Ask Lafeber

Bonding Quakers

I started with 1 green Quaker “Nixon” and he bonded with me, after about 6 months we got “Spiro” another green also male who boded with my daughter even thought the birds were in a large cage together “Watergate”. Nixon died after about a year for reasons the very could not determine. This past year, 2024, my daughter gave me “Kissinger” a mostly white, blue female. She bonded with me fairly well and will actually fly from the cage to me across the room. However Spiro has become very jealous and will now reach out to bite anyone who walks by with the exception of occasionally wanting to have snuggle time with my daughter. Is there any chance we can change the behavior and bonding between the birds by putting them in separate rooms and cages? Or will this cause them depression or anxiety?

Hi,

Parrot behavior is driven by instinct. When you have more than one bird sharing a cage, this tends to lead to a bond, and they lose interest in people. If you want the birds to remain tame, it’s best for each bird to have its own cage. This should help, but you can’t control who a bird likes. Separate rooms may or may not help. Finally you may need to consult with a parrot behaviorist. We can recommend Lisa Bono or Pamela Clark.

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda