Nanday Conure (Black-Hooded Parakeet): Origin, History & Breed Info

The Nanday conure is also called the black-hooded parakeet. It’s one of several species of conure that has a mostly green body with a black face. If you are thinking of getting one of these striking birds for your home but would like to know more about how it’s different from other conure birds, keep reading while we look at colors and markings, where it comes from, where you can buy one, and more to help you make an informed decision.

Species Overview

Origin and History

You can find the Nanday conure in South America. Its primary range extends from Bolivia to Southwest Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina, a large wetland known as the Pantanal. There are also self-sustaining populations of these birds in Los Angeles, California, San Antonio, Texas, and several areas in Florida due to pets being released or escaping in those areas.

Temperament

The nanday conure is an extremely social bird that enjoys spending plenty of time with family members and will be happiest when its cage is placed in the room you spend most of your time in. It loves to take baths and it can also learn tricks and even speak words if you start to work with it at a young age. However, some owners complain that it is quite loud, compared to other conures, and it has a strong beak that may make it unsuitable for children and beginners. It can also get extremely destructive if it doesn’t get enough socialization.

Speech & Vocalizations

Your Nanday conure can learn to speak some words but will prefer to imitate sounds that it hears around your home and will spend much of the day whistling and chirping. They will learn a few words that get you to interact with them, and they’ll use them repeatedly to get and keep your attention.

Nanday Conure Colors and Markings

As we mentioned earlier, the Nanday conure has a mostly green body with a black throat, cheeks, and head. It will have a blue breast and some blue feathers in the tail. The eyes will have yellow irises and some red coloring around the knees.

Caring for the Nanday Conure

Caring for your Nanday conure is not difficult, and once you get the cage set up, there will be little to do except spend time with your bird. The Nanday enjoys taking a bath, and you can assist during bath time each day, which will help you bond with your pet and will reduce the chance that your bird will become destructive due to neglect. Birds that don’t get enough social activity are more likely to bite. In nature, you will find them in flocks of 10 or more, so they will likely enjoy cage mates to keep them company. You can also let your bird out of the cage in a safe enclosed environment so it can get some exercise.

Common Health Problems

Diet and Nutrition

Your Nanday conure will enjoy eating seeds, nuts, flowers, fruits, and vegetables. You can purchase seeds in bulk, and they will stay good for a long time. Fruits and vegetables will help balance your pet’s diet and provide the vitamins and minerals your bird needs to stay healthy. There are also plenty of commercial foods you can give your pet for a balanced diet, but it’s important to watch for chemical preservatives and artificial coloring with these foods.

Exercise

Your Nanday conure is an active bird that will enjoy spending time outside the cage, and many experts recommend allowing your bird to roam free for as many as 4 hours per day to keep them fit and healthy. It might sound like a lot, but if you seal the room so the bird can’t escape, you can watch television or any other task while your bird roams around.

Where to Adopt or Buy a Nanday Conure

You might be able to find a Nanday conure at your local animal shelter because, as we explained earlier, these birds can get loud, especially if you are not interacting with them enough, which often scares inexperienced owners. If there is one in the shelter, you will likely get it at a significant discount. You can also search your local pet stores to inquire about breeders or look online. There are several online services, like BirdsNow that can put you in contact with breeders and other people that are looking to sell their Nanday conure.

Final Thoughts

The Nanday conure is a fantastic pet that is sure to attract plenty of attention due to it being a little rarer than the birds we usually see in people’s homes. It is not that difficult to maintain, and it has a friendly personality as long as it receives plenty of socialization. It can get very loud and destructive when left alone, which can be shocking to new owners and increase the bird’s stress level. However, when it’s happy, it is extremely friendly and will spend much of its time whistling and imitating sounds it hears around the home and can even learn several words.

We hope you have enjoyed reading over this guide and found it helpful in answering your questions. If we have convinced you to give one of these birds a try in your home, please share this guide to the Nanday conure on Facebook and Twitter.

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Featured Image Credit: Tracy Starr, Shutterstock