Picture of a Nanday Conure or Black-hooded Parakeet
Nandayus nenday

   This juvenile Nanday Conure or Black-hooded Parakeet is about 5 months old. He is a super sweet bird by anybody’s standards!

   Typical behavior of the Nanday Conure or Black-hooded Parakeet is demonstrated by the cute little youngster ‘Nan’, pictured above.

   “Nan” loves to come out of the cage. He comes to the front of the cage every time someone comes near. He likes to tumble and toss everything in his cage. He knocks his perches down, empties his water as soon as you put it in, and tips over everything that is not securely attached…all for FUN! He has proven to be a very good escape artist, too. His cage doors must be securely fastened with wire.

For more information about the care of Conures see:Guide to a Happy, Healthy Conure

  • Kingdom: Animalia
  • Phylum: Chordata
  • Class: Aves
  • Order: Psittaciformes
  • Family: Psittacidae
  • Genus: Nandayus
  • Species: nenday

Scientific Name:

Nandayus nenday
(Syn:Aratinga nenday)

Distribution:


   The Nanday Conure or Black-hooded Parakeet is native to southeastern Bolivia, southern Mato Grosso, northern Argentina, Chaco Formosa, and Paraguay. It is also been introduced in North America with colonies reported in the southern and eastern parts of the United States.

Description:


   The head is black, along with the cheeks and throat, which looks like a cap. The rest of the body is green, the throat and breast are blue, and the feet are red.

Size – Weight:


   Mature birds are about 11-12 inches long and weigh 5.2 ounces.

Care and feeding:


   The main diet of the Nanday Conure or Black-hooded Parakeet should primarily be nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables. A commercially prepared pelleted diet can also be beneficial.

   See About Conures: Housing and About Conures: Care and Feeding for more information.

Social Behaviors:


  Wild conures are friendly and peaceful. They live together in large flocks, often with monk parakeets.

Activities:

Loves to climb and play. Provide lots of toys Picture of a Nanday Conure or Black-hooded Parakeet
Photo © Animal-World: Courtesy Rob Hast

Breeding/Reproduction:


   Nanday Conures are sexually mature at three years of age. The hen will lay two to six eggs which incubate for 24-26 days. The cock usually sits on or near the nesting box. The parents should be fed food that is enriched with calcium and mineral supplements.

Potential Problems:

   Like the Aratinga conures, the Nanday Conure or Black-hooded Parakeet can be noisy, they have a high pitched screech that can be annoying.
   See About Conures: Potential Problems for more information.

Availability:

The Nanday Conure or Black-hooded Parakeet is readily available.


Featured Image Credit: slowmotiongli, Shutterstock