Nanday Conure: Health, Temperament, Care & Costs

Nanday Conures are medium-sized parrots known for their black hood, bright green body, blue flight feathers, and big personality. They are usually social, alert, and highly vocal. Many bond closely with their people and enjoy training, climbing, chewing, and daily interaction. Like other conures, they can be affectionate and funny, but they are not a quiet bird.

Most conures live 20-35 years with good care, and Nandays are a long-term commitment for any pet parent. Typical conure size is 9-20 inches depending on species, and Aratinga-type conures commonly weigh 100-200 grams. A Nanday usually falls toward the larger end of that conure range, around 140 grams, which is about 0.31 pounds. That means they need a roomy cage, sturdy perches, and regular out-of-cage time.

Temperament matters as much as appearance. Nanday Conures are intelligent and active, and they often do best with predictable routines, positive-reinforcement training, and plenty of enrichment. Without enough mental and physical activity, some birds become louder, more territorial, or start feather-damaging behaviors. They can be wonderful companions for households prepared for noise, mess, and decades of daily care.

Nanday Conures share many of the same health risks seen in other pet parrots. Nutrition-related disease is one of the biggest concerns. Seed-heavy diets are linked with vitamin and mineral deficiencies, especially vitamin A deficiency, and can also contribute to obesity, fatty liver disease, and other metabolic problems. Birds that pick out favorite seeds may look like they are eating well while still developing serious imbalances.

Feather and skin problems are also common in captive parrots. Feather destructive behavior can be tied to boredom, sexual frustration, stress, territorial behavior, lack of enrichment, or medical problems such as infection or organ disease. If your bird starts barbering, plucking, or over-preening, your vet should look for both behavior and medical causes rather than assuming it is only emotional.

Infectious disease matters too. Psittacine beak and feather disease can spread through direct contact, feather dust, dander, and fecal material, and the virus can persist in the environment. Respiratory illness, bacterial or fungal infections, and illness related to poor sanitation or poor air quality are also concerns in pet birds. See your vet promptly if your conure shows reduced appetite, fluffed posture, tail bobbing, voice changes, weight loss, droppings changes, or a drop in activity, because birds often hide illness until they are quite sick.

A Nanday Conure usually costs more to keep than many first-time bird families expect. The bird is only part of the budget. A realistic first-year setup often includes a quality cage, travel carrier, multiple perch types, food and water dishes, foraging toys, chew toys, cage liners, lighting if recommended by your vet, and an initial avian exam. In the US in 2025-2026, many pet parents should plan on roughly $700-$2,000 for startup supplies before emergencies.

Ongoing monthly care often runs about $60-$180 per month for pellets, fresh produce, toy rotation, perch replacement, cleaning supplies, and routine habitat upkeep. Birds are destructive in a healthy way, so toy replacement is not optional enrichment. It is part of preventive care.

Veterinary costs vary widely by region and by whether you have access to an avian-focused practice. A routine wellness visit for a bird commonly lands around $90-$180, with fecal testing or basic lab work increasing the total to roughly $150-$350. Emergency visits can rise quickly, often starting around $150-$300 for the exam alone and climbing much higher if hospitalization, imaging, oxygen support, or surgery is needed. For a long-lived parrot like a Nanday, it helps to budget for both annual care and an emergency fund.

Most Nanday Conures do best on a diet built around a high-quality formulated pellet, with fresh vegetables and greens offered daily and fruit used more sparingly. For conures in general, pellets commonly make up 60-70% of the diet, vegetables and greens about 20-40%, and fruit and treats a smaller share. Seed mixes should be a limited part of the diet rather than the foundation.

Seed-heavy feeding is a major problem in parrots. Seeds are high in fat and incomplete nutritionally, especially for calcium, vitamin A, and protein balance. Birds often selectively eat favorite seeds like sunflower, which makes the imbalance worse. If your bird has been eating mostly seeds, transition slowly with your vet's guidance rather than making a sudden switch.

Offer bird-safe vegetables such as dark leafy greens, carrots, bell peppers, squash, and broccoli in small pieces. Wash produce well and remove uneaten fresh food before it spoils. Fresh water should always be available. Avoid avocado completely, and do not offer onions. Many birds eating a mostly formulated diet do not need extra vitamin powders unless your vet recommends them, because over-supplementation can also cause harm.

Nanday Conures are active, athletic parrots that need daily movement and problem-solving. Plan for several hours of supervised out-of-cage time most days, along with climbing, flapping, shredding, and foraging opportunities inside the cage. A cage should be large enough for full wing extension and active movement, not only sleeping and eating.

These birds usually enjoy ladders, swings, puzzle feeders, chewable wood, paper-based shredding toys, and training sessions built around positive reinforcement. Rotating toys helps prevent boredom. Many behavior problems in parrots get worse when the environment stays the same for too long.

Noise is part of the package. Nandays are often louder than many people expect, especially at dawn, dusk, or when excited. Exercise and enrichment will not erase normal vocal behavior, but they can reduce frustration-related screaming. If your bird suddenly becomes much quieter, weaker, or less interested in play, that can be a sign of illness rather than improvement.

Preventive care starts with an early relationship with an avian-experienced veterinarian. New conures should be examined soon after coming home, and annual veterinary health examinations are recommended for pet conures. At these visits, your vet may discuss body weight trends, diet, grooming needs, droppings, behavior, and whether lab testing is appropriate.

Daily home care matters too. Spot-clean the habitat every day, wash food and water bowls daily, and replace liners regularly. Birds have sensitive respiratory systems, so avoid aerosol sprays, smoke, scented products, and harsh cleaners around them. Good sanitation, fresh food, clean water, and stable routines lower stress and help catch problems earlier.

Preventive care also includes safe housing and observation. Watch your bird's weight, appetite, droppings, feather quality, and activity level. Ask your vet whether your bird would benefit from controlled natural sunlight exposure or properly used UVB lighting, since UVB may help support vitamin D status in some pet birds. Because parrots hide illness well, small changes are worth taking seriously.