Training & BehaviorHelp! I have a new conure. What are the best care tips for beginners?
Congratulations on your new bird! Conures are wonderful pets and can be lifelong friends. I'm not sure exactly what kind of advice you're looking for based on your question, but I'll try to give you my general new-bird-owner advice in hopes that it will help. If not, please feel free to post a more specific question.
- Be sure that the cage for Felipe is not only secure, but large enough to allow for his complete wingspan and at least a little bit of flight. This is especially true if he will be spending a lot of time in his cage (like while you're at work).
- Psychological stimulation is very important to conures - they're like toddlers. Offer several toys in Felipe's cage. Commercial bird toys are usually great, and you can find lots at your local pet store, or a big-box store like Petco. They love to tear things up, so paper to shred and cardboard boxes can be great, cheap toys for them as well.
- If you're offering water in a bowl, you'll need to change it at least once daily. Most conures love to bathe, and Felipe will likely make a lovely mess out of his water dish while splashing around. Many conures also like to dip their food in their water, and this can also dirty it up quickly.
- Most veterinarians recommend a pelleted diet for parrots. A seed-only or high-seed content diet is extremely high in fat, which can cause liver disease if fed consistently. There are a lot of great pellet diets for birds at pet stores, including brands like Zupreem (which is what I feed my own bird). You should also supplement your bird's diet with fresh veggies and fruits, if possible. Here's a good list of foods to avoid: https://lafeber.com/pet-birds/foods-toxic-pet-birds/
- The biggest concern most new conure owners have is behavior-related. For the first few days, Felipe may appear withdrawn and want to stay in his cage. It's important to let him come out in his own time. Sit by his cage and talk to him, and offer tasty food treats (fruits, vegetables, nuts, etc). He'll eventually come to the conclusion on his own that you're not scary, but if you force him, he may react aggressively. Conures do and will bite if provoked - if this occurs, ignore him. Generally, these birds want to be with their flock members (you!) and will learn quickly that biting does not get them the attention they crave.
I hope this helps - as I mentioned earlier, please feel free to post another question if you'd like to know something more specific about conure ownership. Good luck, and I hope that you and Felipe have many great years together (depending on the species, this is at least 20 years!).
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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