Brown Throated Conure – Care, Food & Profile
Brown-throated conures are among the rare parrots that love nesting in holes like ground burrows and rock crevices. They are amazingly charming and make excellent pets.
With their cute looks, goofy and friendly personality, brown-throated conures hardly fail to put smiles on your face or entertain you. They are very social and will sometimes make strong bonds with their keepers and need lots of interaction and playtime.
Besides, these birds are affordable to maintain, making them an ideal choice for first-time owners and individuals looking for a loving and friendly pet parrot. Their popularity is proof of their adorable traits.
Origin and Natural Habitat
Brown-throated conures are found widely in savanna, scrub, and woodland in large parts of northern South America, as well as the Guianas, Venezuela, northern Brazil (mostly the Branco/Rio Negro region), the Netherlands Antilles, and Colombia, with a few of them in south-western Para.
Some are also thriving in southern Central America in Costa Rica and Panama and are often considered a distinct species, Veraguas Parakeet.
Brown-throated conures have been introduced to the United States Virgin Islands (mostly Saint Thomas, where they derived the name Saint Thomas Conure), Puerto Rico, and several other islands in the Antilles (Dominica, Guadeloupe, and Martinique).
Brown Throated Conure Appearance
Brown-throated conures have a similar appearance to most conure breeds, though their appearance in flight and unique color patterns make them outstanding. Earthy tones, simple colors, and not so many details make these birds simple but charming.
The colors on brown-throated conures work perfectly with their quirky and cute looks and make them even lovelier. They have bright green bodies, with the underside (including the abdomen and chest) being lighter and more yellowish.
The throat and cheeks are brownish-green – which brings about their name. Their tiny cute feet and black beak complete their look and give them an iconic appearance, which is difficult to resist.
Personality and Behavior of Brown Throated Conures
Brown-throated conures are among the friendliest pet birds, and they have a loving personality. They have energies that allow them to become clowns and goof off; hence, you can expect new improvised toys and new tricks from time to time.
However, some of their most favorite things are scratches and cuddles — they are quite affectionate. You will surely love their little feet, their hilarious behavior, and their silly walking steps.
Brown-throated conures are great pets for several individuals — from singles to seniors and families, everyone can appreciate the bird pet’s entertaining and sweet nature.
Brown Throated Conure Weight and Size
An average brown-throated conure can reach up to 25 cm (10 inches) long and weigh about 100 grams (4 pounds). While they are not among the biggest parrot breeds out there, brown-throated conures certainly have lots of energy.
Brown-throated conures are fairly large cage that can contain their size and enough room for exercise and movement.
They should be regularly offered a chance to come out of their cage and tour the house. They are also great explorers, so ensure to be on the lookout.
Cage Size for Brown Throated Conures
An average adult brown-throated conure should be housed in a metal cage (powder-coated) with a minimum of 24-inch height by 24-inch width by 18-inch depth. You can put a manzanita perch in areas where you won’t be replacing the perch frequently.
Any other toys or perches must be rated as safe for strong chewers like amazons or large conjures. Brown-throated conures are very energetic and would require a playpen located outside their cage for them to explore, investigate other toys and perches, and indulge in hidden treats or foraging.
They also have a strong pair bond that demands spending plenty of quality time with their owner or favorite human friend.
Brown Throated Conure Food and Diet
In the wild, brown-throated conures feed on a varied diet. Their diet mainly consists of seeds, insects, crops, and fruits. Your pet can eat a commercial seed mix for parakeets and conures.
It contains lots of minerals found in millet seeds, oats, rye, and maize. To supplement the diet, you can include some fresh vegetables and fruits and well-cooked food, such as potato and chicken breast.
It ensures there are no vitamin deficiencies, which can cause chemical imbalances and feather related problems.
Brown Throated Conure Talking Ability
The brown-throated conure’s noise level is noticeably different from that of the more popular nanday conure and sun conure. They are quite vocal, but not as much as the latter two, so they are more manageable as apartment bird pets.
They have melodious natural calls and cute voices, which you’ll hear regularly. However, the noise may get out of hand if the brown-throated conure is bored, lonesome, and neglected. But generally, they are apartment-friendly birds, and they make excellent pets.
Health Problems of Brown Throated Conures
Don’t let the petite size and fragile appearance of these birds fool you! Brown-throated conures have admirable health, and they are amazingly durable and adaptable.
Ensure your bird pet gets plenty of exercise, socializing, and a balanced diet, and you won’t have any severe problems.
Brown-throated conures enjoy social interaction, so ensure to play with your pet, show affection. Boredom and loneliness are big threats. Ensure to wash your hands after and before handling the pet.
We recommend regular veterinarian checkups for your pet and getting a book about them.
If you notice any illness, ensure to take your pet to the vet immediately as most parrots can hide illness until it reaches an advanced stage.
Visiting the vet before your pet is ill will enable the vet to know the conure when it’s healthy and help them create a preventive health program for the pet.
Here are some signs of a healthy brown-throated conure:
- Bright, dry eye and dry nostrils
- Alert, active, and friendly
- Smooth and well-groomed feathers
- Clean, dry vent
- Feet, legs, and beak appear normal
- Drinks and eats throughout the day
Red Flags:
- Coughing and wheezing
- Beak swellings/accumulations
- Nasal or eye discharge
- Loss of appetite
- Swollen or red eyes
- Discolored or runny stools
- Constant sitting on the cage floor
- Standing on a foot while not asleep
- Soiled, plucked, or fluffed feathers around the vent
Breeding Brown Throated Conures
Brown-throated conures are very cooperative breeders. The recommended size of nest boxes varies widely, depending on where they were raised.
If this information is unknown, it’s advisable to offer various kinds of nest boxes or logs placed in different locations within the cage to enable the breeding conures to pick their choice. After a pair identifies a specific nest box or log, you can remove the others.
Ensure to keep their preferred nest box or log for their exclusive use. The other spare boxes should be cleaned before transferring them to other aviaries to prevent contamination of parasites, disease pathogens, and mites.
The brown-throated Conures usually breed from February to September. The females require a nesting box with durable nesting material. Ensure that its entrance hole has a three-inch diameter.
It’s a good thing if your pet conure sleeps in the nestbox. They need to get used to the nest box before laying eggs. The clutch usually has about three to six eggs that incubate for around 23 days.
Young brown-throated conures generally fledge after fifty days. Some young ones might stay with the parent bird, even when they leave the nest. A brown-throated conure can have many clutches within a year.
What is the Brown Throated Conure Lifespan?
Brown-throated conures have an average lifespan of about ten years, though, with adequate care, they can live up to 25 years.
Are Brown Throated Conures Noisy?
Brown-throated conures are noisy, though not as much as nanday conures and sun conures. This makes them tolerable for apartment dwellers.
However, the noise may become uncontrollable if these birds get bored or neglected. But they are great for apartment dwellers.
Wrapping Up
Here’s all you need to know about Brown-throated conures and caring for them. We hope you have a great time with your pet.
