Animal-World > Birds > Parakeet: Types of Parakeets > Quaker Parakeet

Quaker Parakeet
Quaker Parrot - Monk Parakeet

Family: Psittacidae

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"Bubbu"Myiopsitta monachusPhoto courtesy: Darla Walton

     Quaker or "Monk" parakeets are some the nicest birds around! They are good talkers and are extremely loveable and cute.

"Skittles" Photo courtesy: Darla Walton

     The Quaker Parakeet or Monk Parakeet is very charming! This inquisitive bird is a great talker, enjoys human interaction, head scratching and cuddling. They are hardy, adaptable, and easy to breed. With good socialization they can be very calm and peaceful, one of the best companions! Quaker "Monk" Parakeets are considered a very good "first" bird!
     Because the Quaker Parakeet or Monk Parakeet have established themselves in areas other than their original habitats, notably in Puerto Rico and in northeastern parts of the United States, they are not legal to own or keep in all states. To find out if they are legal to own in your state, click here:
Quaker Parakeet Legality.

To learn more about Parakeets and their needs visit:
Guide to a Happy, Healthy Parakeet

Scientific name: Myiopsitta monachus

Description:      These parakeets are generally quiet birds and their sweet disposition makes them exceptional pets. The Quaker Parakeet gets it's name from the facial feathering that has a gray bibbed pattern, resembling an old fashioned Quaker costume. Besides being known as Quaker Parakeet and Monk Parakeet, they are also called Green Parakeet, Grey-breasted Parakeet, and Montevideo Parakeet. This is the only member of it's species and there are 4 subspecies mostly distinguished by size and color intensity.      The Quaker "Monk" Parakeets cheeks, throat, crown and lores are gray. It's upper breast is gray with light edges, giving them a scalloped appearance and the lower breast is yellowish. The back of the head, neck, rump, wings and the rest of the under parts are green, and there can be some blue outer feathering. It has a long, pointed tail with a mixture of yellow and bluish green. The female is lighter in coloring than the male.      The normal green Quaker Parakeet is by far the most common, but other mutations are also available including yellow, blue, pied, and albino varieties. The young birds have a gray forehead with a green tinge. These birds grow to a length of 11-12" (29-30 cm).

Distribution:      The Quaker Parakeet or Monk Parakeet is found in South America, central Bolivia, southern Brazil, parts of Argentina, and Uruguay. Recently they have established themselves in other areas like Puerto Rico, and northeastern United States.

Care and Feeding:      Fresh food and water must be provided daily. Quaker "Monk" Parakeets eat a variety of sprouts, seeds, fruits, vegetables, and commercial pellets. They like nuts with the shells cracked, such as walnuts, pecans and almonds. They also enjoy the same nutritional foods humans eat, including cooked chicken. Cooked beans, rice, and grains are also enjoyed, but soft foods like these will spoil in about 4 hours. An occasional millet spray is a nice treat.      They do like a regular bath. A heavy crock placed on the bottom of the cage will do fine.

     See About Parakeets: Care and Feeding for more detailed information.

Housing:      A cage size of 18"x18"x21" ( cm) is fine if the parakeet is let out during the day to spend most of its time on a play pen or parrot perch. Otherwise, a roomy cage is required. See About Parakeets: Housing for more extensive housing information.

Maintenance:      The basic cage care includes daily cleaning of the water and food dishes. Weekly you should wash all the perches and dirty toys, and the floor should be washed about every other week. A total hosing down and disinfecting of an aviary should be done yearly, replacing anything that needs to be freshened, such as old dishes, toys and perches.

Social Behaviors:      In the wild, these birds live in flocks and are very social. In captivity they have a peaceful, pleasant nature and will become very tame with attention and patience. However, if they are neglected, they can start screaming and become aggressive. They can also be very territorial about their cage.      Hand fed babies or a well trained older bird make the best pets.

Handling/Training:      The Quaker Parakeet or Monk Parakeet is a great talker and very trainable! See About Parakeets: Handling and Training for more detailed information.     

Activities:      These are very energetic birds! Besides flying, which is important for all parakeets, these birds love to chew! Be sure you provide them with lots of assorted toys and wood chews, perches and swings.

Breeding/Reproduction:      The Quaker Parakeet or Monk Parakeet is very easily bred. It is best to breed them in an aviary as they need lots of space and plenty of shrubbery. They may use nesting boxes, but they prefer to build their own nests using twigs and grasses. The female builds the nest, attaching her nest on to the other bird's nests. It can take up a lot of room in an aviary! The hen lays four to eight eggs and the young will leave the nest at about six weeks. See About Parakeets: Breeding and Reproduction for more information.

Potential Problems:      If these parakeets are neglected, they can start screaming and become aggressive. They are known to have a loud scream. See About Parakeets: Potential Problems for more information.

Availability:     The Quaker Parakeet or Monk Parakeet is very common and reasonably priced. This bird is generally available at pet stores or from breeders.

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Latest Comments
I recently bought a rehomed Quaker from a less than desirable home. Jade was angry, aggressive, color was dull, and she looked miserable. I was told she was very mean, cage territorial, "you will never get near her", she hates everybody, and doesn't talk. The food they gave me was some canary seed with about 90% sunflower seeds added. First, I got her on a top notch food. After a week, she was giving me kisses and purring like a cat, rubbing her head on my face, calling me "sweet baby" and asking me "are you a good girl?" She is an excellent talker, says I love you, go bye bye, pretty girl, what?, yup, blows kisses, laughs, hiccups,and plays peek a boo. She even asks the dog "what are you doing" when he gets too close to her cage. With some good food, her color is just beautiful. The vet says NOW she is happy, healthy, and thriving. I can reach in her cage and scratch her head without a problem. I guess you cannot underestimate what kindness, attention and good food can do. These people had her 3 years and didn't have a clue. I am so grateful I got her out of that situation and hope to enjoy her for many years to come. I would recommend quakers to anyone who is willing to devote some quality time and good food. She is wonderful! Mary Ann 2009-01-19
When I was around eleven my parents adopted a Quaker whose name is Elmer. When we first got him he was very friendly and affectionate. He's also very smart and speaks both the English and Samoan language. After about a couple of months he started to be mean and would attack others. It's been five years and he is still mean to everyone except for my mother. When I feed him he rushes to the food bowl and tries to bite my fingers through the bars. And whenever I walk past him he either runs up to me and bites me or he starts making these weird noises(which I think is his way of taunting) and sort of leans forward and moves his head around, this is his fighting stance. lol. When he bites he not only pierces the skin but he also moves his head around so it hurts more. However when ever he sees my mom he instantly becomes this sweet little bird, singing songs to her, giving her kisses and even saying "I love you." He even calls her "mama." And sometimes refers to me as "stupid." (something he learned from my brother) Despite the fact that he can be a little beast I absolutely love my Quaker! He's so cute! And it's so cute the fact that he's afraid of flying and heights. He prefers to either play on the floor of his cage or just the floor and hates sitting on top of his cage, unlike the other birds. :) He's so funny. Jenny 2009-01-02
I had a Quaker when I was younger. I love birds and all but that bird was the devil. He would bite huge chunks out of my arm. He was beautiful but mean. He died 11 years later, but until the day he died he hated me. Never could figure that one out. he loved every body but me. I had to leave the house when they let him out! Josh 2008-05-10
I have 2 Quakers. One is a female who arrive flying to my home almost 2 years ago. she was hungry and we can handle her because she was the only one. but lately, almost 6 month after that, arrives another one. this is a male and he is more friendly, he did not bite and I can handle by hands. the female was more aggresive, soI only handle by a stick. now she is taking out her feathers and I do not understand why. the male is nicer, but she is very afraid to every thing. I think is her personality. I put something so they can take a bath and he does but she does not want to, so I wet her with a bottle to refresh her. she is very difficult to understand. their names are Chicho and Chicha. Elba 2006-08-09
We recently became the owners of a baby Quaker parakeet after she flew by and fell in our backyard. We held out our hand to pick her up and she immediately hopped on! At first she was very aggressive and territorial, but with time she has become very sweet. We've had her for about a year now and she does so many funny things. The first word she said was her name "manchita" meaning little stain in spanish lol. Then she began to extend her vocabulary and say "aww" "papa", which is father in spanish, "maaaaa" and "boobie" which is what my mother calls me lol. She showers with my mother, flys over to the table whenever she sees food, flys to our rooms when we are watching tv, goes to bed at the same time we do, and she follows us around everywhere. She also enjoys being fed from our mouths! and when she showers alone she climbs out of her cage and into a lil tub of water we have for her on the floor. Although she accidentally flew away once, we managed to get her back by calling her name and listening to her replies. She has become an adorable companion and we love her so much! We hope to have her for many years to come! Stephanie & Yolanda 2006-06-30
Some of the coolest comments:
Skittles was my first Quaker parakeet,an adopted bird from a home that neglected her.She was very cage territorial, but with lots of love,patience,and attention,she has become my best friend.She says a few words that I taught her,imitates my laughter, and loves rock n roll music,dancing along on top of her cage.Hannibal, my second Quaker,I bought from a local pet shop as a baby.Hannibal is a cute, but clumsy bird,with a sweet disposition.He to is learning how to talk and says "Thankyou" when I change his water,or give him fresh food.Hannibal loves to beat up his yarn and bell toy,and I frequently hear him ringing his bell,chattering merrily away in his funny way. Nebbish my third Quaker,was also a rescue bird,and was in a bad way when he came to live at my house. Karen Graves 2004-04-15
i have a second hand quaker and this site really helped fix some problems!!! i was amazed by how much he improved just from the help of this site. Erin 2004-03-07
Comments Dr Jungle REALLY Likes to Hear!
This site iz great-thanxx Anonymous 2004-08-26

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