If you’re thinking of adopting birds as a pet, it might be difficult to choose between a Black-capped conure and green cheek conure since they both make wonderful companions.
Conures generally enchant people with their liveliness and curious personality. They range in size from little to medium. They often want to be where home activities are taking place, such as during meals and when they are spending time with their favorite person(s).
This guide will assist you in contrasting these two birds so that you may choose the one that best suits your needs and way of life. This article includes information on which of these two birds has more loving tendencies, making it simpler for you to choose between the two if your objective is to get a lot of attention from your pet bird.
Black-capped Conure vs Green cheek?
The black-capped conure has a green body and a brown-black “cap” on its head, giving it a unique appearance. The black-capped conure, otherwise known as the black-capped parakeet or rock conure, is a South American parrot.
The Green-cheeked conure is one of the smallest conures and is sometimes mistaken for its near cousin, the Maroon-bellied conure (Pyrrhura frontalis).
Green cheeks are so similar in appearance that pet retailers and even their owners sometimes misidentify them. They’re around the same size, about 10 inches long, and mostly green.
Both birds are friendly and lively, and they enjoy socializing with their owners. They may be snappy and uncooperative at times, but even so, they are among the most easygoing conure species.
The only means to differentiate between the sexes is via DNA testing or surgical sex surgery.
General Differences Between Black-Capped Conure and Green Cheek Birds?
| Black-capped conure | Green Cheek Conures |
| The black-capped conure is found in South American countries such as Peru, Bolivia, and southern Brazil. | The green-cheeked conure is commonplace in South America, where it may be found in forests and woodlands in Brazil, Bolivia, Argentina, and Paraguay. |
| It lives in a humid forest stretching from the Amazonian lowlands to the eastern Andes slopes at an elevation of around 6,000 feet. | It normally lives in groups of 10 to 20 birds in the treetops, or in bigger groups where there is more food. |
| Can survive in captivity for more than 25 years. | Can survive in captivity for more than 30 years. |
| It is one of the smallest conure species, measuring between 9 and 10 inches. | Another small conure specie, but measuring around 10 inches long and weighing two to three ounces. |
| The black-capped conure is primarily green with a brown-black crown and a white scale pattern on the neck and breast. It bears crimson highlights on the leading edge of the upper wing coverts. | Their long pointed tail is mostly blue or maroon in color. Their beaks and feet are black, and they have naked white rings around their eyes. |
Color
| Black-capped conure | Green Cheek Conures |
| The black-capped conure is primarily green with a brown-black crown and a white scale pattern on the neck and breast. | The plumage of green-cheeked conures is multicolored. They have vivid red feathers on their tails and chests. |
| It bears red highlights on the leading edge of the upper wing coverts. | Their backs and the tips of their wings are bright green. The red spot on their breast is surrounded by olive green. |
| The green abdomen is tinted with blue markings, and the undersides of the tail feathers are dark grey. | A white ring around the neck, with black feathers on the skull. They have olive-green spots on their faces. |
| Gray is the color of the feet, legs, and beak. Males and females have the same color. | Males and females are both the same color. |
| The yellow-sided black-capped conure is a mutant of this species with yellow coloring on the sides of the head and neck. | Their long pointed tail is mostly blue or maroon in color. Their beaks and feet are black, and they have naked white rings around their eyes. |
| Several color variants, including turquoise, yellow-sided, cinnamon, and pineapple conures, have been carefully produced in captivity. |
Feeding
| Black-capped conure | Green Cheek Conures |
| These birds consume a range of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and berries in the wild. | Green-cheeked conures eat fruits, vegetables, seeds, and the odd bug in the wild. |
| Feed your bird in captivity a high-quality, designed pellet along with a regular meal of fresh fruits and vegetables. | Green-cheeked conures in captivity should have a similar feeding lifestyle of fruits, veggies, and seeds. |
| You may offer them as much pellet food as you like; they will only eat what they need. | For maximum health, feed your conure a broad selection of fresh fruits and vegetables, coupled with high-quality pelleted food. |
| Offer around a 1/8 to 1/4 cup of fresh fruits and vegetables in the morning and at night. | The chop idea, which includes creating a salad combination ahead of time, is a simple method to integrate a range of fresh ingredients. |
Size
| Black-capped conure | Green Cheek Conures |
| This conure is 9.8 inches (25cm) long and weighs around 2.5 ounces (70 grams). | They’re around the same size, about 10 inches long, and mostly green. |
Character, Personality, and Talk
| Black-capped conure | Green Cheek Conures |
| Black-capped conures are lovely, entertaining pets. While they do demand a lot of care from their owners, their entertaining actions always seem to repay human efforts. | Green-cheeked conures are loving and lively, and they thrive on interaction with their owners. |
| They like engaging with their owners and desire playing and attention on a regular basis. | They may be snappy and uncooperative at times, but on the whole, they are the most laid-back of the conure species. |
| These birds will grow relaxed and sociable with family members but may be wary of outsiders. | Green-cheeked conures are considered to be quick learners and respond well to instruction. They can be taught basic tricks. |
| The black-capped conure is not renowned to be a good talker, but with diligent teaching, it may memorize a modest number of words and phrases, and say them from time to time. | They don’t generally converse like the other parrots. Most owners claim that their big egos compensate for their lack of communication skills. |
Habitat
| Black-capped conure | Green Cheek Conures |
| The black-capped conure is found in South American countries such as Peru, Bolivia, and southwestern Brazil. | Green-cheeked conures may be found in the wild in Brazil, Bolivia, Argentina, and Paraguay, where they live in forests and woodlands. |
Play and Exercise
| Black-capped conure | Green Cheek Conures |
| A cage big enough to allow for daily activity is required for a black-capped conure. | A green-cheeked conure should play and grow well when housed with other green-cheeked conures, but not with other bird species. |
| The smallest permissible cage is 18 inches in length, 18 inches wide, and at least 2 feet tall. If you are unable to provide many hours of daily out-of-cage time for flying and playing, the bird will need a bigger cage that enables it to fly and exercise on its own. | If you have more than one bird in the cage, make the cage larger for each bird. The bigger the cage, the more birds you will need to house. |
| Provide solid perches as well as enough chew toys inside the cage. To keep the bird interested and engaged, the toys should be changed on a regular basis. | The green-cheeked conure lives in a flock in its native habitat. It still requires a significant amount of interaction with you as a pet. |
| Provide the bird with an out-of-cage play device, such as a playpen or play gym, to use during its out-of-cage exercise sessions. | Every day, your bird may need two to four hours outside the cage for exercise and socializing. |
Cost
| Black-capped conure | Green Cheek Conures |
| A single one will cost between $400 and $600. Birds Now is a rescue, adoption group, and breeder where you may find black-capped conures. | According to Whittaker, the usual price range for green-cheeked conures is $149 to $350, with breeders likely being less costly and pet retailers being more expensive. |
Body Language
| Black-capped conure | Green Cheek Conures |
| Consider their posture. A healthy bird will have a straight posture and will move with caution. It might be a symptom of something serious if it seems slumped or fatigued. Birds who are ill or wounded may sit uncomfortably; if this is the case, take your bird to your veterinarian for a check-up. | Observe the eyes. Your bird may be in discomfort if you see it squinting or concealing its eyes. If you see any of these symptoms, your parrot may require some medicine and a trip to the doctor. An alert bird will have clean eyes without any discharge or tears. |
| Observe Its Balance. Conures are powerful and steady flyers that can effortlessly navigate about the room. If it loses this ability, there might be a problem with its cardiovascular system or a variety of other disorders. | Watch the Level of Energy. You may presume that your conure is healthy if it is moving about the room at bird speed and not acting abnormally. It may be a symptom of loneliness, melancholy, or even disease if the pet bird seems listless or unwilling to move. |
| Pay attention to its voice. You may interpret your parrot’s speech in a variety of ways, including where it is coming from (mouth or beak), the tone of its voice, and whether it is loud or quiet. Consider how you would react if someone spoke to you in that tone of voice, and use this approach of advanced observation to figure out what your bird is saying. | Monitor the “Happy Dance.” Conures also have methods of communicating their happiness and enjoyment to you. In order to understand whether it’s appropriate to offer your bird some extra attention, make sure you are able to interpret conure body language. It’s time to join in the fun if you see your bird wagging its tail and fluffing its feathers. |
| Keep an eye out for Preening. A healthy conure is a well-groomed parrot that will routinely preen itself, but a bird that merely sits about and plucks at its feathers may be bored, or worse, depressed. | Watch Its Wings. Your conure will be overly fluttering its wings and staring at you with interest if it’s attempting to obtain some air. You should look for symptoms of pain if the bird’s wings are moving but there doesn’t seem to be a definite direction behind them since it could be in a lot of pain. |
Sounds and Meanings
| Sounds | Meaning (For both Black-capped conure and Green Cheek Conures) |
| Scream | This is not a sound you want to hear from your bird; when in acute distress or panic, conures will send forth a deafening scream. |
| Quack | Many Conure owners refer to this sound as “grinding,” “purring,” or “grunting,” and it is a low, quacking sound that you will hear if your Conure is in minor discomfort. |
| Whistle | Conures often whistle when their owner leaves the room in an effort to reach out to them and see if everything is well. |
| Chirps | Chirping is the most typical sound you’ll hear from a Conure, and it may imply everything from welcome to fear. |
| Talking | Your Conure is typically chatter to itself quietly in another room, which is often an indication of satisfaction and pleasure. Similarly, your Conure is usually content and at peace when it imitates you or responds to you. |
Pros and Cons of having a Black-capped conure?
| Pros | Cons |
| With its adoptive human family, the curious pet is affectionate. | Not a good talker. |
| It is a more reserved species, yet it can still say a few phrases. | need two to four hours of supervised outside activity every day. |
| A little bird that can fit in a tiny cage and has a smaller footprint. | tends to be reserved around strangers. |
Pros and Cons of having a Green Cheek Conure?
| Pros | Cons |
| Pleasant and social. | Although it may not be as loud, it can still become loud and is probably not a good choice for flats. |
| Intelligent; able to learn tricks. | Needs at least two to four hours of physical activity and social interaction. |
| Hushed compared to other parrots. |
is Black-capped conure a good first bird
Yes, the Black-capped conure is good for those who have never owned a bird before. They are little, friendly, like playing and being taught tricks; they also don’t produce a lot of noise, which seems to reward human efforts.
They can amuse themselves and their owners for several hours. These adorable tiny birds are recognized for their engaging personalities, ease of taming, and ability to learn a number of phrases. They are curious creatures that like their owners’ company and intimacy.
is Green Cheek Conure a good first bird
Yes, They are great for beginners. Green-cheeked conures are popular pet birds. They like social interaction with their owners and are loving and lively.
Conures with green cheeks may be friendly and funny, but they can also be a bit more reserved than other conures. Green cheeks are a good first bird if the owner is ready to invest the time and effort necessary for training.
Can green cheek conure and black-capped conure live together?
Nothing is certain, All birds have individual personalities. Green cheek and black-capped are both very friendly birds, but they may need some time to get along.
Green cheek might be ready to bond and become a buddy, but black-capped might need a little time to build trust.
It’s advisable to let both birds stay in different cages but close to each other, then you start off by introducing each of them to the other cage, at least 30 minutes daily.
This can go on for more than 2 months, so you can monitor their progress.
FAQ about black-capped conure vs green cheek
Is a black-capped conure a green cheek?
No, Black-capped conure is not a green cheek. The body is mostly deep green in color. While the top of the head and the neck are black, earning them their moniker, the cheek region is brownish-green.
What is the friendliest conure?
The green cheek conure is the friendliest of both conures, it socializes easily and pairs up with other birds way faster than the black-capped conure.
Can black-capped conures talk?
No. Black-capped conure can’t talk but, they may pick up a few words and phrases with proper teaching.
Which conure is the most talkative?
Green cheek conure is noisier here. Given how quiet it is in comparison to other conures. Although it does not call as often or as loudly as other bird pets do, it does make some noise.
They do make calls in the morning and the evening, which are referred to as contact calls, but they aren’t well known for being talkative otherwise.