Birds are popular pets because of their high intelligence, beautiful colors, and often minimal care requirements.
Small birds, like parakeets and conures, make excellent pets for people living in small homes or apartments. Both the conure and parakeet are relatively long-lived, intelligent, and affectionate.
The conure offers slightly more coloration and variation within the species than a parakeet. Conures will live longer than a parakeet.
However, they can get quite expensive depending on the specific species. Although the parakeet has a shorter lifespan, it is more affordable and better suited for families.
Both the conure and parakeet are incredibly intelligent and can learn to speak a few words. These birds are high-energy and active and don’t do well when left alone for long periods.
The birds are both social and will readily welcome the company of another bird.
Which Bird Offers More Coloration?
Both the parakeet and the conure species offer plenty of coloration and variety. With a parakeet, you’re likely to see green, yellow, white, and blue shades.
These colors can be quite bold and striking and often glow under UV light. The parakeet has random colored patterns, making the colors from one bird to the next unique.
While it is possible to purchase a muted, pastel-colored bird, it is also possible to find a bright, almost glowing parakeet.
Likewise, the conure is also a colorful bird, but the species will largely dictate how bright and bold the colors are.
Certain species, like the Maroon Bellied Conure, tend to have duller and more muted colors compared to a bird like the Green Cheek Conure.
If you are looking for a bright and colorful conure that makes a statement, opt for the Sun Conure. This bird has striking yellow and orange hues that are stunning.
Is a Parakeet or Conure More Social?
In the wild, parakeets will live in large flocks and social groups and rely on other birds for attention, company, and protection.
When housed as a pet, the parakeet also enjoys the company of other birds and is happy to live with a cage mate or a small group.
The parakeet is delighted to spend time with its owner and is very social. This bird will welcome attention from human or avian fellows and wants to be a part of day-to-day activity.
Comparatively, the conure is also a social bird, although it is more likely to be kept in pairs rather than in small groups.
A conure can be kept with another conure of the same species or with a different conure as long as the size of the birds is similar.
This bird greatly benefits from time spent outside the cage, bonding with its owner.
Certain breeds of conure, like the Sun Conure, enjoy cuddling with their human owner and often form deep, connected bonds with their human.
Ultimately, neither bird will do well with an owner who travels or works long hours, but the parakeet is more social when put with other similar birds.
How Active Is a Parakeet vs. a Conure?
A parakeet is a lively bird that likes plenty of opportunities to exercise mentally and physically.
This bird enjoys the company of other parakeets and humans’ company and welcomes interaction. The parakeet needs plenty of toys inside its cage to keep it occupied.
While this bird certainly will enjoy time outside the cage exercising, it does not need as much activity as other birds of similar size.
Compare the activity level of the parakeet to the conure, and you’ll find a drastic change. Conures are extremely high-energy birds that have plenty of fun antics to watch.
This bird is a people pleaser and wants the opportunity to explore and play. The conure requires daily attention, exercise, and time outside the cage.
This clever bird will also need a steady stream of toys inside the cage to keep it occupied and busy. The key to a healthy and happy life is plenty of exercise.
Does Diet Differ Between Parakeets and Conures?
For both birds, it is essential to feed a well-balanced diet that is filled with fresh fruits and vegetables. Parakeets tend to eat more vegetables, favoring broccoli, carrots, sweet potatoes, and leafy greens.
You’ll always want to give your parakeet a mix of seeds to ensure your parakeet has enough to eat. Fruits should be used sparingly with your parakeet.
The high sugar content can cause your parakeet to have trouble digesting the food properly. Use fruits as a treat and only a few times a week.
Conures love plenty of fruits and vegetables in their diet. Give your conure a few vegetables, but plenty of apples, melons, grapes, and berries. Be sure to mix your conure’s diet with high-quality seeds.
Never give your conure avocado or fruit pits and seeds. These seeds are too hard to digest, and they could upset your bird’s digestive tract.
The conure needs a high-quality and fresh diet throughout its life to remain healthy.
What Are the Pros and Cons Of Owning a Conure?
The conure is a popular bird for many pet owners because of the several associated benefits of owning this beautiful bird. First, the bird is wonderfully long-lived, often seeing 30 or older.
There are several varieties of conure, so you can choose a bird with beautiful greens, grays, yellows, or even bright oranges.
The conure is highly playful, intelligent, and affectionate, and people often form lasting bonds with their conure.
This bird can learn to say several words and phrases, often with a vocabulary of up to 20 words.
Unfortunately, there are also some downsides to owning this bird. Conures are not quite as common as a parakeet, so they are higher priced.
Expect to pay around $300 for a conure and even more for select species. This bird can also be noisy and will squawk for attention.
The conure has plenty of energy, so a large cage is required to keep this bird. Plus, with plenty of energy to burn, the conure needs to spend time interacting outside its cage every day.
This could prove to be a challenge for people who own other pets.
What Are the Pros and Cons Of Owning a Parakeet?
A parakeet is a perfect bird for a family or a single person. These birds are relatively quiet, so they do well in small homes or apartments.
Plus, because the bird is smaller, you can get by with a smaller cage, less food, and they make less mess.
The bird is relatively available and is easy to find at pet stores or through adoption from shelters or animal rescues. The parakeet is usually affordable, costing under $40 per bird.
However, although the parakeet is quiet, it still makes plenty of sounds and can get pretty noisy. The parakeet has a relatively short lifespan of only 8 to 12 years compared to other birds.
You’ll need to regularly exercise your parakeet and entertain your bird to keep it healthy and happy. Plus, the parakeet isn’t quite as smart yet will still be able to learn a few words or phrases.
Which Bird Is Easier to Find?
Parakeets are one of the most commonly kept birds as a pet, and it follows that this bird is very easy to find throughout the world.
Most pet stores will carry various parakeets in different colors and patterns. Further, several professional breeders around the country offer select parakeets for adoption.
Due to their prevalence, it may even be possible to find a parakeet available for adoption at a local animal rescue or shelter.
While conures are a little trickier to find compared to parakeets, they are still readily available. The specific type of conure you are searching for will play a big role in finding it easy.
Common conures, like the Green Cheek Conure, will be more readily available. You may have to do some extra digging to find a Sun Conure, although these birds are easily found with professional breeders.
Because parakeets are so easy to find, they are usually significantly cheaper than a conure.
Related Questions
Can parakeets learn to say words?
Parakeets are intelligent birds and, with patience, can learn to say a few human words. Parakeets do an excellent job at mimicking sounds, so they can say a handful of words.
While they may not be as talkative or as clear as larger birds like Macaws, they will learn and say about 15 different words.
How long does a conure live?
One of the attractive attributes of the conure is its long lifespan. Expect these birds to live between 20 and 30 years, although it is not uncommon for this bird to reach nearly 40 years of age with the right care.
Remember that owning a long-lived bird is a big commitment, both mentally and financially.
You need to be prepared to provide for your bird for its entire life with a well-balanced diet and possibly veterinary attention if the bird becomes sick or injured.
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