Blue-crowned Conure
Thectocercus acuticaudatus
Also called Blue-crowned parakeet, Sharp-tailed conure
From South America, from eastern Colombia and northern Venezuela (including Isla Margarita) south through north-eastern Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay to Uruguay and northern Argentina. It lives in savanna, dry woodland and forest edges rather than dense rainforest.123
At a glance the quick version
Looks how to spot one
Feathered; one of the larger conures, with a long pointed tail
A large, mostly green conure with a dull turquoise-blue crown and face; how far the blue extends varies between subspecies. The long tail is green above and reddish underneath, there is a white ring of bare skin around the eye, and the upper beak is horn-coloured with a darker tip.13
Personality what they are like
Blue-crowned conures are known for being sociable and easygoing, and a hand-fed bird is usually friendly and affectionate without being overly clingy. They are one of the more talkative conures, though their words can sound a little rough. They are also loud and persistent callers at times, so they suit homes where some noise is fine.312
Daily activity how busy a day looks
A bright, high-energy bird that needs lots of hands-on time and plenty of toys. It is an enthusiastic chewer, so soft wooden toys are especially welcome.31
Grooming and care the hands-on bits
Offer baths regularly and keep a supply of soft wood and other bird-safe chew toys, swapping them out often.23
Home where they are happiest
A large cage with room for the long tail, plus a play area outside it. For aviary keeping the World Parrot Trust recommends a flight at least 3 m long.21
Food basics what goes in the bowl
Wild birds eat seeds, berries, cactus fruit and some crops. At home, a balanced pellet diet with fresh vegetables, fruit and healthy table foods works well, with some cooked beans and seeds.23
Company who they like around
Usually seen in pairs or small flocks in the wild. As a pet it needs daily interaction and should not be left alone in its cage for long stretches.23
The story where it all began
The blue-crowned conure today sits alone in the genus Thectocercus, with five recognised subspecies spread across much of South America. It became widely known after starring in the 1998 family film Paulie, and it is now a popular companion bird.13
Fun facts for the dinner table
Recognised by the official bits
- IUCN Red List
- Least Concern; described as common.2
- Taxonomy
- The only species in the genus Thectocercus, with five subspecies: acuticaudatus, haemorrhous, koenigi, neoxenus and neumanni.1
The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you
A typical home-care rhythm for a Blue-crowned Conure. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.
- Fresh food and waterevery day
- Cage linerevery 2 days
- Full cleanevery week
- Bath offerevery 3 days
- Nails checkevery month
- Beak checkevery month
- Toy rotationevery week
- Out-of-cage timeAbout 2 hours a dayevery day
- Vet check-upevery year
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Where this comes from
Every breed page shows where each fact comes from. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are pet people, not a science magazine. Tell us at support@furrydiary.app and we will fix it.
- Blue-crowned parakeet - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.orgused for range, taxonomy, size, weight, plumage, history
- Blue-crowned Conure - World Parrot Trust parrots.orgused for range, size, lifespan, care, diet, behaviour
- Blue-Crowned Conure - Lafeber lafeber.comused for temperament, talking, care, Paulie
Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.