Jenday Conures make a beautiful addition to your home aviary. These intelligent, loving, and energetic small parrots are colorful and well renowned for their goofiness. They make great pets because they spend time socializing with their owners.
These birds are often confused with the Sun Conures; however, as the birds grow older, the differences emerge and become distinct. The two are similar in size, but Jenday’s body is primarily green, with bright orange and yellow head. This colorful head appears when the bird matures.
Jenday Conures have a multi-colored plumage, with a red-orange body and green wings and back. The wings and tail some with some shade of blue.
These bird species are suitable for families with children. They make great pets if you are looking for a bird with a big personality. Before you adopt one of these for your home, you’ll need to know its personality, the food requirements, and the care guide.
Jenday Conure’s natural habitat is in the wooded areas of northeastern Brazil. This bird species prefers to nest in tree hollows and travels in small flocks of 30 birds.
The name “jenday” is from an indigenous language from Brazil known as Old Tupi. The name translates to “small parrot.”
Like most avian species, this bird has become so popular due to the illegal capture and trade. Because of this, the bird is a protected species; therefore, it’s illegal to trade and capture it. The Brazilian government passed the Brazil Wildlife Protection Act in 1967 to protect this bird and other animals involved in the pet trade.
Today, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the Jenday Conure as a species of least concern. However, most states require documentation or a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI) for anyone to move into a new place with an exotic bird like the Jenday Conure.
Due to the prohibition, there are healthy and numerous populations of Jenday Conures in the wild.
Temperament
Jenday Conure is a goofball and will bring fun to your home. These bird species are silly and full of tricks.
You’ll find them dancing to music or singing along, making them a perfect and entertaining companion. If you are looking for a bird that will bring you fun and laughter, this bird species is an ideal choice.
From their wild background, these birds are wired to live in flocks. Therefore, they naturally need companionship.
To keep them company, you can either spend a lot of time interacting with your bird or get more than one bird. If you have a few hours to spend with the bird each day, these species might not be the best choice for you.
Naturally, Jendays are affectionate and enjoy being handled. They love the attention, and it is a perfect way to bond with your pet. They are also cuddly and will enjoy riding on their owner’s shoulders or shirt pocket. When you pet them, they’ll bow their head because they enjoy the affection.
As very loyal birds, they can become attached to a single person. However, if well socialized, they’ll get along with the entire family.
Pros
An intelligent bird that can learn tricks
Affectionate and cuddly with the owners
Fun with a big personality
Cons
Requires a lot of companionship
It can get noisy if you live in an apartment
Ownership is restricted in some states
Speech and Vocalizations
Like most conures, the Jenday is a noisy bird. The persistent shrill or loud call can be pretty annoying and disturbing. However, unlike other conures, the noise level is moderate.
The noise involves a lot of chirps and beeps. They use these sounds to express their feelings of happiness or sadness.
Although they are not good speakers, they can repeat a few short words. However, they are not good at this; they thrive more on doing tricks and being goofy.
They mimic noises in the households as such as telephones, microwaves, and doorbells. They can be quite entertaining pets.
When flying, they also tend to shout. If they feel neglected, these sounds turn into screams, which can be pretty noisy, especially if you have neighbors. Because of this, these birds are not meant for apartment living.
Jenday Conure Colors and Markings
Like the popular Sun Conures, the Jendays have vibrant and dazzling colors. They have a multi-colored plumage with a red-orange body while the wings, back, and tail are green.
The tip of the tail and flight feathers have a slight hint of blue color. Also called a yellow-headed conure, this bird has a bright yellow head with orange patches on its face.
The beak is black, while the feet and legs are grey. This combination of colors creates a stunning little parrot that will brighten your home.
When you get a Jenday, it’s a challenge to distinguish between the male and female. It’s a monomorphic species, which means that you can only tell the sex via DNA or surgical sexing. The two only have a slight distinction in the eyes; females have a light brown iris and a grayish eye-ring, while males have a darker brown iris and a white eye-ring.
To differentiate with the Sun Conure, the easiest way is to look at the wings. The Jenday has green wings whereas, the Sun has primarily yellow wings.
Caring for the Jenday Conure
Once you decide you want to keep a Jenday Conure, you have to commit to catering to some of your pet’s essential needs. Here are some of the essentials.
Housing
When getting a cage, the Jenday Conure needs a larger cage than you’d get for a Budgerigar or Canary. A good-sized cage will give your pet enough room to stretch its wings without getting injured. It would be best if the cage has enough room for the bird to fly.
This species can get very cranky if it doesn’t get enough space. Therefore, the cage should be at least 3’L x 2’W x 2’H. If you chose to keep a pair, the size should be double this size. These birds can be comfortably housed with other conures.
Apart from the size of the cage, you also need to get perches in different sizes that your bird can stand on to avoid getting sores. Also, include some food and water bowls and toys for entertainment.
Jenday Conures also love chewing; therefore, they will need to chew toys in the cage. In addition, when you release them from the cage, ensure that you supervise them. Otherwise, they could get destructive and start chewing on house items.
Image By: Pixabay
Training
Training a Jenday Conure is pretty easy. This is one of the reasons why this bird is such a great pet. Since they are not talkers, you can train them some simple tricks.
You have to be consistent with the training and add treats as a technique to speed up the process. This training period also acts as a bonding time between the bird and owner.
Common Health Problems
Despite their small size, Jenday Conures are relatively healthy animals. They adapt well as long as you feed them a nutritious diet. If you provide the necessary exercise, hygiene needs, these birds will rarely have any significant health issues.
To keep your Jenday healthy, ensure that the cage is draft-free. Social interaction is also critical for your Jenday Conure’s health.
If you neglect your pet, they are likely to develop bad habits, such as chewing, feather plucking or screaming, or even feather plucking. To avoid this, you can provide toys.
You can spot any medical issues in your Jenday pet by spotting some early signs and symptoms. These include loss of appetite, apathy, difficulty breathing, and loss of feathers. Regular check-ups with an avian vet can solve these problems before they become severe.
Here are the most common diseases that could affect your Jenday Conure.
Aspergillosis– This is a respiratory fungal infection that’s caused by aspergillus spores. These spores are commonly found in many food sources, including peanuts. Therefore, ensure that your bird can comfortably eat such foods before adding them to the diet.
Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease (PBFD)– The PBFD virus is a fatal disease that affects your bird’s beak, feathers, and immune system. It’s highly infectious, and there’s no therapy to treat this condition. This infection causes abnormal feathering and beak deformities and could eventually lead to the death of your bird.
Chlamydiosis– Also commonly known as parrot fever, this infectious disease is caused by Chlamydia psittaci. When your Jenday has this infection, they can easily transfer it to people, a condition known as psittacosis. This is transmitted via the bird’s droppings or respiratory secretions. You can detect this infection if your bird loses appetite, weight loss, respiratory diseases, and discharge from the eyes and nostrils.
Proventricular Dilatation Disease– This disease is a viral condition that affects the digestive system. This disorder is a result of the avian bornavirus. Once your pet gets it, it will destroy the gastrointestinal tract, leading to chronic damage. In addition, this condition causes neurological damage.
Beak Malocclusion– Jenday Conures get this condition due to an overgrown beak. When the upper and lower beaks don’t align, the beak overgrows, hindering eating and other activities. Malocclusion may occur due to genetics or the result of an injury.
Feather Plucking– This is a behavioral disorder that pushes the bird to pluck the feathers compulsively. This plucking can be due to psychological issues, skin disorders, kidney and liver disease, anxiety, or boredom. The avian vet will carry out tests and imaging to determine the cause before recommending treatment. Jenday Conures that engage in this habit end up becoming partially bald.
Diet and Nutrition
In the wild, Jenday Conures primarily eat nuts, seeds, and fruits. When in captivity, the diet is much more balanced.
They get a mix of pellets, nuts, fresh fruit, grains, and vegetables. These birds are not picky eaters; therefore, they will only eat what they need.
The pellets should make up most of the diet. As for fresh fruits and veggies, give them 1/8 to 1/4 cup in the morning and at night. Seeds and nuts should come in as treats.
They also need a dose of calcium that you can supplement from the pet store. Ensure your pet bird gets all the necessary nutrients to stay healthy.
As you serve the bird food, it’s vital to occasionally clean the food bowls and cage to prevent parasitic infections. This bird is not commonly known for obesity when compared to other pet parrots. However, weight can become a problem if the bird is leading a sedentary lifestyle or eating a lot of fatty foods.
Exercise
Jendays need adequate space to fly and play. They are active birds; therefore, they should be allowed at least two hours outside the cage daily. During out-of-cage time, ensure the house is free from any hazards such as open windows or doors, other pets, or ceiling fans.
To keep the bird occupied, add a swing, ladders, bells, ropes, and perches in the cage that the bird can use to exercise. Also, add some chew toys, which are essential for your bird to exercise their beaks. You can throw in wood toys or branches; otherwise, the Conure will turn to your furniture or electric wires.
Image By: Linda Bestwick, Shutterstock
Where to Adopt or Buy a Jenday Conure
Before adopting a Jenday, first, confirm whether your local wildlife and game authorities allow it. You might require a permit in some areas, while in others, it’s outrightly banned. If you can get one, go to a reputable breeder online rescue or adoption organization.
Visit the location before confirming how the birds are raised.
Final Thoughts
Jenday Conures are colorful, entertaining birds. They are a good pet choice if you need a bird for your home. Unlike other Conures, this bird is more easy-going and quieter.
Apart from being a colorful addition to your home, they will keep you and your family entertained with their goofiness.
These birds are affectionate and loyal and an excellent choice if you need companionship.
Nicole is the proud mom of 3 rescue fur babies, Baby, a Burmese cat; Rosa, a New Zealand Huntaway; and Mac, a Lab/Mastiff. A Canadian expat, Nicole now lives on a lush forest property with her Kiwi husband and new baby daughter in New Zealand. She has a strong love for all animals of all shapes and sizes (and particularly loves a good interspecies friendship) and wants to share her animal knowledge and other experts' knowledge with pet lovers across the globe....Read more
