A brilliantly colored conure with a yellow-and-orange head over a green body, the Jenday is a close relative of the Sun conure. It is affectionate and playful but loud, suiting owners who can give it lots of attention.
ℹ️
Educational only. KinStation content is reviewed by licensed veterinarians but cannot replace an in-person exam. Always consult a licensed veterinarian or board-certified specialist for diagnosis, treatment, or any decision affecting your pet's health.
🩺 Need expert help with your jenday conure?
Connect with a specialist near you or ask a licensed vet — never substitute online guidance for hands-on care in an emergency.
Medium-small parrot, about 30 cm (12 in) long, roughly 110-140 g.
Lifespan
20–30 years
Social needs
pair
Native region
South America (northeastern Brazil)
Origin
New World
Climate
🌴 Tropical
Family
Psittacidae
Genus
Aratinga
Part of the Conures
Conures are small to medium New-World parrots from Central and South America, prized as companion birds for their bold personalities, vivid colors, and strong human bonds. They are active, playful, and social, needing roomy cages, daily interaction, and plenty of enrichment.
From the minimum an animal needs to be kept humanely, up to the ideal setup. Bigger is almost always better — minimums are floors, not targets.
Photo coming soon
Minimum
Cage + daily out-of-cage time
24 × 24 × 30 in, ⅝–¾ in bar spacing
Jenday Conures are loud, highly social Aratinga conures very similar to Sun Conures. A welfare minimum is a 24 × 24 × 30 in cage with ⅝–¾ in bar spacing, multiple varied natural perches, foraging toys, a bath, and several hours of supervised out-of-cage time daily.
Photo coming soon
Recommended
Flight cage
36 × 24 × 36 in flight cage
A 36 × 24 × 36 in flight cage with rotating foraging puzzles, destructible toys, a bath, and daily supervised out-of-cage time keeps Jendays engaged. They are intensely vocal flock birds — pair-housing or many hours of human company prevents screaming and feather-plucking.
Photo coming soon
Ideal
Walk-in aviary / bird room
Walk-in aviary or dedicated bird room
A walk-in aviary or bird-safe room with branches, foraging substrate, and bathing is the welfare ideal. A bonded pair with rich enrichment and complex foraging delivers best welfare — Jendays are intelligent and quickly destructive when bored.
Life & growth stages
How this animal changes through its life — each stage often has its own care, diet and space needs.
Photo coming soon
Egg
Birds develop inside a hard-shelled egg incubated by the parent(s). Egg size, shell color, and clutch size vary by species; the embryo develops over days to weeks before hatching.
Photo coming soon
Hatchling / Chick
Hatchlings are either altricial — naked, blind, and dependent on parents (typical of parrots and songbirds) — or precocial — downy, mobile, and self-feeding soon after hatching (typical of poultry and waterfowl). Down gives way to the first feathers.
Photo coming soon
Juvenile / Fledgling
Fledglings grow in their juvenile plumage and begin to fly and feed themselves, though they may still beg from parents at first. Juvenile feathering is often duller than the adult and is replaced as the bird matures.
Adult
Adults attain full body size and mature plumage, and are capable of breeding. Many species show distinct adult coloration, and in sexually dimorphic birds males and females differ in plumage, size, or markings.
(c) Chalon Boesel, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) via iNaturalist — https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/96487144
Color & pattern variants
Natural variants occur in the wild; selectively bred (man-made) variants were developed in captivity.
Provide a cage at least 24 x 24 x 30 inches (60 x 60 x 75 cm) with 1/2 to 5/8 inch (about 13-16 mm) bar spacing; bigger is always better for this active, agile flier. Furnish it with varied-diameter natural perches, a generous supply of wooden and shreddable chew toys, foraging puzzles, and a roosting tent or box, and allow 3-4 hours of supervised time outside the cage each day.
Jendays are comfortable at normal indoor temperatures of roughly 18-29 C (65-85 F) and should be kept away from drafts and rapid temperature swings. Indoor birds on a complete diet do not require supplemental UVB, but natural light or full-spectrum lighting benefits mood and feather condition.
Substrate
Plain newspaper or paper-based litter in a slide-out tray is ideal and lets you monitor droppings for health. Skip corncob and walnut-shell bedding, which can mold and cause crop or gut impaction if chewed. A wire grate above the tray keeps the bird clean.
Equipment & setup
Provide a sturdy cage at least roughly 24x24x30 inches with 1/2 to 5/8 inch bar spacing and powder-coated or stainless steel construction. Equip it with varied natural-wood and rope perches, abundant chewable and foraging toys, a bathing dish, and full-spectrum lighting on a 10-12 hour cycle. Keep them at comfortable room temperature, away from drafts, kitchen fumes, and PTFE/Teflon cookware off-gassing.
Diet
Feed a foundation of formulated pellets (about 60-70% of intake) with daily fresh vegetables, leafy greens, and modest amounts of fruit such as mango, papaya, and orange. Limit fatty seeds and nuts to occasional treats or foraging rewards, and offer a cuttlebone or mineral block for calcium.
Never feed avocado, chocolate, caffeine, alcohol, or salty and sugary processed foods, as these are toxic to parrots. Provide fresh water daily.
Behavior & temperament
Jendays are renowned as devoted, cuddly, and playful family birds with intense affection for their owners. They are inquisitive chewers and foragers, enjoy interactive games and simple tricks, and may pick up a few words, though they are valued more for personality than talking ability.
Like all Aratinga conures they are loud, with a shrill, raucous call, so they fit homes that tolerate noise. They need consistent daily interaction and enrichment; neglected or under-stimulated birds may scream excessively or pluck feathers. A compatible companion bird can help meet their social needs.
Health
Watch for feather-destructive behavior, obesity and fatty liver disease (often from seed-heavy diets), and respiratory infections. Conures may be exposed to psittacosis (chlamydiosis) and proventricular dilatation disease (PDD); quarantine new arrivals and consult an avian vet promptly for any signs of illness such as fluffed feathers, lethargy, or reduced appetite.
The best prevention is a varied balanced diet, daily exercise and mental stimulation, clean housing, and regular avian veterinary checkups. Note: this is informational only and not a substitute for veterinary care.
Tips, DIY & hacks
Jendays are loud, energetic, and playful, so heavy enrichment prevents screaming and plucking; rotate foraging toys, shreddable palm and balsa, and food puzzles. Make cheap toys from untreated pine, paper cups, and vegetable-tanned leather. Daily interaction and bathing keep these affectionate "velcro" birds tame and feather-healthy.
