Are sun conures worth it?
 

So ive been thinking about a first bird to get. Ive cared for my uncles double yellow headed amazon parrot before for months at a time so i somewhat understand how to care for birds. So far in my life ive only owned reptiles, amphibians and fish. Because a conure would seem more interactive and more "lovable" i thought about getting one. But as ive seen, caring for one surpasses the cost of most reptiles. Is it worth it? and if you could tell me about how your experiences with these birds have went, it would be appreciated

I know this is an old post, but wanted to reply. Conures are great little birds. If you don't do noise, you might want to stay away from the Aratinga side of the family. The Pyrrhuras are (by contrast and in general) much quieter but still tons of fun.

My vote for a first bird is a greencheek conure. They're small, relatively quiet as far as parrots go, come in a wide assortment of colors and love to play.

My Kizzy and Maui were fantastic little birds. Would love to have another someday.

Also have a look at pionus, if you enjoyed the amazon. The pis are my favorite companion parrots of all. My female Maxi was a love bug.

Hey thanks for responding. Your birds are freaking cute! I've seen some at some bird shows my uncle took me to and got to hold some and i think they would be a good choice. Do people ship birds though? I would assume not because they seem way more delecite than reptiles and insects and rodents but that would be easier since I'm pretty far from most breeders

You can still find a few that will ship, though it is airlines only and not cheap.

What doyou mean by airlines only?

I love my greencheek too, Ive had her for 5 years now.She is bossy and demanding but loves me and never bites. Will hang out on my shoulder all day if I let her.

My Sun conure is much more nervous and high strung and screams about everything.They are gorgeous but not smart like a larger parrot. I assume they can be very cuddly too but mine isnt, she was a rehome that I took in.

What Shader a means by Airlines is Continental, Delta and United all ship birds in approved carriers. Most bird breeders here in the US that are reputable know how to ship the birds they raise with security and safety in mind. The breeders usually have their shipping details listed on their website.

A good site to check out breeders and what they carry in your state and the rest of the US is http://www.birdbreeders.com Of my 7 parrots I own, only one was shipped by United from Washington state to me in Texas. That was my female Green Wing macaw and she took the 9 hr flight with one layover in Chicago very well. When I got to the cargo desk to pick her up they already had her sitting there waiting for me. She just looked at me and mumbled a bit. I was expecting her to be a screaming mess of nerves, but that was me worrying if she would be ok once she got down here.

Green Cheek Conures are one of the quietest of the smaller species and work very well in apartments where noise can be a concern. They are very loving and sweet. When they are first weaned and come home to you they tend to be a bit more nippy, but gentle training and lots of interaction bring gs them out of it by the time they reach their first hatch day.