Abstract
~e Arizona Seed Crackers Society 1 'i'..ialfmoon Conure Breeding Consortium is working with Aratinga canicularis clarae, the northernmost subspecies of Halfmoon Conures. Forshaw decribes their range as being "confined to western Mexico from Sinaloa south to Colima and inland to western Duarango and central Michoacan''. Other "common names" include Petz Conure and Orangefronted Conure. Halfmoons are similar in size and appearance to the Peachfronted Conure, Aratinga aurea, but are readily distinguishable since the Peach-fronted has an all black bill (upper and lower) where the Halfmoon does not.According to the 1991 Psittacine Captive Breeding Survey (p66), Halfmoons aren't among the more prolific conures. Of 26 pairs reported in the survey, 25 offspring were produced by 13 proven pairs. The same year 79 pairs of Peach-fronteds were reported, of which 40 proven pairs produced 120 offspring. For Sun Conures, of 264 reported pairs 771 offspring were hatched by 164 proven pairs. This doesn't mean Halfmoons won't breed well in captivity, it means they haven't been the focus of as much effort as other species, and that they are more challenging. There is no "magic formula" when it comes to breeding Halfmoons.
In the ASCS Breeding Consortium, we have found pairs will frequently double clutch, but clutch sizes run small (usually two to four). So far our experience has shown that birds do not breed until three years of age. While this may not be true as a general rule, it has been the case with nine birds that were purchased under a year old and an additional six birds we have produced. This raises interesting questions about the life expectancy for Halfmoons, which might turn out to be rather long for such a small bird. Our oldest producing pair was estimated to be at least 10 years or older when they produced their most recent clutch.
In the Phoenix, Arizona area, virtually all our pairs are kept in outdoor aviaries year-round. Since we are blessed with mild winters and extreme summers, no supplemental heat is provided during the cold months. During the summer, most facilities use misting systems to help moderate the extreme heat. Of course, the birds must also have access to a dark shaded area.
Our best breeding results have been in small flights or large cages, bigger doesn't seem to be better when it comes to cage size. Most of our breeding has been in cage sizes of about 18" x 18" x 36" long, 3' x 3' x 3' or 24" x 24" x 48". Nest boxes are hung outside the cage, and it seems to make no difference if the nest box is at the same end or opposite end from the food and water dishes. Birds that have bred once tend to go back again in following years, and multiple clutches seem to be almost the rule rather than the exception - particularly if chicks are pulled for handfeeding.