Hand Fed Jenday Conure - Aratinga jandaya

Noise Level & Talking Ability

Jenday conures tend to vocalize infrequently. Like most conures they will contact call when their person is out of sight. They can achieve significant volume, and are generally considered for detached housing only. Talking ability is limited, however they can learn many different sounds and noises from kisses to beeps to clicks. 

Physical Features 

General plumage green; head and throat yellow becoming orange on upper breast; front of the forehead and often also eye area red; abdomen, flanks and under wing-coverts orange-red; edges of feathers to lower back red; outer webs of primaries, primary-coverts and secondaries blue; upperside of tail olive-green with blue tips; underside of tail and flight-feathers blackish; periophthalmic (eye) ring whitish; iris greyish-brown; bill blackish; feet grey. Immatures have a pale yellow head with scattered green feathers; iris dark.

Young bird are siginficantly more yellow in the face and breast. As they mature the become increasingly orange up the frontside. The orange mask may intensify as well, creating a very attractive mix of colours on this bird. 

Pet Profile

Jenday's are one of the best pet conures! They have a sweet, snuggly disposition and want to spend every second they can with their owner. Because they are a larger parrot we generally recommend them toward experienced owners and families with children older than 12-13 years. That being said, these birds can be candidates for first time bird ownership and younger families so long as the person/people is willing to put effort into educating themselves, and is not afraid to ask for help/advice if they need it. As stated, they are generally gentle birds, but the size may be intimidating for people who are not used to parrots. 

Diet

Jendays do best on a well-varied diet. As with any bird, fresh water must always be available. A quality pellet, like ZuPreem Natural, should be free-fed. Fresh prepared veggies, grains, herbs, etc should be offered at least 4 times a week. Fruit can be offered once or twice a week. Any fresh food items that are not eaten within 3 hours must be removed from the cage and discarded to prevent bacterial and fungal growth. Seeds and nuts can be offered in controlled amounts and as a training reward. Generally it is recommended to avoid striped sunflower and peanuts. Black sunflower and white sunflower can be given but they are high in fat, sprouting them helps to increase the nutrient density and reduce the fat content. If you have a bird that insists on eating a seed-based diet, nutritious vegetables, grains, legumes, etc should be offered as frequently as possible. Jenday conures, like other Aratinga species, are at an elevated risk of vitamin A deficiency, "conure bleeding syndrome" , and many other preventable health conditions if fed a poor diet. 

Housing

Jenday Conures require a medium-large cage to accommodate their long tail. Jenday Conures are very active birds that need room to roam and climb in their cage. These birds do best with a wide range of materials for toys and perches. Both destructible (wood, cardboard, seagrass, etc.) and indestructible (plastic, metal, acrylic, etc.) toys should be given to maximize enrichment. Perches should vary in material (cotton/rope, wood, cement, swings, ladders, etc.) and size to promote grip strength.

Breeding Information

Gender determination is indeterminable by appearance However you can take a guess by looking at the shape of the bird's head. Females tend to have a rounder and smaller head than the male. The male's head is squarer with a flatter forehead.

Wild Status

Stable - Least Concern
Last assessed October 2016 for the IUCN Red List.