White-eared Conures
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The White-eared Conure is quite well known in Europe, but very rare in the United States. They are one of the more popular smaller conures, pleasant and easy to tame. 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.
Description:
They are 8.5 - 9 inches (23cm) long (from head to tail tip).They have white marks where their ears are located. Their foreheads, lower cheeks and occasionally their napes are blue. The upper cheeks, napes and crown are a mahogany red color. A band of mahogany red is located above the cere, and the rest of the bird is green in coloration. The chest is generally barred green and has yellow-orange edging with dark gray or black tips. White-eared Conures have maroon abdomens and lower backs. The tails are also maroon, edged with green. The shoulders have scarlet splashes, and often the wing coverts are aqua colored with blue primary flight feathers. The feet and legs tend to be a shade of gray, and the beak and eye rings are a brownish gray color. The base of the bill is narrowly striped with dark brown. White-eared Conures are quite small, and most do not grow to be more than eight and a half inches or more than two and a half ounces. They are charming and beautifully colored. There are actually about nine subspecies of White-eared Conure.
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
- The 3 Key Elements to Your Pet Bird's Happiness and Health
- Caring for your companion bird
Breeding/Reproduction:
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:
- Length / depth: 400 - 600 mm (or approx. 16 - 24 inches)
- Log internal diameter approx. 250 - 300 mm. (or approx. 10 - 12 inches)
- Nest-box internal dimensions approx. 250 mm square (or approx. 10 inches square)
- 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.
Conures have a habit of removing all the nest box material and laying their eggs on the bare wooden base.
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 leucophthalmus leucophthalmus aka Psittacara leucophthalmus leucophthalmus ... English: White-eyed Conure ... Dutch: Witoogaratinga, Guyana Parkiet ... German: Pavuasittich, Weißaugensittich ... French: Perruche de Guyana Sub-Species: emma, auricularis, phrimeri, griseipectus, leucotis CITES II - Endangered Distribution: Guianas, Eastern Venezuela, Eastern Colombia, South of Meta, Bolivia, South Brazil, Paraguay, Northern Argentina Related Websites: Lexicon of Parrots
Sub-species:
Brazilian Grey-breasted Conures:
Genus: Scientific: Pyrrhura ... English: Red-tailed Conures ... Dutch: Roodstaartparkieten ... German: Rotschwanzsittiche ... French: Perruche à queue rouge Species: Scientific: Pyrrhura leucotis griseipectus ... English: Brazilian Grey-breasted Conure ... Dutch: Braziliaanse Witoorparkiet ... German: Salvadoris Weißohrsittich ... French: Perruche oreillon blanc Salvadori
CITES II - Endangered Distribution: North-eastern Brazil
Related Websites: Lexicon of Parrots (Please scroll down to no. 2 - click on link to view photo.)
Genus: Scientific: Pyrrhura ... English: Red-tailed Conures ... Dutch: Roodstaartparkieten ... German: Rotschwanzsittiche ... French: Perruche à queue rouge Species: Scientific: Pyrrhura leucotis emma ... English: Emma's White-eared Conure ... Dutch: Emma's Witoorparkiet ... German: Emmas Weißohrsittich ... French: Perruche oreillon blanc Miranda
CITES II - Endangered Distribution: Coastal Range in Northern Venezuela
Related Websites: Lexicon of Parrots (Please scroll down to no. 4 - click on link to view photo.)
Genus: Scientific: Pyrrhura ... English: Red-tailed Conures ... Dutch: Roodstaartparkieten ... German: Rotschwanzsittiche ... French: Perruche à queue rouge Species: Scientific: Pyrrhura leucotis auricularis ... English: Monagas White-eared Conure ... Dutch: Monagas Witoorparkiet ... German: Monagas
Weißohrsittich ... French: Perruche oreillon blanc Zimmer et Phelps
CITES II - Endangered Distribution: Coastal Range of North-eastern Venezuela
Related Websites: Lexicon of Parrots (Please scroll down to no. 5 - click on link to view photo.)
Genus: Scientific: Pyrrhura ... English: Red-tailed Conures ... Dutch: Roodstaartparkieten ... German: Rotschwanzsittiche ... French: Perruche à queue rouge Species: Scientific:Pyrrhura leucotis pfrimeri ... English: Pfrimer's Conure ... Dutch: Pfrimers Witoorparkiet ... German: Pfrimers WeißohrSittich ... French: Perruche oreillon blanc Ribeiro
CITES II - Endangered Distribution: Santa Maria de Taguatinga, Goiás, North-eastern
Brazil
Related Websites: Lexicon of Parrots (Please scroll down to no. 3 - click on link to view photo.)
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