Monk Parakeets as Pets: Pictures, Cost to Buy, and Temperament Info
Monk Parakeets are common and well-loved pets, but there are some things you’ll want to know before you buy one. For instance, you’ll want to know what they look like, how much it costs to purchase one, and what their temperaments are like. Having a love for birds and monk parakeets myself, I decided to research and collect all of this information into one place.
So, how much do monk parakeets cost and what are their temperaments like? Monk parakeets cost $600-700 on average. They are also rather loud birds that like to play rough and be a little aggressive with their toys. Monk parakeets are also called Quaker parakeets, and are considered an invasive species in some states.
If you are an avid lover of birds a monk parakeet may be just the bird for you. Their beautiful feathers and active personalities make them a lot of fun and a lot to handle. Yet their power over speech makes them a commodity that everyone is talking about.
How Much Does it Cost to Buy Monk Parakeets?
Monk Parakeets are a well-known bird and they are loved throughout bird communities because of their rambunctious spirits and their talkative ways. They can almost give African greys a run for their money when it comes to talking.
These wonderful qualities plus their low asking prices make monk parakeets such a hot commodity. In a world where talking birds cost anywhere from three thousand to four thousand dollars apiece, monk parakeets are a steal.
Monk parakeets normal cost around 600-700 dollars a piece although in certain areas they are known to get up to around 1000 dollars. This is still a major success when considering how much talking birds normally cost.
| Monk Parakeet | African Grey | Amazon Parrot | |
| Cost | $600-700 | $3,000-4,000 | $2,000-3,000 |
From the table above we can obviously see that when it comes to talking birds the monk parakeet is the winner in terms of skills for the price. The only catch with monk parakeets is that they are banned in some states because they are considered to be pests.
Other Outside Monk Parakeet Costs
When worrying about the costs of buying a monk parakeet most people forget to think about the costs that occur outside of the purchase of the bird alone.
When buying a parakeet there is a lot to be said about the price of a bird cage, bird food, and bird toys that will bump up the budget that should be set when contemplating buying a monk parakeet.
The normal cage for a monk parakeet should be around 20 inches long, 18 inches deep, and 18 inches wide. Cages this size normally cost anywhere from 30 to 100 dollars depending on how nice you want the cage to be.
So when you add that onto the price that you are paying for your monk parakeet you are looking at spending around $700-800 instead of just $600-700.
Parakeet food is an additional $40, and if you want to buy it in bulk or if you add fresh fruit your first purchase can reach up to $100.
Toys can be expensive depending on where you get them from and what kind of purchase you are making. I would consider budgeting about $50 for toys. But if you look at clearance items you can sometimes make it out for cheaper.
So with the added costs of a cage, food, and toys, you are really looking at a budget of 800-900 dollars for your monk parakeet instead of $600-700. That way you have enough for the actual costs of buying a monk parakeet.
What is the Temperament of Monk (or “Quaker”) Parakeets?
Fun Fact: In some states, Monk Parakeets have become an invasive species as they have created colonies and started eating other birds’ food sources. It also cost about $1500 to remove one bird and its nest.
There is a lot of personality built into monk parakeets and sometimes others don’t see that as a good thing as we learned when they became banned in other states, but monk parakeets are actually amazing birds.
These little fighters are rather small for talking birds coming in at about 11 inches from beak to tip of tail and about 3.5 ounces, but by the way, they behave you would think that you had a full-grown parrot on your hands.
This can be quite comical as they strut around the house trying to take on things that are bigger than them, but it can also cause problems occasionally if you have small children living at home.
Most monk parakeets will view the small child as something to dominate over and they have been known to bike and attack small children in response.
So some families with small children may want to rethink owning a monk parakeet. That being said, monk parakeets are very social and they love to hang out with the family and soon will intricate themselves into all of the commotion and the fun.
And trust me these little parakeets are a ton of fun. They love to dance and sing and have a ton of energy that usually is the cause of a lot of laughter in the home.
Especially as they begin to learn new words and phrases. These little guys have captured the hearts of many bird lovers as they have become spellbound by their playful behavior.
Because of all the energy that is pent up in monk parakeets they love to play, love to make noise, and they are easily bored. They need stimulation almost all day.
Most people coup with this by using toys to keep their parakeet occupied without having to be home. This works great except that it can get rather expensive as they are rough with their toys and they tear up most toys that are given to them within a matter of days.
Monk Parakeets are known for being family birds and they love to nest. They will collect things from around the home to make their nests comfy and feel like home (your home).
If you want to have two monk parakeets they will form a close bond to each other but will still have a lot of love for you and your family. This is due to their highly social natures.
Fun Fact: In the wild Monk Parakeets live in flocks that do everything together including hunting. They will chatter the whole time they are out hunting and are almost inseparable from each other to outside viewers.
Along with their highly social natures comes some aggression that stems from being territorial. So if you are going to have two birds either buy them both together as babies or have two separate cages until the two birds bond.
If not you could experience fighting between the two birds and that is never fun. Make sure to stay within the monk parakeet family because they have been known to attack and kill birds of other species that are introduced into their habitat.
Part of their territorial natures comes from their immense intellectual sides. Monk parakeets are known for being crazy smart and can start to learn human words at about 6 months old.
Not to mention that they are very adept at learning and performing tricks, and because they love the attention they will not be afraid to rock out on for your friends and family.
These birds may seem like they have a mean streak, but in reality, they are rather sweet and caring. They are endless chatterboxes but they will make sure that you know that you are loved.
The last thing that any future owner of a monk parakeet needs to know about the unique temperament and qualities of the monk parakeets is that they shake.
Their bodies will quiver and shake in what can seem like an uncontrollable manner, but it is just part of their genetics and is totally normal. All monk parakeets shake quiver.
Fun Fact: Monk Parakeets got the nickname Quaker parakeets because of their unusual shakes. The name has stuck and Monk Parakeets are often referred to as Quaker Parakeets.
Related Questions:
In which states are monk parakeets illegal? According to the Quaker parrot society, the monk parakeet is illegal in 10 different US states. California, Connecticut, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, and Wyoming.
What do monk parakeets eat? They generally survive off of a diet of nuts, seeds, berries, fruit, leaf buds, and blossoms although, they have been known to eat a few insects and their larva before.
Where do monk parakeets live? Originally these birds were from South America where they lived in dry open habitats. After they were introduced to the United States in the 1960s and started creating colonies they have begun to populate suburban and urban areas where they nest along power poles and eat off of fruit trees.
