The Busy and Opinionated Quaker Parrot

(Myiopsitta monachus)

by gloria scholbe
Spring 2002

Origins and Subspecies | Natural Habitat and Nest Building | Behavior | Feral Flocks | Natural Diet | Feral and Captive Diet | Quakers as Pets | References

Origins and Subspecies

Quaker Parakeets are known by many common names, including Monks, Quaker Conures, Gray-breasted Parakeets, or Gray-headed Parakeets. How did the name Quaker originate? Mattie Sue Athan explains: "Baby monk parrots exhibit a sort of "palsied" feeding and begging response that gives them their common name, "Quakers"."

Depending on subspecies, their range in South America extends from SouthernBrazil to central Argentina including parts of Uruguay, Paraguay, and Bolivia. They have also moved into areas of domestication such as orchards and farmlands, where they are considered agricultural pests.

Four subspecies of Quakers are recognized:
Myiopsitta monachus monachus: Extreme southeast Brazil, Northeast Argentina, and Uruguay
Myiopsitta m. calita: Southern and Western Argentina
Myiopsitta m. cotorra: Southeast Bolivia, Southwest Brazil to Paraguay, and Northern Argentina
Myiopsitta m. luchsi: This subspecies does not have breast feather edging, as the other subspecies do. They are found only in Cochabamba province, Bolivia.

Natural Habitat and Nest Building

Quakers like to live in large colonies. They are the only parrots known to build communal nests from sticks and other materials. Their nest building behavior may be a survival adaptation to the type of environment in which they evolved. Since many Quakers typically inhabit savannahs, areas of reduced tree growth where trees are sparse, a single tree may contain several nests. In addition to savannahs, Quakers also inhabit lowland open forests, dry acacia scrublands, palm groves, and areas along waterways. Ever adaptable, Quakers will build nests on cliffs or whatever is available in the area to support their nests. Some nest constructions become huge, weighing up to 500 pounds, as new material is added every spring. Sooner or later, because of the weight or the wind, nests fall to the ground.

Nests can house up to 20 pairs of birds in separate apartments. Each apartment consists of a brooding room and a fore-chamber or living room with a short tunnel leading to an entrance. The entrance can be located on the nest's underside or on the side. Although Quakers are prolific breeders, mortality of young is high because of predation. Opossums, rats, and snakes prey on eggs and young in the nests. Still, there have been some reports of opossums, hawks, and other animals cohabiting peacefully in some of the apartments without harming the Quakers.

Behavior

Quakers must have invented the concept of cocooning because home is where their heart is. They use their community dwelling to roost within all year long, even when not breeding. Indeed, their home is the focus of much daily activity. Except when foraging for food, they seldom stray far from home. When nests fall or are destroyed, Quakers rebuild close to the original site. Even youngsters, who are ready to leave home, build their nests close (within 500 yards) to the nest where they hatched and fledged. We see this tight bonding to home a characteristic of companion Quakers, who are very possessive of their territory, which they defend with considerable aggression for their size.

Along with physical posturing and nipping, Quakers support their position with a barrage of squeaky, ratchety chatter. Strident vocalization is a normal part of their daily communal activity. As occupants busily enter and leave the nest, other residents seem eager to express their opinions about these comings and goings. However, what seems to be pointless noise is actually purposeful communication. Field studies conducted by Enrique H. Bucher, J. L. Navarro, and M.B. Martella, of Quakers in their native habitat, have described eleven different types of vocalizations, each of which will elicit a distinct and specific reaction from other birds. These communications were tape recorded, and when played back, obtained the same reaction. Verbal communication appears to be an important part of social interaction between colony members.

This helps to explain why Quakers in the aviary setting chatter so persistently with the appearance of an intruder, even if the intruder is servicing the cage with food and water. Single companion birds are somewhat quieter. Even so, heir fondness for verbalizing feelings and opinions is no doubt one of the reasons they become excellent talkers with large vocabularies; and they are often able to use these words in context.

Feral Flocks

Feral flocks of Quakers originated from escaped and released bird. They have established themselves in and around cities throughout the world. In the United States, flocks have been reported in Alabama, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Southeast Texas, and Virginia. In Europe they are found in Belgium, Spain and Italy.

They build their nests high on utility poles, towers, buildings, and trees. Power lines and transformers provide some warmth and stability for the nests, so these locations tend to be favorites. Unfortunately, nests built on transformers, cause the equipment to overheat or short out. Therein lies one of the reasons cited for eradication and/or capture programs to manage the birds.

Some people, especially those with concerns in agriculture, wildlife, and natural resources, believe that since Quakers are both hardy and prolific, they will quickly spread throughout the countryside and become threats to crops and native bird species. These concerns are partly based on reports from the countries where Quakers originated. Argentina, for example, experienced widespread crop damage in some provinces.

In the USA, numerous introduced species of plants and animals have become serious threats, so it is not surprising that Quakers are viewed with suspicion. And they actually have been responsible for crop damage in some areas. Jonathan H Crane of the University of Florida's Tropical Research and Education Center is quoted as saying: "I can tell you that one of the bird species that has been a problem for growers of lychee and longan is the monk parakeet. They will come in and devastate a crop."

Opponents of the belief that Quakers can become a pest species argue that Quaker nesting habits do not include widespread dispersal from the original nesting site. Thus, they are unlikely to be much of a threat.

According to Sue Beaulieu from her article Feral Quakers: Separating Fact from Fiction, "Feral populations which do exist in the United States are generally located near old bird quarantine stations where entire shipments of birds escaped at once, probably from damaged shipping crates. Some of the birds, which were kept by zoos, were released because they became common as pets in the 1960's, 70's and 80's and were no longer valued as an exhibit specie."

Some escaped near airports in large cities. The old bird import quarantine stations were located in Los Angeles, CA; San Francisco, CA; Miami, FL; Chicago, IL; New Orleans, LA; New York, NY: Seattle, WA; Dallas/Fort Worth, TX; Portland, OR; Baltimore, MD; Boston, MA and Atlanta, GA. It is no coincidence that the cities where feral Quaker parakeets have managed to establish colony nest sites are located near or within the same cities as were the quarantine stations. This fact is very supportive of the assertion that Quakers will not become invasive pests.

In Northern climates, when little natural food is available during the winter, Quakers are almost entirely dependent on backyard feeding stations for food. In these areas, they are unable to spread into the countryside, where they would not survive the winter unaided. In warmer climates, there is potential for Quakers to spread further into the countryside, but their nests are easily spotted and eradicated. Control of Quaker populations is not difficult due to their nesting habits.

Nevertheless, laws have been passed in several states banning the ownership and sale of Quakers. Included in these states are: California, Connecticut, Georgia, Kentucky, Hawaii, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and Wyoming.

Aviculturists in some of these states are attempting to change the laws based on findings of Argentine ornithologist, Enrique H. Bucher, who wrote: "neotropical parrots do not fit the typical profile of a successful pest species. They lack the typical combination of high mobility, flock feeding and roosting, opportunistic breeding, and high productivity that characterize successful pest birds."

Natural Diet

Joseph Forshaw notes in his book Parrots of the World, that Quakers: "feed on seeds,fruits, berries, nuts, leaf buds, blossoms, insects and their larvae. Favorite foods include seeds of thistles, grasses, and various trees, especially tala (Celtis Tala) and palm nuts." Stomach contents of some birds were found to contain soft, green, leguminous (bean family) seeds. Quakers also raid domestic crops grown in their areas, including milo, corn, and citrus groves."

Fruits and berries that birds consume in nature are often very dissimilar to fruits and berries favored by humans. Actually some foods that birds eat are inedible to us. Most foods that Quakers eat will not be found in the local grocery store except for those that are cultivated as profitable crops.

However, we do use some of those fruit bearing trees and bushes as landscape ornamentals. We enjoy them for the attractiveness of their growing habit, their floral display, and sometimes for the fruit they bear. Some of these serve as food for feral Quakers in this country. Here is a listing of fruit bearing flora, native to regions of South America inhabited by Quaker parrots. You may be growing some of them in your own yard.

Jaboticaba (Myrtaceae Juss) is a small tree from Brazil that bears fruit directly on the trunk or larger branches. The fruit is much like dark bluish-purple grapes in appearance and taste. It takes eight to ten years for this plant to produce fruit, but once fully grown, the tree bears several crops per year.

Grumichameira (Eugenia brasiliensis) or Brazil Cherry, has thin, firm skin and dark-red juice. The red or white pulp tastes much like a sweet cherry except for a touch of aromatic resin. The seeds are light tan or greenish-gray.

Allspice (Pimenta dioica) Berries are shaped like peppercorns. They are flavored somewhat like a mixture of clove, cinnamon, and nutmeg, hence the name "allspice."

Wild clove (Dicypellium caryophyllatum)

Amazon Cinnamon (Aniba canelilla)

Vanilla (Vanilla planifolia) is the seed of the rainforest orchid.

Cashews (Anarcardium occidental) this fruit/nut combination is rich in vitamins and fat.

Leguminosae (Prosopis, Acacia, Caesalpinia, Cercidium, Geoffroea) are species of legumes.

Cactaceae (Opuntia, Cereus, Stetsonia, Pereskia, Quiabentia) cactus, such as prickly pear, grow edible pads and fruit.

Peppers (Caspicum annum) Many varieties of peppers occur all over the world and are relished by birds. They usually are high in Beta Carotene. Included are Cayenne pepper, sweet pepper, paprika, and jalapenos.

Peanut (Arachis Hypogaea) Once native to South America, peanuts are now grown throughout the world. Peanuts belong to the legume family.

Pineapple (Ananas comosus) may have been domesticated by the Guarani of Brazil and Paraguay during the Pre-Columbian Era. Wild relatives are (Pseudananas ananasoides and Annona amambayensis) and the Custard Apple, which also belongs to this species. Other bromeliad species include: Bromeliaceae (Dyckia, Bromelia, Puya)

Cherimoya (Annona cherimola) In Brazil, its name is a variant of graveola. The cherimoya is conical shaped, 4 to 8 inches long, usually weighing between half to one pound. The flesh is juicy white and has a tangy flavor. Seeds are somewhat toxic and are used locally as an insecticide.

Palms

Most palm fruits are drupes that vary significantly in size, shape, surface texture, and color from species to species. (Drupes have a thin skin, fleshy meat, and an interior stone or pit. Examples are peaches, cherries, olives, and dates.) Some of these fleshy fruits contain high amounts sugar or fat, providing a rich energy source.

Jelly Palm, Chilean Wine Palm (Butia capitata) has yellow or reddish fruits, about an inch and a half in diameter.

The Pejibaye Palm (Bactris gasipaes) is also the called the peach palm because of the delicious, red, peach-like fruits, which hang in clusters of 50 up to 300 fruits, in various combinations of yellow, red, or brownish, turning purple when fully ripe. The fruits are oval in shape and approximately 1-2 inches long. It has thin skin with yellow to light-orange, sweet, flesh. The seeds have a hard, thin shell with a coconut-flavored kernel. The fruit is caustic to humans, so must be pre-boiled to be edible. Excess fruits and peelings are used as feed for poultry and pigs.

Queen Palm, Giriba Palm (Syagrus romanzoffiana) produces plump fruit about an inch long. In Brazil the palm is often cut down to provide animal fodder in times of drought. The apical leaf buds are also edible.

This brief listing is just to give you an idea of the wide variety of edible vegetation that Quakers are able to forage in their country of origin.

Following are names of more South American flora, mainly from regions inhabited by Quakers. I'm listing the scientific names so you can look them up, if you have further interest in this topic.

Myrciaria cauliflora; Caryocar brasiliense; Hancornia speciosa; Annona crassiflora; Eugenia dysenterica; Byrsonima spp.; Genipa americana; Anacardiaceae Schinopsis, Lithrea; Apocynaceae (Aspidosperma); Copernicia, Trithrinax; Bulnesia; Rhamnaceae Ziziphus; Jodina, Acanthosyris and Elionurus, Paspalum, Chloris, Trichloris); Salsaparilha (Smilax sp.)

Feral Diet

During warm weather, small to large feral flocks feed on plant buds, weeds, fruits and berries of ornamental shrubs and trees planted in residential areas including Chinaberry (Melia azedarach) and American Elm (Ulmus americanus). In winter, when natural food is not available, Quakers are often seen visiting backyard feeders.

Captive Diet

The captive diet of Quakers should not be limited to only seeds or pellets. Such a diet is a far cry from the diet upon which Quakers evolved and thrived. Not only does this diet exclude a wide array of vegetation and its accompanying healthful phyto-nutrients, but it is also missing essential nutrition, which will be discussed later in this article. It is not difficult to provide a more appropriate diet for companion quakers.

Quaker Parrot owner Diana Dougherty reports: "My Quaker, will accept anything I put in his cage, which is a huge variety of fresh veggies, fruits, cooked chicken and eggs, greens (no lettuce,) nuts, pasta, rice and whole wheat bread, and, of course, birdie bread. He'll eat a little bit of everything unless I try to give it to him too late in the evening".

Rox McCormick is also enthused about the variety of food her Quaker enjoys: "I have 2 Quakers, Shakespere (8 years old ) & Izzy ( 3 years old ). They are on a cafeteria style diet during the day, they have pellets ( ZuPreem ) & a seed blend, plus Nutraberries available all day long. When I get home from work, they get their soft foods. They eat anything I put in front of them. They get pasta, usually mixed with a veggie of some kind, like broccoli, also brown rice mixed with a vegetable. They love sweet potatoes and carrots, but tend to get a tad selective about fruit. They love bananas; I mean they love them. They also eat apples & pears, & grapes, & kiwi. I will spend Sundays making birdie bread, & birdie stuffing & freeze these in serving size portions. The only thing neither one will touch is cuttlebone!"

Sherri Carpenter shares this information about her Quaker: "Mine is a chubby Quaker with a fatty lipoma. He is 8 1/2 yrs old. When I first got him I fed him a cockatiel seed mix, and soak and cook along with peas, corn, peppers and treats such as breads and cereal. Over the next few years, we added pellets and a bean mix to his diet. Then we moved to a different state and I was giving my birds all sorts of treats to keep them quiet while I tried to settle in. This is when he started to get chubby."

"His diet now is Foundation Formula pellets, sprouts and a bean mix that varies as I make it. My most recent batch consists of a 15-bean soup mix, pigeon mix, soak and cook, wild rice, wheat berries, quinoa, broccoli, carrots, peppers, cauliflower, corn, peas, and some mustard greens. I alternate a variety of foods including parakeet seed, limited pellets, fresh carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, peppers and squash."

Quakers as Pets

Diana Dougherty tells us that her Quaker: "Kimba is 3 years old. He was hatched in South Carolina and hand fed. I got him when he was just a few months old. He has never been a plucker or a picker but he sure can bite! He has the typical Quaker attitude about "his" things but once he's out of his cage, he's a sweetie."

Rox McCormick also enjoys her two Quakers: "They tend to get extremely loud at times, but they are both very quick to pick up new phrases. Mine have a pretty extensive vocabulary. One thing though, they cannot sing! When they try they sound terrible. They are also quite serious about protecting their cage & can deliver an extremely painful bite. I have learned to wait 'til they come out on their own. They are very acrobatic and love toys - lots & lots of toys! They tend to have mood swings. If I notice when they are on me that they are getting a bit antsy, I will put them on the play gym and try to distract them with the toys there. If they are getting really nippy I will give them about a 5-minute time out back in the cage. That usually stops the bad behavior. The key is to know your bird's body language. They are a lot of fun to interact with and very intelligent. However, I would never recommend them to a novice as a first bird."

Mattie Sue Athan offers some advice to managing Quaker territoriality in her article Quakers, The Most Loved and Hated Parrot: "I let the bird climb out of that fiercely protected compartment on to the door or top of the cage where he will sweetly comply with the step-up command. It is especially important that Quakers spend time in multiple "foraging" territories, practice step-ups on a regular basis, and go on frequent outings to prevent the development of excessive territorial-related aggression. Never service the cage when the bird is present."

Quakers are a fascinating species of parrot with excellent companion potential. As with every species, they possess positives and negatives that must be carefully weighed by prospective owners. On the down side, they are noisy and aggressively territorial. They eagerly eat most foods offered. (Depending on the owner's will power and common sense, this can be either a positive or negative.)

On the plus side, they are small enough to not inflict too much damage if they bite (despite the pain). They also have engaging personalities, can develop large vocabularies, and are very interactive and playful. Quakers have few species-specific health problems, which can be easily corrected by diet since they eagerly consume most foods offered.

References:

Fred J Alsop III, Smithsonian's Handbook Birds of North America
Thomas Arndt, Parrots: Their Life in the Wild
Joseph M Forshaw Parrots of the World
Matthew M Vriends Simon and Schuster's Guide to Pet Birds
Mattie Sue Athan Quakers: The Most Loved and Hated Parrot
Glenn Zorpette Scientific American Science and the Citizen 7-97 Parrots And Plunder

Online:

http://www.monkparakeet.com
http://www.bluequaker.com/qn-apr-95.htm
http://www.arndt-verlag.com Online Lexicon of Parrots
http://www.birdsofna.org/excerpts/monk.html
http://monkparakeet.com/states.htm
http://theaviary.com/qpage/quakerfaq.htm
http://florawww.eeb.uconn.edu/acc_num/199200474.html
http://www.pbs.org/edens/manu/trees.htm
http://www.nmnh.si.edu/botany/images.htm
http://www.quakerparrots.com
http://www.quakerville.com/qic/
http://www.quakercorner.com/legalizeQP/factfiction.html
http://waynesword.palomar.edu/ecoph10.htm
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/pejibaye.html