I’m thinking of Rescuing a Quaker

[Libbi24]

Hello,

I’ve recently come across a Quaker parrot that needs rehoming and he’s in pretty poor shape and living conditions.

I definitely have the space to care for him and the knowledge however I haven’t come across a Quaker parrot before as in the Uk they seem to be pretty rare. If anyone could give me some advice about them I’d really appreciate it, that way I’ll know whether I could give him a wonderful home or at least help him get into a rescue at the very least.

I have a cockatiel, Budgie and green cheek conure. I live in an apartment and my birds are silent 80% of the day, which works for me and my neighbours! They are out literally the entire day unless I have to go in the office which usually is no longer than 5 hours and that only happens like once a week sometimes I’m home all the time, and they’re fed the best possible diet.

If a Quaker parrot is happy and healthy are they known to be screamers? I would expect the change for him to be rough but I’m just worried about that aspect.

I’d obviously have all my birds separated from him if I do decide to bring him home but are quakers known to be dominant or territorial of space, food ect? I don’t expect my birds to be best friends instantly but I want to minimise any conflict as much as possible.

I know I definitely have to help him, and I’d love to give him a loving home I know I can provide but I also have to think about the situation and my living requirements. I know most birds have their very own personalities so I’m trying to find out as much as I can from his previous owners.

Any help would be very appreciated! I’ve attached some images of him. Apparently he also has some small feet deformity but if you know about my Pearly (my cockatiel) she has severely deformed feet and she’s living a very happy, comfortable life.

 

[Jcas]

First, thank you for wanting to help this Quaker! Second, as you noted, every bird is different so it’s always hard to say how an individual will act. I have heard of sweet, quiet, gentle Quakers but they do seem to be the exception rather than the rule.

In the wild, Quakers have huge community flocks and build large, elaborate communal nests. The nests have a common “ living room” with multiple “ bedrooms” off of it where individual pairs of birds raise their young. The living room is common territory but the bedrooms are fiercely guarded by each pair. This natural behavior makes pet Quakers notorious for being very possessive of their cage. My experience with my Quaker, JJ, is that the larger the cage the better! Moving him from the parakeet cage he came with, to a double flight cage made a huge difference in his aggression ( I also was working with him on being less protective). He has a section of his double flight cage that is more like his bedroom but much of his cage is more of a living room.

Noise is always a big question mark. JJ is a little less chatty than my budgies but when he wants to be loud, he is VERY loud. And there is really no way to get him to stop. Even covering the cage doesn’t work! The first few months after I got him, he definitely screamed more often than he does now but he still has loud days. From what I’ve heard/seen from other Quaker owners, this is fairly typical.

Quakers do tend to be one person birds. It took JJ a couple of months to trust me. No one else can pet him without getting bitten despite some of my family trying to win him over.

I do have budgies in the same room as JJ and he mostly leaves them alone. The most I’ve seen him do is open his beak at them if they try to land right next to him.

The upside to Quakers is that they are smart! They love being with their person, and they can be really good talkers! They’re definitely sassy but they’re also little comedians and know just how to make you laugh. And every once in a while they’ll just be super sweet and make your heart melt.

Whatever you decide to do, I hope you’re able to help this bird ❤️.

 

[Minor_Arcana]

Definitely agree with Jcas. Imo, it depends on the individual bird, but in general quakers are known to be highly cage aggressive/territorial and very very screamy. Zephyr screams quite a bit unless I'm giving him direct attention, it's just something they tend to do. However, in terms of territorial aggression, I've seen no issues between him and my cockatiel. In fact, he loves loves loves Lexa and as long as she's not trying to get into his cage, there are no aggression issues. He's ridiculously obsessed with her.

I think my only worry for you would be the noise, especially living in an apartment. Like I said though, and I truly cannot emphasize this enough, every bird is different and I think your best bet is to keep in contact with his previous owners to learn as much as you can about him.

Overall, you seem like a very promising owner and I think this little guy might just be a perfect fit for you, good luck!

 

[Libbi24]

Definitely agree with Jcas. Imo, it depends on the individual bird, but in general quakers are known to be highly cage aggressive/territorial and very very screamy. Zephyr screams quite a bit unless I'm giving him direct attention, it's just something they tend to do. However, in terms of territorial aggression, I've seen no issues between him and my cockatiel. In fact, he loves loves loves Lexa and as long as she's not trying to get into his cage, there are no aggression issues. He's ridiculously obsessed with her.

I think my only worry for you would be the noise, especially living in an apartment. Like I said though, and I truly cannot emphasize this enough, every bird is different and I think your best bet is to keep in contact with his previous owners to learn as much as you can about him.

Overall, you seem like a very promising owner and I think this little guy might just be a perfect fit for you, good luck!

Thank you for your response!

I’ve messaged the owner as many questions as I can, in terms of screaming he said “it screams sometimes but it’s normal room volume level” which didn’t give me much of an answer lol. But I will say that my Green cheek conure can be extremely loud when she’s spooked or feeling extra angsty and if it is only occasionally I could potentially work with that.

I’ve decided to adopt him/her. Even if the Quaker doesn’t fit within my routine or household I’ll be able to at least find him a very loving home, and correct his/her diet and train him/her a little. I’ve contacted the rescue but they’re all full and the waiting list could take over a year. But luckily I know many bird owners in the Uk so if it doesn’t work out I’ll contact all of them lol.

I just couldn’t leave the Quaker in those conditions the photo doesn’t show the cage but it was rusty and covered in poop and I’m not giving this guy any money so I’m definitely not going to be supporting him in anyway.

With the cage aggression, does it get better if they’re constantly out of it? I basically only use cages as a sleeping area. As I work from home 99% of the time. I will also get the biggest cage I can fit in my apartment lol! He/she also seems quite young so that will possibly help with training.

Would it be okay to keep posting to this thread to continue getting support / advice as I have owned conures, alexandrines, cockatiels and budgies but for some reason the Quaker is making me a tad nervous! I just want to do what’s right!

 

[Libbi24]

First, thank you for wanting to help this Quaker! Second, as you noted, every bird is different so it’s always hard to say how an individual will act. I have heard of sweet, quiet, gentle Quakers but they do seem to be the exception rather than the rule.

In the wild, Quakers have huge community flocks and build large, elaborate communal nests. The nests have a common “ living room” with multiple “ bedrooms” off of it where individual pairs of birds raise their young. The living room is common territory but the bedrooms are fiercely guarded by each pair. This natural behavior makes pet Quakers notorious for being very possessive of their cage. My experience with my Quaker, JJ, is that the larger the cage the better! Moving him from the parakeet cage he came with, to a double flight cage made a huge difference in his aggression ( I also was working with him on being less protective). He has a section of his double flight cage that is more like his bedroom but much of his cage is more of a living room.

Noise is always a big question mark. JJ is a little less chatty than my budgies but when he wants to be loud, he is VERY loud. And there is really no way to get him to stop. Even covering the cage doesn’t work! The first few months after I got him, he definitely screamed more often than he does now but he still has loud days. From what I’ve heard/seen from other Quaker owners, this is fairly typical.

Quakers do tend to be one person birds. It took JJ a couple of months to trust me. No one else can pet him without getting bitten despite some of my family trying to win him over.

I do have budgies in the same room as JJ and he mostly leaves them alone. The most I’ve seen him do is open his beak at them if they try to land right next to him.

The upside to Quakers is that they are smart! They love being with their person, and they can be really good talkers! They’re definitely sassy but they’re also little comedians and know just how to make you laugh. And every once in a while they’ll just be super sweet and make your heart melt.

Whatever you decide to do, I hope you’re able to help this bird ❤️.

Thank you for your response!

My green cheek conure can be VERY loud if she’s spooked or if I’ve annoyed her in some way lol and I’ve never had any complaints about it, but she does tend to quieten down after a minute and has never done it for more than two/three minutes. My Budgie is a lot more noisier than her! The previous owner said that “it screams sometimes but is normal room volume level” which didn’t really clear things up for me.

Nonetheless I’ve decided to adopt the Quaker. As I can’t leave him/her in those conditions and I know I can provide a loving home or at the very least give them a healthy environment to stay in while I search for a wonderful home. Unfortunately the rescues are all full and the waiting list is over a year long. I’m not paying this person so I won’t be supporting them in anyway.

I’ll be picking him/her up on Saturday, do you mind if I keep replying to this thread for advice / support as the Quaker settles in? I want to do the absolute best I can and of course if the quaker does settle in within my routine and homelife that would be just wonderful for them as I know for 100% certain I’d love them unconditionally! But we shall have to see! Wish me luck; thank you for all your help! ❤️

 

[Minor_Arcana]

Thank you for your response!

I’ve messaged the owner as many questions as I can, in terms of screaming he said “it screams sometimes but it’s normal room volume level” which didn’t give me much of an answer lol. But I will say that my Green cheek conure can be extremely loud when she’s spooked or feeling extra angsty and if it is only occasionally I could potentially work with that.

I’ve decided to adopt him/her. Even if the Quaker doesn’t fit within my routine or household I’ll be able to at least find him a very loving home, and correct his/her diet and train him/her a little. I’ve contacted the rescue but they’re all full and the waiting list could take over a year. But luckily I know many bird owners in the Uk so if it doesn’t work out I’ll contact all of them lol.

I just couldn’t leave the Quaker in those conditions the photo doesn’t show the cage but it was rusty and covered in poop and I’m not giving this guy any money so I’m definitely not going to be supporting him in anyway.

With the cage aggression, does it get better if they’re constantly out of it? I basically only use cages as a sleeping area. As I work from home 99% of the time. I will also get the biggest cage I can fit in my apartment lol! He/she also seems quite young so that will possibly help with training.

Would it be okay to keep posting to this thread to continue getting support / advice as I have owned conures, alexandrines, cockatiels and budgies but for some reason the Quaker is making me a tad nervous! I just want to do what’s right!

Cage aggression can definitely get better through reinforcement, positive interaction, and lots of time out of the cage. Through training and bonding, Zephyr has gotten to the point that he'll let me change his food and water dishes and sometimes toys in his cage without nipping me, but still I don't try to get him to step up unless he is out of the cage. That being said, his territorial aggression is totally limited to his cage, and once he's out of it, he's good. It's not nearly as much of an issue as I thought it would be.

Feel free to update us in this thread, or you could always just make a totally new post on the Quaker forum

 

[Jcas]

Thank you for your response!

My green cheek conure can be VERY loud if she’s spooked or if I’ve annoyed her in some way lol and I’ve never had any complaints about it, but she does tend to quieten down after a minute and has never done it for more than two/three minutes. My Budgie is a lot more noisier than her! The previous owner said that “it screams sometimes but is normal room volume level” which didn’t really clear things up for me.

Nonetheless I’ve decided to adopt the Quaker. As I can’t leave him/her in those conditions and I know I can provide a loving home or at the very least give them a healthy environment to stay in while I search for a wonderful home. Unfortunately the rescues are all full and the waiting list is over a year long. I’m not paying this person so I won’t be supporting them in anyway.

I’ll be picking him/her up on Saturday, do you mind if I keep replying to this thread for advice / support as the Quaker settles in? I want to do the absolute best I can and of course if the quaker does settle in within my routine and homelife that would be just wonderful for them as I know for 100% certain I’d love them unconditionally! But we shall have to see! Wish me luck; thank you for all your help! ❤️

You are a wonderful person to adopt this bird and get him out of this situation! I have a soft spot for Quakers ever since JJ came into my life so I really hate to see them neglected or misunderstood. Of course you can keep posting questions and observations about your bird; we would love to hear how he’s doing and settling into your home!

Like the other poster noted with their bird, outside the cage protectiveness/aggression is minimal. And after working with him, I can reach into JJ’s cage for cleaning, changing food and water, toys etc. without a problem. It just takes time for them to trust us. Give this new Quaker plenty of time to settle in, same as any bird 🙂.

Also, I got a book called “ Guide to the Quaker Parrot” when I first got JJ that was super helpful!

 

[clark_conure]

Quakers not so much a noise issue. But if they don't like something they kind of GRRR at you like a dog. They get along fine with other birds....my Quakers boyfriend is a budgie.... I wouldn't worry about it unless the cockatiel or GCC is aggressive. Those tend to be a lot more domineering birds than a quaker.

They are gentile in nature.....

 

[Libbi24]

You are a wonderful person to adopt this bird and get him out of this situation! I have a soft spot for Quakers ever since JJ came into my life so I really hate to see them neglected or misunderstood. Of course you can keep posting questions and observations about your bird; we would love to hear how he’s doing and settling into your home!

Like the other poster noted with their bird, outside the cage protectiveness/aggression is minimal. And after working with him, I can reach into JJ’s cage for cleaning, changing food and water, toys etc. without a problem. It just takes time for them to trust us. Give this new Quaker plenty of time to settle in, same as any bird 🙂.

Also, I got a book called “ Guide to the Quaker Parrot” when I first got JJ that was super helpful!

Hello, I’ve brought the Quaker home and I’ve named her Tofu (we don’t know if it is a boy or a girl but I’m sending feminine energy 🤣) she’s quite relaxed already, spent the entire day just chilling on-top of her cage, and even accepted a few treats from my hands. However her feet are an absolute mess! Her previous owner had the AUDACITY to say “oh it’s not that bad they’re fine”

They’re worse than Pearlies (my cockatiel) and she had her feet purposely broken. She’s missing bits of toes and nails and one toe is literally bent the opposite way it’s supposed to. I can’t imagine how uncomfortable that must be. I will be getting her to the vets ASAP to see if I can do anything to eliminate any pain. I use aloe Vera or this medicated cream the vets gave me sometimes on Pearlies feet to help with some soreness. So I shall start training Tofu to accept me touching her feet straight away.

Otherwise she seems quite alert and wants to explore the different toys I’ve gotten her.

 

[Libbi24]

Cage aggression can definitely get better through reinforcement, positive interaction, and lots of time out of the cage. Through training and bonding, Zephyr has gotten to the point that he'll let me change his food and water dishes and sometimes toys in his cage without nipping me, but still I don't try to get him to step up unless he is out of the cage. That being said, his territorial aggression is totally limited to his cage, and once he's out of it, he's good. It's not nearly as much of an issue as I thought it would be.

Feel free to update us in this thread, or you could always just make a totally new post on the Quaker forum

That is all so helpful thank you, I’ve posted an update on a different response if you would like to see how the Quaker is. It was her first day with me!

 

[Jcas]

What a cutie!!! But, aww, her poor little toes 😢. She’s so lucky that you already have some experience with damaged feet in birds. They are such amazing animals, able to adapt and work with what they have. I’m so happy to see her in that big, clean cage already exploring the new environment. It looks like she will have the best home with you ❤️❤️❤️

 

[DonnaBudgie]

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Hello, I’ve brought the Quaker home and I’ve named her Tofu (we don’t know if it is a boy or a girl but I’m sending feminine energy 🤣) she’s quite relaxed already, spent the entire day just chilling on-top of her cage, and even accepted a few treats from my hands. However her feet are an absolute mess! Her previous owner had the AUDACITY to say “oh it’s not that bad they’re fine”

They’re worse than Pearlies (my cockatiel) and she had her feet purposely broken. She’s missing bits of toes and nails and one toe is literally bent the opposite way it’s supposed to. I can’t imagine how uncomfortable that must be. I will be getting her to the vets ASAP to see if I can do anything to eliminate any pain. I use aloe Vera or this medicated cream the vets gave me sometimes on Pearlies feet to help with some soreness. So I shall start training Tofu to accept me touching her feet straight away.

Otherwise she seems quite alert and wants to explore the different toys I’ve gotten her.

She's so pretty!