Jenday Conure Complete Guide: Care, Cost, Noise and Personality

The Jenday Conure is one of the most striking small parrots in the world and one of the most commonly confused species. Its coloration and personality closely resemble those of the more famous Sun Conure, but they are separate species with meaningful differences in appearance, noise level, price, and availability. This guide walks through everything you should know before buying a Jenday Conure, including honest side by side comparisons against the Sun Conure and Green Cheek Conure.

What is a Jenday Conure?

The Jenday Conure (Aratinga jandaya), also spelled Jandaya Conure, is a medium sized Neotropical conure native to northeastern Brazil. It belongs to the Aratinga genus alongside the closely related Sun Conure and Golden Capped Conure. All three species are found in the same general geographic region and are known to hybridize in captivity, which has caused decades of confusion in the pet trade.

What does a Jenday Conure look like?

• Length: 12 inches
• Weight: 100 to 130 grams
• Head: Bright yellow
• Chest and belly: Bright orange
• Back and wings: Green with blue tinged flight feathers
• Tail: Green with blue tips
• Beak: Black
• Eye ring: White

The clearest way to distinguish a Jenday from a Sun Conure is the back and wings. Jendays have green backs and wings with orange bodies. Sun Conures are almost entirely orange and yellow with only small green markings on the wings.

Jenday Conure vs Sun Conure vs Green Cheek Conure

Most Jenday Conure buyers are torn between three species. For a full Sun vs Green Cheek breakdown, see our Sun Conure vs Green Cheek Conure guide. The three way comparison below covers where the Jenday fits.

Are Jenday Conures loud?

Yes. Jenday Conures belong to the loud Aratinga family and produce sharp contact calls that carry through apartment walls. Reports from owners suggest Jendays are marginally quieter than Sun Conures but are still not suitable for apartment living or shared walls. Both species are dramatically louder than Green Cheek Conures. If noise is a serious concern, see our full Green Cheek Conure noise breakdown for the honest volume comparison across small parrots.

Personality and temperament

Jenday Conures are affectionate, energetic, and highly social. A well socialized hand raised Jenday bonds strongly with its primary human and enjoys physical contact including head scratches and shoulder rides. They are also known for being playful clowns, tumbling across play stands and hanging upside down. They can be prone to one person bonding, becoming territorial toward other family members if socialization is not maintained.

Do Jenday Conures talk?

Some do. Jenday Conures typically develop a vocabulary of 5 to 15 words and phrases, less than a Sun Conure but slightly more than most Green Cheek Conures. Their voice is high pitched and not always clearly intelligible. Choose a Jenday for personality and color, not for talking ability.

How much does a Jenday Conure cost?

Hand raised Jenday Conures cost $450 to $750 in the US in 2026 from a working aviary. They are slightly less expensive than Sun Conures because they are marginally less popular and marginally easier to breed. Pet stores often mark birds up 40 to 100 percent, pushing retail to $900 or more. For similar bird pricing, see our Sun Conure cost guide for the closely related Aratinga species.

Care requirements

Cage size. Minimum 24 by 24 by 36 inches. Larger is preferred. Bar spacing no wider than 5 by 8 inch.

Diet. 60 to 70 percent quality pellet, 20 to 30 percent fresh vegetables and small amounts of fruit, 5 to 10 percent nuts and seeds as treats.

Out of cage time. At least 3 hours per day of interaction and free flight in a bird proofed room.

Enrichment. Rotate three toys weekly. Foraging toys are especially important for this intelligent species.

Sleep. 10 to 12 hours of dark quiet sleep per night.

How long do Jenday Conures live?

Jenday Conures typically live 25 to 30 years in captivity with proper care. Some individuals reach 35. This is a longer commitment than a Sun Conure and matches the Green Cheek Conure range. For the full lifespan picture across parrot species, see our how long parrots live guide.

Is a Jenday Conure the right bird for you?

Choose a Jenday Conure if: you love the bright orange and yellow Aratinga look but want something slightly smaller than a Sun Conure; you have detached housing where noise is not a critical concern; and you can commit to 3+ hours of daily interaction.

Choose a Sun Conure if: you want maximum color intensity, do not mind slightly more volume, and can accept a slightly shorter lifespan.

Choose a Green Cheek Conure if: you live in an apartment or need a genuinely quieter small parrot with the same personality.

Where to buy a Jenday Conure

Jenday Conures are less commonly bred than Sun Conures in the US, so expect a waitlist from most specialty breeders. At Mo’s Birds we hand raise multiple conure species from our Southern California aviary. To see currently available conures, browse the conures category page, check the new born babies page, or contact Mo directly for Jenday waitlist information. All Mo’s Birds conures are hand fed from around 3 weeks of age, DNA sexed, health tested, and ship nationwide via Delta Cargo.

Frequently asked questions

Are Jenday Conures quieter than Sun Conures?

Marginally. Reports from owners suggest Jendays are slightly quieter, but both are among the loudest small parrots kept as pets. Neither is apartment appropriate. If noise is critical, choose a Green Cheek Conure instead.

Are Jenday and Sun Conures the same species?

No. They are separate species (Aratinga jandaya vs Aratinga solstitialis) but are close cousins and can hybridize in captivity. This has caused some pet trade confusion where hybrids are sold as one species or the other.

Do Jenday Conures talk?

Some do. Typical vocabulary is 5 to 15 words. Not chosen for talking ability.

How much does a Jenday Conure cost?

$450 to $750 for a hand raised baby from a US breeder in 2026. Pet stores mark up to $900 or more.

How long do Jenday Conures live?

25 to 30 years with proper care. Some individuals reach 35.

Can Jenday Conures be housed with other bird species?

Not recommended. Jendays are territorial and can bully or injure smaller birds. Housing with a Sun Conure of similar size is sometimes done but requires careful introduction and separate cages during unsupervised periods.