The beak is a remarkable design. It can act as a crow bar, wedge, spike, and vise. It is equipped with a powerful group of muscles to work it. The upper and lower beaks combine to work as a vise capable of holding or crushing. If you examined the underside of the hooked beak you would find that there are a series of ridges in a distinctive design somewhat resembling the surface of a craftsman's file. This irregular surface serves to hold any material pressed against it. Birds use these ridges when holding foods with their tongue and grinding them with their lower jaw.

One might think that the beak is made up of solid bone, but it is hollow, except for some fine, bony struts. Because it isn't made of solid bone, it is not indestructible. Accidents, misuse, poor diet and ill health can cause splits and cracks to a beak.

The beak consists of a relatively thin, horny covering over a hard, bony-like structure. This outer horny covering, or coreum, is made up of material similar to the horns or antlers. The normal appearance of a beak should be smooth and uniform, in color and texture. The coreum grows continuously. The tissue beneath the coreum cannot be solid bone, because it would weigh too much and upset the bird's sense of balance and equilibrium. The bony-like portion is porous and the center is hollow (pneumatic). It connects to the respiratory system. Even though it is porous, this bony-like structure gives the beak its shape and strength.

Contrary to thought, it is not "dead" material, like hair or fingernails. It is a living organ, the tip of which contains a bundle of sensitive nerves. The beak itself consists of keratin. Directly above the beak is the cere, which is the soft skin containing a parrot's nostrils.

A combination of good nutrition and proper toys is essential for beak care.

It is a myth that biting is a natural aggressive behavior in parrots. In the wild, most parrots will bluff and strut long before they resort to using their beaks as a weapon. Companion parrots usually bite only when they have no other means to communicate, are fearful, or when their initial biting behavior is reinforced by people. It is up to the owner not to reinforce biting behavior and to learn their Quaker's body language.

Some beak deformities can occur from improper handfeeding techniques, but they can also occur from congenital problems, dietary deficiencies or underlying illness. It's important to pay attention to what's going on with your parrot's beak on a regular basis and to catch any problems early in order to correct them. Beak overgrowth can be a problem for parrots who don't have enough chewable perches and toys. It can also indicate problems with protein metabolism, or liver and kidney disease. Cuttlebones, mineral blocks, (please remove any metal parts that ar sometimes used to hang cuttlebones and mineral blocks), grooming perches, and a variety of soft and hardwood toys can help to keep beaks in shape.

Beak trimming should rarely be necessary for the Quaker who is fed the correct diet and supplied with lots of toys. If beak trimming is needed and recommended by your avian vet, it should consist of only gentle clipping and/or filing. Use of a Dremel tool on your parrot's beak can cause nerve damage because of the high heat generatd by the tool. Beak trimming is not a way to deal with biting behavior.

Liver disease, and other medical conditions can result in overgrown beaks and beak tumors. Not only must you treat the beak, but you must treat the cause in order to correct this condition.