Quaker Parakeets
Size: Quakers are small parrots, averaging
about 11.5" in length and having sturdily-built
bodies with a weight between 90 and 120 grams.
Coloration: Excluding mutations, Quakers are
basically green with a grey color extending in
the front from the forehead and cheeks to the
chest. The tail and flight feathers usually
contain at least some blue. The eyes are brown,
the feet grey and the beak a light orange.
Young Quakers appear just slightly more dull
in coloration and have lighter barring on the
chest than adults. One might presume that
the coloration of Quakers serves the same
function as that of two-toned fish: to
camouflage them with the foliage below and
the sky/shadows above, thus increasing
their chance of survival and reproduction.
Gender Differences: Male and female Quaker parrots are visually indistinguishable. In the past, the only conclusive ways to determine the sex of a Quaker parrot was to either breed him or perform a stressful blood test. Now, DNA sexing is also an available, and far less intrusive, way to determine the sex of a Quaker.
Mutations: Years of breeding have led to the development of a variety of Quaker Parrot Mutations. Several of these are still quite rare, so are not readily available and may have monumental price-tags, but the popularity and availability of the various colors is constantly increasing. The mutations to date are Albinos, Blues, Cinnamons, Cinnamon-blues, Lutinos, and Pieds, with the Blue as most common and the two Cinnamon variations as the rarest. It is important, however, for you to remember that all types of Quakers have an equal potential for making a good pet.
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