MATTIE SUE ATHAN

My 9-week-old Quaker parakeet was handfed. When we talk to her or hold her she puffs up her feathers and bobs her head up and down. This morning she added holding her wings out. What is she trying to tell me?

Your bird is asking you to feed her. This soliciting behavior is typical of baby and juvenile parrots and although you don't mention it, I suspect that in this case it is accompanied by a palsy-like shake for which Quakers are known. (Biologists, by the way, refer to Quakers as monk parakeets for their plain colors and cowl-like markings.) If you offer her warm oatmeal in the morning, your bird may take a few gulps while demonstrating her "quake". To make feeding easier, you can heat and bend a plastic spoon to give it a beaklike point or simply pinch a small paper cup to form a spout. Or, because she is weaned, your bird may prefer warm food offered in a more "grown-up" way - perhaps a dollop of warm oatmeal or grits on a small piece of warm toast.

While she may continue to beg for food for a very long time, your Quaker probably eventually will outgrow it. In the meantime, supplementing her regular diet with a bit of comforting handfeeding can give her the confidence to progress to the next phase of behavioral development: exploration. During this period it's fine to cuddle her some, but don't overdo it; encourage independence so that she will learn to keep herself entertained playing with toys and won't demand your attention all of the time.

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Mattie Sue Athan is a companion parrot behavior consultant and best-selling author of numerous bird-care books, including Guide to a Well-Behaved Parrot. Her latest book is Parrots in the City, an in-depth look at wild Quaker parakeets. She lives with six parrots, three wiener dogs, Larry the cat and, at any one time, two or three birds in rehabilitation and on their way to a new home.

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