General Care for Quaker Parrots

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Quaker Parrots

General:

The Quaker parakeet, also referred to as the Monk

parakeet,

is a smaller

parrot, standing at 12 inches.

They are mainly

green with grey on the

chest, throat,

and cheeks. There is

another color mutation also

available,

the beautiful blue

mutation.

These adorable feathers of love are friendly, playful, and

very

social. They

have the ability to speak quite good, in

astounding appropriate way as

well. Quakers are

easy to train

with patience and proper positive

reinforcement.

Environment:

Quaker parakeets originate from South America ranging

from

Brazil to

Argentina, but are now seen in many wild

colonies

across the United

States due to companion

birds that have

escaped from captivity. Some of

the

highest population of feral

birds reside in Florida, Illinois,

Connecticut,

Rhode Island, New

Jersey, New York,

Louisiana, Texas.

States such as California, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky,

Hawaii,

New Jersey,

Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and

Wyoming have

made it illegal to own a

Quaker because

of the crop and

garden damage these birds can do if let

out in the community.

Quakers are very hardy birds and

can thrive well in

temperatures much colder then their

natural wild habitat.

Diet:

Quakers should be given a daily supply of fresh fruits,

vegetables, a high

quality conure or cockatiel seed

mixture,

and commercial pellets. We have

found that our

Quaker

parrots love the pretty bird cockatiel seed and

bird

pellets, and

Kaytee Exact cockatiel pellets. Fresh

water should be given

twice daily and replenished when

contaminated. Check out the

fresh

foods you should be

feeding your parrot on our

fresh

food list.

Breeding:

Quaker parakeets make an excellent choice for those

looking

to breed a

smaller bird other than a lovebird or

cockatiel. When

given the proper

housing, diet, and

mate they can be very

successful parents.

Determining the sex of a Quaker cannot be visually

determined. Males

tend to have wider heads and beaks

but

DNA testing is the only way to

maintain 100%

accuracy.

Females are usually mature enough to pair up

(or choose their

own mate, which is best if given an

aviary environment) at

years of age. Birds that are too

young can develop problems

with egg

laying, incubation,

and poor feeding of the chicks.

The female will lay between four to eight eggs.

Incubation time

is 26 to 28

days. Chicks can be pulled for

handfeeding at 2 to 3

weeks. Babies should

be ready to

wean at approximately 10 to

12 weeks of age.

Captivity:

Quaker parakeets are very loving and can become

extremely

attached to

their human companions. A rule of

thumb for all

parrots including Quakers

is to encourage

all members of the

family to care for them so that the

new

bird establishes a

relationship with more than just

one person.

When choosing a cage, we highly recommend

purchasing an

lic cage

for your bird to be housed in.

This species is

prone to showing dominance

of it's cage

and surroundings.

When this occurs, give the bird a

command

to "step up" and

gently press your forefingers

on the bird's chest and they

normally will give in and

perch on your finger. Daily outings

from their cage

very important to minimize this dominating

behavior.

Like most birds, Quakers are chewers and should be

given

ample supply

of safe bird toys. Choose toys that

are full of

bright colors and textures to

enrich and

stimulate their

intelligent minds and spirit.

Quaker parrots make excellent pets for almost anyone

ith

proper

adult

supervision

, quakers also

make great pet birds

for older

children. They will

provide

hours of

entertainment and a lifetime

of love.

Quick Find Parrot Species Guide

Macaws
Cockatoos
Amazons
African Greys
Eclectus
Pionus Parrots
Conures
Quakers
Caiques
Lorikeets
Cockatiels
Lovebirds
Parrotlets
Rosella Parakeets
Budgies
Finches

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