Blue-crowned conure
The blue-crowned conure is a medium-large conure from a broad range across South America, green with a distinctive dull blue wash over the head and a horn-coloured upper beak.
It became widely known through the film Paulie, which featured a blue-crowned in the title role.
It is regarded as one of the better talkers among conures and is generally affectionate and playful. It is also loud — less shrill than a sun conure but with real carrying power — and, like most conures, it needs a great deal of interaction. Hand-reared birds bond strongly and can become jealous of other household members.
- Origin
- South America, from Colombia to Argentina
- Size
- 35–40 cm including tail; 140–190 g
- Lifespan
- 20–30 years
- Diet
- Pellets with fresh vegetables and limited fruit
- Temperament
- Affectionate, playful, talkative, can be jealous
- Noise
- Loud, with strong carrying calls
Related: Black-capped conure · Blue-and-gold macaw
3 blue-crowned conure photos, newest first
Living with a blue-crowned conure
Daily out-of-cage time and steady enrichment are the core requirement. Conures without either become screamers and feather-pluckers, and both are far easier to prevent than to fix.
Encourage handling by several people from the start; a bird that bonds to one person often becomes aggressive toward everyone else.
Base the diet on formulated pellets. An all-seed diet leads to vitamin A deficiency and fatty liver disease.
Watch for feather-destructive behaviour, and be aware of proventricular dilatation disease in conures generally. Keep them well away from non-stick fumes, aerosols and smoke.
General guidance, not veterinary advice. Individual birds vary, and anything about a specific animal is a question for a vet who has seen it.
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