The Sun Conure Parrot
Sun Conures are active and colorful friends
Sun Conures
The Sun Conure parrot is probably the most popular Aratinga conure kept as a pet.
Sun Conures are strikingly beautiful with a personality to match. Their beauty and playfullness make the Sun Conure a much loved pet.
It is said that the Sun Conure parrot got its name because in the sky a large flock of Sun Conures resembles a sunset.
Sun Conures are active, playful, and very social. If you do not have enough time to spend with a Sun Conure, you might want to find another pet bird. Because Sun Conures are so social, they need a lot of attention. Match this with their loud screams, and you might just regret picking this companion.
Sun Conure parrots aren’t very good talkers, but they can be very good at imitating sounds and performing tricks.
They are also very active, so a large cage and a lot of toys is a must for these playful little birds. They love toys that are easy to chew and toys that make noise. They also love to climb, hang, and swing.
It is also important to note that Sun Conures can be very nippy and aggressive, especially near puberty, so they are better pets for experienced bird owners.
If you are an experienced bird owner with a good amount of time to spend with your pet bird and a high threshold for noise, then a Sun Conure parrot might be the right pet bird for you.
Fast Facts
| Name | Sun Conure (Aratinga solstitialis) |
| Origin | Northeastern South America |
| Size | 12 in. |
| Color Differences | Younger Sun Conures are mostly green while older Sun Conures are mostly yellow. |
| Average Cost | $250-600 |
| Lifespan | 25-30 years |
| Noise | Loud |
| Living Arrangements | Sun Conures are too loud for apartment living, so they are best kept in a house. |
| Qualities | Loud, playful, active, spunky, feisty, intelligent, rowdy, fun, curious, comical, acrobatic, enjoy head scratches, can have quite an attitude, love toys, love attention, can be cuddly, can be nippy, can be excellent “watch dogs”, tend to be one-person birds (unless they are well-socialized), some like to bob their heads. |
| Abilities | Good – Have the ability to talk, but aren’t great talkers, trainable and can be very good at tricks |
| Interaction/Time Requirements | Sun Conures are very social, so they require a lot of attention and can resort to screaming if they don’t get the attention they seek. |
| Diet | They need a diet for large birds. |
| Supplies Needed | They need supplies for large birds. Sun Conures love toys that are easy to chew up and toys that make noise–bells, especially. |
Sun Conure Videos
“Rudy in High Def!”
Sun Conure parrots really are a lot of fun. They love to play and many love to dance. This is a great video that shows how they can be such wonderful companions.
“How Loud Is a Screaming Sun Conure?”
We’re not kidding when we say that Sun Conure parrots are loud. This video will give you an idea about what you are getting into if you buy a Sun Conure.
“Sun Conure talking”
This is a sweet video of a talking Sun Conure.
Sun Conure Parrot Training
Sun Conures can be very nippy and aggressive at times, so it is important to train them correctly right from the beginning. They need to be taught clear boundaries so they will learn not to bite. Sun Conures can be fantastic companions. They are caring, loving, and they can become very attached. However, if not properly trained, they can become biters very quickly.
For this reason, we highly recommend that you find an effective training program for your Sun Conure. Whether your parrot is new to your home or you’ve had him for years, a training program will always come in handy. We personally recommend the Bird Tricks Parrot Training Course by Dave and Jamieleigh Womach. You can see many of their videos for free to get an idea of how much they know about parrots and how they can help you train yours.
Below is one of Dave’s videos that shows how to teach your Sun Conure to step up without biting. This video is a great example of how effective the training courses can be and how they are filled with a wealth of useful information for any bird owner.
This video is only the first step in getting your bird hand tamed. We highly recommend checking out the BirdTricks Training Course for taming your parrot even further.
For more information about Dave and Jamieleigh’s courses, you can visit the Bird Tricks website HERE.
Conure Education
To learn more about your pet Conure, we recommend these books:
| Image | Title | Price | Prime | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | The Conure Handbook (B.E.S. Pet Handbooks) | PrimeEligible | Add to Cart | |
 | Conure: Your Happy Healthy Pet | PrimeEligible | Add to Cart | |
 | Conures as Pets | PrimeEligible | Add to Cart | |
 | Conures (Animal Planet® Pet Care Library) | PrimeEligible | Add to Cart |
Conure Gifts
Have a friend of family member who loves Conures? Gift them something that will truly spark joy!
| Image | Title | Price | Prime | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Conure Ripeness Chart T-Shirt | PrimeEligible | Add to Cart | |
 | Green Cheek Conure's Daily To-Do List T-Shirt | PrimeEligible | Add to Cart | |
 | Sun Conure T Shirt, I Scream Sun Conure Tee Shirt | PrimeEligible | Add to Cart | |
 | Custom Green Cheek Conure Necklace | Prime | Add to Cart | |
 | Love Hurts Nanday Conure Parrot Premium T-shirt | PrimeEligible | Add to Cart | |
 | Sun Conure Parrot Watercolor Mens Socks | Prime | Add to Cart |
Related Articles:
- The Essential Sun Conure Supplies Checklist
- The 3 Must-Have Perches
- The Best Food For Your Sun Conure
- Find The Best Sun Conure Cages
- Toys Your Sun Conure Will Love
Have A Great Story About Your Sun Conure?
Share your experience with others! There’s no better way to learn about a pet bird than from an owner.
Some helpful information for potential owners can be: What is the species of your bird? Is he/she friendly? Loving? Cuddly? Talented? Messy? Loud? You get the idea!
Your comment may just help someone decide whether or not this pet bird is for them.
It was most captivating when you mentioned that sun conure parrots are very good at executing tricks. My husband wants us to have a parrot since they are entertaining. I think sun conure parrots are the most interesting ones, so I’ll tell my husband to pursue buying.
I like Your Article I like Your Thoughts thanks For Share This Amazing Article 🙂
Mr. Chelios
hangin from his sister’s finger
Mr. Chelios (SUN CONURE) at a year and three quarters is just amazing. Okay so he wants to drink coca-cola/milk from my mom’s glass and when she tries to shove him to a side, the fight that he puts up is something. He would bite and scream without hurting and just stand his ground making us all laugh at a 12in bird hooking up a full grown human.
Amazing birds Sun Conures. I would advise anyone to keep them but keeping a parrot (any species) happy is way harder than to have a happy dog. They require a lot of knowledge and attention. BUT they wouldn’t be EXOTIC if they are easy to keep.
Faz the Sun Conure
Faz’s tiny green feather is on my nail
He is an 11 month old male. I bought him from a breeder when he was 1 month old. Still he is a hand fed bird. He is a very good player, chewer. He loves wooden toys with bell. He loves to ring bell early in the morning to wake me up, so I don’t need an alarm (lol). Veggies are his favorite food. He love to swing in the wooden ladder. He screams very loudly when he wants my attention. When I am with him, he plays very quietly with toys. He is a great kisser too. Though he is not talkative he calls my name “fathima” and “mommy”. He loves green tea very much and daily takes a sip one spoon full. His best plaything is to destroy my phone’s charger, so that I get mad. Hazards for birds include toys with rope. One day he got trapped in one toy with rope, it covered his toe and full body including neck. By God’s grace I got up from sleep by his loudest scream and I released him. Love you Faz..
Ducky is a three year old Sun Conure female who loves to play. We adopted her when she was two years old from a friend, and she gets along great with my five year old son and husband.
Although she has to be watched when sitting on my son’s shoulder because if you pet her the wrong way she can nip you. She is very loud but it doesn’t bother me because I know that’s her way of saying hello and to get my attention.
She is very lovable and is interested in everything. She has a large cage with LOTS of toys and she enjoys eating different types of seeds such as peanuts, and dried fruit. She is the perfect size parrot but comes with a LOT OF NOISE.
Rio is an intelligent, cheeky and extremely affectionate 7 month old Sun Conure. He was purchased for 270 dollars from a Sun Conure breeder at 3 months of age shortly after he was weened onto a normal (predominately fruit and pelleted diet).
When Rio first came into my life, he was very shy and surprisingly quiet. After a few short weeks of Rio adjusting to his new surroundings, which included coming to terms with the fact that he would be sharing his new home with a very spoiled and overly energetic 2 year old blue staffordshire terrier, Rio came out of his shell and his little personality began to shine. He is bossy, playful and at times very demanding.
Sun Conures are very social parrots and require loads of attention and love. Not only do they require most of your spare time they require a special balanced diet and training.
Although I do admit that I let my Sun Conure get away with murder and his training still requires some fine tuning. He can be loud at times screeching excitedly when I arrive home from work. He has recently mastered the skill of making my phone calls to significant others short as he has learned to recognise the red end call button on my iPhone, which he taps with his beak in order to get my full attention.
I would recommend not allowing your bird to become familiar with dogs as it is after all their natural instinct to be predatory animals. My dog however is a special case as he has lived with birds in the past and is wonderful with Rio. Rio actually sits higher in the food chain in our house and is not afraid to bite my dog on the face or chase him off the bed in order to gain full attention of myself and my partner.
If you have a lot of love, time and patience I recommend this species of bird. Rio was mostly green and orange in colour at 3 months of age but since the six month mark of his life he has started to shed his feathers and now has yellow spots and spurts of feathers all over his back.
He is dependent on me and my spouse but has been socialised well with other humans. Rio is an indoor bird and often even sleeps in my bed with me or in his cage next to me and wakes me up in the morning. Again I do not recommend sleeping with your parrot as there is a slight chance you could roll over onto it causing it harm.
Parrot proofing your home is a must as this species of parrot are very destructive and use there sharp beaks to chew through things they are not meant to. If you care for your bird correctly then you will have a much loved addition to your flock for between 15 and 30 years which is to me a well worth commitment as I couldn’t imagine I’d rather be Doctor Dre life with out him. I hope this has been helpful to you in deciding whether a Sun Conure is the right parrot for you.