Quaker or ?Monk? parakeets are some the nicest birds around! They are good talkers and are extremely lovable and cute.
Which bird has been described as ?smarter than you are?? This challenging statement refers to the lovely Quaker Parakeet- you will have to meet one to take the intelligence test!
Quaker or Monk Parakeets are
incredible nest builders. Generally, they will take over an existing nest and
build on top of it, making large apartment buildings! In the wild, Quaker
Parakeets eat fruits, seeds, berries and insects. They are prolific breeders.
Quaker Parakeets are very intelligent little animals. Owners often report
logical reasoning in them. For example, they will call their owners? names to
get their attention. Then they declare whatever it is they would like to express
using unrelated words and phrases that they have been taught, which are
shockingly appropriate to the particular situation! Quaker Parakeets are also
great at mimicking noises, and can imitate human speech, other birds and
animals, and squeaky doors or household noises. They will even compose song,
setting their favorite phrases to simple tunes they know!
Be careful if you have other pets with
your Quaker Parakeet, as they have been known to chase large dogs, which could
result in disaster if the dog is not cowed by the Parakeet?s confidence! Quaker
Parakeets need lots of exercise and baths, both of which they love. Their aviary
should be as large as possible, probably sized for a small Conure or Cockatiel.
Quaker Parakeets are mechanically intelligent and can quickly learn to open
their cage doors, so be careful! They love to have loose twigs on aviary floors
for nest building and need a variety of toys, changed every few weeks, to
prevent them from becoming bored. They need fresh water at all times, and a
pellet based diet, which consists mainly of fresh fruit and vegetables with
seeds as special treats, will be perfect for a Quaker. Quaker Parakeets are very
hardy and can tolerate some cold. They need lots of love and attention and adore
cuddling with you and playing or talking with you.
Quaker Parakeets are about a foot in length with very long, gorgeous, green and blue tail feathers. It weighs around 100 grams and the predominant color is green. Lutino, blue-cinnamon, albino, pied and cinammon mutations are available. Generally, Quaker Parakeets have a light gray forehead, face and upper breast. The feathers on the chest have white tips, giving the effect of scalloping. Quaker Parakeets have blue webbing in their primary flight feathers, whose coverts are also blue. The bills of Quaker Parakeets are horn colored or light yellow and their irises are chocolate brown. The feet are generally gray. Quaker Parakeets? tail feathers are gradated in length.
Quaker Parakeets consist of several subspecies native to the dryer, low altitude woodlands of Bolivia, Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. They have been kept as pets in the United States and Europe for years. Because Quaker Parakeets are such prolific breeders, they are illegal in some states. The logic is that escaped birds can breed up into large populations and it is speculated that they could become a threat to crops, though no evidence has been seen. As always, captive-bred birds make much better, healthier, calmer pets than wild-caught birds.