The Peach-fronted Parakeet (Eupsittula aurea), more commonly known as the Peach-fronted Conure in aviculture, is a species of parrot in the Psittacidae family. It is widespread and often common in semi-open and open habitats in eastern Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, far northern Argentina and southern Suriname (Sipaliwini savanna). Both its common and scientific name is a reference to the orange-yellow forehead, although this is reduced in juveniles.
The Peach-fronted conures average 10 inches (25 cm) in length and weigh around 3.7 ozs. (105 g). They have a greyish-green back with a lighter green color on the breast. The forehead and part of the crown are bright orange. The rest of the crown is blue-green. There are black tips on the wings and blue tips on the tail. The beak is black.
Peach-fronted Conures are easily available on the pet market and are popular pets that love to play and climb. Natural branches and lots of toys are recommended. Half-moon Conure can be very noisy and destructive as they like to chew on things. Providing them with toys and / or non-toxic wood / branches is a good way to stop them from chewing on items you would like to keep whole (like your furniture :-). Like most conures, they are wonderful sentinel (watch) birds alerting you to anything they feel should not be there. They do like to chew on things and should be given lots of toys to keep them happy. Like most conures, Peach Fronts love to bathe. Some like their water dishes, others learn to love spray baths.
These small birds become quite partial to their owners, may be taught a small amount of speech and can make wonderful pets. Since they have a low-pitched sound, they would make a great apartment bird. They are relatively inexpensive compared to other conures.
They are relatively easy to breed. The recommended nesting box should be 13″ x 10″ x 10″ in size, with an entrance hole about 3 1/4″ in diameter. The hen lays 2 to 4 eggs, which she incubates for about 26 days. The nestlings fledge after about 52 days.
Below are the dimensions of nesting boxes generally used for these birds. But the dimensions can vary widely, as they are influenced by the previous owner’s and conures’ preferences – the latter is often guided by the size and type of nest-box / log in which the bird was hatched and reared.
If the breeding birds don’t appear to accept their given nest boxes, the solution is often to offer them a choice of sizes and types of logs or nest-boxes, and place them in various locations within the aviary. This way, the parent birds can make their own choice. Once a pair has chosen a specific nest-box/log and been successful in it, offer that one to them each breeding season. Once a pair has chosen its log or nest-box, the other ones can generally be removed. If the “spare” boxes are to be removed and moved to another flight, ensure the log / nest-box is cleaned to ensure the receptacle has the minimal contamination of mites, parasites and pathogens.