The Basics:

Jenday Conures closely resemble the Sun Conure, except they have green wings while the Sun’s are yellow. A rainbow of a bird, Jenday’s have a golden-yellow head, reddish gold lower abdomen and an orange-reddish back to go along with their green wings. Their lively personality is even more captivating than their colorful plumage. Very alert and playful, they thrive on attention and live to bond with their human companion. They enjoy active play and will often learn to talk.

Cage:

A cage measuring 24” long by 24” wide by 36” high is needed to accommodate this active, playful bird. Tents or nest boxes are necessary to provide a place where a Jenday can go for privacy. Spacing between the bars should be no larger than ¾”. Since conures have a tendency to mouth everything in their immediate vicinity, their cage should be kept very clean.

CAUTION
In most cases, more space is more desirable for birds. However, when increasing the size of a Jenday Conure’s cage, the bird’s human companion must be careful to maintain a safe (narrow) space between the bars. The bars of a cage have to be narrow enough to prevent a bird from sticking his head in between. Bars that are spaced too far apart for the bird’s size can result in serious and even fatal injuries.

Positioning The Cage:

Sociable, friendly and very devoted, the Jenday Conure needs to be close to his human companions. Positioning the cage in a family room or other area where there is a lot of activity is a good idea.  However, it’s important to provide the bird with a sense of security by placing his cage in an area that is not in the direct traffic path of his human companions. Ideally the cage should be placed with a wall near two of its sides, so no family member can walk all the way around it. Since these birds tend to become very tame, the door to their cage can be left open when other family members are in the room, provided it is bird-safe and all exits have been securely blocked.

Areas exposed to direct sunlight or drafts should be avoided when choosing a spot for the bird’s cage. Any place in or near a kitchen should also be off -limits, since smoke from cooking and fumes from nonstick cookware can prove to cause serious, even fatal, complications for a bird.

Playthings:

Jendays love to play and climb, so a variety of toys, including climbing toys, should be available to them inside and outside the cage. Many Jendays will also be fascinated with bell toys, and since they love to chew, they should be provided with wooden chew toys.

Perches:

A Jenday Conure needs to have a variety of perches made of different materials and of different diameters. The perches serve many important purposes. In addition to providing the bird with an area for standing, they help keep his beak and nails trim. The perches in a Jenday Conure’s cage should be between ¾” and 1” in diameter. A perch should be placed in front of, but not above, food and water dishes.

Play Time Outside The Cage:

The chance to play and bond with human companions outside the cage is essential to the health and well-being of Jendays. Socialization is key for a well-behaved Jenday Conure. Due to the amount of time they spend outside of a cage, it is important to have a conure’s wings clipped and checked regularly for new growth. Many Jenday Conures will enjoy playing games with their owners. Play gyms serve an important function as a method of keeping a bird busy and entertained while outside of the cage, especially when they afford the Jenday an opportunity to climb. The wings of the pet should be clipped by a veterinarian or grooming professional to prevent flying injuries and escapes

Grooming:

Consult veterinarian or literature about trimming nails and possibly flight feathers.

Diet:

Commercial pellets should form the basis of the Jenday Conure’s diet. Portion sizes and feeding schedules should be based on directions provided by the manufacturer, since different products will vary. In addition to pellets, the bird should be offered a wide variety of fresh vegetables, and a lesser amount of fresh fruits. Grains and legumes like pasta, cooked rice, cooked beans and oatmeal should also be made available. Seeds and nuts should be kept to a minimum, because of their high fat content. Provide additional calcium i.e. cuttlebone during egg laying. Clean, fresh chlorine-free water should be made available at all times.