Green-cheeked Conure

Looks how to spot one

Feathered; small, slim, long-tailed parrot

One of the smallest conures, with a long pointed tail and a slender body. The wild-type bird is mostly green on the back and wings, with a brownish cap running from forehead to nape, bright green cheeks and a pale ring of bare skin around each eye. The chest is greyish with a scaled, barred look, the belly has a maroon to reddish patch, and the tail is reddish brown above. Details vary a little between the six subspecies. Young birds lack most of the red on the belly.124

Personality what they are like

Green-cheeked conures are lively, curious and full of mischief, often hanging upside down, clambering over cage bars and inventing games. They tend to attach strongly to their people and enjoy plenty of hands-on time. They are not especially known for nipping, and their small size makes them easier to handle than bigger parrots, though children should always be supervised. Their voice is noticeably softer than that of most larger conures. Some birds learn a handful of words, but they are valued more for their personality and for how readily they learn tricks than for talking.41

Daily activity how busy a day looks

Very active and needs a good amount of supervised time out of the cage every day, plus a steady rotation of toys to climb, chew and play with. Short training sessions for tricks suit its quick mind well.41

Grooming and care the hands-on bits

Provide plenty of safe chewing toys, since these are keen chewers, and swap toys regularly to keep interest up. Offer regular chances to bathe, keep perches of different thicknesses, and clean food and water dishes daily, especially as fresh fruit and vegetables make up a large part of the diet.42

Home where they are happiest

A roomy cage with space to run along perches, climb and play, fitted with several perches, toys and feeding stations. Keep it in a busy family room, since this is a bird that wants to be part of what is going on.4

Food basics what goes in the bowl

Wild birds feed mostly in the treetops on fruit, seeds, nuts, berries and flowers, including figs, mangoes and papaya. At home a quality pellet or formulated diet makes a good base, with plenty of fresh vegetables and greens, fruit (around a third of the diet in one keeper guide), some seeds and cooked beans. Fresh water every day.234

Company who they like around

Highly sociable; in the wild these birds travel in flocks of about 10-20 outside the breeding season and form lasting pairs. A pet needs a lot of daily attention and time with its people, and birds kept in pairs still stay tame when given regular interaction.234

The story where it all began

The green-cheeked conure was formally described to science in 1854 by Massena and Souance and belongs to Pyrrhura, a genus of small, long-tailed South American parakeets. Across its range in Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina ornithologists now recognise six subspecies, which differ slightly in colour and occupy separate regions from the Bolivian Andes to the woodlands of northern Argentina. One subspecies name was changed from sordida to hypoxantha after naming priority rules were applied. In aviculture the species became a popular companion parrot thanks to its small size, gentle voice and playful character, and breeders have developed several colour forms, including cinnamon, yellow-sided, the combined pineapple form and turquoise.14

Recognised by the official bits

IUCN Red List

Least Concern. Described as common across much of its range, with the population thought to be slowly decreasing.2

Taxonomy

Formally described by Massena and Souance in 1854. Six subspecies are recognised: flavoptera, molinae, phoenicura, hypoxantha (formerly called sordida), restricta and australis.1