Sun Conure Coloring: Differences and Similarities
The Sun Conure, as a youth, starts out with being almost completely green. After the first molt, they will start getting in the bright yellow and orange feathers. Its very hard to know whether a bird is male or female without a DNA test because, there is no real difference in color. Some people say that the male has more red and orange around the facial area. However, this can be hard to identify. Unless you have the bird that hasn't gone through the second molt, you may have to base it off of behavior. During the second molt, the male should get more orange and red while the female should stay the same or have less red and orange. Both male and female Sun Conures have mainly gold or yellow all over the body with little specs of red and orange. The wings of the Sun has gold up by the body, then green in the middle and blue on the tips. The tail has a mixture of blue and green.
Sun Conure Behavior: the Clowns
Sun Conures love people and are very active. They love to chew with their powerful beaks and usually prefer wooden toys. Wood beware, these birds have stronger beaks than you would think and they have passion for tearing apart any wood in sight. However their chewing preference doesn't mean it will stop there. Make sure that when you have your Sun out, try not to wear any good jewelry and watch them closely that they do not get any pieces off. They are a lot like children, wanting to chew and play with everything. These birds are also big acrobats. They often will hang upside down and by one foot, sometimes they will just do it over and over again for fun. They may try to grab a hold of you when you pass by the cage or stand. They enjoy climbing up and down shirts. They are also known for cuddling under the covers with their favorite person. If you have more than one Sun Conure, they may become slightly jealous other the other bird. If you have both out at the same time, one may try to shove the other off your shoulder. They are very curious birds and will get into trouble if they are not watched.
If you are try to determine the sex of your bird by looking at behavior, you may be able to find some differences. In general, the females will be more shy and scared than the males. Males will be outgoing and into everything within a small amount of time when being in a new home. The females will be more hesitant when dealing with new people. It is often said that females will not eat out of someones hand when they are with new people. Of course this is not a fool proof way to tell; these behavior traits are very dependent on the bird and the way it was raised.
If you are try to determine the sex of your bird by looking at behavior, you may be able to find some differences. In general, the females will be more shy and scared than the males. Males will be outgoing and into everything within a small amount of time when being in a new home. The females will be more hesitant when dealing with new people. It is often said that females will not eat out of someones hand when they are with new people. Of course this is not a fool proof way to tell; these behavior traits are very dependent on the bird and the way it was raised.
Sun Conure Noise Level: The Watch Dogs.
Sun Conures have been known for their noise level for many, many years. Often people get these birds because of their colors and beauty but they don't understand how much work they will be to keep the noise down. Sun Conures are very capable of screaming your ear off. However, screaming may be prevented in a couple different ways. while breeding Suns, you should take the chick away from the parents very early so that they do not learn how to scream from their parents. If you are buying a chick from a breeder you may want to request to keep it away from the parents or get the bird early and take on the feeding yourself. Even though this may be a lot of work, it may be worth it in the long run; there are stories of Suns that went into home very early on, never being loud except once in the morning and once at night. If you have a Sun that is older and beyond this stage, there are still thing you may do that can help. You may have already figured out that covering the cage, ignoring the bird, or shouting doesn't work to quiet this bird. All parrots respond badly to negative reinforcements instead, try just positive reinforcements. When ever your Sun is quiet for a couple seconds, praise and reward for being quiet. Also work daily on training and playing, even if it is just working on step ups. Suns love to be with their favorite human and will love any attention you can give. Even if you have the bird on a stand and hand feed it seed or hand it toys. The happier your Sun is, the quieter it will be. It will be a lot of work but the result will be rewarding.
Sun Conures are also known for becoming the family's guard dog. These birds will often sound off several times when a stranger has come into the house. However, they will also sound of once when any of the family comes into house too but this is more them telling you "I'm here!".
Remember that if your Sun Conure is Screaming, there is a reason behind it, you just have to figure out what that reason is. Once you have found out why, you have ways to fix the problem so you don't have to give up hope on your Sun. Don't let your Sun Conure go homeless or be in a bad situation just because of noise, if you got in over your head, try to make sure it goes to a home that has the ability to handle the bird.
Sun Conures are also known for becoming the family's guard dog. These birds will often sound off several times when a stranger has come into the house. However, they will also sound of once when any of the family comes into house too but this is more them telling you "I'm here!".
Remember that if your Sun Conure is Screaming, there is a reason behind it, you just have to figure out what that reason is. Once you have found out why, you have ways to fix the problem so you don't have to give up hope on your Sun. Don't let your Sun Conure go homeless or be in a bad situation just because of noise, if you got in over your head, try to make sure it goes to a home that has the ability to handle the bird.