Conures

Conures are a diverse, loosely-defined group of medium-sized to small New World 
parrots. Essentially they are large parakeets native to Central and South 
America. For parrots, conures are lightly built, with long tails (Conure 
literally means 'cone tail') and small, strong beaks. They have a diverse range 
of colors.

Conures are either large parakeets or small parrots that are found in the 
western hemisphere. They are analogous in size and way of life to the Old 
World's Rose-ringed Parakeets or the Australian parakeets. All living conure 
species are found in Central and South America; the extinct Conuropsis 
carolinensis or Carolina Parakeet was an exception.

Despite being large for parakeets, conures are lightly built with long tails and 
small (but strong) beaks. Conure beaks always have a small cere and are usually 
horn-colored or black. Most conure species live in flocks of 20 or more birds. 
Conures often eat grain, which causes them to be treated as agricultural pests 
in some places.

Conures are as diverse a group as African Parrots, so trying to characterize 
them all is difficult and inaccurate. The category conure is loosely-defined 
because they do not currently constitute a natural, scientific grouping. The 
macaws are so closely related to conures that strictly by descent, macaws could 
also be called "conures". The term conure is now used mostly in aviculture. 
Scientists and laypeople alike tend to refer to these birds as "parrots" or 
"parakeets."