Conure

Conures are a diverse and ambiguous group of small to medium-sized parrots. They are classified as long-tailed parrots in the New World parrot subfamily Arinae. The term "conure" is mostly used in birdkeeping, but it has appeared in some scientific journals as well. The American Ornithologists' Union uses the generic term parakeet for all species called conure elsewhere, though prominent Australian ornithologist Joseph Forshaw prefers conure.

Males and females are both the same color. Green-cheeked conures have bright red feathers in their tails and on their chests, bright green on their backs and the tips of their wings, olive green surrounding the red patch on their chest, a whitish ring around the neck, black plumage on the head, and olive green patches on their cheeks. Their long pointed tail is predominantly blue or maroon in color. Their beaks and feet are black, and they have bare white rings around their eyes.

Conures can be very playful, cuddly, and loud at times. A conure is more likely to be curious and daring than shy and cautious. Conures are active and busy birds that require a lot of toys and other forms of enrichment to keep them happy all day. Because of their playful and outgoing personality, conures make excellent family pets. Children should be taught how to interact with conures in a family setting, including proper handling and not forcing interaction. Conures can talk and, while their vocabularies aren't as large as those of other parrot species, they can learn to say a few words and phrases.