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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?

-- Jennifer, Waco, Texas


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.



Mattie Sue Athan 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.



Aggression
"Attack flying" is territorial aggression
Biting can be nipped in the bud with training
Don't force friendship with wife's parrot
Face-biting cockatoo can be retrained
Height dominance does not exist
"Hormonal" bird is territorial
Love nibbles on chin can progress to bites
Making friends with aggressive Amazon
Older biting birds can change their stripes
Parrots can hold grudges
Picked on bird may be ill
Spouse-biting parrot, The

Chewing
Cage-top treats should stop destructive roaming
How to stop parrot from chewing wood and wicker

Courtship
Biting African grey might want to nest
Clucking pionus probably in the mood
Look of love, The
Mirrors make good companions
Nesting can be male behavior, too
Regurgitation usually means "I love you"
Romantic overtures signal sexual frustration
Unchecked courting cute but risky
What does digging in cage mean?

Fear
African greys that lose trust
Changing appearance might calm terrified cockatoo
Fear of strangers subsides with positive reinforcement
Touch standoffish bird through blanket
Why won't friendly Amazon leave cage?

Miscellaneous
Antics might mean bath-time - or courting
Baby and bird can happily coexist
Beak banger may want attention
Bird hanging by beak is normal
Budgie can be trained to choose correct object
Crouch with lifted wings is probably begging behavior
"Dancing" is reaction to loud noises
Door-clinger can be taught to perch
Escape can change a bird's behavior


Extreme heat or cold require owner's intervention
Flight training is no guarantee of recovery
Games parrots play, The
Head-shaking and hissing
One-woman parrot can adjust to a new owner
Parrots don't mourn
Pinning and flashing explained
Restless bird just settling for the night
Sleeping under the newspaper is normal behavior
Tonguing objects is bird's method of investigation
Truth about cats and parrots, The
Water bottle conversion isn't difficult
Welcome new bird with low-key reception

Species specific
Don't force birds to share a perch
Goffin's cockatoo got too much early attention
Green-cheek conures aren't supposed to scream, are they?
Meyer's and Senegal may eventually become friends
Senegal could be courting; pionus needs steadier perch
Understanding Moluccan body language
What does Moluccan "dancing" mean?
Wild adult senegal can be tamed

Taming
Downside of the "Up" command, The
Forced "step-ups" can frighten birds
Forced taming results in learned helplessness
How to get a parrot to step down from your hand
Separate training area for cage-clinging cockatoo
Undoing shabby treatment will take time
Wings help birds avoid owners
Zero in on favorite food for training

Vocalizations
Older birds can be taught to "talk"
Parrots can be a real scream
Vibrating device on cage might stop screaming


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Mattie Sue Athan
Windy City
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