How to Buy a Conure in the United States | PetzLover

What does "conure" mean, and which conure species are sold as pets?

Conure is a bird keepers' name, not one genus. VCA Animal Hospitals describes numerous species in Aratinga, Pyrrhura and other genera, from 9 to 20 inches long. Conures for sale in the US fall into three groups:

• Pyrrhura conures: small conures such as the green-cheeked and maroon-bellied, which the Merck Veterinary Manual calls relatively quiet.
• Aratinga-type conures: the sun, jenday, nanday and dusky-headed, plus species since moved to other genera, such as the blue-crowned (Thectocercus) and the mitred and red-masked, or cherry-headed (Psittacara). Merck says their voice is piercing when they scream.
• Others: the Patagonian conure (Cyanoliseus), the longest pet conure, and the golden conure (Guaruba), which has its own legal rules.

Merck gives Pyrrhura conures up to 25 years and the larger Aratinga conures up to 30, so even a small conure is a commitment of decades.

Which conure suits your home: noise, nipping and space?

PetMD describes sun conure calls as shrill, harsh and repetitive screams and says green-cheeked conures are known to be quieter, which is why many apartment dwellers choose a Pyrrhura. Quieter is not quiet, so check your lease or HOA first; Foster Parrots, a Rhode Island sanctuary, will not place highly vocal parrots with people who rent or share walls.

• Nipping: VCA says conures may nip or screech if they do not get what they want, and PetMD says they bite more when excited, confused or threatened. Do not yell; give a brief time-out.
• Cage: VCA gives a minimum of 2 feet wide, 2 feet tall and 3 feet long; the World Parrot Trust recommends a walk-in aviary for the much larger Patagonian.
• Diet: PetMD advises pellets as at least 60 to 70 percent of the diet, and no avocado, fruit pits, chocolate, caffeine or alcohol.

How can you tell which conure species a listing really is?

Many listings say only "conure", and several species look alike. Ask for photos of the back, wings and tail, and compare them with World Parrot Trust descriptions:

• Sun or jenday: an adult sun is yellow across the back and wing coverts; a jenday has a yellow-orange head on a green back and wings. A young sun still has green on the crown and back, so ask for the hatch date.
• Green-cheeked or maroon-bellied: both have a brown-red belly patch, but the green-cheeked has a brownish crown and brown-red tail, and the maroon-bellied a green crown and an olive tail with brown-red tips.
• Mitred or red-masked: both are green with red faces; the red-masked also has red along the bend and underside of the wing, while the mitred's extra red is scattered and the bird is larger.
• Color names: a 2009 article in the American Federation of Aviculture's Watchbird journal explains that the yellow-sided conure, once listed as a species, is a green-cheeked mutation, and that the pineapple is a cinnamon opaline green-cheeked.

If a seller cannot name both parents' species, treat the label as a guess.

Is it legal to buy a conure in the US?

• Imports: the Wild Bird Conservation Act has barred most imports of CITES-listed birds since 1993, so a young conure should be US-bred, ideally with a closed leg band. The World Parrot Trust lists the sun conure as endangered in the wild after heavy trapping for export.
• CITES: most conures are on Appendix II. CITES controls trade between countries, not a sale between two US residents.
• Golden conure: on CITES Appendix I and listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act since May 2020. Its special 4(d) rule allows sales across state lines without an ESA permit; an export needs CITES documents and a signed breeder statement that the bird is captive-bred.
• State and local rules: rules on keeping and breeding birds vary, so check with your state wildlife or agriculture agency, and check noise rules with your landlord or HOA.

Where can you find conures for sale, and what should you ask the seller?

Choose a breeder who lets you visit, weans chicks before sale and shows you the parents. A rescued adult lets you hear the bird first: Phoenix Landing, serving Maryland, Washington DC, Virginia, North Carolina and Jacksonville, Florida, lists a $300 fee for conures (see how to adopt a conure). On PetzLover you can browse conures for sale, filter by location, save a search and message the seller before you visit.

1. Which species is it, and which species are both parents?
2. When did it hatch, and is it fully weaned?
3. What is on the closed leg band, and is there a microchip?
4. Can I see the DNA sexing certificate?
5. Which avian vet examined it, and were tests done, such as PBFD, avian bornavirus or psittacosis?
6. For a golden conure: will you sign a statement that it is captive-bred?
7. Can I hear it call before I pay, and will you give a written health guarantee?

Put the species, hatch date, band number, sex and price on a signed bill of sale. See how to sell conures for what a careful seller has ready, or post a conure wanted ad and let sellers find you.

How much does a conure cost in the US?

• Breeder price: typically $200 to $3,000 or more, according to The Vet Desk, a pet information site (updated January 2026), with the rarest species costing more.
• Adoption: typically $25 to $1,000 or more; Phoenix Landing charges $300 for a conure.
• Set-up: typically $260 to $1,600 or more, including a cage at $70 to $1,000.
• First avian vet check: typically $50 to $200 before tests.

The Vet Desk warns that a bargain conure may be sick, have behavior problems or be traded illegally.

How do you check a conure's health and avoid scams?

VCA advises an avian vet exam within the first 7 days and yearly after that; the Association of Avian Veterinarians has a Find-a-Vet search. Keep a new conure away from your other birds until it is cleared:

• PDD (avian bornavirus): Merck says it primarily affects macaws, conures and African greys, and one negative PCR test does not rule it out.
• Pacheco's disease: a herpesvirus hepatitis seen mainly in New World parrots, including conures; some Aratinga species may carry it without signs (Merck).
• PBFD: Merck says PCR testing can find infection in a bird that still looks healthy.
• Psittacosis: the CDC says birds can shed it without looking sick, and people catch it mainly from dust of dried droppings.

The Better Business Bureau warns about fake bird sellers who take a first payment, then demand more for shipping or crates. Walk away from anyone who will not meet or do a live video call, or who wants a wire transfer, gift cards or cryptocurrency; the FTC advises paying by credit card. Use the Report Scam button on any suspicious listing.