Sun Conure lifespan?

[Skittys_Daddy]

So I am wondering if anyone knows anything about sun conures' lifespan? There is so much conflicting information out there I am just wondering if anyone has known of or owned a sun that lived to be a certain age.

My vet said suns live about 10yrs. Skittles is already 5yrs old and that scares me. I know people will say 'if you feed him right and take care of him, he'll live a long time' and I get that. But at some point genes and species come into play. Certain parrot species live longer than others regardless of care.

I know a lot of websites list their lifespan at around 25-30yrs. Some say as long as 40yrs and some say as short as 10yrs. A 30yr range is a bit big for my comfort.

I've heard several stories online at other sites where one sun passed away at 6yrs and another at 11yrs and I've not yet seen on this site a claim of a very old sun.

Thanks!

 

[ToMang07]

I think every animal and situation is different. My Grandmother/Mother had a cat that lived for 23 years. And Rosco was put down because he was mangey and unhealthily skinny, if my grandmother decided to have the vet "take care" of him he could have lived another year or 2!

And this is a cat that lived outside until his 20's, and never even had a rabies shot!

Then I had a cat that died at 11 because she got cancer in her neck. From rabies shots.

It's a crap shoot, really. Like the old guy in his 100's that smokes, eats bacon and drinks beer. Then the chick who dies in her 20's from cancer. SOOO many factors there really is no hard numbers. Just lots and lots of factors.

And FTR.... I'm 30yo with a 4yo U2..... this bird will most likely outlive me, lol!

 

[4dugnlee]

Well my understanding is they can live 25-30 years, but my SC Cisco is only 6 years old so..... Hopefully you will get more helpful answers...I will be following as I would also like to know

 

[LaurieC]

Everything that I have read about them indicates that they can have a lifespan of up to thirty years. My Sun is ten years old, and according to his recent vet check he is in perfect health.

I have had two Cockatiels that made it into their 20's, and I would expect that most conures have the potential to live at least that long.

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

Well Peaches, my cockateil turned 20 in March. She was a 1 year old when I got her. She's also the oldest tiel I've ever owned.

I have noticed that the longest living birds I've owned have also been the ones I was most bonded too. I had a parakeet who lived to be 11yr old on an all see diet.

I hear a lot of stories about suns who have been re-homed so it's so hard to get a good estimate range.

I'll be 39 this year and Skittles turned 5 in March. I want him to live until I'm in my 70s but I've not heard of any sun living that long.

 

[RavensGryf]

I think every animal and situation is different. My Grandmother/Mother had a cat that lived for 23 years. And Rosco was put down because he was mangey and unhealthily skinny, if my grandmother decided to have the vet "take care" of him he could have lived another year or 2!

And this is a cat that lived outside until his 20's, and never even had a rabies shot!

Then I had a cat that died at 11 because she got cancer in her neck. From rabies shots.

It's a crap shoot, really. Like the old guy in his 100's that smokes, eats bacon and drinks beer. Then the chick who dies in her 20's from cancer. SOOO many factors there really is no hard numbers. Just lots and lots of factors.

And FTR.... I'm 30yo with a 4yo U2..... this bird will most likely outlive me, lol!

I agree with Tom here, just lots and lots of factors playing into it.
We've all heard of birds who get fed an all seed diet and far exceed their expected lifespans, and birds who live a considerably shorter life regardless of diet and care. But I think your Sun has a great chance of seeing 30 . IMO, a lot of it is also individual genetics toward longevity, regardless of what vets or textbooks say. Relax, Skittles is young!

 

[JamesC]

My blue crown Tootsie is passing 30 years now and seems like she has a few more good years in her. Diet may not be everything because she was on an awful diet of seeds and morning coffee for most of her life until I was able to get her converted. But I think being on a healthier diet has added to her lifespan.

I think your Skittles stands a good chance to enjoy a similar lifetime. Good food, good care, good home and good companionship go a long way. And a little luck may play into it too.

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

I know a lot of factors do come into play. But there is usually a 'standard' average. Like I noted in my first post. I'm just trying to narrow that down I guess. Where the common range is. It seems most people even here would say that 25 is about right.

I feed Skittles the Harrisons high potency fine pellets. He does not have any seeds in his regular diet. But I do give him millet spray on a rare occasion. His favorite treat is the power treats by Harrisons as well as grapes. He loves the Tropicana farmstand juice and I do on occasion give him pasta. He also likes broccoli, eggs and chicken. I heard bread is very bad for parrots but Skittles loves it so I'm not sure what to do there.

I just want to know what more I can do. He is is free-flighted and with me 9/10 of every day. If there is something more I should be doing to expand his lifespan I want to know. Is there a certain food I'm omitting or a certain activity?

 

[StarryEyedGirl]

I have asked many people and some avian vets because I have heard that BCC don't live long. They say if the diet is good and the bird is in good health any conure can live easily 35-40 years. I turned 23 in may and harley turned 1 the beginning of February. So. His vet says he's in very good health and if I keep on this rate I could easily get 35 years out of him. Which I would love more than anything in the world.

 

[Nakiska]

Everything I have read has stated lifespan of approximtely 25-30 years. However, it's also my understanding that for sun conures especially, there is very little known about them overall, compared to other species.

I adopted from an elderly couple our Sun conure when he was 3 years old. It's been a bit of a trial and error getting him settled into our home, but I think I have finally found his true happiness. I absolutely adore Sunny and hope to have many awesome years with him. His happy hatch day is May 1st and he will turn 5!

I hope I get to be one of those people that visits the form 20 years from now and proudly brags about my amazing 25 year old Sun Conure!

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

That's what I'm finding too. As common as suns are, I was surprised to find very little information on pet care.

There is so much more information on parakeets (budgies) and cockatiels but those two are the most common kept birds.

I'll keep doing research anyways.

 

[Kalel]

I have a sun conure who will turn one in 6 days. I once had a budgie who lived for 13 years. From my understanding conures usually have a significantly longer lifespan. So, a potential to live 20+ years doesn't sound unreasonable to me just based on my budgie experience.

 

[Dinosrawr]

I honestly wish bird breeding was similar to dog breeding, where health concerns and genetic issues were well documented between blood lines. Unfortunately because they're so long lived and a relatively new animal that's been introduced to the pet world, there isn't much stress on finding a good bird with "good lines".

I expect any conure to reach 25 years, on average, if well exercised, receiving balanced fresh food daily on top of a healthy pellet to supplement, if stimulated mentally, and if well loved. Given that there are no genetic problems. That being said, it's not a surprise the "pet store average" is so low because they often model improper care and provide insufficient information.

I know a lot of suns that have made it over 10 years of age without problem. But I don't know a whole lot over the age of 20, unless they were a rescue. Along with Jendays, they seem to have a high turn over rate unfortunately.

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

I hate to say this - but I wonder how much poor care plays in that turnover rate - with suns that is. I see so many on rescue sites. They are one of the most 'rehomed' birds I've heard of (along with cockatoos). It seems a lot of people become intolerant of the screaming. They are also rather demanding birds and not for beginners. But IMO, they more than make up for that with their incredible personalities.

No offense to anyone here - but I think talking birds and 'showbirds' are over-rated by the general public. They are wonderful and adorable to watch but I hate how non-bird owners 'expect' a bird to talk or do tricks. I don't care one way or the other. I like the 'surprise'. I let them be themselves and go with what I get. I like the 'uniqueness' of their personalities. Whenever I take Skittles out, the most common comment from strangers is 'he is beautiful'! followed by 'does he talk'. As soon as I say 'no', they lose interest. I can't tell you how often I get tempted to smack them.

I don't know much about his genes, but I am in touch with his breeder. I bought him at the pet store, but they gave me the breeders contact info because she asked the store too so she can know how they are doing. That strikes me as a VERY good breeder. His breeder has told me good things about his genes though.


Suns are NOT a beginner bird, for sure. I've had Skittles for four years (he's 5) and I had birds for nearly 25 yrs at that time and I still had struggles in the beginning with him.

Skittles is free-flighted all day, has the run of the place and is fed an organic diet. Everything I should be doing, I am. I just am always looking for ways to be doing even more. It's instinct, I guess. We want to make sure we do right by our babies. That they have everything they need as well as things we never got. We want them to have it all.

 

[Dinosrawr]

I would imagine poor care has a lot to do with it. At my pet stores, the information pamphlet says a conure (any species of conure) requires ONLY 1 HOUR A DAY of interaction. Can you imagine how distraught an emotionally intelligent and physically interactive bird would become with that little time interaction with someone when they're pair bond birds and spend every moment in the wild with their chosen partner as well as in a flock situation?

 

[StarryEyedGirl]

I would imagine poor care has a lot to do with it. At my pet stores, the information pamphlet says a conure (any species of conure) requires ONLY 1 HOUR A DAY of interaction. Can you imagine how distraught an emotionally intelligent and physically interactive bird would become with that little time interaction with someone when they're pair bond birds and spend every moment in the wild with their chosen partner as well as in a flock situation?

One hour?! That's unheard of in my house! Harley is out from the time my feet hit the floor in the morning until I go to bed! He only goes in his cage if I have to go to the Dr's or he's in timeout which isn't more than 3-5 minutes. He is always out doing his thing. Whether it be hanging out with me watching TV or with me while I prepare breakfast/lunch/dinner. He's usually always with me or in the window catching some fresh air and chatting with outside birds.

 

[Sarvesh]

yeah i also read that conures can live 30 years but since so many people don't take good care of their birds the average lifespan in the US is only 10 years.

Did you know those gold fish at walmart and fairs that only last a couple months can live up to 30 years? I too hate it when people don't treat animals good

wow your cockatiel is 20 years old??

hey what do u mean by conures aren't beginner birds? i have had my parakeet for a while before the conure but i would still consider myself relatively beginner...honestly i dont feel like my conure is anymore work than my parakeet - i wake up in the morning and clean both their dishes and water cups, change news papers every couple days - and thats it! only difference is conure loves to come out and play with me and hang out with me - parakeet still is pretty skittish but i hand feed her and talk to her daily.

 

[Dinosrawr]

Skittys was trying to say that the Aratinga genus of conures (Sun, Nanday, and Jenday for example) don't make very good beginning birds because of the screaming, level of commitment, and because they aren't nearly as calm as GCC's.

 

[Sarvesh]

Skittys was trying to say that the Aratinga genus of conures (Sun, Nanday, and Janday for example) don't make very good beginning birds because of the screaming, level of commitment, and because they aren't nearly as calm as GCC's.

ah yeah i heard they are much more loud, i like my GCC cus i deal with mental illness and i think he is a good balance between 'awesome exotic bird' and 'manable for me to take care of'. - so basically are sun conures harder because they are louder and demand more attention?

cool thing is some days if im playing a video game or something my conure will still play with his toys lol, i got him tons of toys and bought another f040 for him. so he has big mansion and tons of toys, always playing either with me or with his toys, minus a short afternoon nap lol.

 

[Dinosrawr]

Definitely because they are louder and tend to be quite dependent on you - independence and managing screaming is important to begin training early with them, and a lot of people don't. That's why they tend to scream a lot (especially because they don't get the attention they need or haven't been taught to self entertain), and in turn they get ushered off to rescues.

I know my boyfriend has a very hard time with my IRN because he's also very vocal and tends to scream (which is quite normal for him). It brings out a bad mood for Brendon, whereas my GCC is perfect for him. She's quiet, willing to cuddle and interact, or willing to just be on her own. GCC's are definitely the better choice of the two when it comes to a balance IMO, but I also cannot stand the sound of an Aratinga scream. It drives me bonkers.