About the birds

Quaker parrots

Appearance and personality

Size: A medium-sized parrot, Quakers are about 12 inches long and weigh 3 to 5 ounces.
Color: Their coloring is primarily green, with a distinctive gray "bib" on their breast, cheeks, and throat. The flight feathers are dark blue.
Color mutations: Captive breeding has produced color mutations, such as blue, yellow (lutino), and albino.
Mimicry: Quakers are highly skilled talkers, capable of developing large vocabularies and mimicking a wide range of sounds. They can have loud yelling moments.
Personality: They are social, confident, and inquisitive birds that bond closely with their human "flock," often favoring one person. Hand-raised Quakers can be gentle and make excellent family pets.
Territorial behavior: They can be territorial, especially around their cage or nesting area, and may show aggression if they feel their space is threatened.
Intelligence and curiosity: Quaker parrots are very intelligent and require mental stimulation to prevent boredom. They are natural "pack rats," often gathering and carrying household items to their cage or nest.
Quaker parrots are known for their lifespans of 20 to 30 years when cared for properly, requiring a long-term commitment from their owners.
A Quaker parrot needs a cage with a minimum size of 24 inches x 24 inches x 24 inches, with a larger cage, such as 30 x 24 x 24 inches or 32 x 21 x 63 inches, being a better choice to allow for wing stretching, movement, and the placement of toys and perches. The cage should also have horizontal bars for climbing and bar spacing of 1/2 to 5/8 inches.

Green Cheek Conure

Appearance and personality

Size and appearance: Green-cheeked conures typically measure about 10 inches from head to tail. They are primarily green, with a dark, scaly breast; a brown, black, or gray crown; and a maroon tail. They also have a distinctive white eye-ring.
Color mutations: While the wild type is green, selective breeding has produced a variety of color mutations, including Cinnamon, Pineapple, Yellow-sided, and Turquoise.
Lifespan: With proper care, they can live for 20 years or more.
Intelligence: They are intelligent and inquisitive birds that can be taught to do tricks.
Vocalization: Compared to other conures, they are relatively quiet, with softer chirps and squawks. However, they will still vocalize for attention or when bored. Some can even learn to mimic a few words or sounds, though they are not known as prolific talkers.

Behavior

Personality: These birds are often described as comical, engaging, and bold, with a mischievous streak. They love to play, climb, and hang upside down.
Socialization: Green-cheeked conures are social flock animals that require daily interaction with their owners to thrive. Lack of attention can lead to behavioral issues like nipping or screaming.
Affection: They are known for being affectionate and enjoy cuddling. Many will happily perch on their owner's shoulder or snuggle into their neck.
Bonding: They can form strong bonds with their caretakers and, when properly socialized, can be affectionate toward all family members.
lifespan can be up to 30 years with proper care, but the average in captivity is often closer to 10–20 years due to factors like diet, environmental stimulation, and owner attention.
A minimum recommended cage size for a single green cheek conure is approximately 24 x 24 x 30 inches (width x depth x height), but a wider cage is better to allow for horizontal flight. The bar spacing should not exceed 5/8 of an inch to prevent the bird from escaping or getting its head stuck.

Cockatiels

Appearance and personality

Size: Cockatiels are small parrots, measuring about 12 to 13 inches in length from head to tail.
Crest: Their distinctive crest feathers are an important indicator of their mood.
- Upright: A vertical, high crest signals excitement, surprise, or fear.
- Relaxed: An oblique or gently sloping crest indicates a calm and relaxed state.
- Flattened: A flattened crest held close to the head is a sign of anger or defensiveness.
Appearance: The "wild-type" or normal gray cockatiel has a gray body, white flashes on its wings, and a yellow face with bright orange cheek patches in mature males. Through selective breeding, numerous color mutations have been developed, including lutino (yellow), pied (white and gray patches), pearl (speckled), and cinnamon.

Temperament and behavior

Social and interactive: Cockatiels are highly social birds that form strong bonds with their owners. They require daily interaction and mental stimulation to prevent boredom and stress.
Vocalizations: They are excellent vocalizers, known for whistling complex tunes they hear frequently. While not as adept at mimicking speech as larger parrots, male cockatiels can learn to say a few words and imitate household sounds like doorbells or alarms.
Affectionate: They enjoy gentle head and neck scratches from trusted people. Many like to perch on their owner's hand, shoulder, or head.
Playful: Cockatiels are active and playful birds that need a variety of toys, such as swings, ladders, and chewing toys made from safe materials like wood and paper, to stay entertained.
Night frights: Some cockatiels are prone to night frights, where they are startled awake in the dark and thrash around their cage. Providing a nightlight or partially covering the cage can help prevent this.
Lifespan: With proper care, a pet cockatiel can live 15 to 25 years or even longer. Wild cockatiels have a shorter average lifespan of 10 to 14 years.
A cockatiel cage should be at least 20 inches wide, 20 inches deep, and 24 inches high for a single bird, but a larger, wider cage is always better to allow for flight. Key features to look for include horizontal bars for climbing, a bar spacing of 0.5 to 0.75 inches to prevent injury

Dangers to birds

Household dangers for birds include toxic fumes from non-stick cookware, aerosol products, and smoke (including tobacco smoke); toxic substances like lead, zinc, pesticides, and cleaning chemicals; and environmental hazards such as open water, fans, mirrors, and small ingestible items. To protect a pet bird, ensure a smoke-free and aerosol-free environment, avoid using Teflon and self-cleaning ovens, keep all cleaning products and medications locked away, and bird-proof areas by covering mirrors and water, turning off fans, and keeping doors closed.

Toxic Fumes & Air Contaminants

Birds have incredibly sensitive respiratory systems, making them vulnerable to airborne toxins.

Non-stick cookware:

Overheated non-stick (Teflon) pans release toxic fumes that can be fatal to birds.

Fumes from common products:

Aerosol sprays (hair spray, air fresheners, perfumes), smoke (tobacco, incense), and cleaning chemicals are highly toxic.

Ovens:

Self-cleaning oven functions also produce fumes dangerous to birds.

Other sources:

Paints, glues, wood preservatives, and even small amounts of gasoline or natural gas can also be dangerous.

Poisons

Many everyday substances can cause poisoning if ingested or inhaled.

Cleaning products: Bleach, ammonia, oven cleaner, detergents, and disinfectants are harmful.

Heavy metals: Lead and zinc from sources like old toys, linoleum, pennies (minted after 1982), and galvanized hardware are toxic.

Plants: Some houseplants are poisonous to birds.

Other items: Mothballs, certain medications, nail polish remover, and some pesticides are also dangerous.

Environmental & Physical Hazards

Fans:

Ceiling or portable fans are a significant risk, as birds can be severely injured or killed if they fly into them.

Water:

Open toilets, sinks, and bathtubs pose drowning risks, as most pet birds do not swim well.

Small items:

Birds are curious and can choke on or ingest small objects like buttons, pennies, or parts of toys.

Mirrors and windows:

Birds often do not recognize clear or mirrored surfaces, leading to serious head injuries or death.

Open doors:

Open windows and doors can allow a bird to escape or become injured by getting trapped.

How to Bird-Proof Your Home

Create a safe zone:

Keep your bird in a well-ventilated ar a away from kitchens, bathrooms, and other rooms where chemicals or fumes may be used. Always open a window or turn on the exhaust fan before using any aerosols, cleaning products, or cooking.
Eliminate hazards:

Remove Teflon products and never use the self-cleaning function on an oven when your bird is nearby.
Secure toxins:

Store all cleaning supplies, medications, and other toxic items in a secure cabinet out of your bird's reach.

Monitor your bird:

Watch your bird closely when they are out of the cage, and turn off all fans before letting them fly.

Available Birds

Exciting news! Our breeder birds are in their nest box, and we're hopeful that we'll soon welcome some adorable baby birds. Stay tuned for updates!