Conure Care Guide

Reviewed by Hamza, Avian Care Lead at Dubai Birds since 2018

Last updated April 2026

Diet, housing, training, and UAE-specific care for the world's most playful mid-sized parrots.

_Last reviewed: April 2026_

Conures are the most popular mid-sized parrots in the UAE. They combine playful temperament, manageable size, strong bonding capacity, and prices that fit a wider range of buyers than macaws or African Greys. The trade-off is volume — Sun and Jenday conures are loud enough to draw apartment complaints. This guide covers Sun, Jenday, Green Cheek, Pineapple Green Cheek, Cinnamon Green Cheek, Yellow-Sided Green Cheek, Turquoise Green Cheek, and other conure mutations we sell at Dubai Birds.

Native habitat and origin

Conures are native to Central and South America. They live in flocks of 20–100 birds in dry forest, savannah, and forest-edge habitat across Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina, Venezuela, Guyana, and Mexico.

Main species at Dubai Birds:

Sun Conure (Aratinga solstitialis) — north-eastern South America. CITES II.

Jenday Conure (Aratinga jandaya) — eastern Brazil. CITES II.

Green Cheek Conure (Pyrrhura molinae) — Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina. CITES II.

Cinnamon, Pineapple, Yellow-Sided, Turquoise Green Cheeks — captive-bred colour mutations of Pyrrhura molinae.

For population status see [BirdLife International](https://www.birdlife.org).

Lifespan, size, weight

Sun Conure: 30 cm length, 100–130 g, 25–30 year lifespan.

Jenday Conure: 30 cm, 110–140 g, 25–30 years.

Green Cheek Conure: 26 cm, 60–80 g, 20–30 years.

Pineapple/Cinnamon/Yellow-Sided Green Cheek: same as wild Green Cheek.

Sexual maturity is 1–2 years for Green Cheeks and 2–3 years for Sun and Jenday conures.

Intelligence, talkability, vocalisation

Conures are intelligent, curious, and highly playful. Most learn 5–25 words. Talking is not a strong suit — conures "talk" with body language and contact calls more than with mimicry. Sun and Jenday conures occasionally develop clear phrases; Green Cheeks are softer talkers but more nuanced communicators.

Noise level

Sun Conure: 100–110 dB. The loudest conure relative to body size.

Jenday Conure: 95–110 dB.

Green Cheek Conure: 70–85 dB. Apartment-friendly.

Pineapple / Cinnamon / Yellow-Sided / Turquoise Green Cheek: same as wild Green Cheek.

For JLT, Marina, Downtown, or Business Bay apartments, only Green Cheek conures and their mutations are realistic. Sun and Jenday conures need a villa setting in Mirdif, Al Barsha, or one of the standalone-villa neighbourhoods of Sharjah and Ajman.

Diet — UAE-specific

Conures fatten quickly on seed. Sunflower-heavy mixes cause fatty liver disease within 2–3 years.

Daily plate (Green Cheek, ~70 g)

160–70% small-parrot pellets — Harrison's High-Potency Fine, Tops Small, Roudybush Maintenance Mini, Zupreem Natural Small.

225–30% fresh vegetables — kale, spinach, sweet potato, capsicum, courgette, carrot, broccoli, sugar snap peas.

35% fruit — apple, pomegranate, mango, papaya, blueberries (treat-only).

4Tiny daily nut treat — half an almond or a single pine nut as a training reward.

Daily plate (Sun / Jenday Conure, ~120 g)

Same proportions, scaled up to roughly 35–45 g of total food per day.

UAE-specific calcium and Vitamin A sourcing

Cuttlebone clipped inside the cage.

30 minutes pre-9-a.m. or post-5-p.m. unfiltered sunlight, or a 12% Arcadia avian UVB tube on a 10-hour timer.

Daily orange/red vegetables for Vitamin A — sweet potato, carrot, capsicum.

UAE summer (May–September) protocol

Pull uneaten fresh food at 90 minutes — 40 °C ambient temperatures ferment soft food rapidly.

Refresh water bowls twice daily.

Conures dunk pellets and dirty water within hours.

Foods to avoid

Avocado, chocolate, caffeine, alcohol, onion, garlic, raw mushroom, raw potato, salt, sugar, fried food, dairy. Apple seeds, cherry pits, peach pits. No food prepared in PTFE non-stick cookware.

Housing in UAE climate

Cage requirements

Green Cheek and mutations: 60 cm wide x 50 cm deep x 80 cm tall, 1.5 cm bar spacing.

Sun and Jenday Conures: 75 cm wide x 60 cm deep x 100 cm tall, 1.5–2 cm bar spacing.

Powder-coated steel or stainless steel only. No zinc-plated cages — toxic to all parrots. Solid latches because conures are escape artists.

Climate setup

1Indoor temperature: 22–28 °C.

2AC airflow: never directly on the cage.

3Humidity: 45–60%. Use a cool-mist humidifier — Dubai indoor air with full AC drops to 25–35%.

4Bath access: shallow tray or daily mister. Conures love to bathe.

5Light: 10–12 hours light, 10–12 hours full darkness. Cover the cage at night.

6Balcony placement: shaded only, before 9 a.m. or after 5 p.m. Direct UAE summer sun heats a cage to 50 °C in 20 minutes. Battery-powered fan for power-cut backup.

7Air quality: zero PTFE cookware, no scented candles, no aerosols, no shisha or tobacco smoke near the bird.

Daily routine and enrichment

Conures need 2–4 hours of out-of-cage time and at least 1 hour of direct human attention.

Morning: cage opens, fresh food, 20–30 minutes shoulder/snuggle time.

Midday: independent foraging on a play stand or cage-top play area.

Afternoon: 10-minute training session — recall, target, basic tricks.

Evening: family social hour. Conures want to be where the family is.

Night: 10–12 hours of full darkness, covered cage.

Rotate at least 6 toys weekly. Foraging puzzles, shreddable paper, untreated softwood, leather strips, foot toys. Conures are notorious for cuddling under blankets and inside shirt sleeves — supervise strictly because suffocation accidents happen with unsupervised burrowing.

Common health issues

1Fatty liver disease — high-seed diet. The single most common conure health failure in the UAE.

2Aspergillosis — fungal lung infection from damp seed bowls in summer humidity.

3**Psittacosis** — bacterial, zoonotic. Quarantine new birds 30 days.

4Conure Bleeding Syndrome — rare clotting disorder, symptomatic with sudden bleeding from beak/cloaca. Causes are debated but Vitamin K and calcium deficiencies feature.

5PBFD and avian polyomavirus — viral. PCR-test before purchase.

6Feather damaging behaviour — boredom, low humidity, hormonal stress.

7Egg-binding (females) — calcium deficiency plus hormonal triggering.

For symptom recognition see [Lafeber Vet](https://lafeber.com/vet/) and [VCA Animal Hospitals](https://vcahospitals.com).

Where to buy in UAE

Mandatory paperwork

1CITES Appendix II permit — required for all conure imports. The buyer's copy lists the bird's individual ID.

2Closed leg-band — fitted at 14–21 days, lists breeder code, country, year, serial.

3**Recent avian vet certificate**.

4**Hand-raised confirmation** — fully weaned at 8–12 weeks for Green Cheeks, 10–14 weeks for Sun and Jenday.

5Breeder name and contact.

Dubizzle and Instagram resellers regularly list conures without paperwork. Avoid these — undocumented birds in the UAE are subject to confiscation under [MOCCAE](https://www.moccae.gov.ae) regulations.

Hand-raised vs imported

UAE-bred conures dominate the local market because Green Cheeks breed reliably in captivity. Hand-raised UAE Green Cheeks adapt to a new home in 1–2 weeks. Sun and Jenday conures are more often imported and need 4–6 weeks of acclimatisation.

AED price ranges in 2026

From the Dubai Birds 2026 pricing reference:

Sun Conure / Jenday Conure: 1,500 – 3,000 AED.

Green Cheek Conure (and mutations: Pineapple, Cinnamon, Yellow-Sided, Turquoise): 1,000 – 2,500 AED.

Live availability is on the [Conures collection page](https://dubaibirds.ae/shop-birds/conures/).

Reviewed by

Reviewed by Hamza, Avian Care Lead at Dubai Birds since 2018.

Frequently asked questions

See the FAQ block below.

Related Resources

Conures for sale in Dubai Beginner's guide to bird ownership Best birds for beginners How to train a parrot Bird diet and nutrition guide Visit our Warsan 3 aviary

Frequently Asked Questions

Are conures legal to own in the UAE?

Yes, with valid CITES Appendix II paperwork. The seller must provide the import permit and the closed leg-band. Conures sourced through Dubizzle or Instagram without paperwork are at risk of confiscation under MOCCAE regulations and are often carrying undiagnosed disease. Buy from a registered seller.

Are conures good for first-time bird owners in Dubai?

Green Cheek conures and their mutations (Pineapple, Cinnamon, Yellow-Sided, Turquoise) are excellent first parrots — small enough for apartments, quiet enough for neighbours, and playful without being neurotic. Sun and Jenday conures are too loud for most apartments. We recommend a hand-raised Green Cheek for first-time UAE owners.

How much does a conure cost in Dubai in 2026?

Green Cheek conures and their colour mutations (Pineapple, Cinnamon, Yellow-Sided, Turquoise) range 1,000–2,500 AED. Sun and Jenday conures range 1,500–3,000 AED. All prices are for hand-raised UAE-bred or fully papered import birds with closed leg-bands and avian vet checks.

How loud is a Green Cheek conure compared to a Sun conure?

Green Cheek conures peak at 70–85 dB, comparable to a vacuum cleaner running briefly. Sun and Jenday conures peak at 100–110 dB — louder than a motorcycle. The difference is enough that Green Cheeks are realistic for JLT, Marina, or Downtown apartments while Sun conures are not.

What should I feed a conure in Dubai?

60–70% high-quality small-parrot pellets (Harrison's, Tops, Roudybush, Zupreem Natural Small), 25–30% fresh vegetables (kale, spinach, sweet potato, capsicum, broccoli, courgette, carrot), 5% fruit, and only a small daily nut treat. Avoid avocado, chocolate, caffeine, onion, garlic, salt, and any food prepared in PTFE non-stick cookware.

What is the lifespan of a conure?

Green Cheek conures live 20–30 years. Sun and Jenday conures live 25–30 years. Both are 20+ year commitments — a Green Cheek bought during university years will live until early middle age. Plan moves, marriage, children, and travel around that ownership window.

Why does my conure sleep on its back?

This is normal Green Cheek behaviour. Green Cheeks are unusual among parrots in that they often sleep on their backs in their owner's hand or in a soft hut. It is not a medical concern unless paired with weakness, fluffed feathers, or laboured breathing. Avoid fabric huts because they encourage hormonal nesting behaviour and are an entanglement risk; supervised back-sleeping in a hand or on a flat perch is fine.