thinking of getting a Quaker

[CheshireGrymm]

Hello there! I was browsing at some bird toys in Animal Kingdom today to see if I could find some new stuff for my Gcc and noticed this little green quaker looking at me curiously from where he was. I smiled and waved and he "giggled". I went back to browsing and noticed that if i went to the right, he followed, if I stepped to the left, he would too. Well the whole little experience got me thinking that maybe he wanted me to take him home. So my final question is, should I invest in the little guy? I was reading up on them and some of the negatives are kind of deterring me from purchasing him, however, I am torn on what to do!!! Any advice? Thanks!:42::42:

 

[Ambermai]

Hi CheshireGrymm, I have two adopted birds and I'm a big advocate of checking out bird rescue centers to see if there's a bird that you might like. The big pet stores will replace any bird you buy with another bird from a breeder and the cycle of too many unwanted birds repeats itself. Quakers seem to be a pretty common breed and, for example, the rescue near me has 4 sweet ones that are looking for homes. Another advantage to adopting is that the rescue center may know quite a bit already about the birds' personalities, whether they scream, feather pluck, bite, snuggle, etc, and if it's a good place, they will have already had the bird vet checked for diseases. Just my two cents.

 

[CheshireGrymm]

Thanks and I will look into adoption, I suppose, however my question was about Quaker's behavior and such, not about whether i should adopt or buy. Thanks, though!

 

[CheshireGrymm]

I just looked for an adoption center and there are no people or places near my location. They're all almost 2 states over. And none of them ship or anything in my location.

 

[crimson]

there are many owners on here who LOVE quakers.....ahem....I hate to admit this but I'm not one of them.
they are beautiful, but I had to re-home one I just got, due to it sounding like a constant energizer squeaky toy. she would go sometimes for up to an hour!
the noise was deafening, she got all of my birds constantly screaming in my bird room and drove my son crazy(he's autistic)
I am sure there are quakers who barely make a noise, but mine was to the extreme.
I just re-homed her this morning, and never ever again.
sorry to taint your enthusiasm, just my 2c

 

[Blueridge]

They can be very loud and annoying but they are also VERY affectionate and VERY smart! I love mine more than anything in the world

 

[CheshireGrymm]

Thank you all very much, I do believe that I have come to the conclusion that a quaker is not for me! Lol! I grew up with a red macaw named Cinnamon I miss her so much! She is with my parents upstate in New England right now

 

[Terry36887]

I disagree, I have a quaker and have numerous birds over the past and I must say this little ball of fluff is the best thing ever! Sooooo easy to train, I am teaching him new stuff every day. He gets "chatty" at night as all birds do on sun down. I must say he is out of the cage a fair bit and I much around with him. He doesnt make much noise at all! I think boredom comes into it....But anyways that my opinion. I wouldnt say a quakers sqwak is irritating, it can be loud, but they all have to let some steam off now and again.

 

[Kalidasa]

Glad you gave it a second thought. Always consider the bird(s) you have at home and ask yourself if its fair to them. I see you have a GCC, and probably very bonded to you. He would probably flip out.

 

[CheshireGrymm]

Actually we wound up getting a little Red Bellied instead. Maybe we will get a Quaker down the line

 

[broxi3781]

Glad you got something that suits. I'm new to this but we think our Quaker is the best thing ever - and he is rarely loud. He is quite noisy when my husband gets up until everyone else comes downstairs, once he ahs seen the family he is fine , unless he feels neglected. He will start by calling but if no one answers he will get screamy. BUt all it takes is a few words and maybe a wee pat on the back and he is fine.

I think they are brilliant birds but incredibly intelligent and curious. They need a lot of attention. Ours lasted 2 weeks in first home. He wasn't right for them but he is perfect for us.

As to bird adoption centres - I'm in Belfast - we don't have anything like that - but I couldn't have taken anything but a very tame gentle bird anyway.

If you go for a quaker down the line - it is a wonderful bird, but I have read they don't do well with other species and I think they do require a lot of attention and time out of the cage.