In Australia this beautiful little conure has a reputation of being hard to breed and noisy. To their credit they breed as readily as sun conures overseas, and are certainly less noisy than the sun conure from my experience. I affectionately call them “Peachies” and thoroughly enjoy their endearing natter and conversation every time I enter my aviary complex.
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Length: approximately 25-26 cm
Weight: 70-80 grams
At a quick glance one could miss the beauty of a Peach fronted parakeet (Eupsittula aurea, formerly Aratinga aurea), with a stunning orange forehead, blue crown and with maturity a chest and throat that are a rich olive contrast to the dark green topside of the bird. Unlike most conures, the eye ring is not naked, with the eye surrounded by rich orange feathers, though this can range from one or two feathers, to an entire ring of feathers depending on the individual bird. I understand that this may actually be more as a result of sub species than variations in individual parrots.
It has been a pleasure to watch my young pairs mature and develop their vibrant colours, as immature birds their plumage is not as intense.
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All of my conures receive the same diet, Vetafarm South American mix pellets and small parrot mix, available, plus each morning they receive soaked/sprouted seed, mixed with diced vegetables and a small offering of fruit, which consists of apple, pear, orange, corn, cucumber, zucchini, carrot, peas, beans, broccoli, snow peas, the mixture does vary depending on seasonal availability and also for variety. I have also noticed that my peach fronted tend to prefer their seed, other than leading into breeding season and with young. They change their eating habits to include far more corn and soft foods, especially the pellets.
The only other feeding note is that I supplement the soaked seed mix with calcivet (or an equivalent) to assist with egg laying and the health of the birds. They also enjoy chewing on cuttle bone, which is available all year round.
My birds are also fed greens, be it milk thistles, seeding grass, kale or just runners from my lawn, they enjoy fossicking about and chewing the fresh branch offerings. One thing they do relish is Pomegranates! Just don’t be alarmed by their dropping afterwards.
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The breeding couple of Peach fronted Conure (c) Jason Wright
The whole happy family (c) Jason Wright
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General
Peach fronts once settled are inquisitive and love to chew, I offer fresh calistamon, cotoneaster, and gum branches, which they devour and strip with great enthusiasm. Nest boxes are also fair game, which is another good reason to offer fresh branches to limit the damage. I now use marine or heavy ply for the majority of my nest boxes, it provides a sturdy box, but also insulation when the hens lay early. My peach fronts sleep in their nest boxes, however I have heard of them sleeping on the perch. Personally, I think it is beneficial for them to sleep in the box, as this one prevents night fright, and also helps with nest box familiarity when it comes to breeding season.
My Peach fronted Conures are kept in suspended aviaries which measure 2.4 metres by a metre square. They are double wired as the peachies have a tendency to be aggressive towards the neighboring birds. I also believe the benefit of the suspended aviaries means nest box inspection and feeding is less intrusive on the birds, especially as I use C & R swivel feeders, which means I have no need to enter the aviaries, unless replacing fresh branches.
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Title photo: (c) Miguel Rangel Jr. This file is licensed under Creative Commons license
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