Quaker parakeet finds way to train his owner

By: Carrie J. Sidener | The News & Advance
Published: November 07, 2011

It turns out I can be trained after all.

It’s taken years for Simon to find just the right way to tell me that he wants more of his beloved Cheerios.

My little green Quaker parakeet has tried a multitude of methods to ask me for a refill of his favorite cereal treat. Mind you, Simon gets a little bit of O’s every morning, but he eats them first and often wants more.

He threw his other food around the cage. That method was not met with my approval and did not earn him more O’s.

Then he started picking up the bowl for his O’s and dropping it repeatedly so the metal bowl clangs loudly on its metal ring, sounding like a prisoner with his metal cup banging on the bars for the attention of the guard.

That still didn’t work. Some days the sound of the repeated clanging used to drive me to the other end of the house. After a while, the sound was commonplace enough that I could tune it out.

Recently, he started spinning the bowl for his O’s. That method makes such a unique sound – almost liquid-like – it took me a while to figure out just what he was up to. It’s not an unpleasant sound. Perhaps Simon likes the quality of the noise as well since he enjoys making the sound every morning.

But it wasn’t until a few weeks ago that he found the method that is guaranteed to get him some O’s.

The only problem is he has to be out of his cage to pull it off.

My housemate Cortney and I were in his room talking when Simon flew to the Cheerio’s container, stood on its lid and started gently rubbing the container with his face, like he was lovingly caressing it.

Cortney noticed first.

“What is he doing?” she asked.

I looked over at Simon and he locked an eye with mine and caressed the container of O’s more vigorously.

When he’s feeling sweet, he will caress my arm in much the same manner.

“That is so cute,” Cortney exclaimed, and Simon made a little purring noise.

So, Simon ended up with a small pile of O’s sitting near his cage. He stood on one foot with an O held in the other, munching away as O dust fell from his beak.

Now he thinks that should work for everything. He has started rubbing the jar of walnuts in hopes of coaxing another treat from me. And I’m sure soon he will be gently caressing whatever he things he should have.

It is effective. And super cute.