The Basics:

This is one of the world’s most beautiful and richly colored birds. True to its name, it has a bright cherry red head, and flecks of red on its neck. An off-white eye ring accentuates the red on the face and head, making an unforgettable visual impression on everyone who sees this attractive Conure.  The Red-Masked Conure has a personality that’s as lively and vivacious as its looks.

Cage:

A cage measuring 24” long by 24” wide by 48” high provides the space that this active bird needs to play in and move from perch to perch. Spacing between the bars should be no larger than ¾”. Since Conures have a tendency to mouth everything in their immediate vicinity, their cage should be kept very clean.

CAUTION

In most cases, more space is more desirable for birds. However, when increasing the size of a Red-Masked Conure’s cage, the bird’s human companion must be careful to maintain a safe (narrow) space between the bars. The bars of a cage have to be narrow enough to prevent a bird from sticking his head in between. Bars that are spaced too far apart for the bird’s size can result in serious and even fatal injuries.

Positioning The Cage:

The Red-Masked Conure needs to be where the action is. His cage should be placed in a family room or other area where there is a lot of activity. However, it’s important to provide the bird with a sense of security by placing his cage in an area that is not in the direct traffic path of his human companions. Ideally the cage should be placed with a wall near two of its sides, so no family member can walk all the way around it.

Areas exposed to direct sunlight or drafts should be avoided when choosing a spot for a bird’s cage. Any place in or near a kitchen should also be off-limits, since smoke from cooking and fumes from nonstick cookware can prove to cause serious, even fatal, complications for a bird.

Playthings:

Red-Masked Conures love to play and climb, so a variety of toys, including climbing toys, should be available to them inside and outside the cage. Since these Conures are determined and persistent chewers, they should be given a lot of wood block toys. Their human companions should always check toys for damage and immediately remove any toys that pose a safety risk.

Perches:

A Red-Masked Conure needs to have a variety of perches made of different materials and of different diameters. The perches serve many important purposes. In addition to providing the bird with an area for standing, they help keep his beak and nails trim. The perches in a Red-Masked Conure’s cage should between ¾” and 1” in diameter. A perch should be placed in front of, but not above, food and water dishes.

Play Time Outside The Cage:

Time outside the cage to play and bond with humans is essential for the health and socialization of the Red-Masked Conure. These birds genuinely enjoy the company of their human friends. Play gyms serve an important function as a method of keeping a bird busy and entertained while outside of the cage, especially when they afford the Red-Masked Conure with an opportunity to climb.

Grooming:

Consult veterinarian or literature about trimming nails and possibly flight feathers.

Bathing:

Provide a shallow bowl of chlorine-free water for supervised bath or mist with chlorine-free water daily. Water must be lukewarm to room temperature. Avoid drafts. Remove bath bowl when finished. A daily bath or shower using chlorine-free water, will not only highlight the beautiful coloration of the Red-Masked Conure, it will also keep his feathers and feather casings in good condition and reduce the risk of him developing dry or irritated skin. Some Conures prefer bathing in their water dishes, while others like mistings. Dishes must be cleaned frequently to protect against bacterial buildups.

Diet:

Commercial pellets should form the basis of the Red-Masked Conure’s diet. Portion sizes and feeding schedules should be based on directions provided by the manufacturer, since different products will vary. In addition to pellets, the bird should be offered a wide variety of fresh vegetables, and a lesser amount of fresh fruits. Fruits and vegetables should be rinsed, dried and cut into appropriately sized pieces before being offered to this bird. Grains and legumes like pasta, cooked rice, cooked beans and oatmeal should also be made available only in small quantities because of their high calorie content. Seeds and nuts should be kept to a minimum, because of their high fat content.  Provide additional calcium i.e. cuttlebone during egg laying. Clean, fresh chlorine-free water should be made available at all times.

A Note About Water:

All water given to birds for drinking, as well as water used for misting, soaking or bathing must be 100% free of chlorine and heavy metals.  (Not all home water filtration systems remove 100% of the chlorine and heavy metals from tap water, so check your system's specifications before using it to filter water for your pet.) We recommend that you use unflavored bottled drinking water or bottled natural spring water and never untreated tap water. Do not use distilled water, which can cause severe medical problems, since it lacks minerals that are essential to important body functions.