Puck
New member
- Mar 8, 2015
- 802
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Disclaimer: This is NOT me saying that there aren't tons of other birds that make fantastic starter birds--these are simply the reasons I feel a Quaker is an awesome choice, particularly compared to a 'tiel and a budgie (the two other birds I have personal experience with).
I have had many budgies, I have had a 'tiel, and I now own a Quaker. Of these three small-to-medium sized birds, I have found the Quaker to be the perfect "starter bird," if we are taking that phrase to mean that you are planning to add a pricier, more complicated, less hardy bird to your flock in the future (Toos, Macaws, Amazons, Greys, etc). Birds like Green Cheeked Conures may be perfect for first and only birds, but I really believe that the Quaker "preps" you better than any other small fid, and here is why!
1. The Price: Quakers aren't super expensive (less than GCCs), but you can't pick one up for $21.99 at your local pet store, either. You learn that birds aren't cheap (and subconsciously somewhat disposable) without literally breaking your bank.
2. The Size: Quakers are a medium sized bird. This means that all the really cheap stuff that is available for budgies is just a tad too small for them, so you get used to having to spend a little more to give your parrot exemplary care. You start to get desensitized to the price of bird stuff and realize that things don't come cheap. Also, they pack a little more of a punch with their beaks than budgies do and are nippier than 'tiels, making you a more cautious owner, preparing you for the day when you have a bird that can take off your ear!
3. The Diet: Quakers are very hardy birds, but they are prone to fatty liver disease when kept in captivity where they don't have an opportunity to fly all day (being the little pigs they are!). You must carefully monitor your bird's diet and make sure to stick to a good pellet/veggie/seed ratio or risk its health. You must also get used to regularly weighing your bird to make sure he is staying within a good weight zone. These are extra steps that most people don't have to take with their budgies or cockatiels. Diet is very important to bigger birds, so the faster you get used to preparing fresh foods and watching their weight, the better!
4. The Bossy Attitude: Quakers are bossy little suckers--no Quaker owner would deny that. They think they are Mr. Awesome and that you are their loyal slave. They will test your limits and force you to set good boundaries lest you end up with a feathered Hitler on your hands. This prepares you for the kind of limits you will need to set with birds that can take your nose off with one bite. Tiels and budgies may test your limits, but it is a more common characteristic with Quakers.
5. The Relationship: Quakers are as smart as hell. They learn FAST (especially things that annoy you!) and require training if they're going to be good little birds. If you don't work with them and train them, they will walk all over you, just like the big birds. They are also not birds that instantly trust you. They are not velcro birds, and they can be nippy. You must work for these guys' respect, just like many larger birds. They also need attention. You can't just leave them in their cage all day and go about your business. They need a REAL relationship.
6. The Lifespan: Quakers don't live as long as the big parrots, but they live longer than budgies and tiels. They are a true long term commitment, just like Toos and CAGs and Amazons. I expect to have my Quaker for the next twenty years, twice as long as I expect to have a dog or a cat.
7. The Voice: Quakers are avid talkers, but you have to put a lot of practice into teaching it to get results. And, like most talkers, they are also very LOUD. Tiels and budgies and even GCCs tend to be quieter than these suckers. They are most definitely not "apartment birds," but then almost none of the big parrots could be considered "apartment birds," either. Birds scream because they are happy to be alive, no matter how well you train them. You need to learn to love these sounds if you're going to be a good parront--they should be allowed to express their joy! The Quaker scream is not as piercing as say, a sun conure's, and is perfect to "desensitize you" to bird screaming. Pretty soon it's nothing more than background noise. Noise is something you MUST get used to if you want to "graduate" to a big bird, no matter how quiet one individual's personal bird may be. In fact, you should probably assume that when people say they have "quiet" birds that their idea of quiet is MUCH different than a non-parront's idea of quiet!
8. The Looks: Quakers are not the most beautiful bird out there. I hate to say that, but we all know it is true (though they are cute as hell). Their other qualities surely make up for their lack of feather-bling, but still, they just don't stand a chance in the looks department against a sun conure or a macaw or really even a GCC. And this is a GOOD thing. It means you didn't buy him for his looks. Sure, looks is something we all consider when it comes to our birds--who doesn't want to wake up to the beauty of a B&G or a galah? But birds are NOT ornaments, and their looks should be secondary to other characteristics like personality and individual needs. Potential parronts need to look at feathers LAST, after they have decided they are capable of providing what the bird's basic needs.
9. The Vet Bills: Because of their tendency toward fatty liver disease, these birds need regular check ups. This means an owner must seek out and establish a relationship with an avian vet, a must for bigger birds.
10. The Uniqueness: Some people call them Quaker parakeets, but most people call them Quaker parrots. This is a tiny distinction, but makes you feel special--"I own a Quaker parrot" makes people so much more excited than "I own a cockatiel" or "I own a budgie/parakeet". Sometimes this is fun--you feel so special, owning a "parrot"--but other times it means having to chase people away who, for some reason, think that you having a unique bird means they can stop you and beg you to pet it or make it talk or let it sit on their shoulder. People want to take pictures with you, people want you to explain what the bird can do, people want to know where they can get a bird like yours... After while it gets a little irritating, especially since you have to give the whole "but for God's sake don't get one without researching first!" spiel. And it will be times TEN once you have a bigger, fancier pet.
So there you go--ten reasons a Quaker makes the perfect starter bird! Once again I am not saying that other birds don't make equally wonderful first birds, but these are the reasons I personally think you should pick a Quaker!
I have had many budgies, I have had a 'tiel, and I now own a Quaker. Of these three small-to-medium sized birds, I have found the Quaker to be the perfect "starter bird," if we are taking that phrase to mean that you are planning to add a pricier, more complicated, less hardy bird to your flock in the future (Toos, Macaws, Amazons, Greys, etc). Birds like Green Cheeked Conures may be perfect for first and only birds, but I really believe that the Quaker "preps" you better than any other small fid, and here is why!
1. The Price: Quakers aren't super expensive (less than GCCs), but you can't pick one up for $21.99 at your local pet store, either. You learn that birds aren't cheap (and subconsciously somewhat disposable) without literally breaking your bank.
2. The Size: Quakers are a medium sized bird. This means that all the really cheap stuff that is available for budgies is just a tad too small for them, so you get used to having to spend a little more to give your parrot exemplary care. You start to get desensitized to the price of bird stuff and realize that things don't come cheap. Also, they pack a little more of a punch with their beaks than budgies do and are nippier than 'tiels, making you a more cautious owner, preparing you for the day when you have a bird that can take off your ear!
3. The Diet: Quakers are very hardy birds, but they are prone to fatty liver disease when kept in captivity where they don't have an opportunity to fly all day (being the little pigs they are!). You must carefully monitor your bird's diet and make sure to stick to a good pellet/veggie/seed ratio or risk its health. You must also get used to regularly weighing your bird to make sure he is staying within a good weight zone. These are extra steps that most people don't have to take with their budgies or cockatiels. Diet is very important to bigger birds, so the faster you get used to preparing fresh foods and watching their weight, the better!
4. The Bossy Attitude: Quakers are bossy little suckers--no Quaker owner would deny that. They think they are Mr. Awesome and that you are their loyal slave. They will test your limits and force you to set good boundaries lest you end up with a feathered Hitler on your hands. This prepares you for the kind of limits you will need to set with birds that can take your nose off with one bite. Tiels and budgies may test your limits, but it is a more common characteristic with Quakers.
5. The Relationship: Quakers are as smart as hell. They learn FAST (especially things that annoy you!) and require training if they're going to be good little birds. If you don't work with them and train them, they will walk all over you, just like the big birds. They are also not birds that instantly trust you. They are not velcro birds, and they can be nippy. You must work for these guys' respect, just like many larger birds. They also need attention. You can't just leave them in their cage all day and go about your business. They need a REAL relationship.
6. The Lifespan: Quakers don't live as long as the big parrots, but they live longer than budgies and tiels. They are a true long term commitment, just like Toos and CAGs and Amazons. I expect to have my Quaker for the next twenty years, twice as long as I expect to have a dog or a cat.
7. The Voice: Quakers are avid talkers, but you have to put a lot of practice into teaching it to get results. And, like most talkers, they are also very LOUD. Tiels and budgies and even GCCs tend to be quieter than these suckers. They are most definitely not "apartment birds," but then almost none of the big parrots could be considered "apartment birds," either. Birds scream because they are happy to be alive, no matter how well you train them. You need to learn to love these sounds if you're going to be a good parront--they should be allowed to express their joy! The Quaker scream is not as piercing as say, a sun conure's, and is perfect to "desensitize you" to bird screaming. Pretty soon it's nothing more than background noise. Noise is something you MUST get used to if you want to "graduate" to a big bird, no matter how quiet one individual's personal bird may be. In fact, you should probably assume that when people say they have "quiet" birds that their idea of quiet is MUCH different than a non-parront's idea of quiet!
8. The Looks: Quakers are not the most beautiful bird out there. I hate to say that, but we all know it is true (though they are cute as hell). Their other qualities surely make up for their lack of feather-bling, but still, they just don't stand a chance in the looks department against a sun conure or a macaw or really even a GCC. And this is a GOOD thing. It means you didn't buy him for his looks. Sure, looks is something we all consider when it comes to our birds--who doesn't want to wake up to the beauty of a B&G or a galah? But birds are NOT ornaments, and their looks should be secondary to other characteristics like personality and individual needs. Potential parronts need to look at feathers LAST, after they have decided they are capable of providing what the bird's basic needs.
9. The Vet Bills: Because of their tendency toward fatty liver disease, these birds need regular check ups. This means an owner must seek out and establish a relationship with an avian vet, a must for bigger birds.
10. The Uniqueness: Some people call them Quaker parakeets, but most people call them Quaker parrots. This is a tiny distinction, but makes you feel special--"I own a Quaker parrot" makes people so much more excited than "I own a cockatiel" or "I own a budgie/parakeet". Sometimes this is fun--you feel so special, owning a "parrot"--but other times it means having to chase people away who, for some reason, think that you having a unique bird means they can stop you and beg you to pet it or make it talk or let it sit on their shoulder. People want to take pictures with you, people want you to explain what the bird can do, people want to know where they can get a bird like yours... After while it gets a little irritating, especially since you have to give the whole "but for God's sake don't get one without researching first!" spiel. And it will be times TEN once you have a bigger, fancier pet.
So there you go--ten reasons a Quaker makes the perfect starter bird! Once again I am not saying that other birds don't make equally wonderful first birds, but these are the reasons I personally think you should pick a Quaker!
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