How to Bond a Pair of Conures

Housing Your Conures

Raise the birds together from an early age. If two conures are both relatively young (less than one year old) and have already been weaned, they can probably be placed together in a cage immediately. When the birds are raised together, they are more likely to think of each other as partners and companions.

Place birds who were not raised together from a young age in separate cages. When introducing birds who are a bit older (more than one year old), place them in two separate cages, but place the cages side-by-side. Look for signs of bonding, including sitting side-by-side, eating at the same time, or mutual head bobbing.

Bring the bonded pair together in one cage. When bonding a conure pair that was not raised together, unite them in a neutral cage (not one of the cages they used individually) after detecting signs of bonding. This will reinforce the bond between them. Since a single conure requires an enclosure 24″ wide x 24″ deep x 30″ high ( 61 cm x 61 cm x 76 cm), two conures should be housed together in an enclosure with dimensions twice as large.

Ensuring a Strong Bond

Purchase unrelated birds. Birds who are related might have a more difficult time bonding. When purchasing your birds, choose a qualified seller who offers written guarantees that the two conures are from different nests.

Obtain birds that are the same age. If one bird in a pair is of a different age than the other, it might try to take on an “alpha” role in the pair, which could cause it to act aggressively. To increase odds of a successful bonding, match two birds that are the same age or close to the same age.

Don’t bother your conures. The more you interact with your conures, the less interested they will be in each other. To encourage bonding, minimize your contact with them by only visiting to provide food. This rule also applies if you want to breed your conures. Stay away from them until they’ve produced an egg.

Keep mirrors away from the cage. If a conure sees its image in a mirror, it could become confused and begin bonding with its reflection. Therefore, don’t place mirrors or toys that include mirrors in or near the conure cage.

Identifying Signs of Bonding

Look for the pair sitting together. When birds sit next to each other, it means that they like each other. Provide perches and stands in the conures’ cage so they can sit near each other. If you notice the birds nestling up to each other and mirroring each other’s actions, then this is a good indication that they have bonded.

Keep an eye out for rapid head bobbing. If your conures rapidly bob their heads up and down when interacting, it means they like each other. You might see this behavior with same-sex conure pairs or in male-female pairs.

Look for tongue touching. Conures have sensitive tongues and often examine objects or birds with them. Curious or affectionate conures might press their tongues against their companion.

Check for preening. Conure friends often lick, nibble, or gently pull at each other’s feathers. These behaviors help the bird on the receiving end keep its feathers properly oiled and groomed, and protect it from water and cold. This social behavior is an indicator that your birds are getting along.

Look for the pair eating together. When your conure pair share feeding habits, you’ll know they’ve really hit it off. Conure friends might bring food back to a shared perch or cluster around a single food dish and eat together. If the birds are of different sexes, one might feed the other (either directly or by chewing the food and then regurgitating it into the other’s mouth).

Expect the occasional squabble. Although bonded conures are devoted to each other, they may occasionally squabble. However, they will usually sort things out on their own and you will not need to intervene.