So this is the situation...last night 2 little kids came to my house with a box that had a bird in it and asked me if I wanted it...to make a short story even shorter I said sure . I've had many birds in the past and have even rehabilitated a few but I am so confused by this one...I'm sure she's young because the feathers on her head are still in the tube things a bit and her forehead is all gray...she'll get on my hand and lets me hold her but she won't let me pet her or scratch her head, and she bites really hard if my other hand goes near her...and it's near impossible to get her off the floor without cuts...I know I've only had her for a day but I'm still worried...pleeaaase help me . thanks
-Lauren

Kids brought her to your door? Does this bird have a band on its leg?

I'd say give her a few days to get used to the new surroundings and see if she calms down. The fact that she'll step up is a good sign. Just go slow and talk to her in a soothing tone and allow her to get used to you . Some birds don't like to be petted and especially not if the hand is brought up from over the top of their head, its kind of the fight or flight instinct because most predators strike from above.

You might try just petting her chest and legs to get her used to you touching her and then working your way up slowly to her head and then down her back Remember to try and not make a big reaction to her when she bites, since Quakers thrive on drama.

I'd be curious to know the whole story as to why these boys had this bird in a box....

Agreed. It sounds very fishy. But the first couple days will probably be rocky. Poor thing was in a box, after all. Probably the birdy will calm down in a stable environment if you keep working with him/her slowly.

Can we see pics?

The story is this...two of the boys who live on my street came to my door and asked if I wanted this bird. I said sure and asked why they were giving it away and they said that one of their friend's parents couldn't stand it anymore and said it was too much of a hassle...so one of the boys, marco who lives a couple houses down, took it to his house and asked his parents if it was o.k. for him to keep it and they said no. So it turns out they had been going door to door all around my block asking people if they wanted it and I was the lucky candidate...it does have a band on it's leg...I live on a small, very rich island in Miami and people here don't do much research before buying anything...they see it, they want it, they buy it, so there's always someone giving away something because it wasn't what they expected...it's ridiculous. Well today after class I spent a lot of time with her/him and thank god he's calming down...meaning he still bites but just not as hard...thanks for the help, and if you hear or know of any other ways to calm him down please let me know! oh and I don't have fotos yet, but i'll put some up soon!

Give him a few days to calm down. He's just been shoved into a box and given to some strange woman. And likely, he wasn't treated well before that.

If you try too much now, you'll have to work harder later to get his trust.

But when he's had a few days to calm down, offer some fresh fruit and veggies. Get him to take it out of your hand. That'll build trust.

Just a little update...I like to believe it's a girl! She's behaving much much better, just a few bites here and there but nothing too hard...she likes to ignore me a couple times a day but I can deal with that...overall she's improved a lot so I'm really excited to see how our relationship will grow in the next couple of weeks! Does anyone know if there's a way that I can track who the previous owners were by the tag on its leg? I'd like to know more about my little troublemaker and I haven't seen Marco lately, I know he lives down my street but I'm not exactly sure which is his...grrr! so complicated...

the band on the leg is just from the breeder not the owner. Just be patient with the bird. I have a severely stressed rescued qp who is also a biter. Just give it some time and do this slowly. Even when your bird won't let you hold it you can and should still talk to it. Routine is also very important. Heraticio feels safe with me since he knows what I'm going to do. Out of 5 people in our house I am the only one he allows to hold him....most of the time he won't even let anyone else talk to him. I start sweet talking him well before I approach his cage. Then I make kissy noises at him. Then I ask him to step. Then I kiss his chest. After 2 weeks of this he knew exactly what was gonna happen so now if he sees or hears me coming he is making kissy noises and waiting in the doorway of his cage with his foot up.....god I love that bird! Anyway give it time and let the bird get used to you...eventually it'll figure out that he likes you and then watch out! If you've never had a quaker you're in for a treat!! Sure they can be demanding but I wouldn't want it any other way!

DONT remove the band! its often used to identify the bird if your bird gets lost, stolen, etc.

thank you so much you've all been such a big help!