Colorful World Of Conures: 30+ Species, Facts & Pictures (2024)

In the parrot world, conures are known as the “clowns” because of their lively personalities and beautiful colors. There are about 45 different species of conures, each with their unique traits and personalities.

Whether you’re after a vibrant, lively bird or a calmer, muted-colored one, there’s a conure that’s right for you.

Here’s a list of more than 30 different types of conures with facts, personalities, and suitability as pets. Find out which type may be the perfect fit for you.

Types of Conures: Aratinga Genus

The Genus Aratinga comprises various species of conures, each with its own unique characteristics and qualities.

1. Sun Conure (Aratinga solstitialis)

The sun conure is one of the most popular conure species kept as pets because of their stunning bright colors and their lively and affectionate personalities.

• Habitat: Native to northern parts of South America, living in woodlands and tropical rainforests.
• Physical Appearance: Sun conures have a vivid blend of orange and yellow bodies, with splashes of green and blue on their wings. They’re small to medium-sized and quite eye-catching!
• Size: 30 cm (12 inches)
• Lifespan: With proper care, sun conures can live around 15 to 25 years and up to 30 years.
• Personality: Energetic, playful, affectionate, and quite loud at times.

As Pets: With their lively and outgoing nature, sun conures make very entertaining companions for those seeking an energetic and colorful pet birds. They are surprisingly loud given their size, so they are not suitable for apartments. They are also super curious and playful, meaning they need a good deal of attention and stimulation. On the flip side, they’re really affectionate, especially with people they’re familiar with.

2. Jenday Conure (Aratinga jandaya)

These medium-sized parrots exhibit a striking combination of vibrant colors including yellow, orange, green, and blue on their feathers. The jenday conure differs from the sun conure because of its totally green wings.

• Habitat: Native to Brazil’s woodlands and forests.
• Physical Appearance: Mostly bright yellow and orange body, yellow head with orange cheeks, with green wings and blue tips on the tail.
• Size: 30 cm (12 inches)
• Lifespan: Around 15-25 years if well cared for.
• Personality: Friendly, lively, and social birds.

As Pets: The Jenday conure is highly social, energetic, and loves being the center of attention. They make wonderful companions, but like the Sun conure, they can be pretty noisy at times.

3. Nanday Conure (Aratinga nenday)

Nanday conures are native to South America, but they have also established feral populations in certain regions like Florida. They are slightly bigger than most other Aratinga conures.

• Habitat: Wild nanday conure can be found in South America, particularly the Pantanal region of Brazil, Bolivia, and Paraguay.
• Physical Appearance: They have predominantly green feathers with black markings on their heads and wings. Their tails have a blue tips, and they also have a bluish green patch on their chests. Their legs are covered in red feathers.
• Size: 35 cm (13.5 inches)
• Lifespan: Around 15-25 years or more.
• Personality: Intelligent, playful, and a tad mischievous.

As Pets: The nanday conure is highly intelligent and can be trained to perform tricks or mimic human speech. However, they may have a tendency to become territorial and protective of their owners. Their charismatic personalities can win you over, but they do love to chat (meaning they can be noisy).

4. Sulphur-Breasted Conure (Aratinga maculata)

The Sulphur-Breasted Parakeet, is very similar in appearance as the Sun Conure. It was recognized as a separate species from the sun conure in 2005, so not much is known yet about this species in general.

• Habitat: Found in the Amazon Basin of Brazil and Peru.
• Physical Appearance: They have yellow and orange bodies, with splashes of green and blue on their wings. They have more green on their wings than sun conures.
• Size: 30 cm (12 inches)
• Lifespan: Around 15-25 years.
• Personality: Friendly, outgoing, and playful.

As Pets: They are known for their playful and mischievous nature, making them entertaining pets. A joy to have around, but as with other conures, they need attention and can be quite loud.

5. Dusky-headed Conure (Aratinga weddellii)

Dusky-headed conure, also known as Weddell’s conures, or dusky-headed parakeets. They are sometimes called “mini macaws” because they’ve got white skin near their eyes and beak like the big macaws.

• Habitat: Native to subtropical and tropical forests in the western Amazon, in Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, and Argentina.
• Physical Appearance: Mostly green body with a dusky-gray head and neck.
• Size: Slightly smaller conure, averaging around 25-28cm (10 inches).
• Lifespan: Around 15-25 years.
• Personality: Gentle, social, and affectionate.

As Pets: Dusky headed conures are known for their gentle nature and ability to form strong bonds with their owners. They are great for families, and are less energetic and quieter than some of the other conures.

6. Gold-Capped Conure (Aratinga auricapillus)

As their name suggests, these birds have golden feathers on top of their heads.

• Habitat: Found in the Amazon tropical and subtropical forests of South America, especially Brazil and Paraguay.
• Physical Appearance: Mostly green bodies with a distinct golden orange and red patch on top of their heads (leading to their name).
• Size: 30 cm (12 inches)
• Lifespan: Approximately 15-20 years.
• Personality: Curious, playful, social, and a bit dramatic.

As Pets: They are highly sociable birds that enjoy being part of family activities. These conures have an enthusiastic personality, but may require consistent training to ensure good behavior.

Types of Conures: Genus Pyrrhura

The Genus Pyrrhura comprises about 29 species plus some subspecies of conure, each with its own unique characteristics and qualities. They are a bit smaller than the Genus Aratinga conures, measuring an average of 10 inches instead of 12.

Here’s a list of the most common ones:

1. Green-cheeked Conure (Pyrrhura molinae)

Green-cheek conures are the most popular conure kept as pets because of their beautiful colors and their cheeky personalities. They have been selectively bred for years, so you can find them in many different color variations like turquoise, pineapple, cinnamon, and opaline.

• Habitat: Native to forests and woodlands in South America, especially Brazil and Argentina.
• Physical Appearance: Mainly green, with a grayish head chest, bright red tail, and blue feathers on their wings. They have their signature green cheeks. Nowadays there are a lot of different color variations.
• Lifespan: Green-cheeked conures can live for 15-25 years, and up to 30 years.
• Size: Smaller, 25-26 cm (10 inches)
• Personality: Spunky, playful, gentle, known to be quieter.

As Pets: They are popular pets due to their fun but quiet nature, compared to Aratinga conures. The green-cheeked conure is known for its playful personality and affectionate nature, they love to cuddle and can even learn a few tricks.

2. Maroon-bellied Conure (Pyrrhura frontalis)

The Maroon-bellied conure or maroon-bellied parakeet get their names from their beautiful maroon-colored bellies and underpants.

• Habitat: Found in subtropical regions in southeastern Brazil, eastern Paraguay, and northeastern Argentina.
• Physical Appearance: Green bodies with a maroon belly and a blue tint on the back and wings.
• Size: 24-28 cm (10 inches)
• Lifespan: Around 20 years.
• Personality: Social, curious, and interactive.

As Pets: The maroon-bellied conure is an intelligent and social bird that loves being the center of attention. They are loving companions and can be quite vocal when happy.

3. Crimson-Bellied Conure (Pyrrhura perlata)

As their name suggests, these birds have stunning crimson-colored bellies that contrast with their green plumage.

• Habitat: Amazon rainforests in Brazil.
• Physical Appearance: Green upper body with a striking crimson belly and blue-tipped wings.
• Size: 24-25 cm (10 inches)
• Lifespan: 20-25 years.
• Personality: Friendly and affectionate.

As Pets: Crimson-bellied conure are known for their curious and playful nature, often displaying acrobatic skills that are quite entertaining. They also form strong bonds with their owners.

4. Blood-Eared Conure (Pyrrhura hoematotis)

They are also known as the Red-eared parakeet or Red-eared conure. They get their name from distinct terracotta-colored ear patches that they have.

• Habitat: Found in the coastal range in Venezuela.
• Physical Appearance: They are mostly green, with a gray forehead and deep reddish-colored patches near their ears. With hints of yellow on their upper chest, and reddish-brown on the belly, blue flight feathers, and a brownish-red tail with green tips.
• Size: 25 cm (10 inches)
• Lifespan: 15-20 years.
• Personality: Social, curious, playful.

As Pets: They are energetic, friendly, and sociable, and can form strong bonds with their owners. They’re playful and with proper care, they can become very affectionate.

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5. Sulphur-winged Conure (Pyrrhura hoffmanni)

The Sulphur-winged conure or Sulphur-winged parakeet get their name from the bright yellow flight feathers they have on their wings, a striking feature that sets them apart from other species within the Pyrrhura genus.

• Habitat: Highlands of Costa Rica and Panama.
• Physical Appearance: Primarily green with some yellowish specs on the head and neck, red cheeks, and distinctive bright yellow flight wing feathers.
• Size: 23-24 cm (9.2 inches)
• Lifespan: Around 20 years.
• Personality: Lively, curious, social.

As Pets: Like most conures, they are very social, love interaction, are playful and curious They require lots of interaction to keep them content. They are also a bit quieter than other Pyrrhura conures.

6. Black-Capped Conure (Pyrrhura rupicola)

Also known as Black-capped parakeet, or Rock conure. They have a beautiful pattern of black with gray bordered feathers on their chests that look like a necklace.

• Habitat: Amazon rainforests in western South America, in Peru, Brazil, and Bolivia.
• Physical Appearance: Green with a black cap on their head and a red belly patch.
• Size: 25 cm (10 inches)
• Lifespan: 15-25 years.
• Personality: Highly social, friendly, and inquisitive.

As Pets: Black-capped conures are known for their social, playful, and energetic nature. They can be shy with new people, and are sometimes referred to as the “quietest of conures” among bird enthusiasts.

7. Blue-Throated Conure (Pyrrhura cruentata)

These colorful parakeets are also known as Ochre-marked parakeet, or Ochre-marked conure because of the dark red color they have on their bellies, and also their blue throats. The Blue-throated Conure is considered a vulnerable species due to habitat loss because of agriculture.

• Habitat: Brazil’s Atlantic coastal forests.
• Physical Appearance: Mostly green with dark red patches on its belly and near its eye, a blue throat, a blackish crown on their head, and a brownish-red tail.
• Size: 30 cm (12 inches)
• Lifespan: 20-25 years.
• Personality: Energetic, curious, and playful.

As Pets: Not very common as pets. They can be quite playful, affectionate, intelligent, and sometimes loud, like most other conures.

8. Pearly Conure (Pyrrhura lepida)

Also known as Pearly parakeet because of their beautiful scalloped “pearly” pattern on their chests. They are also considered a threatened conure species because of their habitat destruction.

• Habitat: Forests of northern Brazil.
• Physical Appearance: The top of the head is dark brown, blue-green face, and green body with blue shades. Their chest has a scalloped black and white pattern, giving them their distinctive ‘pearly’ look.
• Size: 24-25 cm (10 inches)
• Lifespan: Up to 20 years.
• Personality: Energetic, social, curious, can be loud.

As Pets: Difficult to find as pets. They are very curious, love being the center of attention, and need lots of toys and interaction to stay happy. Their screeches can be quite loud.

9. Painted Conure (Pyrrhura picta)

Also known as Painted parakeet, these beautiful birds really look like a painting with so many colors they have. Their classification is still under debate. The International Ornithological Committee (IOC) recognizes 4 subspecies.

• Habitat: They inhabit forests in south and east Venezuela, the Guianas, northern Brazil, Colombia, and one subspecies resides in Panama.
• Physical Appearance: Mostly green with a blue crown, reddish cheeks, their neck has a unique “scaly” pattern of dark brown feathers with white edges, deep red bellies, and a maroon tail.
• Size: 20-23 cm (8-9 inches)
• Lifespan: Up to 15-20 years.
• Personality: Active, gentle, curious.

As Pets: They are not easy to find as pets. Painted conures are sweet, friendly, and smart birds. They love to be the center of attention and can even learn a few tricks. They aren’t as noisy as other conures, but can be quite nippy sometimes.

Types of Conures: Genus Eupsittula

Until 2013, these parrots were thought to be part of the Aratinga genus. Many Eupsittula conure species are kept as pets.

1. Peach-Fronted Conure (Eupsittula aurea)

The Peach-fronted conure or Peach-fronted parakeet, gets its name from their beautiful peach-colored crown. They also have a more gentle temperament than other species.

• Habitat: Found in the wooded areas and grasslands of Brazil, Bolivia, and Paraguay.
• Physical Appearance: Mainly green with a peachy-orange forehead and blue-tipped wings. Their beaks are gray.
• Lifespan: Around 20 years.
• Size: 23-28 cm (9-11 inches)
• Personality: Sweet, social, cheerful, and friendly.

As Pets: They are very sweet, smart, playful, and affectionate, which make them great companions. They require plenty of social interaction and attention, as any conure does.

2. Half-Moon Conure or Orange-fronted Conure (Eupsittula canicularis)

Also known as Orange-fronted parakeet, or Half-Moon conure. They are slightly smaller than the peach-fronted conure and also a bit quieter.

• Habitat: Native to the western coasts in semi-open areas like woodlands and edges of forests in Central America and Mexico.
• Physical Appearance: Bright green with a distinct orange crown on the forehead, dull blue head, and blue-tipped wings.
• Size: 23-25 cm (9-10 inches)
• Lifespan: Up to 20 years.
• Personality: Lively, social, chatty.

As Pets: Half moon conures can be quite lively birds. They are very affectionate and tend to be quieter than other conures, prefering chattering over screeching.

3. Caatinga Conure, or Cactus Conure (Eupsittula cactorum)

Also known as Cattinga paarkeet or Cactus parakeet, they are not as commonly kept as pets as other conures.

• Habitat: They prefer the semi-arid regions of northeastern Brazil, known as the Caatinga biome.
• Physical Appearance: Predominantly green with pale brown cheeks and throat, yellowish-green belly, and some blue on their wings and tail.
• Size: 25 cm (10 inches)
• Lifespan: 15-20 years.
• Personality: Curious, active, and social birds.

As Pets: Cactus conures are not that common to find as pets. Just like most conures, they are highly social, active, inquisitive, and require a lot of attention and mental stimulation with toys and interaction to thrive.

4. Olive-Throated Conure (Eupsittula nana)

Also known as Olive-throated parakeet, they are slightly smaller in size compared to other Eupsittula species. They are also more docile in captivity compared to other species.

• Habitat: Found in the forests and woodlands of Central America, from southern Mexico to Panama and Jamaica.
• Physical Appearance: Green plumage with an olive-colored throat and blue on their wings.
• Size: 22-26 cm (8.7-10 inches)
• Lifespan: 15-20 years.
• Personality: Gentle, affectionate, social.

As Pets: Not as commonly found as pets. These parakeets are known for their gentle and docile temperament. They thrive in a calm environment and can form strong bonds with their owners.

5. Brown-Throated Conure, or St. Thomas Conure (Eupsittula pertinax)

Also known as Brown-throated parakeet, this species has an additional 14 subspecies, some of them only living in islands.

• Habitat: Found across a range in Central and South America, from southwestern Costa Rica and Panama, to Colombia and Venezuela, and the islands close to the South American coasts.
• Physical Appearance: Primarily green with a dull yellow face, light brown throat, and some dull blue on their wings and tail.
• Size: 25 cm (10 inches)
• Lifespan: Around 20 years.
• Personality: Friendly, curious, adaptable, very vocal.

As Pets: These parakeets are smart, curious and very friendly birds. They are very vocal and their screeches can be very loud.

Types of Conures: Genus Psittacara

These birds used to be part of the Aratinga group, but studies showed that Aratinga had different types of species mixed together. This change was proposed in 2013, with the white-eyed conure being a key example. The genus has 13 species, with one being extinct.

1. Cherry Headed Conure (Psittacara erythrogenys)

They are also known as Red-masked conure or Red-headed conure. These vibrant birds get their name from their striking red facial mask. They are quite big for a conure.

• Habitat: Native to the forests and jungles of Ecuador and Peru. Feral populations can be found in the city of San Francisco, and in Spain.
• Physical Appearance: Mostly bright green with a striking bright red “mask” on their face and some specks of red on their wings.
• Size: 33 cm (13 inches)
• Lifespan: 20-30 years.
• Personality: Intelligent, social, playful, and quite vocal.

As Pets: Red-masked conures are quite popular pet birds because of their beautiful colors and for being very talkative. They are lively and intelligent birds that can be easily trained to mimic words and perform tricks.

2. Mitred Conure (Psittacara mitratus)

They are also known as Mitred parakeet and are very similar to their cousin the Cherry headed conure. They differ in that Mitred conures don’t have the whole red “mask,” but rather splashes of red across their face and neck.

• Habitat: Found in the Andes from north-central Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina. Feral populations are in Florida, California, and Hawaii.
• Physical Appearance: Green with specks of red on their forehead, face, and neck.
• Size: 31-38 cm (12-15 inches)
• Lifespan: 20-25 years.
• Personality: Intelligent, playful, talkative.

As Pets: Mitred parakeets are also popular pets due to their intelligence and talking ability. They thrive on social interaction and require plenty of mental stimulation through toys and activities.

3. Scarlet-fronted Conure (Psittacara wagleri)

Also known as Scarlet-fronted parakeets, Red-fronted conure, or Wagler’s conure. They differ from the Red masked conure because they have a smaller patch of red on their crowns. It’s also one of the larger conure species.

• Habitat: Found in the cloud forests of the Andes mountains in Colombia and Venezuela.
• Physical Appearance: Green with a distinct vibrant red forehead and crown.
• Size: Quite large. 34-40 cm (13-16 inches)
• Lifespan: 20-25 years.
• Personality: Active and curious.

As Pets: Scarlet-fronted conures are known for their intelligence and ability to learn tricks.They enjoy interaction, and make fun, lively companions, but may require patience during their training process.

4. Finsch’s Conure (Psittacara finschi)

Also known as Finsch’s parakeet or Crimson-fronted parakeet.

• Habitat: Native to woodlands and edges of forests in Nicaragua, on both the Pacific and Caribbean slopes of Costa Rica, and Panama.
• Physical Appearance: Mostly green with some red on their forehead.
• Size: 28 cm (11 inches)
• Lifespan: Up to 20 years.
• Personality: Active, social, and friendly.

As Pets: Finsch’s conures are known for their energetic and playful nature. They can be quite loud, especially their loud squawks.

5. White-Eyed Conure (Psittacara leucophthalmus)

Also known as White-eyed parakeets. They are often mistaken for Finsch’s conures, because both have red and yellow patches under their wings. However, the white-eyed conure doesn’t have that red triangle on their forehead.

• Habitat: Widespread in South America, from eastern Brazil to northern Argentina.
• Physical Appearance: Green with red specks on their head and neck, a patch of red on the wings, and distinct white rings around their eyes.
• Size: 32-35 cm (13-14 inches)
• Lifespan: 20-30 years.
• Personality: Social, playful, and vocal.

As Pets: The white-eyed conure might not be as famous as its colorful cousins, but they sure know how to be affectionate, chatty pets! They usually don’t cause much mess and prefer to chatter rather than make loud noises.

6. Green Conure (Psittacara holochlorus)

They are also known as Mexican green conure. As their name suggests, they have a predominantly green plumage.

• Habitat: Found in Mexico and northern Central America. Some feral populations in Texas.
• Physical Appearance: Bright green all over with yellowish green on their bellies.
• Size: 28-30 cm (11-12 inches)
• Lifespan: Around 20 years.
• Personality: Playful and vocal.

As Pets: Green conures are playful, curious, and chatty. They are highly social and enjoy being part of the family environment.

7. Socorro Conure (Psittacara brevipes)

Also known as Socorro green conure or Socorro parakeet, they are an endangered species. Their endangered status means they aren’t typically kept as pets, but they play a vital role in conservation efforts to protect their natural habitat.

• Habitat: Endemic to Socorro Island in the west coast of Mexico.
• Physical Appearance: Green with a brighter green belly and some red on the head.
• Size: 31-33 cm (12-13 inches)
• Lifespan: About 20 years.
• Personality: They’re not as well-studied as others, but like most parakeets, they’re likely social and curious.

As Pets: Not commonly kept as pets due to their restricted range and conservation status.

Types of Conures: Other conures

Now that we’ve covered the different types of conures within the Aratinga, Pyrrhura, Eupsittula, and Psittacara genera, let’s explore some other genus types you might come across.

1. Blue-Crowned Conure (Thectocercus acuticaudatus)

Did you know Paulie from the 1998 movie was a Blue-crowned conure? Sometimes called Blue-crowned parakeet or Sharp-tailed conure, they can be identified by their striking blue crown.

• Habitat: These birds are found in a variety of environments, from forests to savannas in South America, specifically in countries like Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Colombia.
• Physical Appearance: Mostly green with a distinct blue crown on their head (hence the name). They also have a bit of red on their legs, and a tail that’s blue on top and red underneath.
• Size: 37 cm (17.5 inches)
• Lifespan: With proper care, they can live between 20 to 30 years.
• Personality: Gentle, affectionate, talkative, and smart.

As Pets: Their sociable, playful nature and impressive talking skills make blue-crowned conures popular pets. They’re relatively low-maintenance compared to some parrots, and quieter than other conures. Due to their smarts and curiosity, they need a fair amount of supervision.

2. Golden Conure (Guaruba guarouba)

Also known as Queen of Bavaria Conure or Golden parakeet, they rank among the rarer conure species and sit on the larger end of the conure size spectrum.

• Habitat: They inhabit the rainforests near the Amazon River of northern Brazil.
• Physical Appearance: As their name suggests, they are covered in bright, beautiful golden-yellow feathers with green-tipped wing.
• Size: 34-36 cm (13-14 inches)
• Lifespan: 20-30 years.
• Personality: Highly social, intelligent, curious, and energetic.

As Pets: Golden conures are very social, intelligent, and energetic birds. You will be thoroughly entertained with them, though they can be very loud, especially when they are excited. They can mimic sounds and simple phrases, and due to their sociable nature, they need consistent interaction and can suffer if neglected.

3. Patagonian Conure (Cyanoliseus patagonus)

Also known as Burrowing parrot or Burrowing parakeet, they get their name from their unique nesting style. They dig complex burrows in cliffs and ravines to raise their chicks. They are also the largest conure, reaching up to 52 cm or 20 inches in size!

• Habitat: Native to the open landscapes and grasslands of southern South America, specifically from the Patagonia region in Argentina and Chile.
• Physical Appearance: Mostly olive green with a gray-blue chest, with a distinct reddish and yellow belly and underparts.
• Size: Large. 39-52 cm (15-20 inches)
• Lifespan: 15-25 years.
• Personality: Highly intelligent, energetic, affectionate, can be loud.

As Pets: Patagonian conures are among the most intelligent conures, they are also loud and highly energetic. They are popular pets because of their playful and sweet personality. They can learn how to mimic sounds and even some words. Being a larger bird, they need a good amount of space and interaction to stay happy.

Conures, with their intelligence, fun-loving attitude, and comical nature, make delightful pets. Just remember that regardless of their species, all conures and birds in general need a lot of care and attention to be happy and healthy!

Considering a conure addition to your household? Now you’ve got a list of the different types of conures and how each offers its own unique characteristics and charm.