Adopted a Quaker parrot, looking for advice!

[ElleAntoinette]

Hello everyone!
I recently adopted a 2.5yr old Quaker Parrot named Buddy.
Buddy was handraised but has some hand issues due to being poorly handled when he was younger.
I do have some experience with parrots, I have previously owned a cockatiel and green cheek conjure who both lived long and happy lives.
I'm willing to be patient with Buddy's fear of hands, we're making progress by reading body language etc and I have him stepping up 90% of the time with not too many bites (excluding when he is in his cage, that's a bite zone haha).

What I am concerned about is when I have to leave him, even if it's to go to the toilet or just leave him in his cage while I do stuff around the house. He starts his quaker scream and it just goes on and on.

I did buy him a larger cage as the one he came in was too small, I have also gotten him lots of varied toys to hopefully satisfy his playful side.

He did have a Galah as a friend at his previous home, I guess what I need to know is; will he get used to be an only bird?

I know parrots require lots of love and attention but I can't take him everywhere with me and I want him to be content in his cage for some of the day.

Any advice is welcome!
My main goal is a happy bird 🐦

 

[Ira7]

Good luck! And nice cage!

However, I don’t like those bells where the clappers can come off and choke him. I’m also not a fan of those dowel perches, but I don’t want to get ridiculous here.

I love those blue quakers, but not legal in all states.

 

[ElleAntoinette]

I will take the clappers out of the bells! Thanks for the warning.
I also only have those perches up until the branches I've ordered for him arrive 😊

 

[Laurasea]

Welcome to the forum, and welcome to quakers. Are you in the states?

Quakers are not like GCC and cockatiels who most will stay quiet in the cage.
Quakers will scream, its their default. Its why they are one if the most rehomed parrots , or the most neglected parrots species out there. Rarely are they lucky enough to end up at a parrot rescue. So many people aren't aware of the issues with quakers. Or how thousands are passed from home to home.

I really really want to drive this point home , for all the readers out there. Quakers are loud, as a species they like to make noise all day long, much more than other species. An unhappy bored quaker isn't going to turn into a lump on a perch like Amazon or other species. No a quaker will turn to screaming, and not just brief episodes, continously all day long screaming, 10 hours straight of vocalization. They also easily turn to plucking, and mauling their feet. Quakers mutilation syndrome.

This species typically doesn't do well in a working home, and as the sole parrot. In a home that has a person there for part or all of the day, and or has other parrots they do better. People who have quakers under 2 years old may not have seen this yet. Tge horrors I have seen, quakers in dark garages, sharing their cage with mice that come to take their food....I just want to help, and get the word out, when you think quaker the first thing you should think is screaming.


Ok now I will focus on help, and ideas

 

[Laurasea]

I've helped 3 screaming quakers, tho my recent one tested me and almost broke me. It is vexing and insanity inducing to deal with constant never ending squawking. Sure other species can reach higher ear cracking volume and pitch, but i think quakers hands down win duration. Sure there are quakers who's default isn't screaming, I have one, but that's the exception.

Quakers are really smart. First work on words , reward all words. Its a lot easier to listen to words than squawk.

Work on foraging. Bird tricks on you tube has great information video on foraging. Google and start easy, then get creative. Quakers love veggies. I hive big chunks if veggies, and eating and tearing up veggies keeps them busy for a couple if hours a day. There are stainless steel veggies cages, that are great to hold veggies, and they have to work a little harder to get at them. I aldo use casserole dish on top of the cage, and cheap follow store tests to spread out veggies.

Your cage is awesome, 99% of parrots would love it. For quakers, that are caged longer I think larger still is better. Mine are out all day with me and their cages are larger. But to start you want to figure out how to get maximum use of your cages space. Observe how they use it. Rework and redesign, and keep tweaking, until you can get them using every inch. Use treat sticks, millit, put them in hard to reach place, and have them work fir it. Plenty of foot toys they can haul around. And plenty if stuff easy to destroy. Like shredders you weave through the bars, those bird bagel rolls that look like tape rolls are great too!! Yucca chips are favorite too.

Rethink what keeping a quaker parrot means. Work on ways to have them out of the cage more. Use the vertical space above the cage to make an aerial gym. I use ceiling hooks abd fishing line to hang swings, rope ladders, hoops and spirals, those sea grass cargo nets, so they hang just above the parrots head hight above the cage. Attach Easter eggs to find all along. Little treats, chewable stuff, plastic rings and gizmos. Parrot love to test their leaping and climbing and dangling skills. Those standard play tops with one straight bar and food cups, are just too boring for them. Use the outside sides of the cage too. You are going to have to change your esthetic idea, and go with more creative and fun for your parrot. Giving them their own " furniture " hang out spots away from the cage , so they can be near you, but not on you helps too. Especially if you keep them flighted and they can go to their spots. Once again I use ceiling hooks and fishing line to hang those huge spirals, or hoops in couple of spots in the house, also with shreddabke stuff and toys attached. This keeps them st stations and occupied, but nit on you, so you can do what you normally do when you are home.

Work with their normal nap times, and plan to have them caged at those times.

The above will drop screaming 90%. Preventing, and keeping them busy is key.

Next I will talk about behavior modifications

 

[Laurasea]

Buddy is beautiful, and I love the sunflower.

I will always be learning about parrots. While their are species profiles, each parrot is an individual. I have 4 quakers, my first came from a breeder, and he weaned early so I got him at 7 weeks. I took on my second 2 months later, I rescued this over 10 yr old from terrible situation. Then I took in a re home, from a great college kid who realistically realized parrots and college, work, dating, and roommates didn't mix. Lastly I bought a pet store quaker that was already a screamer, and over preener and has a huge fear of hands. So having a rescue, a rehome, a breeder baby, an older pet stores baby, is helping me understand them.

This article is good cover lots of stuff. Im not saying Buddy is stressed, its just a good article. On the cage placement, being in a busy spot can be perfect for many parrots. Yours isn't showing fearful, so changing tge cage placement may not be anything yiu need to do. I might would change out the black hanging on back of cage for a lighter color. Parrots don't like dark, it can seem cave like. Wild quakers forage in open meadows on the ground, as well as trees and shrubs. So they aren't secretive partots.

https://lafeber.com/pet-birds/stress-reduction-for-parrot-companions/

I found lots of helpful stuff in Sailboats Amazon thread, helped me with my shutdown rescue.
http://www.parrotforums.com/amazons/65119-i-love-amazons-going-journey.html

In this thread pages 9-11, I think are mt behavior articles links. All most all start with what I shared above. Correcting and preventing behavior with , cage, foraging, activities, proper diet, outlets for chewing, encouragement of natural behaviors. Before use g tips to modify screaming. With quakers just ignoring and not reinforcement of screaming won't get you very far. Redirecting, and patterning works better

http://www.parrotforums.com/general...hare-discuss-scientific-articles-parrots.html

Pamela Clark , has many expert behavior and other stuff. This is a link to encouraging natural behaviors, and changing our ideas of parrots. You should be able to explore other stuff she has from here too.
https://blogpamelaclarkonline.com/tag/parrots-and-flight/

 

[noodles123]

Your chop plate looks great--I love it (that's also probably a great way to see what your bird prefers)! If he gets overwhelmed with all of those choices, you can also try presenting 3 items at the same time and see if he goes for the same one each time, regardless of their position in the line of presentation (this is called a preference assessment)..It's a good way to find out what to use when treating/rewarding etc.



The cage size is good (as long as he is getting lots of time out and about) but I'd strongly recommend removing all of those smooth dowel perches and replacing them with dragonwood, manzanita, or some sort of textured wood (ParrotWizard sells custom textured perches to fit any cage width and he customizes them to your bird's foot size--here's a link to that site if you want it https://parrotwizard.com/Custom_Perch/ ) Dowel perches can lead to bumble-foot over time. You want them to vary in width but you also don't want them too wide or too narrow for your bird's foot. 3/4" to 1 1/4" is probably the ballpark of diameters that you want to focus on, but again, you don't want the same perch to be the same diameter all the way across.


I would also strongly advise against covering part of the cage like that (unless it is bed time and you cover the whole thing). Light cycles are important for them and that big wall of black is creating the "feel" of a shadowy space (which you don't want for hormonal reasons etc). If you are worried about him feeling insecure, you can put the cage against a wall, but don't cover partially. The cover should be for sleeping only.


Cotton ropes etc should be supervised for fraying and chewing because they can get tangled in them but also ingest the fibers over time, thereby developing blockages. I am not saying you have to remove these, but it is important to be aware of the possible risks. Definitely add some more chewing toys like wooden hanging toys etc.


Snuggle tents/huts are also super dangerous and they are a frequent cause of death, injury and raging hormones/behavioral issues, so I would remove that hut for sure. If you feel he must have a similar space (which is not the case for most parrots), I would get like a sea-grass hammock and maybe hang something like a toy or another mat next to it over it so that it isn't nearly as shadowy...and so that it is safer...I know there is some controversy about quakers needing nests (as opposed to other parrot species). Some people say quakers in particular should have them, but many others disagree and have happy/healthy quakers without them).The problem with nests (aside from the dangers of huts/tents themselves) is that dark spaces/cavities can be hormonal triggers because they are shadowy and mimic they types of conditions that would prompt egg laying in the wild (they can also increase territorial behavior). Here is a link on huts: https://birdtricksstore.com/blogs/birdtricks-blog/the-most-dangerous-parrot-cage-accessory


Yes, quakers do build nests in the wild, but cockatoos nest in cavities in the wild and the last thing a cockatoo owner should do is provide access to those cavities. What is natural in the wild isn't helpful in captivity when it comes to behaviors related to reproduction.. I think the divide on quakers and nests comes from the fact that they are the only parrot that builds them, but they build them with a purpose in mind...just as other parrots seek out tree hollows etc when planning to mate... So, in my opinion, just because a quaker builds them, doesn't mean it should have a nest due to the association between nesting and reproduction.. Again, this whole nest vs no-nest debate is most controversial when it comes to quakers specifically, and there is a divide in terms of people's opinions..which is why I would suggest a safer and slightly less shadows space if you feel this type of thing is necessary (but also know that there are quakers who sleep in covered cages just as happily). Pet stores market huts to parrots of all sizes (despite the fact that they are dangerous and linked to behavior/hormonal issues for many species).


Your guy may be screaming because he is attached to you and he is a flock creature. When you leave, do you tell him what you are doing? Key words can be huge in helping them gauge time and anticipate things. Whenever I go to the bathroom, I say going to the bathroom" --if while I'm in there, she makes a cute sound, like talking or something, I will talk back, but never respond to attention screaming once it starts. As another form of practice, you can start stepping away for just under the amount of time you think it will take before the screaming starts, saying "be right back" and then BEFORE the screaming starts, return and say, "thanks for being quiet" (praise, treat, whatever your bird is most motivated by).


Rather than typing it all over again, see my replies to another member about screaming at the link below: http://www.parrotforums.com/cockatiels/88181-cockatiel-screaming-if-he-s-not-out-his-cage.html


^^^the counting method that had worked for me is discussed on that thread.

 

[Laurasea]

" Screaming and other Vocalizations
Contact with Flock Members
Parrots in the wild often screech so they can keep track of each other. They primarily do this at dawn and dusk. Mated pairs sometimes “duet” and vocalize together.

Sentinel Behavior
This has been seen in African grays, cockatoos, and Pyrhurra Conures. Parrots often scream in response to something they perceive to be a potential threat.

Wants Attention
Parrots will vocalize to get attention.

Mating Season
Parrots will screech more often during mating season to advertise their territory and to attract a mate.

How to Respond to a Screaming Parrot
Note that all parrots make some noise. Behavior modification is only needed if the parrot screams non-stop for long periods of time. Some parrots, such as Aratinga Conures, Nanday Conures, Patagonian Conures, Amazons, Macaws, and Cockatoos are known for being quite loud.

Don’t Yell Back
This will reinforce the behavior.

Be sure the Environment isn’t too loud. Loud households often produce loud parrots. Place the parrot in a quieter area, but make sure that the spot is not too secluded, and that the bird will still receive lots of attention.

Teach it a New Sound
Encourage the parrot to whistle, talk, trill or beep when it wants attention.

Toys, Attention
Make sure the parrot has enough to do and that it isn’t too lonely.

Provide White Noise
Play a radio quietly to mask other sounds that could be bothering your parrot.

Anticipate the screaming
Figure out when the screaming usually starts and provide a distraction. For example, give it a shower at that time so it’s busy preening."

 

[ElleAntoinette]

Thank you so much everyone!
I have learnt so much more from you then I did from my own research before getting Buddy.
I had read that they are a relatively quiet parrot so I was unsure about his screaming. It is only when he is alone or cant see me, so it is definitely a companionship thing. Now that I know, I can work with him. I love the idea of telling him where I am going!

To answer a few questions and ask a few more,

Firstly I am from Victoria in Australia

The wooden dowel perches are going!! I promise.

As for the cover on the back of the cage, this is to protect the wall as I am in a rental. He has a tendency to poop sideways 🤦, would a white/pale sheet be better suited?

Should I get a seagrass hut thingy for him?
He loves his sleeping hut, he plays with it during the day and sleeps in it every night.. so I would like to find a safe replacement if possible.

I am feeling pretty positive after reading all of your comments, his behaviours all seem in line with a normal Quaker

Also just quickly, is this peeling on his beak normal?

 

[noodles123]

Thank you so much everyone!
I have learnt so much more from you then I did from my own research before getting Buddy.
I had read that they are a relatively quiet parrot so I was unsure about his screaming. It is only when he is alone or cant see me, so it is definitely a companionship thing. Now that I know, I can work with him. I love the idea of telling him where I am going!

To answer a few questions and ask a few more,

Firstly I am from Victoria in Australia

The wooden dowel perches are going!! I promise.

As for the cover on the back of the cage, this is to protect the wall as I am in a rental. He has a tendency to poop sideways ��, would a white/pale sheet be better suited?

Should I get a seagrass hut thingy for him?
He loves his sleeping hut, he plays with it during the day and sleeps in it every night.. so I would like to find a safe replacement if possible.

I am feeling pretty positive after reading all of your comments, his behaviours all seem in line with a normal Quaker

Also just quickly, is this peeling on his beak normal?

You should just use some painters tape and a tarp and go directly for the wall and carpet (tape the tarp on the wall and put a drop sheet beneath) -- not the cage (their cages should be open). You REALLY need to get rid of that hut. They are VERY dangerous---see the link I posted. You can go without, or make something else with sea-grass etc, but what you have right now is dangerous...When I said some quaker people feel like they need nests, I didn't mean the dangerous ones. That is why I suggested a sea-grass mat if you must. I love that you care, and I believe you do- thank you for caring as much as you do! ALL parrots love huts...quakers are particularly fond (and allowing them access is debatable) BUT you can do something that is at least less dangerous if you feel he must have one.

 

[ElleAntoinette]

Thank you so much everyone!
I have learnt so much more from you then I did from my own research before getting Buddy.
I had read that they are a relatively quiet parrot so I was unsure about his screaming. It is only when he is alone or cant see me, so it is definitely a companionship thing. Now that I know, I can work with him. I love the idea of telling him where I am going!

To answer a few questions and ask a few more,

Firstly I am from Victoria in Australia

The wooden dowel perches are going!! I promise.

As for the cover on the back of the cage, this is to protect the wall as I am in a rental. He has a tendency to poop sideways ��, would a white/pale sheet be better suited?

Should I get a seagrass hut thingy for him?
He loves his sleeping hut, he plays with it during the day and sleeps in it every night.. so I would like to find a safe replacement if possible.

I am feeling pretty positive after reading all of your comments, his behaviours all seem in line with a normal Quaker

Also just quickly, is this peeling on his beak normal?

You should just use some painters tape and a tarp and go directly for the wall and carpet (tape the tarp on the wall and put a drop sheet beneath) -- not the cage (their cages should be open). You REALLY need to get rid of that hut. They are VERY dangerous---see the link I posted. You can go without, or make something else with sea-grass etc, but what you have right now is dangerous...When I said some quaker people feel like they need nests, I didn't mean the dangerous ones. That is why I suggested a sea-grass mat if you must. I love that you care, and I believe you do- thank you for caring as much as you do! ALL parrots love huts...quakers are particularly fond (and allowing them access is debatable) BUT you can do something that is at least less dangerous if you feel he must have one.

I do care! A lot.
I have removed the hut, he didnt have it before so I am sure he will be fine
I may order him a seagrass one if he seems to miss it.
I also took down the black sheet.
He had been doing some weird (mating like) dances and that has ceased now, so maybe you guys helped me avoid some hormonal behaviours :60:

 

[Laurasea]

I use huts for my quakerers, it hasn't led to problems for me, and stopped night fright in one. So opinions differ. If hormonal behavior is triggered then yes I would remove .

The beak peeling is normal. Tho I see this greatly reduced in mine that eat lots and lots of veggies, and get occasional protein added to their diet.

He does look very small .. can you weigh him ? Use a kitchen digital gram scale. This us a good practice to do routinely, it will help catch health issues early.