Editing Conure (section)

== Species ==
Conures, as the term is used by aviculturists, include only the genera ''[[Aratinga]]'', ''[[Pyrrhura]]'', ''[[Eupsittula]]'' and ''[[Psittacara]]'', as well as several single-species genera and one two-species genus. Not all members of these genera are called "conures" with equal frequency; some are more often referred to as parakeets. 
These other genera are listed below:
* ''[[Conuropsis]]'': Carolina parakeet (extinct)
* ''[[Cyanoliseus]]'': Patagonian conure
* ''[[Enicognathus]]'': austral and slender-billed conures
* ''[[Guarouba]]'': golden or Queen Of Bavaria conure
* ''[[Leptosittaca]]'': golden-plumed conure
* ''[[Ognorhynchus]]'': yellow-eared conure
* ''[[Thectocercus]]'': blue-crowned conure

=== ''Aratinga'' ===
[[Old Tupi]] for "bright macaw", (''ara'' – "macaw", ''tinga'' "bright") the ''[[Aratinga]]'' conures generally seem to have a more mischievous personality than the real little macaws or [[mini-macaw]]s.  Popular as pets, the ''Aratinga'' conures are generally larger than other conure species with brighter plumage and are generally the noisier, more outgoing, and more demanding of the two primary conure genera.  The colorful [[sun conure]] and [[jandaya parakeet]] are among the species of conures more commonly kept as pets.  Many of the ''Aratinga'' species can be quite loud, but otherwise can make very good pets for responsible owners. Their lifespans are 20–30 years.

[[Nanday conure]]s (''Aratinga nenday'') have a distinctive black head, and wings and tails tipped with dark-blue feathers. They have a light-blue scarf and bright-orange feathers on their legs and around their vents. The maturity of a nanday can be told by the edges of its black hood; if the hood has a ragged edge of brown, then the bird is over a year old. Nandays are often extremely noisy; they are a heavily flock-oriented species, used to making their demands known, calling out warnings for the group, and calling to members of the group that are out of sight. They are also extremely social and intelligent birds, capable of learning tricks, mimicking sounds, and learning a decent vocabulary. At least one report suggests that they are highly adaptable to human encroachment on their territories, but the exact status of the species in the wild is unknown.

Flocks of nanday conures live wild in parts of Florida, notably the west coast, including areas of St. Petersburg and Clearwater. Additionally, flocks of wild Nanday conures live in Siesta Key, Sarasota, Florida.  A large flock of nanday conures lives in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles.  They have been in the area for the past several years.

[[Golden-capped parakeet|Golden-capped conures]] (''Aratinga auricapillus'')—also known as golden-capped parakeets—are native to Brazil and Paraguay. Their natural habitats include [[subtropical or tropical dry forest]], [[subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest]], dry savanna, and plantations. The existence of this conure is threatened by habitat loss. However, golden-capped conures are prolific breeders, making them popular birds in aviculture, and hand-fed young are generally available.

Golden-capped conures grow to about {{convert|13|to|14|inches}} in length and weigh about {{convert|150|g}}. Their bodies are mainly green with blackish bills, gray feet, and brown irises. The forehead, the areas around the eyes, and underwing coverts are usually red. The breast feathers are a red and green mix. Their tail feathers are olive green with a bluish tip. The primary feathers, wing coverts, and under wing coverts are blue.

Immature golden-capped conures are mostly green, with some orange around the eyes, above the beak, and on the breast near the wings. Some navy is mixed in with the green of the tail. The birds' full colorations are not seen until they are sexually mature at about two years of age. Their lifespan is about 30 years.

=== ''Pyrrhura'' ===
[[File:Green Cheeked Conure Family.jpeg|thumb|A family of green-cheeked conures]]

''[[Pyrrhura]]'' is the other prominent genus of conures. These conures (with generally more green colors) include the very common [[green-cheeked conure]], maroon-bellied conure, pearly conure, black-capped conure, painted conure, crimson-bellied conure, and a number of other species.  They are usually smaller, have more subdued colors, and are much quieter than the ''Aratinga'' conures. ''Pyrrhura'' species are growing in popularity as pet birds, primarily due to their quiet nature (relative to comparable companion parrots), their affectionate and intelligent personalities, and the increasing number of color mutations developed in several of these species. ''Pyrrhura'' conures typically  live around 20 or 25 years. To reach full maturity, many of them molt to rid themselves of feathers from previous growth stages, and occasionally, young birds pluck their feathers during the winter. These birds in captivity have been observed using their feathers to scratch themselves.

=== ''Psittacara'' ===
Until 2013, all ''[[Psittacara]]'' conures were part of the genus ''Aratinga''.<ref>Remsen, Jr., J.V.; Schirtzinger, E.E.; Ferraroni, Anna; Silveira, Luís Fábio; & Wright, Timothy F. (24 April 2013). ''DNA-sequence data require revision of the parrot genus Aratinga (Aves: Psittacidae)''. [[Zootaxa]] 3641(3): 296–300. [[doi: 10.11646/zootaxa.3641.3.9]]</ref> Included here are common pet species such as the [[red-masked parakeet]] (or cherry-headed conure) and [[mitred parakeet]]. All members of ''Psittacara'' are predominantly green parrots, with some species having areas of red plumage.

=== ''Eupsittula'' ===
As with the ''Psittacara'' species, the parrots now contained within the genus ''[[Eupsittula]]'' - including the familiar [[Eupsittula canicularis|orange-fronted parakeet]] (or half-moon conure) were included in ''Aratinga'' until 2013.

=== Golden conure ===
The [[golden conure]] or Queen of Bavaria conure, ''Guaruba guarouba'' (recently reclassified from ''Aratinga guarouba'') is, as the name implies, covered all over with bright yellow feathers, except for the green wing-tip feathers and the greyish horn-colored beak.  Golden conures are among the most expensive conures both to purchase and to care for, although many owners feel that the benefits outweigh the cost. It is one of the rarest conures in the wild in addition to the pet trade. Many experts believe that these birds should not be kept in captivity unless in a breeding program.

=== Patagonian conure ===
[[File:Patagonian conure.jpg|thumb|[[Patagonian conure]], ''Cyanoliseus patagonus'']]
The Patagonian conure, also known as the [[burrowing parrot]], ''Cyanoliseus patagonus'', is the largest conure. It is found in the [[Patagonia]] region of south-central Argentina and Chile.  Drab on the top, brightly colored underneath, the Patagonian conure has increased in popularity since the 1990s, leading to an increase in illegal importation that threatens wild populations, but they are fairly commonly bred in captivity. Patagonian conures have a reputation for being exceptionally sweet-natured and intelligent, but can be very loud and destructive with their chewing. The greater Patagonian conure (''C. p. bloxami'' or ''C. p. byroni'') is the largest of all the conures. They can learn to talk and they usually bond very well with people, especially if hand-raised, and although not the most colorful bird, they make great pets.

=== ''Enicognathus'' ===
This genus comprises the [[Austral parakeet|austral conure]], ''Enicognathus ferrugineus'', which is native to the southern tip of South America and the [[slender-billed conure]], ''E. leptorhynchus'', endemic to Chile.

=== Golden-plumed conure ===
The golden-plumed conure, also called the [[golden-plumed parakeet]], ''Leptosittaca branickii'', is a small Andean conure not found in aviculture and endangered in its own habitat.

=== Yellow-eared conure ===
The exceedingly rare [[Yellow-eared parrot|yellow-eared conure]] or ''Ognorhynchus icterotis'' of [[Colombia]] and [[Ecuador]], was never common in aviculture and has not successfully bred in captivity.

=== Carolina parakeet ===
''Conuropsis carolinensis'', the [[Carolina parakeet]], was one of only two parrot species [[endemic]] to the United States in recorded history. The Carolina parakeet was a remarkably social bird, living in vast flocks. American bird hunters reported that Carolina parakeets would return to mourn dead members of the flock, making themselves easy targets. Considered a pest, popular in the pet trade, and bearing plume feathers valued for hats, this species was hunted to extinction around the beginning of the 1900s.