Which
bird has been described as "smarter than you are"? This challenging
statement refers to the lovely Quaker Parakeet - you will have to meet
one to take the intelligence test. Quaker or Monk Parakeets are
incredible nest builders. Generally, they will take over an existing
nest and build on top of it, making large apartment buildings. In the
wild, Quaker Parakeets eat fruits, seeds, berries and insects. They are
prolific breeders. Quaker Parakeets are very intelligent little
animals. Owners often report logical reasoning in them. For example,
they will call their owners' names to get their attention. Then they
declare whatever it is they would like to express using unrelated words
and phrases that they have been taught, which are shockingly
appropriate to the particular situation! Quaker Parakeets are also
great at mimicking noises, and can imitate human speech, other birds
and animals, and squeaky doors or household noises. They will even
compose song, setting their favorite phrases to simple tunes they know.
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Green Quaker Parrot
or
Monk Parakeet
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| Be careful if you have other pets with your Quaker Parakeet, as they
have been known to chase large dogs, which could result in disaster if
the dog is not cowed by the Parakeet's confidence. Quaker Parakeets
need lots of exercise and baths, both of which they love. Their aviary
should be as large as possible, probably sized for a small Conure or
Cockatiel. Quaker Parakeets are mechanically intelligent and can
quickly learn to open their cage doors, so be careful! They love to
have loose twigs on aviary floors for nest building and need a variety
of toys, changed every few weeks, to prevent them from becoming bored.
They need fresh water at all times, and a pellet based diet, which
consists mainly of fresh fruit and vegetables with seeds as special
treats, will be perfect for a Quaker. Quaker Parakeets are very hardy
and can tolerate some cold. They need lots of love and attention and
adore cuddling with you and playing or talking with you.
Quaker Parakeets are about a foot in length with very long, gorgeous,
green and blue tail feathers. It weighs around 100 grams and the
predominant color is green. Lutino, blue-cinnamon, albino, pied and
cinammon mutations are available. Generally, Quaker Parakeets have a
light gray forehead, face and upper breast. The feathers on the chest
have white tips, giving the effect of scalloping. Quaker Parakeets have
blue webbing in their primary flight feathers, whose coverts are also
blue. The bills of Quaker Parakeets are horn colored or light yellow
and their irises are chocolate brown. The feet are generally gray.
Quaker Parakeets' tail feathers are gradated in length.
Quaker Parakeets consist of several subspecies native to the dryer, low
altitude woodlands of Bolivia, Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.
They have been kept as pets in the United States and Europe for years.
Because Quaker Parakeets are such prolific breeders, they are illegal
in some states. The logic is that escaped birds can breed up into large
populations and it is speculated that they could become a threat to
crops, though no evidence has been seen. As always, captive-bred birds
make much better, healthier, calmer pets than wild-caught birds. |
Specific Care Information:
Relative Care Ease: Relatively Easy
They
need fresh water at all times, and a pellet based diet, which consists
mainly of fresh fruit and vegetables with seeds as special treats, will
be perfect for a Quaker. The best Quaker Parakeet cages have bars with
5/8 of an inch spacing. They are as tall as possible and at least 18
inches square. Be sure your Quaker Parakeet is never bored or it will
be noisy, and pluck its feathers. This can even get as bad as Quaker
Mutilation Syndrome in which they will bite their skin, and then your
Quaker Parakeet must see an avian veterinarian immediately. Quaker
Parakeets should have lowfat diets, as they are prone to Fatty Liver
Disease. Although most Quaker Parakeets keep their noises at a moderate
volume, some are very loud. To keep them quiet temporarily, place them
in separate rooms from other birds, cover their cages, give them a bath
so they will be busy preening, or give them food which takes a while to
eat! Young Quakers may be clumsy, so take care that they do not fall
and injure themselves from heights. |
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