Early Bedtime, Grumpy Quaker | Quaker Parrot Forum

heatherg
Juvenile

Posts: 289

Early Bedtime, Grumpy Quaker Aug 10, 2023 23:33:13 GMT -5 via mobile

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Post by heatherg on Aug 10, 2023 23:33:13 GMT -5

Today, Willow wanted to go to bed at about 6:20 pm.

He had been very snuggly today and was yelling for attention in the early evening. Was very mad I did not share popcorn shrimp with him.

Anyhow, once I ate, I came and got Willow out of his cage. He’s been putting his foot out and stepping right up even though he still pinches sometimes. I hand fed him some sunflower seeds for a treat. But he kept wanting to be held and to hide his head and then scolding and nipping me the way he does when I’m not cuddling him”right”.

Finally I realized we were close to bedtime and I couldn’t make him happy. Asked him if he wanted to go to bed, to go night night, because I couldn’t cuddle him right and he kept hiding his face yet didn’t want to be petted.

So I brought him to his cage and he ran right in.

I wish he didn’t want to go to bed so early!! 7 pm is normal but that’s really early for me. I have a delayed phase sleep disorder and I don’t want to be asleep when he’s awake and awake when he’s asleep.

If your Quaker doesn’t talk, how do you tell what he or she wants? It was so much easier with Lucy who just gave marching orders.

Last Edit: Aug 11, 2023 13:40:54 GMT -5 by heatherg

cnyguy
Senior Forum Manager

Posts: 2,144

Early Bedtime, Grumpy Quaker Aug 11, 2023 19:27:33 GMT -5 heatherg likes this

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Post by cnyguy on Aug 11, 2023 19:27:33 GMT -5

Ralph can communicate well with body language and Quaker parrot graaaccckkks. When he's out of his cage and wants to go somewhere in the apartment, he'll look in the direction he wants to go and say grrraaaccckk with a certain infection, and I know what he wants to do. Sometimes he responds with enthusiastic head bobs if I ask him if he wants something or wants to do something, and I understand that is an affirmative response. If he doesn't want to do something or wants to stop playing whatever game we've been playing, he says something like an annoyed or bored ehhhh. Words would often be more helpful but I can figure out what he wants often enough through behaviors like those.

When it's his usual bedtime, he seems to know that it's time to stop playing and go back to his cage. He quits whatever he's been doing and looks toward his cage and says grrraaaccckk. It's usually sometime between 7:00 and 7:15, but occasionally he's ready for bed a few minutes earlier. I know he usually wakes up in the morning before I do, but he rarely makes a sound until I come in and greet him. I appreciate that.

heatherg
Juvenile

Posts: 289

Early Bedtime, Grumpy Quaker Aug 14, 2023 19:41:56 GMT -5 via mobile

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Post by heatherg on Aug 14, 2023 19:41:56 GMT -5

This is true; body language and squawks can inform you pretty well what your bird wants. I was mostly confused because he wanted to be with me and then suddenly decided he was done with being petted.

I just need to remember that Willow is an EARLY Bird and he’s not going to sway from that. I may be a late bird but HE is not.

cnyguy
Senior Forum Manager

Posts: 2,144

Early Bedtime, Grumpy Quaker Aug 14, 2023 19:47:22 GMT -5 heatherg likes this

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Post by cnyguy on Aug 14, 2023 19:47:22 GMT -5

Parrots can and often do change their minds in the blink of an eye, and can very abruptly decide that "enough is enough" when it comes to head scratches, playing a game or almost anything else. Willow was just exercising his parrot prerogative to abruptly halt the petting and move on. It does confuse us humans sometimes when that sort of thing happens, but I suppose that it makes perfect sense to the parrots.