Green Cheek Conure     Green cheeks usually make excellent pets!  But it also depends on who you're asking, and which particular green cheek they've been caring for!  With that said, I would say that green cheeks make better pets in a wider variety of situations than many parrots, including most other conures.  Green cheeks can be kept happily in a a wider variety of situations: apartments, houses, as family pets, as pets for knowledgable beginners or experienced bird-keepers.     Green cheeks have BIG personalities, especially for such small birds!  This can be a good thing, because they're so smart and interactive, but it can also be a bad thing, and green cheeks are more prone to behavior problems than are cockatiels or budgies.  But for now, let's look at the good side!     When you're looking for any pet parrot, or pet at all, you should also put together a list of which personality traits you'd like to see in your pet.  Some of the traits many people would like include a cuddly pet, a playful one, and one which is intelligent and curious.  Green cheeks have all of these traits!  Here's a closer look:       Conures in general tend to be very cuddly, like their larger cousins the macaws... I'd say the conure/macaw group is second in cuddliness only to the notorious cockatoos!  But in all of these birds, including green cheeks, it depends a lot on the individual.  Most green cheeks just adore having their heads and necks rubbed; many also like to be petted all over and some will allow you to do things like flip them over on their backs and rub their tummies.  But, there are some individuals who will accept cuddling and touching only on their terms, and may not want it that often... and there are a few who'd rather not be touched a lot at all.  Still, these are the exception!       Green cheeks do love to play!  Toys can be store-bought, or home-made, and they can also be things that I bet you never thought were toys at all!  Green cheeks like to chew, they like to climb on and hang from things, and some like to climb into and explore things, such as boxes, paper bags, or your sleeve!  Green cheeks will also play with you, initiating their own games.  One favorite is, "I drop it, you get it!".  Young green cheeks will wrestle like puppies, with each other or with you.  A few continue this into adulthood.       Green cheeks can be a strange combination of very outgoing and curious, and flightly and phobic.  This depends a lot on how they were raised.  A well socialized green cheeks is afraid of almost nothing, and will love to go anywhere and do anything with you.  Many love meeting new people!        Intellgence is a hard thing to define, but I will say that green cheeks have their share of it!  They may be a little less intelligent than the really large parrots, and of course it depends a lot on the individual, but most will hold their own with any of the mid-sized or medium-large parrots.  They are also, like most parrots, pretty high in "obediance intelligence," and can be taught simple tricks pretty easily and more complicated tricks with some work.