Welcome to the
Sun Page!

Name: Sun Conure (Aratinga Solstitialis)

Description: General plumage is yellow with the forehead, sides of head, abdomen, and lower back a variable orange. The under tail-coverts are green with a pronounced yellow tinge. Median and greater upper wing-coverts (as well as under tail-coverts) are green with yellow edging and the secondary-coverts are green with yellow tips. The outer webs of the primary-coverts are blue and the primaries are green with blue tips, with the secondaries being green. The upperside of the tail is olive-green with blue tips and the underside of the tail and flightfeathers are blackish. All of these colors become brighter and more vivid as the bird matures, with some birds sporting almost totally yellow tones in their body color. Periophthalmic Ring is whitish with a dark brown (almost black) Iris. The feet are greyish and the beak is black. Their length is 30 cm (12 inches). Immatures have the same coloring as an adult, but only the head and bend of the wing are yellow with scattered green feathers. Their throat, breast and abdomen are olive-yellowish to olive-reddish. Back and wing-coverts are green and their feathers sometimes have a yellowish tinge. Often mistaken for a Jendaya before their first molt. All Conures are not sexually dimorphic and must be DNA or surgically sexed.**

In The Wild: Usually found in small groups of 4 to 12 birds but can be found in larger gatherings also of 30 or more birds on fruiting trees and bushes. Their call can be shrill and screeches are repeated rapidly. They also make a clucking sound when feeding.

Breeding Information: Not a difficult bird to breed. Breeding usually begins in the spring, but winter breeding is also possible. A clutch consists of 4 to 5 eggs with an incubation period of 23 days and a fledging period of 50 days. Young can remain for some time with parents after leaving the nestbox. Several breedings per year are possible. Eggs measure 28.5 x 22.8 mm (1.12 x 0.90 inches).

Temperament: Medium-noisy to noisy Conure. Especially noisy in the morning and late afternoon, or if they are alarmed. They are a hardy bird and not difficult to keep. Lively and inquisitive, these birds are not shy and soon become accustomed to their owner. They are hard chewers, so you should provide a regular supply of fresh branches. Like most Conures, they love bathing.**

Diet: This should consist of Pellets, a good Seed Mix (Sunflower, Safflower, Hemp, Wheat, Oats, Canary Grass Seed and various Millets), with various Fruits and Vegetables (apple, mango, cucumber, half-ripened maize, carrots, rose-hips and rowanberries) and Greens. White bread and eggfood for rearing. Diets may vary so you should consult your Avian Veterinarian.

* (Information Unavailable.)

** (Please note that not all birds are the same and may vary somewhat in Temperament and Plumage.)

Created by Rio Designs
Champaign, Illinois