Tips on taming older galahs?

I've had Bandit for 7 days and he's such a joy to have around. He's 8 years old and his previous owner had him as an aviary bird for breeding but Bandit wasn't interested in breeding. The previous owner had him a year and he could go into the aviary and have Bandit sit on his hand and be petted and when we picked Bandit up he was bowing his head to his owner for scratches. Since I've had Bandit he's been getting used to us and within the week we've had him I've been able to pass him food through the cage and feed him millets in the cage but whenever I try to pet him he often bites. I've been bitten once by him but that was mainly because he let me pet him for a short time and I think he wanted me to stop. But today when I got home from school he was excited to see me and when I went up to his cage and placed my hand up to move my hair out the way, he went to bow his head but sorted of hesitated but let me pet him for longer than I did before. He tried to bite me the second time I went to pet him but these seem like good signs. I was just wondering if anyone could give me useful tips for getting him more used to me? I haven't tried teaching him to step up just yet since the cage door is at an awkward angle to his perch.

It sounds as though you're already making good progress - just take it slow and let him set the pace. It can take a long time for a galah to fully adjust to a new home and new people - I've had my galah 18 months now and she was a bag of nerves when i got her. It took about two months before she seemed to have calmed down and starting to enjoy her new home, and to be honest even 18 months on I keep thinking she's a finished article then we make a little breakthrough and she does something that previously would have terrified her. It can be tough going but it's incredibly rewarding when they do make progress.

Galahs are very beaky birds, so pay attention to what she does with her beak and see if you can work out whether a nip means 'Back off, I'm out of my comfort zone' and 'Hey! That finger looks interesting! Can I have a taste?'. Ultimately you'll need to put some work into pressure biting so that he can use his beak to explore without hurting you.

If you can, try and arrange some kind of perch across the cage doorway. Bandit could then sit in his doorway and be approached a bit more easily. With my Dommie, I used one of those cotton bendy perches with the plastic bolts at either end. I just attached it to the inside of the cage across the doorway and left the door open. Eventually, Dom learned to sit there and be given treats through the open door. It wasn't much drama to affix the perch outside the cage after a while and Dom gradually decided to come out.

With the biting, there's a technique where, instead of offering a finger or an open hand, you offer the back of your tightly-closed fist. If Bandit tries to bite you, it's a lot harder for him to get hold of the tightened skin. All you have to do is be ready to turn your hand to keep him from getting hold of you. Remember: this doesn't mean it's OK to keep your hand in his face and force him to step up. It's just a way of avoiding the bite when you need to.

Another tip for nippy birdies is to have a chopstick or long treat (stick of celery) ready. If Bandit's beak is full, he's far less likely to bite you. Or that's the theory, anyway.

When I'm taming a bird, I usually start off with food treats and just spend lots of time talking and shovelling treats at them. You really need to teach the 'step up' command early on because it's the only way you're going to get Bandit back into his cage easily. I have spent many a long hour waiting for a bird to come down and be re-caged. It's not much fun.

Finally, knowing how my (nervous, neglected and unsocialised) Dominic was at first, my best recommendation is to always be quiet and subdued around the cage, at least in the beginning. Make your movements slow and purposeful - don't twitter and flutter your hands about because this can unnerve a frightened or abused bird. Most of all, try to resist the temptation to approach Bandit with your hand and then pull it away or wave it about: that's just an open invitation to be bitten hard. Slow and definite movements are best. If Bandit does bite, try as hard as you can not to react too loudly. If you have to, you could wear a glove (but many birds are far more scared of gloves than they are of hands). Some members use a stick or bit of dowel at first when they are teaching step up. That can be handy, especially when trying to get birdie back into his cage.

Just watch Bandit during these first few weeks and try to work out what makes him nervous and what makes him curious. Figure out his favourite treat (sunflower seeds?) and keep it only for training. Birds are very food-motivated and a good food treat is your best ally.

I hope you'll continue to ask questions as you and Bandit form a bond. Galahs are just delightful birds and very snuggly and affectionate. Dominic sends respectful p'snips to his new friend, Bandit.