Guest Author - Denise Lacazette

Nanday Conures are one of the most affordable parrots available today. Their coloration is beautiful even in artificial light. They have bluish-black heads, yellow-green bodies with a lovely light blue chest, blue-green-to-black tail feathers and red ankles. Nanday Conures are capable of mimicking several words and are considered good talkers in general. They are intelligent and interesting birds.

There have been many mixed reviews of the Nanday Conure. Some claim they are great pets, others claim they are suitable only for outdoor country aviaries. As someone who has several Nandays in her home I am biased to the former rather than the latter. Those that claim the Nanday Conure is suitable only for outdoor country aviaries refer to their loud screech as the cause. Many pet stores will not sell Nanday Conures because of the high return rate from unprepared owners. When I acquired my Nanday Conures I was a little surprised at the volume they are capable of given their size, but I did not find it extreme in comparison to some of the other birds I live with. After monitoring the birds and their actions for a few days I figured out they are vocal when there are changes in their environment (cat or new person walks by, etc). They are constantly watching everything going on around them and rarely (if ever) get distracted from their vigil. They are the perfect “guard bird” -- nothing gets past them and their call is loud enough to make you pay attention.

I would recommend the Nanday Conure for older adults. The Nanday Conure relishes attention and does well in quiet stable environments. The guard bird aspect of their personalities could be beneficial for someone living alone and inclined to distraction, preoccupation, or maybe hard of hearing. Get to know the Nanday Conure before you buy one. Most of the breeders I have encountered genuinely love the bird and are happy to help you figure out whether or not they are the right bird for you instead of simply pushing a sale. The Nanday Conure can be a wonderful, intelligent companion for the right person.