The Senegal Parrot is much-loved for its friendly and highly curious behaviour, although often being somewhat timid in nature. Young birds can be trained to become good talkers and mimics, although much patience is required in many cases. The originate from West Africa, and there are three sub-species showing different color variations.The bird is some 9 inches or so in length, a green feather colour, with greyish head and a yellow-to-orange underside. In a breeding situation, the hen lays 2-3 eggs, which she will incubate for some 22 days, with experienced owners generally pulling the youngsters after some 2-3 weeks for handfeeding to maximize the pet-potential of the weaned, hand-trained and well-socialized youngsters. Certainly, hand-reared Senegal Parrots make excellent pets. They are small enough to handle, if fully-tamed, by the younger members of the family. They can be accommodated in a medium-sized parrot/parakeet cage. Senegal Parrots are not generally regarded as being "noisy" birds, and can be expected to talk and imitate sounds such as the creak of the garage door, the ping of the microwave oven, and the ring of the telephone!!
SUN CONURES
Aratinga Solstitialis
Sun Conures are very playful and entertaining pet-birds provided they are hand-raised and properly trained in their early months from hatch. Their most striking feature is their brilliant feather colour, which intensifies considerably as the bird moves into maturity, by say within their first 18 months or so from hatch. Younger birds display a high degree of green coloration, particularly on their wings, which soon becomes a deep yellow-orange on head, belly and chest, with a yellow back and darkish green outer parts of the primary feathers. The Sun Conure is some 12 inches in length and originates from territories in Venezuela, Brazil and Guyana. This bird should not be confused with other somehat similar Conure variants, particularly the Jandaya Conure (also known as the Jenday or Yellow-headed Conure) - Aratinga Jandaya (see below). Since around the early-1970's, captive breeding pairs have become very well-established, with several clutches of babies being produced each year by established breeding pairs. Sun Conures are enthusiastic "wood-gnawers" and can be rather noisy birds, particularly alongside other like-pairs in a breeding situation. Sun Conures are extremely attentive parents, with youngsters emerging from the egg after some 26-27 days. Pet-quality Sun Conures can very quickly respond favourably to their owner's attention and generally, with patience, can be expected to swiftly become very pleasant and engaging companion birds, although they do not have a great reputation as "talking birds
CONGO AFRICAN GREY PARROTS
Psittacus Erithacus
African Grey Parrots are perhaps best known for their outstanding talking ability and uncanny knack for impersonating different sounds and voices. They are extremely intelligent, highly sensitive to their surroundings and are outstanding affectionate pet companion birds if properly raised, treated and trained from throughout their early years. They originate from central Africa, and there are three sub-species of which the Timneh Parrot is perhaps next-best known - this latter bird shows less red plumage and is a darker grey in colour. The African Grey Parrot, length approximately 14 inches, is a lighter gray in appearance, with a white-grayish face, and red tail and under coverts. In a breeding situation, the female can lay between 2 - 4 eggs, which are then incubated by the hen for some 29 days. Over this period, the male generally feeds the female on the nest, although by the end of the first 2-3 weeks, skilled breeders will pull babies from the nest for hand-feeding in order to maximize the bonding of the youngster with their future human companions. Birds may show courtship tendencies within the first couple of years or so of their lives, but females should not be expected to breed until after perhaps 5 or 6 years from hatch. Newly-imported birds must undergo comprehensive veterinary inspection to ensure good health condition. Buyers should be aware that the life-span of Congo African Greys in captivity can reach as long as perhaps 50 years!!
CHERRY-HEADED CONURES
Aratinga Erythrogenys
The Cherry-headed Conure is also variously known as the Red-masked Conure, Red-headed Conure or Red-masked Parakeet. This bird originates from the tropical region of western Ecuador and northwestern Peru. The general body feather colour is green, with bright red feathering around their lores, ear coverts, eyes, bend of wings, outermost under-wing coverts, and thighs. The body length of mature adult birds is some 13 inches. Cherry-headed Conures, if hand-reared and tamed from an early stage, can become very affectionate, intelligent birds that are generally very playful in character. They can be taught to handle a limited vocabulary. They are great "wood chewers", so they need an adequate supply of suitable wooden items and playthings in their cages. These beautiful birds can be very noisy. In a breeding situation, the hen lays two eggs and incubates the clutch herself over a period of 28 days. Fruit is much enjoyed by Cherry-headed Conures.
HALF-MOON CONURES
Aratinga Canicularis
The increasingly well-known Half-Moon Conure is also known as Petz's Conure or the Orange-Fronted Conure. Mature birds are some 9 1/2 inches in length. They are mainly green-feathered, with an orange forehead and a grey-blue crown:the sides of their head and throat areas are olive-brown, with their breast, belly and underwing covert areas being a yellowish green. They originate from areas of western Central America, where they feed on insects, seeds, berries, figs, nuts and fruits. One can anticipate some 3-5 eggs per clutch, with a 30 day incubation period, followed by both parents undertaking their baby-feeding duties. These are potentially very enjoyable pet birds, very affectionate to their owner, but only if hand-raised and suitably trained throughout their very early years from hatch. With patience, they can be encouraged to display some talking ability. They do have powerful beaks and any significant lapse in their hand-training and socialization program can lead, of course, to the development of a less-appealing bird showing very "nippy" and somewhat noisy behaviour.
PEACH-FRONTED CONURES
Aratinga Aurea
The Peach-fronted Conure is also known as the Golden-crowned Conure. This bird is some 11 inches in length, primarily green in colour, with a yellow-orange crown bordered with blue, an orange eye-ring and a yellowish-green belly. A useful distinguishing characteristic between this bird and the Half-Moon Conure is that the Peach-fronted Conure displays a greyish-black beak, whereas the Half-Moon Conure has a horn-colored beak. Countries of origin include Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay. The female lays some 2-6 eggs, with both male and female incubating the eggs together over a period of approximately 26 days. Hand-reared Peach-fronted Conures, given proper care, training and attention, can become very attached to their handler and can readily be induced to speak a few words.
