LPM 222: Diversified poultry production and current concepts in poultry management and marketing [Livestock Production Management (Regional Interest)] (1+1)

CONURES

• The term 'conure' simply refers to various Central and South Aerican parakeets, being derived from their old scientific name, Conurus, which has been preserved in popular parlance.
• Conures are medium-sized birds, often proving quite destructive and vocal; the largest member of the group is the Patagonian Conure (Cy,anoliseus patagonus), which is more reminiscent of a d«-art macaw in terms of its overall appearance mid noisy calls.
• There has been a considerable increase in interest in Conures as breeding birds during recent years, and relatively large numbers are now being reared by aviculturists each year. As pets, conures have several advantages over the larger psittacines. They are considerably less expensive in the first instance, and usually have trustworthy temperaments. Conures can become exceedingly tame, and will also learn to talk, although they are unlikely to develop the vocal repertoire of the bigger parrots.
• The lifespan of conures is probably around twenty years, although there are individual variations. It is impossible to judge the age of adult birds if no records are available, but in some cases differences in the beak - those of immature birds may be  paler - or iris colour can help to distinguish young birds.