Why are Quaker Parrots Illegal in Some States
by Mattie Sue Athan
Many potential Quaker Parrot owners are disappointed to hear that these birds are illegal to keep in some states. This article discusses the issues surrounding these laws and the reasons they were put in place in an honest and straight forward manner.
Question: I’ve heard that Quakers are against the law in some states. Why?
Answer:
Myopsittia monachus, the Quaker or monk parakeet, is such a successful organism that that the family (genius) evolved no other members; it is the lone species in it’s group. It is among the hardiest and most prolific of all parrots, being an opportunistic species whose range has, according to Forshaw, grown with the expansion of agriculture. In their native Argentina, Quaker parakeets reportedly eat 30% of the corn crop.
Because of concern that these birds might become established agricultural pests and that they represent a threat to native species in the local environments, they are illegal to own or to sell in California, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Hawaii, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Wyoming. They are legal to own, but illegal to sell or breed in Connecticut. They are legal to own with registration and banding in New York, and legal to own with breeder or seller registration in Virginia. This list was assembled from information provided with great difficulty by Jeff Sofa, Linda Greeson, and Theresa Jordan.
Unlike many of the rules that govern our everyday lives, these are not laws, but rather, they are regulations – rules established and administered in most states by the Wildlife or Agriculture Department. Regulations can change quickly, and written copies of regulations are difficult to obtain. One department in a particular state might give out one piece of information that directly contradicts information from another department in the same state. If you are moving from one state to another, please contact officials in your destination state to determine the current regulations governing Quaker parrot ownership in that state.
We know that Quaker parrots have become established in such diverse parts of the United Sates as Florida, Texas, New York, New Jersey, and Illinois. Occasional pairs have even been spotted in my home state of Colorado. Before 1993, when wild Quaker parrots were being imported into the United States, there was probably legitimate reason for concern. Not only were these birds fully capable of surviving wild, but also they were being transported from place to place in huge numbers.
Several colonies of feral Quakers that later became established can be traced to whole shipments of savvy wild Quakers that were probably captured together in Argentina and escaped together in the United States. Today the numbers of Quakers transported at one time are a small fraction of those huge shipments of imports. Additionally, the Quakers now available in the United States are typically handfed baby birds who have no understanding of finding food except from human hands.
Most handfed baby Quakers are intelligent enough to watch the other birds and figure out how to survive, but if humans are available, that is not usually their choice. As mentioned in the previous question (My Quaker Parrot flew away), escaped handfed Quakers seem to prefer to come to humans within the first 12 hours they are away from home.
Mattie Sue Athan has been a companion parrot behavior consultant since 1978. During that time she has averaged two to three new Quaker clients per week. Her first book, Guide to a Well-Behaved Parrot, is an industry standard. Her second book, Guide to the Quaker Parrot, sold out the first printing in 5 months. She also wrote Guide to the Senegal Parrot and Its Family and Guide to Companion Parrot Behavior.
Email: msathan@aol.com
I have owned a quaker parrot for almost 15 years. Last year I moved to California and left the bird with family members. I would like to bring my quaker (hand-fed and banded) into California. Is there anyway this is possible?
I could not bear to part with my Quaker parrot when I moved to California. So I made a solution of hydrogen peroxide to bleach the top of the chest, the crown, and front under-wing of the Quaker parrot. Then I dyed the top of the chest green (formerly gray), the top of the crown blue (formerly green), and the front under-wing orange (formerly green). Of course, you must use nontoxic, natural vegetable dyes. Other dyes can be fatal. And I rinsed the parrot thoroughly in the shower. Now I call it a grey-cheeked parakeet, and nobody is the wiser.
When I flew to California, nobody looked closely at the parrot, although I was asked to remove it from the approved travel carrier when I went through security. There were no checks at all arriving in California.
What happens if the bird gets sick in California? How do you take him to the vet?
I have read many documents and try to understand its merritt. However, when I ask the game warren about Quaker Parrot in CA, I was told different. He says that there is no juris. apply law about Quaker Parrot. You must have a violation on the book regarding the ieelgal nature of the bird. It is consider that the bird is Ban in CA. However enforcement to to the law is another matter. You must have a provisision to state the requirements on Quaker Parrot to be ieelgal. However, the term, illegal, is vast and have many connotations. Is there a reliable source or number to reflect this?
Hi,
Are you still in CA?? How did you get him across the border there?? What about vetrinarians?? I may move to CA and my heart is breaking over parting with my parrot!!!!
ARE THES BIRDS GOOD PETS. MY SON LIVES IN FLORIDA HAD ONE ON HIS FEEDER, COOPER CITY FLORIDA.ARE THEY MEAN?
NEVER HAD SEEN ANY IN IOWA.
I lived in San Diego for over 5 years with my Quaker. Crossing the border into Ca. , I told the inspector that she was a pionus. That worked just find and I never had a problem. Most avian vets with work on them with no questions asked. However, if you want to board them you need to look in small bird store. A lot of them will board your Quaker. I hope this helps.
If you live in an RV and travel the country,and do not have a home can you own a quaker parrot?
I own 3 quaker parrots and I wouldn’t trade them for the world. I have a 14 yr old green female, 1 yr old green female, and 1 yr old blue male. I may be going to grad school in Kansas and I am terrified to take them with me. I just cannot part with them. They are my life. My blue male is obsessed with me. Do you think I’ll get caught?
How did these laws pass in these states? Who passed them? What was their motivation for passing these laws? Were they really afraid of them becoming pests, or was it just that they didn’t like any animal that was smarter than they were, and might just talk back!
LEAVE THEM ALONE!!!!
They can be mean. Especially a wild-caught quaker. The bird would probably feel more threatened than anything if you put it in captivity. I own 3 quakers. They are comical, but can bite when provoked. They don’t take any crap!
I know you can’t buy or sell in New Jersey, but can they be shipped here? I really want one. I guess it can be shipped to NC if we line it up for our vacation at our vacation house, lol. If they are legal there…
I live in FL and own a clever little green quaker. I can’t imagine living without her, possibly a him. I am pondering moving back home to Connecticut. I’ve read that it’s legal to own but not breed or sell there. Then I’ve read where they’re illegal even to own. Does anyone know for sure? It’s awful what they’ve done there in CT!!
Melanie, Quaker Parrots are definitely legal to own in Connecticut, where there are feral populations of them in Milford, the Short Beach hamlet in the town of Branford and perhaps other areas.
I live in Short Beach, where our baseball team is called the Parrots and they are extremely beloved. The only flack you might face is from Quaker-lovers unfamiliar with seeing them caged as pets.
BTW … wouldn’t it be kinder to have at least two Quakers rather than one, seeing as they are the most community oriented of all bird species?
Just an FYI to anyone who is considering taking theirs to CA even for vacation. We just headed to California last weekend for a weekend getaway. They stopped us at the agriculture station at the CA border and would NOT let our quaker parrot in (evey to stay the weekend at a motel). They told us that if Game & Fish found him, they would take him, period. They offered to “babysit” him and we could come pick him up when heading home, they must be OUT OF THEIR MINDS to think we’d leave him. We turned around and went elsewhere for the weekend. Who wants to give a state with such ridiculous and unsubstantiated laws our money anyway.
I brought my baby with me when moving home to cali. when i got close to the border, I put her down inside the center console until I crossed. I had lined it with a soft cloth previously and made sure there was adequate venting by not completely shutting it and she just thought it was nap time. A mile down the road, let her back out to play and she was none the wiser, just happy as always!
I was just about to adopt a rescue Quaker from a friend in MO. I live in KY and when I contacted the sole vet around who attends to birds, he told me of the ban. He has never had unclipped flight feathers and he does not have a mate. He is sweet to everyone that handles him. They ban them because they are afraid that they’ll eat the government subsidized genetically modified corn used to produce the corn syrup that is poisoning our populace. This is agrabusiness BS at it’s worst. I called Fish and Wildlife and they confirmed this greedy, stupid, smallminded regulation. Pardon my vitriol, but I just found out and I’m really cheesed off.
I never lost a bird to the wild and I started buying birds from breeders when they were just off hand feeding in the early 80’s, so I think I can protect the few kernels of that precious non-food product that he wouldn’t eat if was the only food avalable.
I HAD LIVED IN FLORIDA WITH MY CUSION JERRY WE CAME HOME FROM WORK AN SEEN THE BIRD ON THE ROOF MY CUZ ALL READY HAD A MACOW SO I WENT IN TO GET SOME BIRD FOOD THE BIRD FLUE RITE IN MY HAND. SO I WALKED IN THE HOUSE SO I COULD KEEP IT I WENT TO THE PET STORE A GOT BIRD CAGE THEN I GAVE THE BIRD TO MY MOTHER THAT WAS IN A WHEEL CHAIR TO KEEP COMPENY. MOM HAD FOR 3 YRS THEN MOM DIED I GOT FESTIS BACK HAD FOR 10 YRS AND FESTIS JUST DIED 7/18/2010 HE WAS MY BEST FRIEND VERY LOVE A BULL R.I.P. FESTIS SO THEY ARE ***GOOD BIRDS***
My daughter and I had been trying to decide on which state we would like to move to….Colorado or New Hampshire when I found out that each of those states have a ban on owning a quaker. We have 9 different types of exotic birds, one being a quaker. Jillian (Jilly) was our first bird, and our oldest. We refuse to give up a member of our family, and I refuse to pay taxes to any state that has such a ridiculous law! Their money would be better spent on punishing animal abusers rather than loving owners. As much as I have enjoyed visiting both of the above named states, I won’t be spending my money in either again, unless they change their laws.
mother to:
FEATHERED FAMILY MEMBERS
Luke: Greenwinged Macaw
Gage: Military Macaw
Cody: Severe Macaw
Corina: Double yellow headed
Emily: Goffins Cockatoo
Wyatt & Riley: (brothers) African Grays
Jilly: Quaker
Angel: Love Bird
FURRY FAMILY MEMBERS
Sadie: sheltie
Bently: sheltie
Breanna (Bre): mixed breed kitty
Could someone please tell me if it is LAW to have a sun conure banded in the sate of Florida? I have heard so many different things and I just want to know if it is supposed to be done by a breeder?
Thank you
There ARE Quakers in California….just not very many. The vets regard them as clients and simply list as another parrot breed. Obviously, it is not wise to walk out in public with your quaker but keep a low profile and use proper judgement. NO breeding.
There most certainly are Quakers in California. Most avian vets couldn’t care less, they treat birds, regardless of species, they’re certainly not about to turn their paying customers in to the authorities. The same is true of ferrets, which are likewise illegal in California, yet there is a ferret supply section in every pet store in the state. There are more ferrets kept as pets in California than in every other state in the nation combined. Being illegal doesn’t mean a thing. If you don’t advertise the fact, nobody cares.
We are breeders in Colorado that had a small flock of Quakers for many years that we raised handfed babies from. There has been a law on the books with Fish And Wildlife for a long time about them being illegal, however, the Colorado Department of Agriculture is in charge of all birds in the state and they are the agency that issues the breeding license. The Dept. of AG did not enforce this law at all. We were inspected by our normal person from Dept. of Ag.in October of 2010 and were told we should sell them off as the law would be enforced in 2011. We did so to our chegrin. It IS LEGAL to own one as a pet here but there is suppose to be no more breeding or selling of them by any licensed entity in the state nor can babies be brought in from out of state. Also, even more irking, is that there are still breeders in the state who still raise and sell them and still doing business. We cannot get a straight answer out of Dept. of Ag. at all about it. They are excellent pets and were very popular in our area. We will not be getting any more in case we do get harrassed.
I’m moving from michigan to TN and my 15 y/o quaker, Pickles, IS going with me. I’m hoping to keep her undercover but have decided if I get caught her being euthanized is better than me leaving her with someone and wondering if she is getting the care and love I have for her. She screams at me to get up when I’m depressed, licks my tears when I cry, cuddles me when I’m lonely and protects me when anyone is near. I WON’T leave her behind! We will just have to be smart about it. If anyone asks I’ll say she is a budgie from the parakeet family. I’ll get an upper apartment so nobody can see in the windows and blame her yelling on my grey
I was considering moving to RI and wrote to the Veterinary General of the State. He said they were illegal, but that a license or exception can be made for pets. We have a lone Quaker- and she considers us her folk. So, even if they are communal birds- it doesn’t necessarily need to be another Quaker. I don’t think it is wise to take in a feral Quaker, but if the Quaker comes to you, likely it is someones pet…and you should try and find its owner.