I just purchased my first bird ever and it is a 6mos. old quaker parrot 4-days ago,even though i talk to it off and on all day it runs from my hand or gets agitated and bites me it shows no interest in stepping up on my finger it does not make any sounds or whistle except the first day i got it it became agitated at me and squaked very loud when i tried to pick it up. Please give me some advice.I cant wait for him to love me back Thanks Chuck

Chuck,

I have owned my Quaker for almost 8 years now. On piece of advice I have for you had to do with the way you approach your Quaker. If you put your hand directly in front of his face, this is seen as a sign of aggression. A better way is to come from behind, at a 45 degree angle. This is less invasive and he (or she) is more likely to respond kindly. Try to work at your relationship from there and let your Quaker get more comfortable being handled. In time you should be able to get all the affection you want!

Brian

First off I wanna say thank you very much for the good advice on moving the quaker to a play pen when changing water, food, and cleaning the cage. I just got my quaker about a week ago, the previous owner stated he is about 3 years old. This is the first parrot I have ever owned, I am more familiar with Finches and Cockatiels, and I don't regret getting Buzz (the quaker), he's very smart and love's playing peek-a-boo. I do have a few question's since this is my first parrot. First, do Quaker's form bonds with just one person? I'm asking because he does very well with me, he has bitten me 3 times, 2 of the times was when I was changing his food bowl, and another was when I was trying to pass him over to my roommates finger. The food bowl times were not to bad, didn't break skin, it was more like a warning, however when I was trying to pass him he broke the skin. I then set him on the top of the cage to see if he would let my roomie get him. He did get up on his finger then very quickly went up his sleeve and started to bite his collar on his shirt and then all of the sudden he bite the back of his neck. Buzz has bitten my roomie several times since, breaking the skin everytime. So that leads me to my question do they form bonds with certain people? If so how can we work with that and let a bond form with him and my roomie? If you can help me out with this issue that we have it would be greatly appreciated.
Gary

Hi Gary, congrats on your new QP. Quakers sometimes do become one person birds, but if your roommate is willing to work with Buzz I think they will be able to build a good relationship in time. I think these two articles will be helpful to you both: Parrot Taming That Works and How to Train Quaker Parrots to Enjoy Multiple People. Good luck!

My quaker put me through a fairly long (maybe two weeks?) period of shunning me when I first got her. She'd turn her back to me and refuse to 'talk' to me at all. I just visited her cage several times each day for about 3 to 5 minutes talking softly to her and offering her parrot treats - fresh fruits and veggies. Then I'd leave them for her and leave her alone again. She gradually warmed up to me and now she is crazy for me and talks up a storm. Just hang in there, your bird will warm to you too.

I have an six year old quaker parrot whose aggressive toward almost everything. I got him, Jasper, when I was about ten or so and really didn't understand how to take care of one. He was my birthday present and he was someone to talk to. He picked up on a few words like "Baby" from my baby brother, "What?", "no", "where is it", "Night, Night" and "Good boy" or as he says to me "Good girl", and if I'm away for a few days he'll yell and ask where I've been. I love him very much is there anything I can do to make him less agressive and more talkive? Also he has a habit of taking socks and small toys from my desk when I'm not looking.
I know that during the summer males are said to get aggressive but he starting to draw alittle blood.

Yea, my Kiwi is very aggressive these days. Even towards me and we've been so close before. Now Im a little afriad of him. He's never been this way with me before. I dont know if its because of the summer or because I have a baby on the way. Im crazy about my little guy and its killing me keeping him in his cage more now. I dont want him to get depressed but I cant handle his attacks anymore. What am I going to do?

I got my quaker about 3 weeks ago and he/she not sure i call him a he. Any way i found that he likes a routine. When i first got him i would take him out every morning and hold him & talk to him now if i have to go somewhere and cant take him out of his cage in the morning he will get mad at me. When i can finally take him out he will act like hes going to bite me and we will ignore me and run away when i tell him to step-up. He's only 3 months old but he already says his name if you talk real quiet to him. This is my first bird and I love him am so happy having him

My husband and I are (were) empty nesters. We got Eago for my husbands' birthday. Our daughter is home from college and somedays the bird will step up and be very sweet to her then at other times he will fly at her aggressively. He has bitten her many times and drew blood once on the back of her neck. We immediately take him to his cage and tell him he has been a bad boy. When he does these bad behaviors though he laughs hysterically. He seems to want to play with her and she is the only person that can get him to laughing sooo hard. Does anyone know if this is jealousy of us paying too much attention to our daughter or does he have a crush on her?

I've had my Quaker for seven years and I'm still at a loss to know why he's so sweet sometimes and other times he's very aggressive towards me. I just came back from a two-week vacation (my daughter stayed with him at the house). On two separate occasions when I was being nice to him, he flew at my face and hung on with his beak biting harder, when I tried to swat him off he bit down again drawing blood each time. He did it again later in the day on the other side other side of my face, and he too laughed hysterically after. I just wonder if he was angry at me for leaving him. The breeder says if I get his wings clipped he won't be so aggressive. They also say if you show a lot of reaction they will think you want to play and will do it again. Who knows, I have yet to understand what makes them tick.

My Quaker, Tony, is VERY territorial about his cage. He always wants to step-up and I usually take him and walk away from his cage right away, keeping him on my stiff hand, lower than my shoulders. I have stopped letting him perch on my shoulder as being an assertive bird, this puts HIM in control, not me. It is also a good way to get bit on the ear or face. He loves attention and stepping up, but only for short periods of time, then he's had enough. Quaker's can also get overstimulated with play and think biting is part of the game. They are wonderful little busy bees and like any pet require a lot of attention.

my bird kermit
is a young bird when i got him he was still being hand feed. know after a 2 to 3 weeks know he is starting to bite how and i would like to know why he is doing this
could any one could help me that would be grat i love kermit and i dont want this to get in our way

i need help i got my bird (quaker)a day ago and today i i spent all day with him no really all day i tried holding him but he just went on the side of his cage so i took some of his food and fed it to him with my hands and when i went outside to clean his litter thing (the thing on the bottom) he would scream for me and around 8 somthig i tried holding him again but he didnt come but when my dad tried to hold him he went and my dad dosent even spend much time with as i do so i tried taking him from my dad but when i did he tried runing away and tried bitting me!! I NEED HELP PLZ QUICK!!!!

Please help. My mother's quaker is so aggressive, he regularly draws blood from my brother, father, myself and even sometimes my mother. We have a Green Cheeked Conure as well, and my mother allows them to fly around the house freely, refusing to clip their wings. We've told my mother on numerous occasions that they need to have their wings clipped because the quaker would be more humble and there wouldn't be droppings all over the house, but she refuses. She feels as though it would be "cruel" to clip their wings now, but the rest of us have about had it with the constant "hunting" by the quaker - he literally stalks us for attack. And so i ask you - WHAT SHOULD WE DO?

I have a little advice on finding lost quakers. Look for them within a block radius of where he/she flew away.They tend to be afraid when they're out in the open. On different ocasions 3 of my birds have run away from home(I was not home at the time).Each time I have gone around the block, called their names and have even climbed up a tree to get one off the cable line because he was afraid to move this one was gone overnight and when I went looking I parked a block away and I guess he recognized the car noise or he saw me,he let out a squeal and I looked up and there he was on the line.

I bought two quaters two weeks ago (male & female) they said they are 2years & three yeare. How can I get them to stop bitting? they told me they say pretty boy but I have yet to hear them say any thing. Do you think we will ever get them to talk?

Birds bite for a number of reasons;
Fear,Protective Instinct,Hormones,Over grooming or too much attention,Frustration or boredom,Displacement,Dominance,Youth,Pathophysiological.Try to figure out which one(s) are the culprit and remedy. These categories can be broken down further for more explanation. Let me know if I can help.

Try and hold him a little tight and get eye to him and tell him/her NO and then either put the bird down for a bit or either back in or on the cage.You must be the dominant one in the flock.Birds naturally bond with a primary person but can be helped to respond to more than one person with some guidance.Hope this helps.

I just got my Quaker a week ago- he's really active, he will stay on top of his cage and play all day till bed-time. We have been closer, and I know I have to be more dominate person. When he even wants me to get him or visa versa, and he's on my shoulder, I have to wear a sweater because he knaws on my fleece, chews my hair, and I think he accidently will nip my neck- is that a nervous nick that he has and how do I correct that?

My husband said I could get a qauker parrot but I don't wont to be afraid of him he will have a large cage and toys but I have heard they bite. I have only had cockatails and I loved them but my husband didn't like the yelling it did.
So how do i find a good bird

hi desiree i had a green quaker sounds exactly the same he was 4 years old sometimes he niped me and i found this was because i made a noise he liked that.my partner would look him in the eyes and say nothing tuti never niped him again

i had a green quaker parrot tuti sadly he flew away 4 weeks ago i tryed the local shops papers but sadly even though i had a few sighting he hasnt came back.he was tame and lots of fun.i have just brought 2 quakers 1 green and 1 blue they are 3 months old i do not know the sex of them.they are very close 2 each other and huddle together leaving me out .the only time i get there attention is when they are tired and cant be bothered to move.i have only had these a week and think it is to soon to try and get them out am i right in doing this???

I have a four year old (I think) I got from a friend of mine with a sun conure the conure is pretty sweet atleast to me but the Quacker that we nicknamed Chomp'n Charlie, he draws blood almost every time. but I have made a game out of it and thats were I think I've made my mistake, Is it to late to try to change him or do I just except he's "Chomp'n Charlie for life, I'll love him no matter.

Hi Chuck. my name is lauren, and i recently adopted my first quaker several weeks ago. He was a rescue, so when i first tried to work with him, he was very aggressive. The first thing i did was to remove him from the cage and to another room where he COULD NOT SEE the cage. you may have to take him out with a towel.(dont chase him around the cage with your hand, he will associate your hand with threat) once he is away from the cage and in a QUIET room ALONE with you, you may have an easier time with taming him. once he is willing to get on your hand, play "step up" constantly. one thing that got Lucas (my quaker) to trust me was petting his beak. sounds weird, but he could see my finger the whole time, so he let me do it. once he realized i didnt want to hurt him, i was allowed to move to the top, then back of his head. its been awhile since then, and he hasnt bit me for weeks.

Gail!
I dont know if three months is too early to seperate them, but trust me, you do NOT want to keep them in the same cage. They will continue doing what they are right now. they have each other, what do they need you for?, that is their motto. If you want a meaning ful relationship, with either of them seperate them!!!

Hello:

We have a two year old quaker (believed to be a male) that we recently left with family members for one week while we were on vacation. During his stay there he was very well behaved however since we have gotten him home he has been very aggresive towards us. He will bite and draw blood when we try to pick him up and sometimes he will pretend that he is okay with stepping up and then bite the hand that he is sittng on. We are unsure if he is angry with us for leaving him or if he is territorial about having his usual cage back(he was in a different cage while he was away). We are hopeful that this will pass but usure if we should spend less time with him so that he can re-ajust or remove most of the items out of his cage for the time being? We also have a smaller cage that we could have him stay in until he becomes less territorial. If anyone has any advice please let us know. He is normally such a sweet and loving bird so we are heartbroken!

I have a Rainbow Lory who acts the same way when a routine is broken or I am late getting home. He has been getting into all sorts of trouble and even took a bath in the back of the aquarium! He has fallen in love with a Quaker at the pet store and when we go there he whistles at her makes kissing sounds and dances. I have decided to bring the quaker home and hopefully Jake will be better behaved if he has a friend to interact with. Should be interesting!!

My husband and I just got our Quaker a few days ago, when we went to pick her up she let the both of us hold her, and her previous owner was shocked because she is known to not really like females. Since we've brought her home she does nothing but nip at the both of us when we try to get her back in the cage. The only time she is nice is when I am giving her a treat, although she still doesn't let me pick her up. I know she is a smart bird but I am so discouraged at the behavior she is exhibiting, and I don't know if we are a good fit for one another. Does anyone have any advice?

My quaker is going through her first molt and has been pulling out her tail feathers. Is this normal during molting?

samething for me i just got it yesterday and it never makes a sound and it dosnt move from one spot in the cage

I jut got my first Quaker two days ago. She is 2.5 months old. She bites! She is still being hand fed 3 x per day by me and she bites me a lot. Any suggestions on discipline? How does one communicate that this is not OK to a baby bird? If I ignore it she continues. What now? Thanks!

I have a Quaker Parrot I think the previous owner said he is 12 yrs old.The previous owner was dying and gave him to me I have had him for about 4 months at times he is very aggressive and has bitten me several times, he does not talk but he did for his last owner. I love this parrot and at most times get along except for his biting episodes. I give him treats and talk nicely to him except when he bites me I let tell him bad boy and he holds his head down and drags his beak along his wooden perch.At these times the song comes to me "I believe you can fly, I believe you can touch the sky (R KELLY) I need some help anyone have suggestions before he finds a new home. OOOOOPs just kiddin I am keepin my Stinky.

Hello Paula
I too have a Quaker parrot. I would suggest teaching your Quaker the step up command. When teaching your bird to step up remember that you do not want to place your hand within the bite zone. Place your hand close to his feet. Practice the step up every day and hopefully you'll see a decrease in the biting.

Hi,I've a 4 yr old green quaker. Instead of my hand, I use a light hand towel as soon as I have sammy out of the cage. I use the step up command with my hand after repeatedly. I also have been lightly wrapping him in hand towel on my lap. So we get some cuddle time,but safe from bites. If sammy wants to bite he bites the towel. Then I can safely pet him which he loves. I also hand fed him treats(ground up fruit & such. It's a way to start.

Something that is really cute. I was slowly stretching my arms like a bird & sammy stretches his wings right with me. When I go to his cage I do this before I open the cage to show who is boss. It seems to work. I received sammy 2 weeks ago. I was told he was a biter but I took him out of the cage the 1rst night. The editor was right the green are sweet but sassy. The birds use their becks for balance, climbing and defence. I used to have cockatiels also.

THANK YOU I WILL TRY THE STEP UP COMMAND.I DON'T THINK I CAN TAKE TO MANY OF THOSE BITES JUST TO GET HIM TRAINEDTHO. I DID TRY WEARING GLOVES ONCE BUT I THINK IF I WEAR THEM TO OFTEN HE WILL CONTINUE TO BITE ME WHEN I DON'T HAVE THEM ON. I THINK MY BIRD HAS HORMONE ISSUES ALSO(LOL). SOUNDS LIKE ME LOL.JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR ADVICE.

I AM GOING TO TRY TO THE STEP UP COMMAND YOU SUGGESTED SO I CAN CONTINUE TO HAVE A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH MY STINKY.

when i go to the pet store and when i pick a qp their nice and they let me pet them and everything but then they wont let put them down or switch them to my other hand by biting me and the pet worker has to help me, so what i mean is that if i do get one and this is still happening what do i do, im 14 and my mom says that if that happens what will i do, so what can i do??

please help my quaker is mean he bites at me when i try to get him out of the cage what can i do

I have had my quaker Jack since he was a baby and he rarely bites but I cannot get him to stop biting at my glasses arms over my ears. I have tried everything. Any ideas out there?

My quaker goes through hormonal, territorial spells where she'll attack my son and his friends and try biting me around her cage. Since I allow her a lot of freedom and must protect the kids, I clip her wings if she's attacking people. With the cage issue, we go back to some step up reinforcement training. I find if I use something other than my hand for the first step up and then transfer to my hand for the second step up, I don't get bitten. I will use the transition object for a few days and then go back to using my hand directly. I still re-establish the pecking order and don't get bitten in the process. I'm no expert, but it works for me. I find quakers can get aggressive if allowed to and although they respond to positive reinforcement quite well, sometimes you have to act quickly so bad habits don't become ingrained.

Hi, my name is Angela and i just got my first quaker parrot like two days ago.And i need to know how do i get my baby to stop biting.because he has bitten just about everyone in my family and has made them bleed so please help me how do i make him stop. i dont know how much i can deal with it cause i am scared of my bird how and i dont want that. well if you can help thanks alot. take care everyone

I just bought my first Quaker this Satureday… I named him Jade… He seems very young but very comfortable with me and my husband. He didn't bite the first two days but then the third day he started biting me. I noticed that he kept shaking his head no and backing up like he was trying to tell me NO. He bit me again later and I blew quickly into his face and said NO-NO. He shook his head no and said no-no. Now when he tells me no-no… I back off and when I tell him no-no he backs off. Mostly he puts his beak on my flesh like he is going to bite and then reminds himself by backing off, shaking his head and saying no-no.

I think that he was mad at me for dissapearing while showering and doing laundry. So he bit me. Jade doesn't say much. He has learned a few things since I got him but from what I can tell… I have to respect his wishes and he will respect mine. He also bites me on accident and I understand that he is young and like children… he will get carried away. Once I say, "Ow! no-no." in a fairly calm voice, he backs off.

I am hardly qualified and I may just be very lucky that his previous owner hand raised him gently. But at the same time, birds are very smart and catch on quickly.

I just have a few suggestions as far as bitting and bonding go. I recently got a Quakers Parrot for my early christmas present. I saw him at petco and he was making kissing noises at me through the glass of his cage, and was trying to step up on my finger, it was adorable and I fell in love instanly. The girl there told me that he wasn't very friendly normally and loves to nip and bite at people. It made me think twice about him, but my gut instinct was that he was just misunderstood and he wasn't as bad as he was made out to be. When she let him step out of his cage, (which you should normally do when first getting a bird, let them have "their space") she placed her hand infront of him and asked him to step up. He instantly hissed at her and tried to bite her, and she was the one that hand raised him!!But he did allow her to grab him and then he tried flapping his way over to me.
He seemed to bond with my boyfriend and I instantly and I knew I had to take him home. I almost instantly regretted him though, as he wasn't stepping up or wanting attention. But I didn't take into consideration that it was a new surrounding, a different cage and there were new smells and noises everywhere. So in-oder for us to "bond" I picked him up a in towel and just held him to me, right against my chest, for several hours at a time.The whole time I spoke quietly in a soothing voice, or said nothing at all and just stroked him gently on his face. We are now really bonded, he sees me and automatically smooches, and gets excited to see me.If I have my hair down, he will acutally come over and lay down in it and often rests his head on my shoulder and sleeps for hours at a time until I put him back on his cage. We still have issues with stepping up from his cage onto my hand, but I always let him climb out, and then he steps up once I ask him to, always saying "Tango, step up" if he feels a little off balanced he will catch himself by gently holding onto my finger, it may look like he's going to bite me, but he's just catching himself.If you jerk your hand away, that fast movement is going to scare them and they actually might bite you when it wasn't their original intention. (If you are having issues with your bird reaching down to bite your hand while he is already sitting on it, this is a simple solution. When you are holding your feathered friend and he reaches down to nip at your for no reason or out of frustration, drop your hand in a quick motion about an inch or two, this'll make them loose their balance and they'll have to flap their wings and try to stay on. Birds hate being off of balance especially when their wings are clipped and they cannot fly. Everytime they go to bite, make this movement,and they will learn that bitting leads to being off of balance and they are quickly cured of this bad habbit.)
Also to bond with him more, I will put a bowl of his faveorite treats out ontop of his cage, and for him being able to eat next to me seems to really make him happy. Infact when I walk into the room now he'll grab a peanut and begin munching on it, it's just comforting for him and he really enjoys everything I've tried with him.
The only time he is nippy is when he's on my shoulder, no one can get him off then, but He'll step down from my shoulder onto his cage, and we just try it again. Within 5 days I got him to step up onto my hand and we are on our way to becoming great friends. Birds are highly intellegent, and need to feel safe and know that you aren't going to hurt them, especially when you get one from a pet shop and you haven't spent much time with it at all before the purchase. Getting frustrated with them wont help because they can sense the hostility, and often will ignore you or hide in their cage.
Often times, I find that in both my other birds (a cockatiel named Keno and a Myers Parrot we call Bubba) if we are frustrated with them or use harsh tones, they will do so back and it is not until we have mellowed down or calm our voices,that they will do the same thing.
Remember that keeping their wings clipped is one of the best things you can do for your friend. Not only will it keep them from flying into a window, mirror, behind the stove(not fun) or out the door when it's accidently left ajar, but it also doesn't allow for them to deicde their destination, by flight anyway. You can control their environment, where they can go, what they can play with, and often times they learn to rely on you, and when they are in trouble or unsure of something, they will often run back to you or call to you for safety. Which is rewarding because that means that you are bonded and you can feel good in knowing your feathered friend trusts you in times of trouble.
I hope that this is all insiteful. Sorry it was a bit long but a lot of people were writting needing help with bonding and had issues with birdy bites. Wishing everyone the best of luck and the happiest of Hollidays,
Signed,
Katie, Tango, Keno, Bubba and Josie the cat.

ps…Quakers Parakeets, like mine, are protective and will often times attack a cat. Be sure never to leave your bird unattended with a cat around! For the cat's sake, LOL

hi,im a disabled person who is in a wheelchair and i thinking of getting a quaker parrott but im not too sure how to tame the bird. would it be good around children as i have a 4 yr old and my wife and i wants a parrot to be part of the family but we want a parrott who wont constantly bite and attack us when its out of the cage… i saw pictures and videos of these birds and i really like them. would you be able to help me… many thanks paul gibson

my boyfriend is a roofer and brought home a quaker from a job that the bird seemed to CHOOSE him. At first he would love up on both of us by rubbing his head against our chins and such,now he bites ME very hard drawing blood-and has left me with three scars. I have again decided I don't like the bird and won't touch him any more but my boyfriend still interacts with it and NEVER has a probelm. Does anybody think maybe the bird is being terriortorial of my boyfriend and protecting him from me-or previous owner was female and let him go? The bird DOES NOT like to be approached with any type of cloth? He also screeches a girls name even tho we tell him my boyfriends name we've had him apprx 6-8mths now. Any suggestions??

hi i have got a blue quaker.when we got it is seemed nice and did not bite.in the last 3 days i can not put my hand near itwhile in the xage is there any way to prevent this happening.when he is out of the cage he will be friendyy and calm but when in the cage it will go ape and start attacking me constent

George about 13 has just stop talking use too talk a lot. dont bite wife me he won't let me get close. unless he need me too pick him up.

This seems to be the same old question, i am new to birds, bought an 8 year old Quaker parrot from its only owner. It is very inconsistent, sometimes accepts me, sometimes not but it always bites, sometimes a nip, sometimes draws blood, can't tell what situation contributes to which, I was told it speaks but so far only screeches and chirps and clicks, no discernable words, I open its cage in morning and it climbs outside and then will step up after biting to let me carry it to play pen It does accepts treats from me, and will preen me very gently on face and then walk down my arm and bite my finger hard. please advise.

I have owned many quakers in my life they all have had their moods. the 1 I have now every now & then get a bug up his butt & no one can get near him. I have had him since he was 8wks old. I have found that bird tricks.com to be a lot of help when it comes to Quackers my quaker parrots temper tantrums. They do teach you how to deal with birds when the get fussy. The funny thing is on the days he is being a little booger butt toward me he hets along with my 3 dogs very well no matter what. He loves to chase the puppy all over the house in his ferret ball we got him. It is so funny to watch. he also love to climb on our american staffordshire terrier, he rides on storm's back.

Good Luck with Your quaker

Quaker's are pretty much a 1 person bird but if you socialize them with a lot of peaple they will be less likely to nip at other people

We have a 1 1/2 yr old green quaker. He loves me and lets me handle him anyway, he used to let anyone pick him up, but now only me. This is a problem for my husband since it's supposed to be his bird. Whenever he gets close to the cage he hisses at him and bites at him. He can pick him up with his whole hand, but no stepping up. Once he has him on his finger Cola doesn't bite or anything, just sits.

It seems the bird is overbonded to me, and if my husband begins to work with cola, would it help if I stayed away from Cola while they bond?

I GOT A QUAKER PARROT 2 DAYS AGO.SHE IS 3 DAYS OLD.I AM AFRAID TO TOUCH IT BECAUSE I AM AFRAID IT WILL BITE.I REALLY WANT TO TRAIN IT AND PLAY WITH IT BUT WAHT IF IT BITES ME.HOW DO I HOLD IT.ALSO HOW CAN IBE ITS FAVORITE OUT OF MY WHOLE FAMILY.

I just got a quaker parrot today and it has already bitten by husban and my brother-in-law and even myself. what do I do?

Gary
In answer to your question, do they form bonds with certin people? ABSOULTY! YES! You are viewed by him, as HIS person. I have had my Quaker "Oscar" for 7 years and in the begining he would accutalt run down my shoulder ATTACK my daughter, every time she came close to me. They can be almost like an attack DOG. If your roomie is going to be around the bird, you need to teach youR bird NOW! to accept your roomie or else the biting will deffinatly becaome worse! They are very territorital with what is THEIRS! Find a place away from you and his cage, let your roomie come up to the bird and talk to him in a small almost baby talk. Repeat this often. Then slowly add petting him, with out picking him up. Soon, on his own terms, the bird will be happy to be with your roomie. It's very important that you BOTH do this, or the bird will then OWN your roomie and NOT YOU! Lots of communication between them and THEIR POEPLE are very important for them to be a fun pet, instead of a vicious attack BIRD. The biting of any one has to be stoped immeadiatly or it WILL BECAME HABITTIAL! Please go get a book on quaker parots. They are VERY SMART and can be a lot of fun to have, if trained correctly in the begining. My parrot is like a child and interacts with us like a person. He even asks us for things HE WANTS, like a bath. If we are eating, he says "wanna a bite" and bobs his head UP & DOWN, meaning YES! He will not stop, until given a bite of something. He loves to eat with us. You would laugh yourself sill if you saw it. So, creat you own funny moments with your bird, and remember the sky can be the limit with what they can do. Please e-mail me if you have any futher questions. Put Quaker Perrot in the subject line, because I SPAM all e-mail I don't recongnize. Kathy!