A companion parrot that is bonded to you is one of the most enjoyable liaisons you could ever experience. A trusting, loving bird that expresses its love for you after a hard day at work is a balm for taut nerves, and the puissance of such a relationship is difficult to emulate with any other species.
Many people are under the mistaken impression that you must hand feed a baby parrot from babyhood for it to "bond" to them. While it's true that a hand fed chick will bond to its care giver, it's also true that a well socialized, weaned chick will forge a new bond with a new owner, regardless of whether the owner hand feeds or not. Just as sexually mature bird forge new bonds with their chosen mates, birds have the ability to bond with different people throughout their lifetime.
In my personal opinion, birds (of the same species) kept as single companions make the very best pets, although that is not to say you cannot have more than one. If you choose to keep more than one, it would be in your best interest to keep them in separate cages, even and most especially if they are the same species, if you want them to remain as tame and friendly as possible. Normally, parrots of the same species that share living quarters will most likely bond to the other parrot instead of to you. Admittedly, though, this is not always the case. Many times a parrot that has been raised by and trusts humans will retain that aspect of his personality regardless of whether or not there are other same-species birds in the household.
If there is more than one baby in a clutch for you to choose from, so much the better, though this makes your choice even more difficult! Choosing one single bird from a group of begging, cuddly chicks that love to be held is almost impossible, and you'll find yourself wishing you could take them all home. Play with all of them and give them all attention. Observe their behavior and determine if one particular chick appears to be more attracted to you than others. If this happens, that chick would probably be a good choice for you, provided they all appear happy and healthy.
Areas that hand fed birds enjoy having petted and stroked include the neck, chest and head. Some who have been taught that humans can be trusted implicitly will allow handlers to caress them under their wings and on their backs, and even allow themselves to be held lying on their backs in the palm of a hand. This acceptance of what is normally non-routine handling usually is indicative of a breeder that has spent a lot of quality time socializing the chicks, and is a sign of a truly trusting pet bird!
Ideally, a baby quaker chick should be placed with its new owner at eight to ten weeks of age -- by this time they are usually weaned and their bonding instinct appears to be strongest at this age. (This age is specific to quaker parakeets -- other species, most notably macaws, sometimes take up to 6 months to wean). This is the ideal time to begin nurturing a quality relationship with your
quaker, and setting a daily routine. If the quaker is placed in a loving and caring home, it will quickly become a permanent member of the family. The most important thing to remember is that a parrot requires ongoing attention and contact with people to maintain his affectionate nature. They should be handled away from their cages on a daily basis, and by different people; otherwise they may become cage-bound and exhibit territorial tendencies.
Some types of parrots have the reputation of being "one owner birds"; while quakers have not necessarily earned this stereotyping as a species, there are many instances of quakers who are noted to be one-owner birds. Basically, this means that the quaker has first bonded to one particular person, (meaning that s/he prefers to be handled and cared for by that chosen person) and the relationship has escalated into one of "overbonding". This pattern is quite common, and can occur in a very short period of time unless immediate intervention is carried out by the person with whom the bird has bonded. In cases of "overbonding", the parrot will become aggressive to anyone else who attempts to forge a relationship with him/her.
The following table contains a list of behavioral indicators relative to normal parrot/human bonding, in loose order by strength and the progression of bonding:
| PROGRESSIVE STEPS IN THE BONDING PROCESS |
| |
|
| • |
The parrot parallels the human's movements and vocalizes
when the human talks. |
| • |
The parrot will make direct eye contact with the human
and vocalize, and responds directly and vocally when the
human talks to it. |
| • |
The parrot moves towards the human when the human is near
the cage. |
| • |
The parrot will accept food from the human's hand and eat
it. (At this point, the parrot passes the "technical"
definition of tame.)
|
| • |
The parrot will step onto the human hand when pushed to
do so and/or sit on the human without biting.
|
| • |
The parrot will tolerate petting without trying to get
away or bite.
|
| • |
The parrot willingly steps up when asked to, and accepts
petting with some evidence of enjoyment.
|
| • |
The parrot calls for the human when the human is out of
sight, and/or screams when the human leaves its sight.
|
| • |
The parrot initiates conversation and play, and climbs
onto the human without invitation.
|
| • |
The parrot preens and grooms the human.
|
| • |
The parrot solicits petting and preening, and allows
"non-routine" handling such as being groomed or turned
upside down.
|
| • |
(Total Bonding) The parrot shows obvious complete trust
of the human, accepts any handling including restraint and
grooming, and occasionally attempts to feed or display
typical "courting" behavior to the human.
|
| |
|
| FROM THE QUAKER'S NEST |
Depending on several factors, (including age of the parrot, level of learned socialization and level of tameness at the time of acquisition) this process can take anywhere from several days (usually applicable to a young, well-socialized baby parrot) to literally years (usually applicable to parrots who have not been hand fed as youngsters, are older, and received little to no socialization; and/or were abused or neglected at some point).
On the other side of the coin is over bonding. Over bonding occurs when a parrot has bonded to one person to such a degree that s/he refuses to form a relationship with any other human; and displays possessive, aggressive tendencies.
The following table contains a list of behavioral indicators relative to normal parrot/human bonding, in loose order by strength and the progression of bonding:
| SYMPTOMS OF OVERBONDING |
| |
|
| • |
The parrot screams and performs aggressive displays such
as attacking toys whenever the human talks to or pays attention
to another human or bird. |
| • |
The parrot is only happy when on or close to the human, and
constantly preens and attempts to feed/court the human. |
| • |
The parrot will not tolerate petting or handling by any
human except the chosen one. |
| • |
The parrot attacks/bites any human or animal that the chosen
human shows affection for or pays attention to. |
| • |
The parrot aggressively "defends" the body of the chosen
human from all others. |
| • |
The parrot will bite and punish even the chosen human for
interacting with and/or touching other humans or animals.
|
| • |
The parrot will not accept food or water from anyone except
the chosen human, and/or will not eat except in the presence of the chosen human.
|
| |
|
| FROM THE QUAKER'S NEST |
Over bonding behavior can be difficult to deal with, and even harder to alter. In some cases, decreasing the amount of attention received by the preferred human and increasing attention from other family members may be effective over a period of time. Such attempts at behavior modification should be performed much in the same manner as training sessions: in a neutral room with the bird on a T-stand or perch. The preferred human should not be a part of these sessions, and should stay completely out of sight and quiet.
Fortunately, parrots are capable of many other emotions besides love and jealousy. I believe that they have the same range of emotions and personalities as humans do. They deserve the same patience, understanding, respect and love that we give our human loved ones.
