I am new to this website. I have a quaker parrot and a maroon belly sunconure. I have had the quaker for about 3 years now. He is 7 years old I am his 3rd owner. I am almost to the end of my rope. I don't know what to do. He screams and screams and if I come anywhere near him he hisses and bites me. I can't get him out of the cage without a towel and stressing him out so he screams more. If anyone has any suggestions please help...
I have done some research on the web and there is a training video out there that supposibly uses birds that were not tamed to show to to tame them. Has anyone heard of these?

Thanks for you help!

Welcome to the forum!

I'm sorry to hear that you're having difficulty with your Quaker. It sounds as though he's been through a lot in his seven years! Unfortunately, I don't have any personal experience with untamed birds, so I regret that I can't offer any useful advice. Hang around though, and I'm sure that others will respond soon!

Welcome to the forum!!!




A Maroon Bellied Sunconure?? Do you mean a Maroon Bellied and a Sun Conure? Or is this a hybrid?



Has he always screamed? If not, when did the screaming start? Does he only scream at certain times of the day?

Same with the biting...has he always bit you? Or is this something new?



I've not seen one, so I can't offer much advice on that. I've heard a lot about them and have seen mixed reviews.

Welcome to the forum Jenny...

Once again...the book A guide to Quaker Parrots by Mattie Sue Athon is a good place to start. (I should be getting kick backs, but I'm not)

Carrie asked some good questions...Are these new behaviors to you or did he come with them? What time of the day is he most apt to do it?

Are you able to handle him at all once you get him away from his cage?

Something you might try to at least be able to start working with him is to use a dowel perch for him/her to learn to step up on This will at least preserve your fingers for a while.

A little more info would be helpful, you said you were his 3rd owner I think, and have had him for 3 years. What were the reasons given for him needing a new home do you know? Do you know if he was ever hand tame, or if he was used as a breeder? It makes a difference

If he was ever paired with another quaker and used in a breeding situation it may be very difficult but not impossible to re tame him...

If this behavior is just suddenly new then we need to start exploring the reasons for the change. Where is his cage located. Is he in a very high traffic area where people are close to his cage frequently or is he tucked in a back corner where he gets little if no attention?

He needs to be in an area where he can see what's going on with the whole family but in a calm enough place that he isn't made nervous by people coming and going by his cage or other pets if you have them...but he still needs to be made feel as he's part of the family

If you go to handle him and he bites...remember to push into the bite in a gentle upwards motion. This keeps him from being able to bite you so hard as he's trying to concentrate on keeping his balance and will let go from the bite. While doing this technique tell him...NO...No Biting...

If you are able to get him to step up on a dowel, Take him into another smaller quieter room totally out of sight of his cage. The bathroom is a good place provided the toilet is closed etc. Close the door and just sit and talk with him till he starts to relax. when you notice his posture softening thats a sign he is relaxing. Holding the perch firmly in one hand with the other hand held as though you are going to shake hands with someone, only with your thumb folded flat to the palm of your hand and your palm facing you, come in from underneath his belly and push up on his belly just in front of where his legs attach to his body. Give a gentle up ward raise and a gentle but firm command of "Step Up" If he starts to bite, DO NOT jerk back do not make any noise other than to say if a firm but not raised voice, NO BITING...If he manages to bite you again push into the bite upward and toward the back of his head...even if it means pushing him over backwards...Don't be rough but just firm and don't give up...Try not to yell, or cry or cuss because this provides drama for the bird, It only encourages the behavior because it gives them some satisfaction of a reaction be it negative or positive.

Now once you've got him on your hand/finger just let him sit there for a few seconds and talk to him softly telling him good bird..(provided he doesn't continue to bite etc) then with the other hand that was holding the dowel, hold it in the same manner as instructed before..palm facing you thumb tucked in. Again, come in from underneath his belly and press up on his belly in front of his legs while giving the command "step up" if he does it with out hesitating Praise him like crazy...Happy but not too loud with GOOD BIRD...GOOD STEP UP...so he's learning positive reinforcement and that you get excited when he does "good" things. Work with him for five or ten minutes and always end on a good note...then with him on your hand carry him back to his cage and set him on top. Tell him he's a good bird and give him a little treat of some kind...apple, banana or what ever his favorite treat is. He will eventually start associating the treat with being put back after having been played with...Don't give him the treat unless you've had him successfully off the cage, even if its only been just a few short minutes. Work with him every day 2 or 3 times a day if you can...Stay in a quiet room while your doing it...and you may change rooms if you so choose, just out of sight from his cage. Once you notice that he's becoming more comfortable with stepping up and isn't refusing to do so at all; then you can start bringing him out into bigger rooms more busy rooms a little at a time. This could take a while for him to get totally comfortable with you and trust you. Just go slow...even if he regresses and bites once in awhile, just do the before mentioned things.

Something to remember, is parrots of any kind use their beaks as a third hand and for balance...sometimes they will take a hold of your finger for balance don't mistake the motion or action for an impending bite and jerk away just remind him no biting and to be a good bird.

Then when you've got him so he'll step up and just sit on your hand calmly you can start working with getting him to trust you enough to allow you to pet him...since he's used to you touching his belly with the back of your finger do this...and tell him good boy...go slow and start working with the area just in front and under the wings, then move on to the top part of the wing at his side when he's comfortable then on to his back and down his tail...Go slow...It could take weeks.

Once he's comfortable with that, then you can work and scratching his neck and back of his head. Work at preening his neck and helping him to get rid of the pin feathers from new feathers coming in. Just be gentle, Birds love to be preened as a general rule unless you hit a blood feather and then they may jump and squawk at you.

Just go slow and be patient.


I too was curious about your description of a maroon bellied sun conure...Generally its one or the other, and unless its a hybrid (which I haven't ever seen, but doesn't mean it hasn't happened) Or unless you have both a sun and a maroon belly. A photo would be great to see of this bird.

Anyway...I won't go on and on, I hope I've given you some help in getting started with retaming this bird down.

Good luck, and keep us posted on the progress.


Something that I forgot to mention or ask, is he fully flighted? If he is towel him to get him into a carrier and take him to the vet to have his wings trimmed or to where ever you have it done. This will really help his attitude because he's going to depend on you to get from point A to point B...and it will make him a little more humble, and more managable.

thanks for the info. My maroon belly some people also call a green cheek. My quaker was originally 7 years ago a breeder bird but he wanted nothing to do with another bird. So the breeder sold him to the women i got him from who said she had no time for him. His is in the same room as my other bird angel. I will put pictures on later this week, I recently moved them into my spare bedroom. I can't keep them out in the open during the day because i have a rescue cat that will eat them, and i don't want that to happen. I have 3 cats, 1 dog 2 birds and a rabbit.
His behavoir has been bad for about a year now. since i bought a house. He is sweet for the most part when he is out of his cage, but anywhere near his cage he is mean, the lady i got him from had him in a huge parrot cage so i bought a medium size cage he seems to really like this cage. i think he was scared of the other one. I spend enough time with all my animals but i get really fustrate because it takes anywhere for 20 to thirty minutes to get my quaker out of his cage because he just screams when i bring in a towel. He seems to be very afraid of human skin he will only come on my arm if i am wearing a long sleeve shirt or sweat shirt. He really seems like he wants to come out of the cage but he is unsure. I leave his cage open and he like to sit on top of it. I have his nails and wings clip. He is very afraid to fly to favors his left side. i don't know if he was hurt when he was younger or not. He has been doing a little better with trying to fly but cant figure out the landing part he flys into the walls. but just little flight. even when his wings were full flight he couldn't fly.

He use to say hello. or i love you he even use to sing the theme song to the andy griffith show but 2 years ago he stopped doing that. once and i while i can get him to say hello. i have been trying to get him to say more but it's not working. he loves being by his buddy angel.

These are two totally different species...

Here is my Green Cheek:



And my Maroon Bellied:



The main difference is that Green Cheek's have a red tail...both top and underside. While Maroon Bellie's only have red on the underside of their tail. There are a few other differences too (GC heads are darker)

Then shes a green check and i have a quaker

Hi WELCOME to the group...I wouldn`t stree your Q.P too much by dragging him from his cage if he will come out by himself just leave the door open...Is Angel your conure ..?? if so I am glad he is enjoying the company of another bird , Poor guy must have had a rough life to be so scared , love and patients will eventually win his trust ..Good luck and once again WELCOME to the group...

How recently ago has your Quaker been to a vet? Especially with you saying he favors one side- I'm concerned he has a medical condition. That could make him not want to be handled as much if whatever it is makes it painful for him to be toweled or something of the sort. Or he could just in general be in pain and that would make anyone cranky.

Also- is he afraid of sticks? If not try training him to step up onto a stick (nicely- otherwise he'll learn to fear that, too) in order to get him out of the cage.

But unless he's been to a vet since this started, that would be my first stop.

My quaker is very afraid of sticks, i have to get him with a towel, my sister in law is a vet tech and she has checked him over many times. there is nothing wrong with his wing. might possible be an old injury from the beeder trying to breed the bird. He nippes at other birds and it really mean to them.