Dear Parrots magazine,
Thank you Karen!
Karen Chudley’s article “A day in the life of Team Conure” in the January 2014 issue was an absolute joy! Her humorous writing perfectly captured the personality of Pyrrhura conures which is seen at its best when they have the space to fly and play, and even better, when they are kept as a small flock, which is how they live in the wild. These highly sociable birds need the company of their own kind and with flight skills, most keepers never see, when allowed to fly in a room, their antics are a never ending source of delight.
I smiled when I read a favourite strategy of one of the females, to avoid being put back in the cage, was to cling to Karen’s back, just out of reach of her hand. Yes, my Crimson-bellied Conures taught me that one! I also sympathised when she spoke of “Team Conure” nipping at her ears so that she had to protect them with ear muffs. And I know what it is like to have them home in on my blackcurrant squash as soon as I pour it!
Karen has found ways to “burn off some of that endless store of conure energy.” It is not easy to keep these conures happy and occupied but Karen has done it with a lot of thought. Other owners please copy! Only then will they find out what wonderfully intelligent and mischievous birds Pyrrhuras are.
Rosemary Low, email