Green-cheeked conures or Green-cheeked Parakeet is a small parrot that is widespread throughout South America. He is a small bird with a gymnastic and clownish personality to amuse everyone.
- Height: about 26 cm
- Weight: 2 to 3 ounces
- Lifespan: 20-30 years
- Phylogeny: Green-cheeked parrots belong to the family Psittacidae and the subfamily Arinae. The genus Pyrrhura consists of long-tailed parrots from the new world of parrots.
- Gender identification: Man and woman are visually identical (monomorphic). The DNA of feathers can be used for identification.
- Common names: Green-cheeked Parakeet, Green-cheeked Parakeet, Yellow-sided Parakeet, Green-cheeked Parrot
- Scientific name (Species of the genus): Pyrrhura molinae
Green-cheeked Parakeet
Identification Guide
There are six subspecies of green-cheeked parakeets. Five of them are quite discernible and one is well-marked (you can look at the photos above to see the differences).
1. Molinae
- Crown at the nape of the neck: green tinged with brown
- Cheeks: bright green
- Hindneck: has some blue feathers
- Breast: pale brown barred with greyish white or dull yellow towards the center of the breast
- Feathers: tip, dark brown
- Eye ring: white
Geographical distribution: Eastern Bolivia
2. Restricta
- Breast: brownish grey with white
- Hindneck: has a blue-collar worker
- Cheeks: blue tinged with green
- Flanks and under tail covers: suffused blue
Geographical distribution: Santa Cruz, Bolivia
3. Sordida
green morphology: similar to P. m. restricted:
- Breast: yellow suffused center
- Flanks and under tail covers: little or no bluish suffusion
Yellow morphology, aka green cheek parakeet with yellow side:
- Throat: yellowish white with brown
- Breast: upper breasts yellowish-white with brown
- Lower parts: yellow barred indistinctly green and brown
- Covers below tail: yellowish white tinged with blue
Geographical distribution: southern Brazil and northwestern Paraguay
4. Australis
- Globally: Paler than molinae
- Breast: yellow suffused center
- Abdomen: a brownish-red spot
Geographical distribution: southern Bolivia and north-western Argentina
5. Flavoptera
Very similar to P. m. Molina but, here are some differences:
- Wing: The curvature of the wing and the edge of the carpus are red-orange.
- Feathers: blue and yellowish-white mixed
Geographical distribution: northern Bolivia
6. Phoenicia
- Tail: green towards the base
Geographical distribution: southern Brazil and northeastern Bolivia
Green cheeked parakeet
Temperament and behavior
- Green-cheeked conures are smaller and generally quieter than conures of Aratinga species (such as Janday and Sun conures).
- It is an intelligent, curious, and interactive species.
- Green cheeks require regular interaction with their owners.
- They can be more active and social than cockatiels or budgies, which can be both good and bad depending on the owner.
- They make one of the most cuddly parrots. If they are well erect, they can be considered shoulder bird.
- Green-cheeked conures hide under cage papers or the owner’s clothes.
- They can sometimes be destructive and have a moderate bite potential. As these traits are common to most big-billed parrots, green cheeks are no exception.
Green cheek conure Speech and vocalization
As previously stated, green-cheeked conures are known to be a calmer species. Like other conures, they can be noisy, but this is not yet a problem. They have very low vocal potential, so if you expect to have a parrot that can talk, you may have a hard time training it.
Care and exercise
- Green-cheeked parakeets can live alone or in pairs, but they will appreciate being paired with other bird species.
- Give your feathered companions clean, fresh air to breathe. Anything that emits strong fumes or fumes, such as aerosol pesticides, paint, air fresheners, incense, and burning plastics, is a potential danger to the bird.
- As with any other pet bird, regular baths are important for green-cheeked conures. This will be a simple task for the owners. Some of them might even take a bath in a dish of water.
Green cheeked conure Cage and nest box
The best thing you can do to care for a bird is to keep it in a cage for as long as possible while protecting it from all kinds of dangers.
- A vertical cage that allows the bird to fly without obstacles is the most recommended. Horizontal cages are also suitable, but vertical cages are more likely to accommodate a green-cheeked parakeet.
- An ideal cage for a green-cheeked parakeet should be 18 to 22 inches wide and 36 inches high.
- Bar spacing should be 1/2 to 3/4 inches. It must be such that the bird cannot pass its head through the cage.
- The materials used for the construction of the cage must be non-toxic.
- A cage height that allows the parrot to perch at the level of the man’s chest or shoulders is the most comfortable.
- Under no circumstances should the bird be kept in a cage for more than 48 hours.
- A green-cheeked parakeet may need a nesting box throughout the year. It should be vertical and measure approximately 10 inches X 10 inches x 10 inches.
Green cheek conure Perches playrooms and toys
DIY perches or store-bought perches? Both are good, although good-quality commercial perches are hard to find and quite expensive.
- The pole must be made of pesticide-free wood. It must be a safe chewable substrate. It is recommended to use natural branches with bark as a perch.
- The circumference of a perch wood must allow the bird to wrap its legs around most of the perimeter.
- Large chunks of fresh vegetables and fruit provided on a skewer encourage foraging. You can get them at a pet store or at Amazon.
- Toys such as chews or foot toys, and foraging toys are appreciated by green-cheeked conures. They like to be very active and if you can’t devote most of your time to them, you should definitely offer them as many toys as possible.
Green cheeked parakeet
Diet and nutrition for green cheek conure
In the wild, green-cheeked parakeets ate pulp and small seeds of different plant species, especially fig trees (Ficus calyptoceras) and Ambay pump wood trees.
More than 50% of the bird’s diet must consist of formulated products, and the remaining portion may be human food with a mixture of good-quality seeds and fresh food.
Feeding birds a diet rich in human food will result in a lack of many nutrients and may not provide certain nutrients such as vitamin D. A high-seed diet, on the other hand, can cause birds to consume excess fat.
Diets formulated in granular form contain the right balance of vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. I recommend Zupreem natural granules. It contains all the essential vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. Green cheeks will get used to it in a few days.
There are other pellets like Roudybush, Hagen tropical, Caitec Ovenfresh bites, and Lafeber products that you can try. All of these products are pretty much the same in terms of the nutrients they provide.
Do not give food that is bitten by a human because human saliva contains bacteria that are not normal for parrots.
Food Warning
A diet rich in human food can be considered only if it is developed with the help of a professional nutritionist.
Acceptable human food
- Carrot
- Sweet corn
- Strawberry
- Spinach
- Capsicum (yellow, red)
- Beets
- Lettuce
- Green grapes
- Red raisins
- Cucumber
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Pea
- Egg, baked chicken
- Macaroni, pasta
Health problems
There is no specific disease that manifests itself exceptionally in green-cheeked conures. Common diseases include:
- Psittacosis, a bacterial disease
- Parakeet bleeding syndrome
- Avian bornavirus, a viral infection
- Malassezia yeast organisms in feather follicle keratin (rare)
- Blood vessel dilation disease (PDD)
- Taste
- Psittacine beak and feather disease, a viral disease
- Marek’s disease, virus
The cost of breeding a green-cheeked parakeet
According to the PETA Association, the general cost of caring for a small bird is 390 euros in the first year and 320 euros per year. My estimate is pretty close to those numbers.
- Cage: €220-450
- Play in gyms, swings, and other toys: 100-300
- Food costs: 100-200 euros for food in the form of pellets
- Medical expenses: Although pet birds can hardly need a veterinarian, it is prudent to calculate medical expenses in advance.
How and where to adopt
Parrots are the last pets that should be adopted impulsively. They require long-term commitment as well as emotional and physical care. After much research, if you commit to buying a green-cheeked parakeet, do not buy one from a pet store.
I highly recommend adopting one from a rescue center. This is the least you can do to prevent the illegal trade and cruel breeding of birds. You will provide a home for a bird in need.
You can adopt a green-cheeked parakeet in the following locations:
- Saving a bird
- Adopt a pet
- Bird rescue centers near you
Similar species
Brown-bellied parakeets (Parakeet P. frontalis) are quite similar to green-cheeked parakeets. They differ from the latter by a green crown and an olive upper tail.
Green Cheek Conure Training Basics | Cricket the Conure
SOURCE:BirdTricks
