Why a Quaker Parrot Makes a Great First Bird

So you're thinking about buying a bird and don't know which one to buy? I bought my first bird when I was sixteen years old. I bought a quaker parrot. I wanted a smaller bird, but a cool bird that could talk.

Quakers are pretty cheap to buy compared to some of the other parrots you can own. I paid 300-350 dollars for my green quaker. If you want a blue one they are a little harder to find and a little more expensive to buy about 700- 800 dollars. I'll talk more about this later though.

Lets talk about some of the basics about quaker parrots first. As I said earlier they are a smaller parrot. I would say they are the same size or a little smaller than a cockatiel. So a medium sized bird over all but smaller for parrots we would normally picture when talking parrots.

The most common color of a quaker are green which is olive to dark green and covers most of the body. A grayish chest and dark blue in the wings and tail feathers. The blue ones are a lite pale baby blue. They are very pretty. Their beaks are small but very powerful. Their beaks are powerful enough to break your skin and make you bleed pretty good.

Quakers are intelligent birds and can learn to talk within a couple of months. They also have a good sense of humor and are very affectionate with loads of energy.

If you buy just one quaker you should make sure you play with your quaker or spend time with your bird everyday as your quaker will look to you as part of the flock. Also by doing this your bird is less likely to become aggressive with you and less like to scream as much looking for you or telling you that he/she is upset and bored.

Quakers are pretty easy to care for. You should buy a cage that is big enough to fit a cockatiel in for the smallest size and you can go as big as you want. When picking out a cage you should take a long time looking at them and looking at different ways to change the cage with toys and perches. They will need their toys and perches changed in and out often so they don't get over protective or non-stimulated with their home.

A cage cover might also be something you might want to think about buying, at night time this will tell your bird its time to sleep. It will also make them feel safe and comfortable. Quakers can be very loud at times and will scream, having a cage cover will help you tell them its time to quiet down when you cover the cage. They make cage covers but this will limit the style of cage you will be able to go with then. You could use an old sheet to cover your cage as well if you have found one that wont work with the cage cover or just want to save some cash.

Seed catchers are very nice to have. They don't catch all the seeds but they do help cut down on the shells left on the floor. There are two different kinds you could go with. The first one is built right into the cage you buy and the second one just stretches around the cage.

Toys should be bought for your quaker and you can buy any type of toys you want as long as its made for cockatiel or up. You should have a good amount of toys to change in and out of the cage. Check the toys often to make sure they aren't broken. You can also buy play gyms for your bird. There are some that attach right on top of the cage or cages that have them already built into them, or you can buy them and place them somewhere else in the room or in another room. Play gyms are great for when its play time or for time out of the cage but you are still busy and can't play at that moment with your bird. This will also help keep the screaming down.

Food can either be parrot food or cockatiel food. I buy my quakers food from walmart and I get her the parrot food. It lasts for 2 months or more. You should also give your bird plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.

When buying your quaker you should buy one that has been hand-fed or just weening sometimes you can get them with a day or two left of the weening and then they will look at you as there parent. Hand-fed baby quakers have been handled so much that they love human interaction and when you bring your new friend home they will love being held and cuddled with. This will make bonding time more enjoyable for both of you.

You will also want to see if your local pet store will teach you how to trim your birds nails and clip their wings the right way. They can also show you what to do if you cut too much off and your bird starts to bleed how to get it to stop and when you should go to the vet. If they won't show you, your vet would be more than willing to help teach you. I lost my first and second bird to not clipping the wings. I was moving both times. The second time I tied all the cage opening shut but never thought about the bottom falling off and when my room mate grabbed the bird cage she bumped it on the side of the truck and it was hard enough that the bottom fell off and my bird flew away. She stayed close to our old home for 3 days I tried climbing trees and trying to catch her but I never did, it was the worst feeling ever. So please keep the wings clipped.

Quakers can live to be 20-30 years old or older in captivity and good health. They are prone to some diseases so check with your vet or local pet store on what to do if one of these should happen and how to help them. Feather plucking is something you should watch for, self mutation is not good for your bird and can even end in death.

You should also look into your state law about owning a quaker. Some states have made it illegal to own a quaker there. So it is always good to make sure you are not in one of those states so you won't have the chance of losing your pet and paying expensive fines.

Quakers make great family pets and are fun to own. They will cheer you up and always are in a happy mood. With children you will want to watch to make sure that your child and bird don't get hurt from each other.