What Is a High Yellow Sun Conure?
A high yellow Sun Conure is a Sun Conure bred to carry far more yellow than a standard bird — and the difference shows from the very first feathers, not later in life. Where a normal Sun Conure baby feathers in with green across the back and wings, a high yellow simply never grows that green in.
That one fact answers most of what people actually want to know, so here it is up front: a high yellow is born yellow. It does not turn yellow. If you are waiting for a green-backed Sun Conure to brighten into a high yellow, it will get somewhat brighter with maturity — but it will not become a different bird.
How is a high yellow different from a normal Sun Conure?
A standard Sun Conure carries real green through the back, wings, and tail. It clears somewhat as the bird matures, but green stays part of the picture for life, and the overall impression is orange and green.
A high yellow reads yellow. Put an adult of each side by side and the difference is not subtle — the high yellow looks more yellow than orange or green, while the standard bird looks like a sunset with green in it.
It is worth understanding that this is not one mutation you can breed for in a single pairing. It is built up over generations by selecting the brightest birds out of each clutch, which is why it comes in degrees rather than as an on/off switch. Some birds carry the effect fully. Some carry it partway.
How can you tell a high yellow when it is still a baby?
This is the part almost nobody explains, and it is the clearest test there is.
Watch what happens as the chick feathers out. A normal Sun Conure baby comes in with green feathers. A high yellow does not get those green feathers at all. You are not looking for a bird that is brighter than its clutchmates — you are looking for the absence of green where green should be.
That is why a high yellow can be identified in the nest, before anyone has paid for anything. It also means an honest breeder can tell you what you are buying at the point of sale rather than asking you to wait a year and hope.
Will my Sun Conure get more yellow as it grows?
Somewhat — but not in the way people hope.
A high yellow may gain a little more yellow with maturity. The important thing is that it started with more yellow, and that is what makes it look so bright. The brightness is not something the bird grows into; it is something it was hatched with.
So if you have an eleven-month-old Sun Conure with green across the back and you are wondering whether it is a late-blooming high yellow: almost certainly not. A green-backed juvenile is a standard Sun Conure, and a standard Sun Conure is a wonderful bird. It is simply a different one.
Is a high yellow the same as a pied Sun Conure?
No, and it is worth knowing the difference before you pay a premium.
A pied Sun Conure is a separate thing entirely. The reliable sign of a pied is white or clear flight feathers — patches with no pigment at all. A high yellow does not have those; it is yellow where a normal bird is green, not blank.
You may also read that pieds have pale beaks and feet. Be careful with that one: on a strongly marked pied the beak can start pale and then darken to black as the bird grows up, so it is a clue on a baby and useless on an adult. The flight feathers are the thing to look at.
Are high yellow Sun Conures louder, tamer, or different in temperament?
No. It is color, and only color.
A high yellow is exactly as affectionate, exactly as clever, and — this is the one buyers most need to hear — exactly as loud as any other Sun Conure. Paying more for a brighter bird does not buy you a quieter one.
Sun Conures have a piercing call that carries through walls. That is true of every one of them, and it is the single most common reason a Sun Conure is rehomed. Please read the honest noise section on our Sun Conure species profile before you decide, whichever color you are considering. A bird you love and cannot keep is the worst outcome for everybody, and it is completely avoidable by reading one page first.
What does a high yellow Sun Conure cost?
Our hand-raised Sun Conures are priced at $500 to $800. That range is deliberate, because we raise both standard and high yellow birds.
Standard Sun Conures sit at the lower end. High yellows sit at the upper end. And because the trait comes in degrees, where a particular bird lands depends on how strongly it carries the color — a bird with a partial expression is priced below one showing the full effect.
The price includes weaning care, a starter supply of food, a care sheet, and a health guarantee.
Do you have high yellow Sun Conures available?
Availability changes through the year as clutches wean, and high yellows are not in every clutch. Sometimes we have one; sometimes the wait is for the next round of babies.
The best thing to do is ask. Call (561) 328-4944 or send us a message and tell us what you are looking for — standard or high yellow — and we will tell you honestly what we have and what is coming. You can also see what is available right now on our Sun Conures for sale page.
We are in West Palm Beach, Florida, in Palm Beach County. Local buyers are welcome to visit by appointment, and we ship nationwide through Delta Airlines Cargo.
Common questions
What is a high yellow Sun Conure?
A Sun Conure bred over generations to carry far more yellow than a standard bird. The clearest difference is that a high yellow never grows the green feathers a normal Sun Conure grows in as a baby, so an adult reads yellow rather than orange and green.
How can you tell a high yellow Sun Conure as a baby?
By what is missing. A normal Sun Conure chick feathers in with green; a high yellow does not get those green feathers at all. That makes it identifiable in the nest, long before the bird is mature.
Will my Sun Conure get more yellow as it grows?
A high yellow may gain a little more yellow with maturity, but it started with more yellow — that is what makes it bright. A Sun Conure with green across the back is a standard Sun Conure and will not turn into a high yellow.
Are high yellow Sun Conures louder than normal Sun Conures?
No. High yellow is purely a color difference. Temperament, intelligence, and noise are the same as any other Sun Conure — which means loud. Read our Sun Conure noise guidance before buying either one.
How much does a high yellow Sun Conure cost?
Our Sun Conures range from $500 to $800. Standard birds sit at the lower end and high yellows at the upper end, with the exact price depending on how strongly the individual bird carries the color.
Is a high yellow the same as a pied Sun Conure?
No. A pied carries white or clear flight feathers with no pigment. A high yellow is yellow where a standard bird is green, with normally pigmented feathers throughout.