Quaker Parrot Question

[MrsBridenstine]

I know some of you have Quaker Parrots as well as greys so I thought some of you might be able to give me some advise...

I am a new bird owner and 2 months ago purchased a Quaker Parrot who was born in May 2009. He has been ok for us (a little nippy but we are working on it) My question is, I just got 2 more Quakers (they were needing a new home so I decided to take them in) they are both from the same batch and I think the parents might be the same as my Quakers but they are July 2009 babies. So with the similarities in age and the fact that they all came from the same breeder I was wondering about the behavior.

Blueberry is my first Quaker is a sexed male.
the other 2 are un-named and un-sexed.

I was unprepared to take these 2 new ones in so I am still waiting on a cage.

I took my time introducing them all to one another, rotated inside and outside the cage so they couldn't attach each other- once I put them on a "neutral" perch they all seemed to be getting along ok.

However,
Blueberry chases one of them around and they make noises at each other and they both open their beaks wide and bite their beaks- looks like they are kissing but I get the feeling that this is some form of aggression.

Any suggestions on what this is and how I can help until I get the 2 new ones their own cage???

[pearllyn]

Hello Mrs Bridenstine,
Sorry I can't help you there - no idea! Hope these three learn to get along tho - they sound like little characters.

Lyn & Alfie

[Dave007]

Quakers have a unique personality. First off, they are naturally and extremely territorial concerning their cage, toys. The more quakers are in one cage, the more territorial they'll get and much less bonding will take place with the owner. They're a totally different bird when out of a cage and much easier to handle. It really doesn't matter if they're from the same clutch. At one point, they'll develop competion with each other which will lead to aggression with each other. When quakers are aggressive with their owners, they'll bite with evil intentions. They bite and hold on and can cause bleeding. Many people have to have their quakers out of a cage when feeding time comes. Many quakers don't like a person taking a empty food bowl out and also don't like a full food bowl being put in. That also applies to water bowls and also includes giving treats at times. That has to do with their territorial personalities.
Quakers are extremely loud and will get even louder and will screech more often if more than one is in a cage. The loudness can't be lessened.
It's not unusual for female quakers to bite males because both indulge in frequent and extreme masturbastion and when one interupts the other, biting occurs. They will try to pluck out feathers from each other.
If there are other birds in the house ( especially larger ones) it's not unusual for a quaker to try to bite those larger, slower birds if they can get close enough and don't like each other. 95% of the time, quakers win the battle.
The larger the quantity of quakers in one cage, the harder it is to train them. Most of these things start happening when the quakers become older.
If a quaker starts to become a plucker, it's very hard to curb that habit.
So, this is the basic personality of the quaker species although some of these specific things don't apply to every quaker. It's a trial and error situation so you need to be prepared to separate them if any of these things happen. The only way things like this can be lessened is by dealing with each bird individually and if successful, they need to be kept separate permanently because anything you've been successful with will go out the window as soon as they're together again.

""looks like they are kissing but I get the feeling that this is some form of aggression.""

You're right. Concerning the beaks, that is aggression and it'll get worse. Quakers don't show affection by locking their beaks together. Affection happens when one is preening the other's head and the one getting preened accepts it.

[MrsBridenstine]

Thank you for taking the time to respond. I appreciate it. During lunch today I saw Blueberry (the origional Quaker) preening the green one and they were doing it nice. About 10 minutes later they were fighting again. And then about 20 minutes later I saw the green one preening Blueberry and Blueberry had his eyes closed and looked to be enjoying himself. I think they are starting to get used to each other.

[Dave007]

Good luck. What you're seeing right now is one being nice to the other and then nipping occurs shortly afterward. Expect to see that often. It's just one of those things that quakers are known for. Just keep an eye out for what they're doing.

[christina13]

Many people have to have their quakers out of a cage when feeding time comes. Many quakers don't like a person taking a empty food bowl out and also don't like a full food bowl being put in. That also applies to water bowls

Haha that's what mine does. Thanks since it also makes me feel better she's just not weird.


I think over time they'll get better. Mine bonded very closely with a conure which are the same size.