Green Cheek Conures
What do green cheeks look like?
Green cheeks are small conures. They're about 10" long, and weigh about 60-90 grams. They are about the same length as a cockatiel, but slimmer and not as chunky in body.
Starting at the head, the normal green cheek has a black beak, dark brown eyes and wide white eye-rings. The top of the head is dark gray or blackish. The ear coverts are grayish, and the "cheeks" are, of course, green. Some green cheeks also have varying amounts of green or greenish-blue above the eyes. Some green cheeks have a little bit of blue on the back of the head. The chest is scalloped gray. The body is dark green. The flight feathers are cobalt blue, and many green cheeks also have blue under their tail. The tail itself is a dark maroon color. Some green cheeks have a full maroon belly; others have a little maroon on the belly; and still others have no maroon on the belly at all. The feet are pinkish, with dark nails.
How long do green cheeks live?
Unfortunately, more parrots die because of accidents, bad diet, or other problems than they do of old age. However, assuming none of this happens first, green cheeks can be expected to live 20-30 years or even more.
Do they talk?
Green cheeks are not considered good talkers. I would say that the majority of green cheeks say only a few things, if they talk at all. They also have soft and gravelly voices, so even if they try to talk, they may not say anything understandable! But there are also a few green cheeks who talk a lot. They're also smart little birds, and if you talk to them in context they often learn to speak in context (i.e. "good night" at night, "hello" when they greet you).
Cage
Green Cheek Conures enjoy plenty of social interaction. Set aside time every day for you and your bird to play and interact. This can be as simple as hanging out together or as detailed as teaching him a new trick. If you plan on spending time with your bird, you can get by with a cage size, 18" x 18" x 24", with ½” bar spacing. Mutations Some have muted colors like the Cinnamon Greencheek Conure, some have much brighter colors like the Yellowsided Greencheek and the Pineapple Greencheek and just recently turquoise Greencheek Conures and Turquoise Cinnamon Greencheek Conure. Toys
Most green cheeks love toys, and these should always be available. Each bird will have his own individual toy preferences, but there are some things to look for and some to avoid. First, inspect every toy before purchase for possible safety hazards. Birds can get their beaks caught in the little holes in jingle bells or in chain with very small links. Rope toys can present a danger once the rope gets unraveled (as it almost invariably will) - it's easy for a bird to get tangled in this. Many birds like rope toys, you just need to keep an eye on them and trim back any unraveling rope.
As a general rule, buy toys which are sized for your bird. In particular, don't buy toys that are intended for smaller birds. For green cheeks, toys that are suitable for cockatiels through small Amazons are just about right. They will use toys that are larger than those intended for cockatiels, because they're rougher players than cockatiels!
Buy a variety of toys and see which your bird likes. Remember that toys are intended to be destroyed - they aren't a one-time purchase thing, you'll have to replace them continually.