Just like their human flockmates, parrots also experience the behavorial challenge referred to
as adolescence. In Quakers this stage begins about the same time as the first major molt,
somewhere around six months of age. This is a time period in which your "Baby bird" of yesterday will be sexually maturing
and experiencing hormonal based temper tantrums that will surprise even him. This life phase is the most challenging
to all Quakers and their families. Rest assured that the cuddly, sweet natured bird you brought home lurks behind
the beak beating, obstinate, independent bird of late. The unfortunate thing is that it is normal for this
phase to last much longer than the enjoyable phase you have just experienced, but with patience and consistency
your Quaker will return (for the most part) to its former self. Assuming you purchased your Quaker fully weaned,
they probably came to live with you when they were about 3-4 months old. This adolescent phase kicks in at about six months, just a few short months later,
and can be expected to last until the approximate age of 18 months. This may sound like a long time, but considering the fact that it
is possible for a well cared for Quaker companion to live 25 - 30 years, it's very tolerable. If you don't give up on your feathered friend during this
phase, you will have a loving companion for many years to come.
Parrots that become sexually bonded to their owners do not make good pets, period. Something (s)
should be done to repair this dysfunctional relationship between bird and human in order for both to be truly happy. In a
well balanced parrot-human relationship the relationship could be more accurately compared to that of parent - child. It is a birds natural
instinct to protect, even at risk of great personal injury, its (perceived) mate against outsiders. This can result in
awesome displays of hostility including wing bashing, biting, and facial attacks. This aggression is not, however,
always directed at an outsider. It is very common for a sexually bonded companion parrot to bite or attack the
perceived mate when they are approached by another person or animal. In fact, anyone who has owned a
parrot before will tell you that they can hold grudges, and jealousy will often prompt a later
attack on you or a family member.
Loyalty in birds is related to the birds perception of it's flock. Early socialization in the
companion Quaker is an essential part of ensuring the birds future success in relationships with
outsiders. A Quaker that spends a great deal of time practicing step-ups and visiting away from the
cage with all household members early in life will already be better patterned for accepting changing
circumstances as an adult. However, it is only natural for the bird to form a primary bond with one
member of the household and a secondary attachment to the remaining members. This relationship bond
can be compared with child-parent vs. child-sibling. The object of this primary bonding relationship
is likely to change periodically as well, sometimes for no apparent reason, but often linked to a
traumatic event like a vet visit or accidental injury. If this happens between you and "your" Quaker,
don't panic. As mentioned in the prior paragraph, parrots do have a tendency to hold a bit of a grudge,
but with your patience and persistence they will come back around.
2. Sexual Bonding -
3. Loyalty
Your Quaker will perceive those that handle him or her routinely as flockmates and all others
as outsiders. Teaching those outsiders that expect or desire to handle your Quaker the proper method
of doing so in advance of the physical encounter will help diminish the likelihood of aggression on
the part of your parrot. It is important for everyone who handles your bird to know
Birdie Basics before they attempt handling your parrot. A stranger who is using the same verbal and physical commands with the bird
as the human flockmates will increase the birds likelihood of acceptance by displaying behaviors it has come to accept as normal, predictable,
and non-threatening.
A parrot is a very instinctive creature. Unlike other domesticated pets (cats & dogs) who have been bred for thousands of years
for life with humans, most pet parrots are only a few generations domesticated. What this means
is that up until as late as 1994 most parrots for sale were imported from the wild into the United States.
Since a bird is a prey animal, it was given many instincts essential for survival in it's native environment.
An ill bird is at great risk of being "picked off" by a predator, or abandoned by it's flockmates. For this reason, birds who are
ill or injured sometimes make attempts to hide this fact from others. If a bird who is normally Teddy Bearish or predictably
performs the Step-up command begins biting or withdrawing, a thorough examination is in order. A bird that is in pain from
injury to a nail, leg, or wing will seem agressive, when truly, it is responding predictably to the source of greater pain.
Hopefully we have already established the fact that a parrot is an intelligent creature. You should also be aware that a bird is a prey animal, meaning, simply,
that a bird is FOOD for other animals. Evidence that this is fact is apparent even in their anatomy. In order to improve
a birds likelihood of visualizing an approaching predator, birds eyes are situated on the sides of their heads.
Since humans are at the top of the foodchain, we must remove our human brains and think like a bird if we are going to be able
to predict and understand our parrots behavior. A bird views everyone and everything new as a threat, a predator, until it is
somehow proven to the bird to be otherwise. Since parrots have memories and reasoning capabilities, not every
new thing will be handled with the same degree of caution. A new toy that somehow physically resembles an old one, like two hanging
toys that are approximately the same size, is much less likely to be feared, and will be treated cautiously for
far less time than say a larger, cage top toy. Any object that is feared and can not be retreated from will be warned to retreat itself,
and if it does not, it will be attacked. This is a normal behavior on the part of the parrot,
and it is our human responsibility to predict, and then change, the course of action.
Like us, not everything our bird does is wonderful. Not every behavior has an obvious cause. Sometimes, our
birds do get mad, and they have what is known as a temper tantrum. Imagine that! Parrot
intelligence is one of the endearing qualities that make our birds our true companions. It is also
a factor that makes our parrots moody, independent, and headstrong. However, by learning to interpret Bird Body Language,
and respecting our birds rights, including their inherent right to emotion, we minimize the chance of misunderstanding
between bird and owner.
4. Illness
5. Fear or Past Experience
6. Temper
© contained in Quaker Quarters Copyright Kyra Brown 1998