Fun Jandaya Parakeet Facts For Kids

Jandaya parakeets, also known as Jenday conures, are a neotropical species of parrots native to northeastern Brazil. In the wild, these colorful parrots inhabit temperate deciduous forests and palm groves. They are small birds overall but are moderate-sized conures. They are 12 in (30 cm) long as adults and they weigh about 4-5 oz (125–140 g).

They are bred to be house pets, albeit noisy ones. Being from the Conure family, Jandaya conures can be very shrill and loud, but they also have the capacity to mimic human words. Jandaya parakeets are very similar in looks to sun conures. Their orange-red bodies display a variety of other bright colors, with green wings and tails with blue ends, black beaks, and gray legs. They are sociable and affectionate creatures and in the wild, they live for 20 years. With proper care, Jenday conures can live for 30 years in captivity! They live in flocks in the wild but do not do well when caged with other birds in captivity. Also, they build and live in nests that are 50 ft (15.24 m) off the ground, in dead tree stumps. They like to nest outside of their usual breeding season as well.

Jenday conures need to be looked at closely in order to distinguish between males and females. Let's learn more about them here! Find out more about other interesting birds here on Kidadl with our articles about the sun parakeet and the green parakeet.

What type of animal is a Jandaya parakeet?

A Jandaya parakeet (Aratinga jandaya) is a bird.

What class of animal does a Jandaya parakeet belong to?

The Jandaya parakeet (Aratinga jandaya) belongs to the Aves (bird) class of animals.

How many Jandaya parakeets are there in the world?

The population size of the Jandaya Parakeet (Aratinga jandaya)  is currently unknown, but since it is classified as bird species of Least Concern, it can be assumed that there are more than 10,000 mature individuals in the wild.

Where does a Jandaya parakeet live?

A Jandaya parakeet or Jenday conure (Aratinga jandaya) typically lives in the woods.

What is a Jandaya parakeet's habitat?

A Jandaya parakeet or Jenday conure (Aratinga jandaya) is a yellow-headed conure native to the lowlands and woods of the temperate deciduous forests of northeastern Brazil. Jenday conures are also found in palm groves. They build their nests at a height of about 50 ft (15 m) in a tree that is dead and hollow. Jenday conures tend to stay in their nests, even if they are not breeding.

Who do Jandaya parakeets live with?

Jenday conures live in flocks of 25-30 conures in the wild. In domestic settings, a Jenday conure (Jandaya parakeet) bird may bond or fight with another conure, if housed in the same cage.

How long does a Jandaya parakeet live?

In the wild, Jenday conures live for around 20 years. When cared for properly, a Jenday conure (Aratinga jandaya) bird may live up to 30 years or even more in captivity.

How do they reproduce?

After reaching maturity at four to five months of age, Jenday conures begin mating with each other. After mating, a female Jenday conure bird lays between two and six eggs and incubates them for around four weeks. The fledglings are taken care of by their parents and they emerge from the nests after seven7 weeks.  

What is their conservation status?

Under the International Union for Conservation of Nature, Jenday conures are classified as a species of Least Concern.

What do Jandaya parakeets look like?

The Jandaya parakeet or Jenday conure is considered to be a small bird but, when compared to other conures, it is medium-sized. The typical size of a Jenday conure is about 12 in (30 cm) when observed from its beak to its tail. It is one of the most colorful birds in nature and they are monomorphic birds, meaning that males and females have almost identical bodies. Jandaya parakeets are famously yellow-headed conures, and their bodies are a flaming orange-red color. Their tails are long and green. The wings and back of a Jenday conure are also green, and a white (for males) or grayish (for females) ring surrounds their dark eyes. The ends of their tails and wings are blue. The beak of a Jenday conure bird is black and the legs of a Jenday conure are gray.

Apart from eye-rings, males have irises that are a darker brown, and females have irises that are a lighter shade of brown. Also, as well as their yellow head, the necks and shoulders of a Jenday conure are also yellow. A Jandaya parakeet is similar in appearance to a sun conure, with the major distinguishing feature being the color of its wings. A Jenday conure has green wings, and the sun conure has yellow wings.

How cute are they?

Jandaya parakeets are extremely cute birds. Their friendly nature, bright, colorful body, and smaller size make them very endearing.

How do they communicate?

Jandaya parakeets communicate with each other via a call that is loud and shrill.

How big is a Jandaya parakeet ?

Jenday conures are medium-sized conures measuring on average, 12 in (30 cm). Jenday conures are about five to six times bigger than bee hummingbirds.

How fast can a Jandaya parakeet fly?

The specific speed of this yellow-headed conure is not documented. However, most species of birds have flight speeds of 20-30 mph (32-48 kph).

How much does a Jandaya parakeet weigh?

On average, a Jandaya parakeet's weight is around 4-5 oz (125–140 g).

What are the male and female names of the species?

Males and females of the Jenday conure species of birds do not have specific names.

What would you call a baby Jandaya parakeet?

As with other bird species, a baby Jenday conure is called a chick. Once a chick becomes capable of flight due to having developed wings, it is called a fledgling.

What do they eat?

Jandaya parakeets eat seeds, mangoes, pellets, cashew apples, rice, maize, other fruits, and vegetables

Are they dangerous?

No, Jandaya parakeets are not dangerous at all. They make good domestic birds, and in the wild, they live with flocks and have herbivorous diets. They can be a little loud sometimes though!

Would they make a good pet?

Jandaya parakeets make amazing pets. They are not fussy eaters and are very affectionate. They are even happy to ride on a person's shoulder! They are intelligent beings and can learn a few words. They may not be highly interactive but they are very sociable and easy to train. They chirp and beep to convey emotions, and are known to mimic limited human speech as well as the sound of some appliances. They are also very cuddly and are comfortable staying on your shoulder or even riding inside your shirt! These traits make them very entertaining pets to have.

Did you know...

Conures don't get attached to a single person, but show affection towards an entire family.

A Jenday conure bird is known to cost around $500-$600.

The range of the Jandaya parakeet bird is very large and extensive in north-eastern Brazil.

The Jenday conure bird is fond of a tree that sheds its leaves in winter, deciduous tree. It finds plenty of these in the temperate forests of its native country, Brazil.

Although native to Brazil, the Jandaya parakeet has German connections. A German naturalist by the name of Georg Markgraf first described a bird named 'Jendaya' in 1638. Then, another German naturalist named Johann Gmelin classified the Psittacus jandaya in 1788.

The behavior of a Jenday conure may turn aggressive when caged with another bird. Although, it may also get along with it, the outcome varies depending on the bird.

The Jendaya parakeet belongs to the genus Aratinga, which encompasses South American conures, such as the sun parakeet, the Nanday parakeet, and the dusky-headed parakeet.  

Can Jandaya conures talk?

Being a neotropical parrot, a Jenday conure bird can learn and mimic not-so-complex human phrases and surrounding sounds. If taught well, they can add more and more words to their vocabularies, and become better talkers than most conures.

Are Jandaya conures louder than sun conures?

Jenday conures and sun conures are similar when it comes to being loud, with Jenday conures being slightly higher in pitch. Neither Jendays nor sun conures have remarkable talking capabilities, but both can be taught a limited amount of words and phrases. Sun conures can be as loud as 120 decibels, and all conures can be noisier than a rock concert!

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other birds including the glossy ibis or the ivory-billed woodpecker.

You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one on our Jandaya parakeet coloring pages.