Be patient. Sit quietly near the cage and talk to the bird. Observe its behavior. Let the bird get used to your presence.

If you already own other birds, quarantining the newly adopted bird is a must. Approximately 60 days is generally recommended, for the health of all your birds, especially if the complete medical history of the adopted bird is unknown.

A well bird check-up, preferably done by an avian vet, and a proper wing clip is recommended as soon as possible, even before you bring the new bird home. The stress of the vet visit and wing clip is generally short lived and the benefits far outweigh the negatives. The benefits of the vet visit are obvious. The benefits of the wing clip are that the bird is less likely to get hurt if it tries to fly away in fright. A clipped bird is easier to work with and tends to have less aggression issues.

If possible, try to bring the bird home in the cage that it has been living in, even if the cage is to small, inadequate and a mess. This way the bird will have the comfort of the familiar until it begins to adjust to it's new surroundings. Later, when the bird is more acclimated, you can put him/her in a new cage. Quaker Parakeets are active and do best in a cage as large as you can comfortably afford. Bar spacing should be less than 1". Quaker's can be territorial about their cages. When you put your hand in the cage, you are essentially invading the bird's bedroom, dining and living rooms. Allow the bird to come out of the cage on it's own until you feel comfortable and confident enough to begin taking the bird out with your hand. In an emergency, you can towel the bird to get it out of the cage. Rotate the toys to reduce boredom and territorialism. The cage contents can be rearranged occasionally if you find the bird is getting too possessive of them. Cage location can be changed as well. Some birds do not like change, so you have to see how he/she reacts. Work with the bird as much as possible away from the cage. If your new bird has physical limitations, cage adaptations may be necessary. Rope perches are easier to climb and roost on than wooden perches. Perches may need to be lowered in the cage and placed closer to feeding dishes. Smooth wash clothes that nails can't get stuck in can be placed on the bottom of the cage and bath receptacles.

Proper diet is important to the good health, feathering and attitude. An 80% pelleted diet is the correct way to go, along with fresh vegetables (including beans), grains (like rices, barley etc), some fruits and pastas. Seed diets are too high in fats for Quakers, who are prone to FLD,(fatty liver disease). Seeds lack the proper amount of calcium and vitamins required in the avian diet. There are many different pellets available on the market. Converting a bird to pellets may or may not take some time, tricks, and patience, depending on the bird and if it likes the taste of the pellets you have bought. Begin conversion when you feel the bird is settling in nicely in your home. Try mixing a bit of pellets into the seed, adding a bit more pellets and less seed each day until you are no longer adding seed. Pellets can be softened with a little water or fruit juice. However, do not allow mooistened pellets to sit in the cage for over 2 hours. The pellets can go rancid and sprout all sorts of bacteria which can be harmful to your bird.

All birds have the potential to bite. An adopted bird can come to you sweet and loving or as a little green terror you just needs some gentle direction. Fear, misunderstanding, poor diet, stress, molting and hormones can affect a bird's behavior. Hands frighten some birds. As painful as it can be, try to ignore the bite. The bird is waiting for a reaction. In his other home, biting may have gotten the only reaction he could get. Even negative attention is attention. When the bird is on your hand and attempts to bite, the "wobble" or "earthquake", a slight twist of the wrist, not to throw the bird off but to refocus his attention, can be very effective. Telling the bird in a firm, even tone, "don't bite" while pushing into the bite instead of pulling away proves very affective as well. This is a little tricky to do the first few times, as it is not the natural response to a bite, but it does work, rendering the bird unable to get a good bite in. If you have to move a bird to examine it or in an emergency and you are afraid of getting bitten, toweling is always preferred over the use of gloves.

Keep the bird off of your shoulder. When you are working with the bird, try to hold it below eye level.

If the bird is screaming, try to observe closely when and why. Is it hungry or does it just want company? Is it screaming at a particular time? Is something frightening the bird? If the screaming seems to have a pattern to it, try to stop the behavior before it starts. For instance, if after watching the bird for several days, you see that the bird starts to scream at exactly 4:00 in the afternoon each day, at 3:55. start distracting the bird. Move it to a new location, keep a toy that it really like and give it to him only at that time. Do not do this after the bird has started screaming. This will reinforce the screaming behavior. Let it help you fold the laundry, anything distracting so that the bird does not fall into it's familiar screaming pattern. Quakers ar flock oriented. They will call missing flock members, i.e. you, when you leave the room. Screaming in your absence can be replaced with more pleasent contact calls, with work and time. Cage location sometimes can contribute to excessive calling and screaming. Most Quakers are very social. They are happiest where most of the activity in the house is.

Make sure the bird gets at least 10 hours of sleep. Some birds even require a quiet time or nap during the day.

Daily bathing or misting (not forceful spraying as punishment), often has a calming affect in addition to the benefits to the birds health and feathering.

The "Step-up" command is an essential part of your new Quaker's training. Present your index finger (thumb tucked into your palm) to the bird, touching the place on the bird where the upper thigh and belly meet. Gently press your finger while saying "step-up" at the same time, so the bird is forced to step up onto your finger. The bird can be trained to step up onto a dowel or perch as well. Step up should be practiced everyday until it becomes second nature to your bird. Practice away from the bird's cage as much as possible, especially if the bird is territorial about his cage. "Step downs", are as important for removing the bird from your hand, harmful situations, and when returning the reluctant bird to the cage.

Praise, praise, praise! Quakers love it and it is much more affective than yelling. If you yell, the bird will usually yell also.