Parrot Feather Mailing List

Jenday Conure

Common Names: Jenday Conure
Scientific Name: Aratinga jandaya
Origin: South American (Brazil)
Relative Size: 12 inches—120-140 grams
Average Lifespan: 20 – 30 years.

Appearance: Jenday Conures can easily be confused with Sun Conures.  Though they look very similar, the Jenday Conure can easily be distinguished though their dark green wings and their dark orange-red stomachs.  They have a golden hood that covers the face, the crown, and the neck.   Their eyes are also surrounded by a white ring and an orange-red patch.  The beak of this conure is thick and like all Aratinga, the genus, their beaks are black.  Their tail is very colorful as well.  It is an iridescent blue intermixed with and olive green.  This shimmering blue is also present on the tips of the wings.

When Jenday Conures are juveniles their coloring is green and less vibrant.  As the conure matures the coloring will gradually start to brighten.  Most of the coloring is acquired after the first year.

Pet Aspect:  The Jenday Conure is a fantastic pet.  They are very affectionate and will readily accept attention from anyone.  They enjoy being scratched and enjoy having their feathers stroked.  It is not uncommon to see this conure initiate being petted by bending its head forward.  

The need to be with their owners is strong and many will climb inside their owner’s shirt.  Once there, many will find a cozy spot and peak through a sleeve or the neck opening.  These conures will gladly stay tucked inside your shirt until removed.  Most seem to enjoy the warmth of your body.

Talking: These conures have been known to speak one or two words; however, most never learn to talk.  Conures that are good talkers are those that have been worked with daily.  If they do talk, the conure usually has a gravely deep voice that is difficult to understand.

As far as teaching your Jenday Conure to do tricks the conure will not fall short of your expectations if you work with them.  These birds are smart and will quickly pick up tricks if the time has been invested teaching them to do so.  These birds can easily do recalling, collecting, waving, or dancing.  Their ability to learn tricks is limited to your imagination.  To encourage your parrot’s desire of performing tricks always use positive reinforcement.

Diet:  The diet of your conure should consist of a balanced portion of seeds and pellets.  Seeds or pellets should not be the only food source.  It is important to add fresh fruits and vegetable to their diet as well.  Feeding your parrot chopped apples, kiwis, or melons are great.  To incorporate vegetables use fresh cuts of broccoli or carrots.  These parrots enjoy corn on the cob too.

For protein, offer cooked eggs or boiled chicken.  A good rule of thumb is to remove all protein items an hour after being placed inside the cage.   If you properly feed your Jenday Conure you can expect the conure to reach 20 or more years. 

Exercise:  Like most conures, the Jenday Conure is highly active.  Activities should be done to help incorporate its need for moving around and staying active.  A play stand is ideal for out of cage time and entertainment.  The stand should have toys, ropes, ladders, and swings.   

The cage needs to be large enough to house the bird, his toys, and his food bowls.  Your Jenday Conure needs to be able to hang upside down and be able to flap his wings without his body touching the sides.  The cage needs to be as large as your budget can afford and the bars need to be less than an inch apart.

Breeding:  Jenday Conures can breed throughout the year.  If the weather is too hot these birds should be not allowed to breed.  A temperature above 90 degrees Fahrenheit can kill the babies and making caring uncomfortable for the parents.   These birds make wonderful parents and will usually lay 2-4 white eggs.  Incubation lasts 26-27 days.  The chicks will fledge (leave the nest) around 7 weeks.  If the baby Jenday Conures were removed for hand feeding, it can take as long as ten weeks to completely wean the babies. 

Sexing:  Jenday Conures are monomorphic, which means they cannot be sexed visually.  If the sex of your bird is desired, DNA sexing is the only accurate way of sexing your Jenday Conure.