Pyrrhura molinae
Green-Cheeked Conure
Green-cheeked conures pack a lot of parrot personality into a small body. They are a popular first parrot, but their beak strength and need for daily attention still surprise many new owners.
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At a glance
- Scientific name
- Pyrrhura molinae
- Family
- Psittacidae
- Origin
- Forests of South America, including Bolivia, Paraguay and Brazil
- Lifespan
- 10–20 years, sometimes longer with good care
- Adult size
- 26 cm including tail
- Weight
- 60–80 g
- Temperament
- Affectionate, playful and can be nippy when hormonal
- Activity level
- Moderate to high; enjoys climbing and short flights
- Social needs
- High — bonds intensely with one or two people and needs daily interaction
- Intelligence
- Good problem-solver and can learn tricks and a modest vocabulary
- Noise
- Quieter than most parrots but capable of sharp alarm calls
Housing and environment
- Housing
- Minimum 60 x 60 x 90 cm cage with horizontal bars for climbing
- Space requirement
- A bird-proofed room for daily out-of-cage exercise
- Temperature
- 18–26°C, away from draughts
- Humidity
- 40–60%
- Exercise
- One to two hours of supervised out-of-cage time daily
- Grooming
- Self-preening plus regular bathing; nail and beak checks
Life stages and changing needs
Expanded care guidance · Updated 7 October 2026 · Not professionally reviewed
Young animals and settling in
A young parrot should already be weaned and feeding independently before it comes home; hand-rearing a chick yourself carries real risks of aspiration and poor socialisation and is not a beginner task. Set up a roomy cage and a play stand before arrival, and let the bird settle into a predictable routine with consistent sleep, food and interaction times, since sudden change can trigger feather-damaging or screaming behaviour in a nervous young bird.
Adult care and reproductive changes
Adults need daily supervised time out of the cage for flight or vigorous activity along with rotated foraging opportunities; a bird confined to a bare cage with only a perch and dish is at real risk of plucking, screaming or other stereotypic behaviour. Hormonal surges can increase biting, territoriality around the cage or nest-like spaces, and egg-laying even without a mate present. Avoid prolonged stroking along the back and wings, which can encourage reproductive hormones, unless you have a specific, supported breeding plan.
Later life and changing needs
These parrots are long-lived, so plan for the full lifespan range in this profile and possibly longer with good care; so owning one is a long-term commitment that deserves a written plan for who will care for the bird if your own circumstances change. Older birds should keep flight or climbing opportunities suited to their ability, and perches should remain varied and easy to grip. New lameness, a change in droppings, sudden feather plucking down to skin or a drop in vocalisation and activity needs an experienced avian vet's assessment rather than being written off as ageing.
Diet and feeding
Formulated pellets as the base, plus fresh vegetables, some fruit and limited nuts
Base the diet on a formulated pellet suited to the species, supplemented daily with a wide variety of fresh vegetables and a smaller amount of fruit; wild birds in this group eat a broad mix of seeds, nuts, fruit and some vegetation, but commercial seed-and-nut mixes are high in fat and nutritionally incomplete if fed as the sole diet, and this pattern is strongly linked to obesity and shortened lifespan. Convert a seed-dependent bird to pellets gradually and under veterinary guidance rather than suddenly withholding familiar food.
Offer food in foraging toys or scattered locations where possible, since searching for food is an important behavioural outlet for an intelligent parrot. Avoid avocado, chocolate, caffeine, alcohol and salty or sugary human food entirely. A bird that suddenly reduces its food intake, becomes fluffed and quiet, or shows a change in droppings needs prompt avian veterinary attention, since parrots are prey animals that hide illness until it is advanced.
Daily care and ongoing checks
Every day
Provide daily supervised time outside the cage for flight or vigorous exercise, along with rotated foraging toys and novel objects to prevent the boredom that commonly underlies feather-damaging behaviour and screaming in this intelligent group of birds. Offer consistent social interaction, since a bird left alone for long stretches every day can develop serious behavioural problems.
Regular maintenance and prevention
Check droppings, appetite, feather condition and breathing each day, and keep the bird away from non-stick cookware fumes, aerosols, smoke, scented candles and other strongly scented household products, to which parrots are highly sensitive. Clean food and water dishes daily and offer a consistent, undisturbed sleep period of ten to twelve hours in a covered or quiet area.
Behaviour and compatibility
Chewing, foraging, climbing, contact calling and cuddling with a trusted person
- With children
- Best with older, calm children who understand bite risk
- With other animals
- Never leave unsupervised with cats or dogs
- Training difficulty
- Low to moderate with consistent positive reinforcement
Health
- Feather picking from boredom
- Beak and feather disease
- Egg binding in hens
- Obesity
- Respiratory infections
Needs an avian vet experienced with conures; annual checks recommended
Special care requirements
Non-stick cookware fumes and other airborne toxins are rapidly fatal
Enrichment and quiet confident handling
Green-cheeked conures are playful, often described as the clownish personality of the small conure group, and need daily out-of-cage time and varied foraging toys to prevent screaming or feather plucking from boredom. They can be nippy during adolescence or hormonal periods; use calm, consistent step-up training rather than punishment, which tends to increase fear-based biting in this sensitive species.
This species is prone to feather-destructive behaviour when under-stimulated or stressed, so investigate environmental and social causes, not just medical ones, if plucking begins. Keep the cage away from kitchen fumes, since conures are as sensitive to non-stick cookware fumes and aerosols as any other parrot, and provide a full, uninterrupted dark sleep period each night.
Before you take one on
Sources and further guidance
These welfare and veterinary resources inform general husbandry advice; they do not certify this profile or replace a species-experienced professional. Confirm exact environmental settings and feeding plans for your animal.
Can your home meet green-cheeked conure needs?
- Plan for a lifespan of 10–20 years, sometimes longer with good care, including holiday cover and, where one is available, a vet familiar with this species. Lifespan ranges are not guarantees.
- Arrange the social setting before arrival. Social guidance for this species: High — bonds intensely with one or two people and needs daily interaction. Do not assume another animal of any species is a suitable companion.
- Habitat priority for this species: A bird-proofed room for daily out-of-cage exercise. Make sure your setup can provide this consistently. Check the room stays within the listed temperature range with a thermometer rather than judging by feel.
- Key care point: Non-stick cookware fumes and other airborne toxins are rapidly fatal. Discuss diet and any specialist needs with the supplier, rescue and a vet who treats this species, and check local legal requirements before acquiring an animal.
Educational reference, not an individual diagnosis or a verified professional review. Read our editorial policy.
Guidance libraries and further reading
These organisations publish relevant guidance. Their links are further reading, not evidence that they have reviewed this page.