Day 8 of the 12 Adoptable Pets of the Holiday Season...Dolce the Cliff or Quaker Parakeet from the Parrot Sanctuary

From Marie-Elisabeth Parrot Sanctuary:

Dolce is a young 2 year old Monk Parakeet (also known as Quaker Parrot). We aren’t sure of Dolce’s gender. This little one has had a hard start in life but has bloomed into the cutest, funny little one who is very social and friendly. Dolce loves nothing more than to hang out on someones head, shoulders or hands and watch whatever his person is doing. Dolce is very curious! When Dolce is out of his cage he likes to investigate everything and particularly likes to walk around on the floor. We encourage him to stay off the floor to avoid accidents but he is very determined to look into any area he has access to. Dolce is a little social butterfly and may do very well with another bird compatible in size and friendly gently demeanour. Do  keep an open mind about this sensitive little bird, although Dolce has a recent history of feather damage, with a loving family or individual she/he will continue to thrive in an enriched environment! 

Dolce’s story (from the young lady who fostered him after he was brought to a city shelter):

Dolce was surrendered to a local animal shelter in August with a blood soaked bandana stuck to his neck.  But Dolce’s story began in January when his owners abandoned him and another bird with a pet sitter. The pet sitter, not knowing what to do, kept the birds in their home but then Dolce began plucking due to stress. They brought him to the vet who recommended putting a cone on him, but this did not go over well with Dolce. He became even more stressed and began to destroy the cone and started hurting himself. This is when the pet sitter reached out to the local animal shelter for help. Once at the shelter, the damage to his neck was assessed and he was immediately sent to the vet. Dolce’s neck was so bad that he required stitches to close him up. Once he returned from the vet he was placed in a foster home where he required daily bandage changes. At first, he was incredibly stressed and would try to hurt himself at any chance. After a few days and many different types of neck guards, Dolce and the foster finally found something that worked and he began to settle in. His sutures were removed and he was finally able to not wear any kind of guard around his neck.
Today, Dolce is a happy guy who has not plucked in weeks. He has such a silly personality and loves to listen to music and hang out with his favourite person. He is a one-person kind of bird but we are working on his social skills. He is a really special bird who has come such a long way from the bird who had to be soaked in order to remove his bloody bandana that was stuck to his neck.

Species Care and info for Cliff Parakeets (from the World Parrot Trust site)
Captive Status:
Common
Longevity:
Up to 25 yrs.
Housing:
Aviary or suspended enclosure, minimum length 3m (9.8 ft).
Diet:
Fruit such as: apple, pear, orange, cactus fruits, pomegranate, etc, forming about 30 percent of the diet; vegetables such as: carrot, celery, green beans and peas, corn; green leaves such as: Swiss chard, lettuce, sowthistle, dandelion, chickweed; spray millet; small seed mixture: canary, millet, safflower and limited sunflower seed; cooked beans or pulses and complete pellet.
Enrichment:
Socialization, bathing; provide nest building materials, puzzle toys, bird safe chewables (fir, pine, elder, willow, sterilized pine cones, vegetable tanned leather).
Nest Box Size:
This species nests in colonies. Provide a welded mesh base and a large supply of twigs, from which the pairs will build their nests. Nest boxes may be used (vertical box, 12" x 12" x 18" (30.5cm x 30.5cm x 46cm).
Clutch Size:
5-7
Incubation Time:
23-24 days
Fledging Age:
6-7 weeks
Hatch Weight:
5g (0.17 oz) (wild)
Peak Weight:
110-120g (3.8-4.2 oz) (wild)
Weaning Weight:
Around 100g (3.5 oz) (wild)
Specialist Club:
Quaker Parakeet Society - Facebook

Find out more about Quaker Parakeets from Lafeber Company by clicking the image below...

Find out more about Dolce From the Parrot Sanctuary!