How much do you think smaller parrots like quaker parrots actually understand

Shaz UK

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Aug 17, 2023
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Quaker parrot
I'm blown away at what my baby sixteen week old pallid blue quaker seems to know. Already I've taught her to target train both a stick and my hand to the command touch. I can redirect a nip now just by noticing her body language and quickly saying touch and the bite instead turns to a beak boop. She almost definately knows her name comes 95 percent of time to it. She'll stop anything with a stern no and actually looks guilty and goes to her food stand if I ask her if she's hungry. Just like a dog she also knows the sound of the treat tin opening or the fridge and is straight there for treats. She also seems to know what bedtime means and flaps wings lifts foot to ask to be lifted and took to cage as soon as I say bedtime and I started saying to her when she gets loud indoor voice and she tones down to a tolerate level am I giving her too much credit and things are coincidence or are they really able to understand so much verbal instruction. Shes muttered a little but no clear words and just got back dna results today that she's definately female so I doubt she'll talk but I really do think she understands a lot of what I say. One thing that does worry me though is she wasn't clipped ever she has full. ability yet shes underconfident and prefers to be carried doesn't attempt flying. So do I need to stop catering to her stop offering her the easy route of been transported and let her figure out flying is the best way for her to get to me or what she wants to encourage her to fly.
 

clark_conure

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Jul 14, 2017
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A crossover Quaker Scuti (F), A Sun conure named AC, A Cinnamon Green Cheek conure Kent, and 6 budgies, Scuti Jr. (f), yellow (m), clark Jr. (m), Dot (f), Zebra(f), Machine (m).
The bond with a quaker can be a strong one....If the quaker is that bonded to you I wouldn't change it, keep it as it is.

case in point.


You want flying like this or flying away.
 

Jcas

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Quaker, 2 budgies
I feel like people sometimes underestimate Quakers’ intelligence. Just because they’re small doesn’t mean they lack smarts. I’ve heard some put them at just a step or two below African Gray intelligence levels. My Quaker understands A LOT of what I say and since birds in general are so vocal, I feel like they are able to grasp human language more easily than some other animals. Also, the more you spend time with an animal ( any animal) the better they will become at understanding and communicating with you! I think it’s so awesome that you and your Quaker already have such a great bond!
 

clark_conure

Well-known member
Jul 14, 2017
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A crossover Quaker Scuti (F), A Sun conure named AC, A Cinnamon Green Cheek conure Kent, and 6 budgies, Scuti Jr. (f), yellow (m), clark Jr. (m), Dot (f), Zebra(f), Machine (m).
Quakers also build HUGE houses that house scores of birds in a community, not a nest. The build like lodge houses... They are born architects.
 

cnyguy

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Apr 23, 2010
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Syracuse, NY
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Quaker parrot, Ralph
Ralph knows the meaning of a lot of words. He knows the names of different foods and treats, everything from pellets to popcorn. He knows the names of the different rooms in the apartment and he knows the meaning of floor, chair, cupboard, dishwasher and house (that's what I call his cage, Ralph's house). He doesn't say all those words but he definitely understands what they refer to.

In some ways, I think that Ralph is more intelligent than Scooter the CAG was. She was a much better mimic, and she understood lots of words too. She wasn't as quick to pick up on things though and it took more time for her to learn anything new.
 
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Shaz UK

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Aug 17, 2023
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Quaker parrot
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The bond with a quaker can be a strong one....If the quaker is that bonded to you I wouldn't change it, keep it as it is.

case in point.


You want flying like this or flying away.
I was thinking of trying to setting up short flights from her play stand to my hand to encourage her to fly more I'm just worried she seems very unconfident about. flying but then again she calls and her slave aka me is there to transport her lol. She comes when I call but actually climbs down from her stand to walk to me I know she can fly cause she's flew a few times though it took a lot of coaxing and she was very unsure
 
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Shaz UK

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Aug 17, 2023
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Quaker parrot
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I feel like people sometimes underestimate Quakers’ intelligence. Just because they’re small doesn’t mean they lack smarts. I’ve heard some put them at just a step or two below African Gray intelligence levels. My Quaker understands A LOT of what I say and since birds in general are so vocal, I feel like they are able to grasp human language more easily than some other animals. Also, the more you spend time with an animal ( any animal) the better they will become at understanding and communicating with you! I think it’s so awesome that you and your Quaker already have such a great bond!
I love her I'm said no more pets after I lost my two beautiful dogs from old age Id moved to small apartment and I've been so desperately lonely and the upstairs neighbour had conures I fell in love with I researched for a conure for a year went out to pick up a baby green cheek from a breeder and instead came home with Diva she picked me she was loose on play stand in living room the last of a clutch of hand held Quakers and she kept flying to my shoulder snuggling and calling to me I was smitten l then had to do a lot of research and realised I've a lot to learn and she's going to be a lot more high maintenance than GCC luckily I work from home selling online and the breeder is wonderful checking in and sending me all type of advise and training guides
 
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Shaz UK

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Aug 17, 2023
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Quaker parrot
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Ralph knows the meaning of a lot of words. He knows the names of different foods and treats, everything from pellets to popcorn. He knows the names of the different rooms in the apartment and he knows the meaning of floor, chair, cupboard, dishwasher and house (that's what I call his cage, Ralph's house). He doesn't say all those words but he definitely understands what they refer to.

In some ways, I think that Ralph is more intelligent than Scooter the CAG was. She was a much better mimic, and she understood lots of words too. She wasn't as quick to pick up on things though and it took more time for her to learn anything new.
This little Missy is is smart I love her I'm said no more pets after I lost my two beautiful dogs from old age Id moved to small apartment and I've been so desperately lonely and the upstairs neighbour had conures I fell in love with I researched for a conure for a year went out to pick up a baby green cheek from a breeder and instead came home with Diva she picked me she was loose on play stand in living room the last of a clutch of hand held Quakers and she kept flying to my shoulder snuggling and calling to me I was smitten l then had to do a lot of research and realised I've a lot to learn and she's going to be a lot more high maintenance than GCC luckily I work from home selling online and the breeder is wonderful checking in and sending me all type of advise and training guides.
How does your boy get on in your apartment one thing I did read and worried about was they're not apartment birds because of noise. I've very good neighbours and I think it should be OK because at least birds only sound off during day sleep all night. I also did a few days ignoring her when she screeched and she seems to have got the point loud screaming isn't getting her what she wants. I've taught her indoor voice and she understands it too. I also have a certain time in morning and evening where I know everyone's up in building and I join in with her and encourage her to get loud and amp her up a little to let her get it out of her system we listen music have a loud chatter and do a bit of screeching lol don't know who's worse me or the bird I just figured you need to let her have natural outlet for natural behaviour so you can manage it and teach her other times she needs to quiet down and I keep her mentally stimulated with toys and puzzles at times I want her to be quieter
 
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Shaz UK

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Aug 17, 2023
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Quaker parrot
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Quakers also build HUGE houses that house scores of birds in a community, not a nest. The build like lodge houses... They are born architects.
I researched and found out about their love of building some websites advise to give her popsicle sticks to build with for mental stimulation some say it will encourage nesting and hormonal behaviour so don't what do you think
 

Jcas

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Jan 9, 2023
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Quaker, 2 budgies
I researched and found out about their love of building some websites advise to give her popsicle sticks to build with for mental stimulation some say it will encourage nesting and hormonal behaviour so don't what do you think
My Quaker loves building with popsicle sticks. I’ve never seen it cause hormonal behavior with him. However, every bird is an individual so I would say: let your little girl have some and watch to see if it’s causing her to have hormonal behaviors. If so, just take them away. But it is a great outlet for their natural desire to build!
 
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Shaz UK

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Aug 17, 2023
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Quaker parrot
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My Quaker loves building with popsicle sticks. I’ve never seen it cause hormonal behavior with him. However, every bird is an individual so I would say: let your little girl have some and watch to see if it’s causing her to have hormonal behaviors. If so, just take them away. But it is a great outlet for their natural desire to build!
I'll definately get her some she's almost four months old and loves to chew everything so at the moment she's probably far too young to display any hormonal behavior yet so letting her play should be fine at least at the moment
 

cnyguy

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Apr 23, 2010
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Syracuse, NY
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Quaker parrot, Ralph
Ralph's philosophy is that popsicle sticks are better for tearing apart rather than building. He has some thin wooden dowels cut to about 9 to 13 inches (23 to 33 cm) long that he likes to build with. He likes to arrange and rearrange them and doesn't attempt to actually build a nest. They've never seemed to encourage hormonal behavior and he has lots of fun with them and they keep him busy too.
 

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