Who wouldn’t like a beautiful and quiet parrot for a pet? In many ways, the blue-crowned conure is a classic bird in the conure family.
This parrot is a medium-sized bird and calmer than most other parrots in the conure family.
If you have seen the documentary “The Parrots of Telegraph Hill” and the movie Pauly, you will know what this bird looks like.
Most parrots are brilliant and playful, but not all are gentle as this green bird with a bright blue head and a spiked tail.
The blue-crowned conure is one of the few birds known by various common names.
It is called the blue-hooded conure, the blue crown conure, the blue-capped conure, the sharp-tailed conure, and the blue-crowned parakeet.
Scientific Name
The taxonomical or scientific name for the blue-hooded conure is Thectocercus acuticaudatus.
There are at least five species of this bird, and they all feature slight variations in color;
- Thectocercus acuticaudatus haemorrhous
- Thectocercus acuticaudatus acuticaudatus
- Thectocercus acuticaudatus neoxenus
- Thectocercus acuticaudatus koenigi
- Thectocercus acuticaudatus neumanni
Origin and History
The blue-crowned conure species of parrots are originally native to South America, extending from eastern Colombia to northern Argentina.
These birds blossom in habitats including woodlands, savannah-like grasslands, and forest margins. You can not find this creature in dense, humid forests.
Size
The blue-crowned conure parrot is not a big bird naturally. When it grows to full adulthood, it can be as big as 14 to 16 inches in length from the tip of its beak to the end of its spiked tail.
Average Lifespan
When in captivity and well cared for, this bird can easily live as long as 30 years.
Temperament
Blue-crowned conures are famous for their intelligence and burst of playful energy.
Just like all other members of the parrot family, this bird needs as much playtime with its owner and mental stimulation so it doesn’t get bored, slip into depression, and become restless.
This particular brand of parrot has been credited with being very affectionate and social.
They quickly establish a strong bond with an owner who treats them well and gives them the attention they want.
The blue-crowned conures can bite, but they rarely do that; it makes them the perfect family pet.
Although we have said that the blue-crowned conure is the quietest bird in the conure family, please make no mistake, thinking it will give you all the peace needed to live at peace with your neighbors.
It is normal for your bird to make a lot of noise in the mornings and evenings as that is their way of life.
This bird is not the best choice for a pet if you live in an apartment because it is known for its loud and sharp shrieking and screaming.
The blue-crowned conures and conures generally are not as good at talking as the African grey parrot and some other parrot species.
Still, the blue-crowned conure is arguably the best talker when it comes to learning and using human words among the conure species of parrots.
They can master a few human words and phrases, which they can also learn to use correctly, but in rare cases.
Colors and Markings
At birth, all blue-crowned conure parrots have a head that appears reddish. But when these birds become adults, their red heads change to bright blue.
In addition to their beautiful green body and blurred head, these birds have reddish tips on their tail feathers, horn-colored beaks, pink legs and feet, and a white ring around each eye.
You cannot differentiate the male from the female by just looking at the color and pattern of their bodies.
Taking Care of a Blue-crowned Conure
The blue-crowned conure is one of the few parrots that reproduce easily in captivity, so you can have as many as your parrots breed if you love many birds.
Getting this species of parrot from breeders and pet stores is effortless.
The blue-crowned conure is not a bird that should be kept in a cage for an extended period.
This is because when they are in the wild, these birds spend time in a flock with their friends. So, you must play the role of a friend to your pet.
You need to allow your conure to spend as much time with you outside the cage as possible to keep it happy.
However, because your pet can’t be outside the cage all the time, make sure its cage is spacious enough and provides plenty of toys that your bird can chew on to provide it with stimulation and exercise.
Give your bird time as much as four to five hours a day out of the cage.
Your pet will be grateful if you have a free-standing play structure for your bird somewhere outside the cage.
Many blue-crowned parrot owners have reported that their feathered buddy is happier when in the company of another of its kind.
Blue-crowned conures also love it when you have the TV or radio on to keep them company in your absence.
When in the wild, the blue-crowned conure has a bath daily, so you must bathe them as often as possible when you domesticate them.
Besides, spending time bathing your parrot in a spray mist of lukewarm water is a great way to bond with them.
These birds are like children that work well with the reward system of training. When a blue-crowned conure does something naughty, and the owner ignores it, the bird learns not to repeat it.
But when a conure does a good thing and is rewarded with attention and treats, it continues in that good behavior.
Nevertheless, no amount of training can change or stop your blue-crowned conure from being noisy in the morning and evening.
If you attempt to punish a blue-crowned conure for making noise, it will only get noisier and louder.
This parrot species is relatively good at talking, and you can train them to say a few words and some short phrases.
Feeding
When the blue-crowned conure is in the wild, it feeds mainly on various fruits and vegetables, grains, nuts, and berries.
When in captivity, you must feed your pet with various fruits, grains, vegetables, and berries.
Never feed your conure with only nuts and seeds because they will become very sick. Also, never feed them avocados and chocolates.
Exercise
This parrot species has so much energy to burn, so a minimum of three hours out of the cage to play is essential daily.
When your bird is out of the cage playing, it is enough time for the social interaction it needs to stay healthy.
Conures love to chew on things to exercise their jaw muscles, so providing them with chewable toys will prevent them from chewing on your woodwork or furniture.
Common Health Issues
Like other parrots, the blue-crowned conure can start feather picking when it is denied the required amount of attention and mental stimulation.
You can easily prevent such a thing by interacting with your conure more and providing it with plenty of toys and a radio that will be on most of the time.
Just like most other birds in the conure family, this one is susceptible to a plethora of common bird diseases, which include:
- Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease
- Aspergillosis
- Proventricular Dilatation Disease (PDD)
- Psittacosis
