People keep birds as pets for a number of different reasons. They offer companionship and are easy to care for. They are also very intelligent and live for a long time. And, believe it or not, talking to birds can offer the same benefits as social interactions with humans. It’s a good stress reliever and is good for your mental health. The dusky conure is a very social bird that many pet owners find to be great companions.
The dusky-headed conure is a small, green parakeet. While these conures are found in the forests of the Amazon River basin in South America, they do quite well in captivity and make great pets. The dusky conure is generally green in color but variations of blue are not uncommon. Their heads are a blue-gray color which is where they get the “dusky” name from. They are generally a very calm bird but they are also capable of showing off some very entertaining behaviors, like dancing to music, for example.
Dusky conures are very social animals and they live in groups in their natural habitat, but these birds also make for great pets, especially if you live in an apartment. The dusky conure parakeet isn’t loud or obnoxious like some of the other types of parakeets. They do like to chirp though. They also love doing tricks and giving you high-fives if you train them properly! Here are 15 cool facts you may not have known about the dusky-headed conure.
1. Dusky Conures Loves to Dance
If you ever see a happy conure, you may find them naturally bobbing their head and dancing. They may even put their wings around their head while dancing. One way to get your birdie dancing is to play a song and just start dancing. They will begin mimicking your moves and humming along. Some studies have found that classical music and calm pop are their favorites. While other studies say, loud dancing music works as well.
2. Can Live up to 50 Years
Dusky conures have a lifespan ranging from about 25 to 50 years, with the average lifespan being around 20 years. Ensuring that your conure is healthy and happy is a big component of helping your parakeet live as long as possible.
Additionally, you should make sure they have enough room to fly around and get the right amount of exercise. Cleaning your cage and having a clean home will help them stay healthy and avoid common illnesses.
3. Able to Teach Your Conure How to Perch on Your Hand
Conures are very social and friendly little birds. You can train them to perch on your hand by putting your finger in their cage and holding a treat in your other hand.
Remove one of the perches from the cage and command your dusky with a word such as “up.” Every time your Dusky jumps on to your finger, give him a treat. Continue to train him until they can do so out of the cage.
4. Can Wave Hello and Goodbye
Imagine having your conure wave hello and goodbye to you every time you see them. Dusky conures are highly intelligent and can learn how to wave within a few training sessions.
To train your conure, you need to have them perch to sit on and have their favorite treats prepared for them. Then say the command, “wave” in an upbeat voice and extend a finger toward your conure. Once you extend your finger, he will see that the finger is coming towards him, and he’ll raise one foot to climb on.
Pull your finger slowly, so he doesn’t climb onto your foot. If his foot is still in the air, you’ve taught him how to wave! Keep practicing for 15 minutes daily and always give him a treat after each successful attempt.
5. Dusky Conures are Talented Sound Effect Artists
Although a dusky conure doesn’t quite have the vocabulary like most parakeets, they are extremely talented at making sound effects. These birds are incredible at mimicking human noises such as sneezes, laughter, and less-polite sounds.
Conures can produce the tone of and jargon of human conversation without the actual pronunciation. This form of speech is similar to the babbling baby talk.
6. One of the Most Quiet Parakeet Breeds
Dusky conures make for great apartment pets because they’re much more calm and quiet than even their cousins. Most conures are loud and noisy, but these ones like to make cute soft chirps that will warm your heart. But when they’re in the mood, they will get up and start loudly chirping.
7. Have a Length of Only 11 Inches (28 Centimeters)
Dusky Conures are known to be quite small compared to their family members. Most of their size is from their tail length. What makes these conures adorable pets is that they have a chubby face and stocky build compared to other parrots. These tiny birdies only weigh 3 to 4 ounces or 90 to 115 grams.
8. Dusky Conures Have 3 Different Colors
The conure has three different colors, from head to toe. It’s best known for its gray head, with a black bill. The body is a vibrant green color, except the tail feathers, which are more of a greenish-blue color. The colors make this a simple yet elegant looking bird. A few rare dusky-headed conures may have a blue or lutino mutation.
9. Loves to Eat Fruits, Nuts, and Larvae
Dusky eat a mixed diet of tropical fruits, seeds, nuts, larvae, and flower buds. The closest resemblance to flower buds is a seed mix that has been designed for conures. They love to eat leafy greens, veggies, and fruits with bright colors, especially the orange and red ones that contain vitamin A.
For treats, you may offer them cutter bones and calcium treats. But make sure to avoid feeding your birdie avocados, fried foods, and chocolates. They also like to search for decaying wood to eat insect larvae.
10. Needs a Birdbath or Mist Spray Clean Water Twice a Week
To keep your budgie healthy, you should mist spray clean them with water on their feathers or give them a birdbath twice a week. Just make sure to avoid their face. Most conures love having a spray bath. They may even hold their wings up away from their body and ruffle their feathers.
They might also make a play face by gaping their beak and attempting to drink the water. Birds that don’t receive frequent baths will collect debris and dust, which breaks down their immunity. As a result, they will begin to attract mites and parasites.
11. Dusky Conures Originated from the Amazon Basin of South America
The breed of dusky conures is a tiny green neotropical parrot found in South America’s western Amazon basin. They can be typically found near woody, yet semi-open habitats. This may include floodplain forests with rivers, forest stubs and edges, and coffee plantations. They can be found in Columbia, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, and Bolivia.
12. Parent Dusky-Head’s Will Raise Their Children in Termite Holes
To keep their children safe, a pair of budgies will raise their offspring together by nesting their child in a woodpecker hole. These holes can be commonly found in arboreal termite nests or holes in trees. Termite larvae are also a great supply of protein for these growing birds.
13. Likes to Ingest Clay
Dusky-head’s like to ingest mineral-rich soils from clay as a supplement. This type of practice of eating clay or chalk from soil materials is called geophagy.
The clay provides neutralized toxins and mineral supplements to keep them healthy and fight off bacteria. This is helpful for the birds in the wild and also helps them digest seeds. In captivity, however, the duskies won’t require clay soil to lick. If fed properly, their diet will give them all the minerals they need to stay happy and healthy.
14. May Come in Flocks of 100
These budgies are incredibly social creatures. In their natural habitat in South American, they are usually found in pairs, but small groups of conures are not uncommon.
When there is a lot of food available, such as fruit, seeds, and insect larvae, you might see flocks of up to 100 dusky-heads gathered together by the edge of the forests. Conures like to lick clay as a mineral supplement, so when there is a good supply available, you will also likely find a large group of these parakeets.
15. Not Very Noisy, But Super Cuddly
Dusky-headed conures make for incredible pets. Rarely, do they ever scream or make loud noises. However, they love to be cuddled and pet. They tend to make chirping sounds when being pet and cuddled. They also love doing silly walks and mimic funny noises.
Who knows, maybe if you turn on your television, they might start mimicking funny sounds from the screen. Dusky conures make an excellent choice for pets if you love affectionate, playful and quiet birds who live for a long time.
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