How to Train Your Quaker Parrot
Quaker parrots are medium-sized birds with long tails. The common Quaker is mostly green with a gray chest, and a bit of gray covering its lower face and forehead. According to Doctors Fosters and Smith, a pet education website, the Quaker parrot is often referred to as a monk parakeet because of the gray shape covering its face. Quaker parrots are social birds, capable of acquiring large vocabularies. To successfully train your Quaker parrot, you need to work with it every day.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
Step-Up Command
-
1
Speak the words "step up" to your Quaker parrot, and place your finger directly in front of your parrot's feet, at about chest level.
-
2
Push gently into the Quaker's chest just above it's feet with your finger to initiate the bird's feet to move. This knocks the birds slightly off balance, and will eventually cause the bird to step up. It will not harm the bird.
-
-
3
Repeat these steps until the Quaker parrot steps up onto your finger, and immediately reward the Quaker with a treat, such as sunflower seeds or dried fruit. It will take several tries before the bird learns to step up.
Building Vocabulary
-
4
Speak to your Quaker parrot 15 to 20 minutes daily. Talk to the bird just as you would talk to a child.
-
5
Leave the television or radio on a child-safe channel in the bird's room when you leave the house. This will help the bird build appropriate vocabulary.
-
6
Tell the Quaker parrot what you are doing before you do it. If you are changing its food or water bowls, tell the bird you are going to change them. Ask the parrot questions; you won't likely get an answer back because a parrot's language ability is limited to only repeating what it hears, but this will help build vocabulary.
Preventing Biting
-
7
Avoid reacting to the bite, such as screaming "ow" or "ouch." The parrot may think it is a game and continue biting. The biting will get worse, and the parrot's bite will eventually draw blood if you react to the bite.
-
8
Push your finger towards the parrot's beak, not away from it, when a bite occurs. The parrot will release your finger.
-
9
Place the parrot immediately into its cage every time it bites you, and lock the cage door for 5 to 10 minutes.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Quaker parrots generally bond to one person, but will socialize with other family members. It's common for a Quaker to dislike a member of the family, particularly the spouse of the bonded person.
Flying parrots are prone to accidents. Keep your bird's feathers and nails trimmed to prevent accidental death or loss of your bird.
Do not allow the bird to crawl on the floor, or chase your feet. This encourages aggressive behavior, which can cause biting.
An all seed diet is deadly for Quaker parrots. You should feed them a pelleted diet with fruits and vegetables.
Avoid swearing in front of your Quaker. It will use it's newly acquired swear words when you least expect it, such as when your friends enter your home.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
More Like This
Comments
-
I just inheired a year old Quaker parrot and I am enjoying him or her so much. I have heard that they need to bathe but I cant find how often or how to set up their bathing.. Help
