TheTameParrot.com – Let's Try To Solve Your Parrot Problems

One of the bird breeds that we frequently recommend for a new pet owner is the Quaker (Monk) Parrot This bird is a great starter bird because it has a lot of things pet owners are looking for…playful, talking ability, not too loud, and easy to maintain.

So, what I’ve done is put together a “factsheet” to help you decide if this bird is for you.

BACKGROUND

Quakers have been around as pets for a long time. Native to South America, they are the only breed of parrot that builds their nests in colonies. Because of this, they have developed into four distinct subspecies. However, in the last few decades they were brought into the United States and Europe, where wild Quakers have become considered a pest. This is because they are a very hardy bird, and prolific breeder. In their native country of Argentina, Quakers are reportedly responsible for 30% of the corn crop destruction. In the US, they have been known to build huge colony nests which interfere with utility cables and towers. Because of the potential of becoming a major agricultural pest, they are banned or restricted in several states. Connecticut, for example, bans the sale or breeding of Quakers. This problem became a major concern when Quakers were being imported in 1993 in greater numbers, and many got into the wild. Colonies began to develop in states as far north as Illinois and New York, with some smaller colonies being recorded in Colorado!

Currently, Quakers are widely available. Because they are prolific breeders, and can produce clutches or 4 to 8 eggs, they are a popular bird for pet breeders to raise. Over the years, several different color mutations have been developed, making them even more popular (and expensive).

MUTATIONS

Over the years, Quakers rapidly became a popular pet, and professional breeders have developed a number if color mutations. The normal Quaker color is green, with gray on their chest and chest. You may have already heard about blue mutations of Quakers, but there are also many variations of this. You can also find yellow, lutino, and gray and white. These birds are very difficult to find (and expensive!) but as more breeders begin to breed them, they should become available. At one point, the Blue Quaker was extremely hard to find, but currently they are readily available for as little as $300.

HEALTH

Quakers are fairly hardy birds. Their average lifespan is 25 to 30 years if well cared for. They are known for developing Fatty Liver Disease, especially in domesticated birds. This is usually helped on by owners who feed an all seed diet and practice poor nutrition. Quaker owners need to educate themselves a little on this disease.

Quakers are also known as bad feather pluckers. This is sometimes due to poor diet, but many times is behavioral. It can also get quite severe, turning into Quaker Mutilation Syndrome, where the bird begins to chew and damage the skin itself.

WHERE TO BUY

Quakers are readily available at most large pet stores, and are actively bred by many bird breeders. It is highly recommended that you search out a hand fed baby, as trying to train an older Quaker can sometimes be a challenge for a new bird owner.

The cost will very depending on where you buy it, and what part of the country you live in. Since Quakers are very prolific, many breeders in warm climates have large outside aviaries, and are able to mass produce them. They can be purchased for as little as $50. In northern climates, it is common for many breeders to have a couple of pairs, and they sell their babies at bird shows or to pet shops. These can be purchased for $175-$300.

PERSONALITY

The personality of the Quaker is one of their main features! They are comical and intelligent, capable of teaching tricks to. They are in the top ten list of talking birds.

They can be entertained for days with a handful of toys, straws, shoe laces, and puzzles. They love to weave things through the bars of their cage. This goes back to their instincts of creating nest colonies.

Puzzles? You bet! One of the most common tricks Quakers will teach YOU is how easy they can break out of their cage! These escape artists have driven us crazy attempting to find clamps or straps they couldn’t remove. Our solution was to give them puzzle toys and hide treats into them. They will occupy their time getting their treats and not getting out of their cage….and into trouble.

Quakers will usually bond to one person (hopefully their owner) and can be very protective. Nothing scares them. If they are on the floor, no feet are safe! And you will find that your pet dog or cat will make a wide detour around them.

NOISE

Quakers are not known to be a very noisy bird. This makes them a great companion bird for apartment residents. They don’t “scream” but tend to have a loud “chip” or “chatter”. If you have more then one Quaker they may tend to get loud as the talk to each other….mostly in the mornings and evenings.

FEEDING

Due to their tendency to become overweight, you must watch their diets. As usual, we do not recommend an all seed diet. Quakers will require a good pellet diet with lots of fruits and vegetables. You may also need to supplement their Vitamin B and Calcium. To do this, sprinkle a good powdered vitamin mix on their fresh food. Our favorite trick is to take a 2 inch section of corn-on-the-cob (raw), moisten it and sprinkle a little vitamin power on it. We use a mix of vitamin, hand feeding formula and powered calcium. Quakers are suckers for corn! Try to stay away from feeding fatty nuts.

CAGE

Quakers can get along just fine in a cockatiel size cage. Their tail is not that long, so large cages are not necessary. An 18x18x24 will do fine. Just make sure they have room for their toys. They are a very active bird, so if you do not intend to give them time outside of their cage, you may want to invest in a larger cage/play area.

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