: Peach-fronted Conure, Golden-crowned Conure, Half-moon Conure ... Dutch: Goudvoorhoofdparkiet ... German: Goldstirnsittich ... French: Perruche à front d'or Sub-Species: aurea, major CITES II - Endangered Distribution: Southernmost Surinam, Brazil, South to Eastern Bolivia, Northern Paraguay, Extreme North-western Argentina Related Websites: Lexicon of Parrots
Sub-species:
- Peach-fronted Conure
Aratinga aurea aurea - Golden-crowned Conure
Aratinga aurea - Greater Peach-fronted Conure
Aratinga aurea major
Greater Peach-fronted Conures: Please scroll up for additional information. Genus: Scientific: Aratinga ... English: Conures ... Dutch: Wigstaartparkieten ... German: Keilschwanzsittiche
... French: Aratinga Species: Scientific: Aratinga aurea major aka Eupsittula aurea major ... English: Greater Peach-fronted Conure ... Dutch: Grote Goudvoorhoofdparkiet ... German: Großer Goldstirnsittich ... French: Perruche grand à front d'or CITES II - Endangered Distribution: Northern Paraguay, Southern Bolivia, North-western Argentina Related Websites: Lexicon of Parrots (Please scroll down to no. 2 - click on link to view photo.)
Orange-fronted Conures: Orange-fronted Conures have the fun-loving, inquisitive and playful personalities of most of the other Conures and can become good talkers. However, they can be very noisy and may not make a good pet for apartment dwellers or those who are sensitive to noise. Orange-front Conures are around 11-12 inches in length and weigh around 80-90 grams.
Genus: Scientific: Aratinga ... English: Conures ... Dutch: Wigstaartparkieten ... German: Keilschwanzsittiche ... French: Aratinga Species: Scientific: Aratinga canicularis canicularis aka Eupsittula canicularis canicularis ... English: Orange-fronted Conure, Petz's
Conure ... Dutch: Ivooraratinga, Petz's Parkiet ... German: Elfenbeinsittich ... French: Perruche à front orange Sub-Species: eburnirostrum, clarae, canicularis CITES II - Endangered Distribution: Pacific Slopes Central America from South-western Mexico, South to Western Costa Rica Related Websites: Lexicon of Parrots
Southern Mexican Petz's Conures: Genus: Scientific: Aratinga ... English: Conures ... Dutch: Wigstaartparkieten ... German: Keilschwanzsittiche ... French: Aratinga
Species: Scientific: Aratinga canicularis eburnirostrum aka Eupsittula canicularis eburnirostrum ... English: Southern Mexican Petz's Conure ... Dutch: Zuid-Mexicaanse Petz's Parkiet ... German: Südmexikanischer Elfenbeinsittich ... French: Perruche à front rouge Lesson CITES
II - Endangered Distribution: South-western Mexico from Extreme Eastern Michoacán South through Guerrero to Oaxaca Western Mexican Petz's Conures: Genus: Scientific: Aratinga ... English: Conures ... Dutch: Wigstaartparkieten ... German: Keilschwanzsittiche ... French: Aratinga
Species: Scientific: Aratinga canicularis clarae aka Eupsittula canicularis clarae ... English: Western Mexican Petz's Conure ... Dutch: Westelijke Mexicaanse Petz's Parkiet ... German: Westmexikanischer Elfenbeinsittich ... French: Perruche à front rouge Clarae CITES II - Endangered Distribution: Western Mexico
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!
