How to Get Your Quaker to Come Out of the Cage

Native to South America, Quaker parrots in the wild live in large colonies, sharing nests, chattering, and engaging in other social activities with their fellow parrots. As pets, Quaker parrots are known for their playful, outgoing nature and their superb talking abilities, delighting owners with their antics. Quakers also have a reputation for bonding fiercely with their owners, and enjoying time out of their cage. If your precious parrot is a new addition to your household, it might have some qualms about coming out of its cage. Some behavioral techniques can coax your Quaker into your hand.

Things You'll Need

  • Chopstick
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Instructions

    • 1

      Slowly approach your Quaker's cage. Quakers are extremely territorial, and they may view others as threats. If you approach the cage too quickly and try to force a reluctant parrot out of its cage, it may bite or show signs of distress, such as lunging or running around.

    • 2

      Stop in your tracks when your parrot shows signs of distress; wait until the parrot calms down, and slowly retreat from the room. This demonstrates to your parrot that, once it calms down, the threat -- you -- will leave.

    • 3

      Repeat the first two steps several times a day for a few days, each time trying to get closer and closer to the parrot's cage before it becomes upset, until the parrot allows you to open the cage door. This is called systemic desensitization, according to Avian Web, which means that the feared object or person is presented in small amounts, or comes nearer and nearer, until the bird no longer fears the object.

    • 4

      Open the cage door and gently insert the chopstick in the direction of the parrot. If the parrot touches the chopstick, provide positive reinforcement by giving it a favorite treat. If the parrot moves away from the chopstick, close the door and move away.

    • 5

      Repeat the previous step until the parrot touches the chopstick and moves toward it as you move it toward the cage door.

    • 6

      Keep moving the chopstick until the parrot follows it out the door. Offer your finger for the parrot to perch on. Provide positive reinforcement in the form of a favorite food.