Half-moon Conures are endemic to Western Mexico to Costa Rica.
They are similar in appearance and size to the three subspecies of Orange-fronted Conures, with the differences being that the Orange-fronted Conure has a smaller black beak rather than the horn-colored beak of the Half-moon Conure, and their colored frontal band is wider.
They are also often confused with the slightly larger peach-fronted conure (aratinga aurea). The easiest distinction between the two is the solid black beak of the peach-fronted versus the horn-colored beak of the half-moon. (Please refer to the below photos.)
Rare Blue Mutation:
Behavior / Personality:
Halfmoon Conures are popular pets that love to play and climb. Natural branches and lots of toys are recommended. Half-moon Conure can be very noisy and destructive.
Breeding / Reproduction:
They are relatively easy to breed. The recommended nesting box should be 13″ x 10″ x 10″ in size, with an entrance hole about 3 1/4″ in diameter. The hen lays 2 to 4 eggs, which she incubates for about 26 days. The nestlings fledge after about 52 days.
These conures are fairly easy to breed. Below are the dimensions of nesting boxes usually used for these conures. However, the dimensions can vary widely, as they are influenced by the owner’s and the birds’ preferences. The preferences of the breeding birds can also be influenced by the size and type of nest-box / log in which the bird was hatched and reared.
Taxonomy:
Genus: Scientific: Aratinga … English: Conures … Dutch: Wigstaartparkieten … German: Keilschwanzsittiche … French: Aratinga
Species: Scientific: Aratinga aurea aurea aka Eupsittula aurea aurea … English: Peach-fronted Conure, Golden-crowned Conure, Half-moon Conure … Dutch: Goudvoorhoofdparkiet … German: Goldstirnsittich … French: Perruche à front d’or
Nominate Species and Sub-Species: aurea, major
CITES II – Endangered … Distribution: Southernmost Surinam, Brazil, South to Eastern Bolivia, Northern Paraguay, Extreme North-western Argentina
Sub-species:
Greater Peach-fronted Conures: Please scroll up for additional information.
Genus: Scientific: Aratinga … English: Conures … Dutch: Wigstaartparkieten … German: Keilschwanzsittiche … French: Aratinga
Species:Scientific: Aratinga aurea major aka Eupsittula aurea major … English: Greater Peach-fronted Conure … Dutch: Grote Goudvoorhoofdparkiet … German: Großer Goldstirnsittich … French: Perruche grand à front d’or
CITES II – Endangered … Distribution: Northern Paraguay, Southern Bolivia, North-western Argentina
Orange-fronted Conures aka Petz Conure aka Half-moon Conure:
Orange-fronted Conures have the fun-loving, inquisitive and playful personalities of most of the other Conures and can become good talkers. However, they can be very noisy and may not make a good pet for apartment dwellers or those who are sensitive to noise. Orange-front Conures are around 11-12 inches in length and weigh around 80-90 grams.
Genus: Scientific: Aratinga … English: Conures … Dutch: Wigstaartparkieten … German: Keilschwanzsittiche … French: Aratinga
Species: Scientific: Aratinga canicularis canicularis aka Eupsittula canicularis canicularis … English: Orange-fronted Conure, Petz’s Conure … Dutch: Ivooraratinga, Petz’s Parkiet … German: Elfenbeinsittich … French: Perruche à front orange
Nominate Species and Sub-Species: canicularis, eburnirostrum, clarae
CITES II – Endangered
Distribution: Pacific Slopes Central America from South-western Mexico, South to Western Costa Rica
Southern Mexican Petz’s Conures:
Genus: Scientific: Aratinga … English: Conures … Dutch: Wigstaartparkieten … German: Keilschwanzsittiche … French: Aratinga
Species: Scientific: Aratinga canicularis eburnirostrum aka Eupsittula canicularis eburnirostrum … English: Southern Mexican Petz’s Conure … Dutch: Zuid-Mexicaanse Petz’s Parkiet … German: Südmexikanischer Elfenbeinsittich … French: Perruche à front rouge Lesson … CITES II – Endangered
Distribution: South-western Mexico from Extreme Eastern Michoacán South through Guerrero to Oaxaca
Western Mexican Petz’s Conures:
Genus: Scientific: Aratinga … English: Conures … Dutch: Wigstaartparkieten … German: Keilschwanzsittiche … French: Aratinga
Species: Scientific: Aratinga canicularis clarae aka Eupsittula canicularis clarae … English: Western Mexican Petz’s Conure … Dutch: Westelijke Mexicaanse Petz’s Parkiet … German: Westmexikanischer Elfenbeinsittich … French: Perruche à front rouge Clarae … CITES II – Endangered
Distribution: Western Mexico
Aratinga Conure Info … Aratingas as Pets … Aratinga Conure Species
Index of Conure Species … Photos of the Different Conure Species for Identification … Conures as Pets … Common Health Problems of Conure … Conure Nutrition / Foods
