put up fliers at shopping centres and vets etc. Dont tell anyone the band number or colour or leg, keep that to yourself and use it as a way they can identify it before they see it. You dont have to take it to anyone... but do notify as many organisations that you can that you have him and are looking for his owners. Dont hand him over to anyone else if he is comfortable with you. You need to make a genuine effort to find his owners for at least two months. Keep records of your attempts to find his owners and make sure they are genuine and far reaching.
Try not to get too attached. And if in two months he is still at yours after all your efforts... then start thinking up a name for him
You can get them sexed by having a feather plucked and sent off for DNA analysis. I think it only costs between $30 and $60. In the mean time do losts of research on quarkers. They are the only parrots that build a nest
So he will require somewhere to 'nest'. A lot of people like to buy those little bird huts. But if you give him bits of paper etc he will build a nest
They can be very loud so make sure the whole family is prepared for that... because once you committ yourself to him its a 20year committment as they do bond closely. He may have come straight from a local breeder as a fledgling which may explain why he seems to be bonding with you.
Quaker can get nippy with maturity. They are cage protective!!! You need to read up on it and prepare for it, when they start to mature and claim their cage as their own they can get defensive of it. When a quaker bites... its like a budgie... its a horrible cutting motion that does more damage than your usual parrot big hard beak.
Having said all that... they have the most adorable little voices and you couldnt ask for a cuddlier bird. They learn to speak very well and develop the most advances vocabulary of any bird their size. Your average hand reared green quaker parakeet goes for around $200. Blues for $300+... I dont know what yellows go for these days. Another interesting fact... they pair up and mate easily as pets in a house environment
This may cause some aggression towards their human family during breeding season... but its a nice little quirk that a lot of americans enjoy about them.
They will need a reasonably large cage with small bar spaces. The doors will need to be the locking variety... definitely no sliding type doors. He will need lots and lots of complex toys. They are highly intelligent and excellent escape artists.
These are your two best resources for quakers... read them both thoroughly... and also enjoy the images and sounds of talking quakers
They have squeeky voices.
: : OZ Quaker Parrot Information - : :
Quaker Parrots Information Site and Forum | QuakerParrots.com and this one has a forum and a mailing list
Couldn't find the other website... it was brilliant but its been swallowed up by others in google
So... although two months of active searching may seem like a tough job... think of it this way... if you dont find his owners you are legally covered and have saved yourself $200. If you do find his owner... you will have experienced a quaker and will no doubt want to get one for yourself
$200 isn't a heck of a lot of money if you think the birds are tops
Otherwise... if you do find the owner and say it is a breeder and he is an escaped fledgling... offer him something for the bird
He may be reasonable and just be happy it went to a good home.
---------- Post added 11-Jan-11 at 08:52 PM ----------
large Bird Cage (eBay item 270689129235 end time 14-Jan-11 09:18:52 AEDST) : Home
Open Roof Bird Aviary Cage Wronght Iron JK21 (eBay item 220604510682 end time 06-Feb-11 14:20:03 AEDST) : Home
These are the kinds of cages you need. The bar spacing needs to be as small as possible. They also need a reasonably sized cage.
You need to provide the quaker with fresh fruit and vege daily. try to limit seeds. And be prepared, quakers are very messy eaters. They are prone to fatty liver disease so try to stay clear of seeds. Parrot pellets are best. Read up on what is dangerous for the bird to eat. Be aware quakers will chew cords.