Sun Conure
Aratinga solstitialis
The sun conure, Aratinga solstitialis, is a bright South American parakeet also known as the sun parakeet. Adult birds are mostly golden yellow and orange with green outer wing feathers and a blue-tinted tail, while juveniles start greener and color up as they mature. The species comes from a limited region of northeastern South America and lives in noisy flocks that feed on fruit, seeds, flowers, and other plant material. Heavy trapping for the cage-bird trade caused severe wild declines, so legal captive-bred sourcing matters.
In homes and aviaries, sun conures are social, high-energy parrots with a piercing call that can be difficult in apartments or close neighborhoods. Daily interaction and safe exercise are important, and the cage or aviary should offer things to chew, places to bathe, and room to move. Diet is usually based on formulated pellets with vegetables, greens, some fruit, and limited seed. A pair bond can be strong, but lonely birds may scream, pluck, or become overly dependent on people. Breeders commonly use sturdy nest boxes and may rely on DNA sexing because males and females look alike.
