Sun conure won't step up

So I adopted my sun conure, Marigold about 3 days ago. She was very nervous at first but has quickly warmed up to me. The problem is her previous owner did not teach her to step up. Instead, everytime I reach in and say "step up" she puts her head down so I can scratch her head and I do. So my friend suggested that I stick a perch in there to get her out. I do, and she gets really scared so she steps up to my hand and leaves her cage. Then I handle her. Once she's on my shoulder she will have a hard time stepping up but eventually perches on my hand. I return her back to the cage where this whole process starts all over again. Oh! Another thing is, she is fed an all pellet diet with fruits and veggies but she does not eat any treats. She won't touch any sunflower seeds and she doesn't bother eating her normal food as a treat since it's always there anyway. How do I train her to step up while she's in the cage if she won't take treats? When she sees my hand she automatically assumes I'm gonna give her a head rub and when I touch her belly she screams and nips me. So what do I do?

Don't worry yet. She has only been with you for 3 days and is probably still working you out. She will not understand what you want and won't yet trust you. Spend as much time as you can just chatting and letting her get really used to you. Wait until she comes and greets you at the bars of the cage meaning she is really glad to see you. If she is afraid of anything leave it in sight close to the cage where she can have a really good look at it until she is sure it isn't going to hurt her. Then take it closer but not so close that it scares her again.

Today Syd decided that my feather duster was an alien and went skitz. She gave out warning shrieks like it was going out of style. It is now sitting by the side of her cage and she has gone down several times to take a closer look at it. It will be a while before I tackle the cobwebs again LOL.

Every step is very slow but as she realises that you are a friend and provider of great things you will find it will get easier. Just be really patient. Have you had her checked by an Avian Vet? It would be worth a visit just to get her checked over.

It might be worth knowing how old she is.

Yes actually I took her to the vet today. She's a very healthy bird and she's just about 2 years old. Donny question is do I just stop trying and let her figure it out in her own? When she puts her head down for head scratches do I scratch her head for her or do I stop until she learns what step up is?

Keep scritching.
make friend.
build trust.
have fun.

read as much as you can on this forum.

Patience and perseverance are what I'd recommend.

The 'head scratching' behavior isn't uncommon. Often times when I put my hand in Skittles sleep cage in the morning he'll lower his head for scratchies. When he is out of his cage on a perch and I put my hand near him he lifts his wing up (for wingpit scratchies).

Bottom line is this, if she is letting you give her scratchies that is a VERY good sign. It means she trusts you. Don't risk damaging that trust by rushing her to do things. We have to do things at THEIR pace, not the other way around. You are now her slave. Welcome to the club.

Congrats on your new addition though. She is 2yrs old? Boy are you in for a treat (evil 'hehehehehe')

yes you're doing very well to be allowed scritches within 3 days.

Have you tried eating treats yourself to coax her into trying them? A bit of special fruit like some apple maybe? It doesn't have to be sunflower, it's just their favourite food. Try finding what her favorite food she has in her normal diet, whatever she eats first ten remove that. She'll want to do things to get that food. For the step up hold that favourite food just out of her reach even when she fully extends to get it, then put your finger or a perch slightly above her feet and her instincts will kick in. It takes a while but they do learn. The key is 100% finding the thing they'll do anything for. I'd personally advise not letting her on your shoulder until she's good at stepping-up. Shoulders are safe and comfy for them so they're not likely to want to get off

i know a couple people on here are going tto say NOOOO, but some times you need to show a bird....

You obviously aren't scared of it, so put your hand or a finger against his breast and push back say a 1/4 inch....

This is where they say NOOOO....but it's training...push back and stay step up or whatever command you want, maybe come here.....Even better have a treat out also and have him step up to get the treat.


It's not rocket science, you just need to plan ahead what you want and the motivation you can bring. Instead of a treat it might be a favorite toy. Or words of encouragement.

I recommend a treat but oftentimes a little patience and the bird will realize "oh, outside time, lets play" and step up and come right out.

Just realize there is a difference between coercing behavior....and forcing behavior or chasing him around the cage. That I don't agree with.

Okay thank you for all the replies! I'll continue to work her!

heck... not liking sunflower is a plus... eats pelleted diett.. .great. Doesn't attack when u stick hand in cage...fantastic. Careful tho... they can get protective over food/toys ...very protective, so respect that just in case. Don't try and change it.

Never force a bird to step up if it doesn't want to. She is new and scared and doesn't know you yet. The fact that she's "bowing" is a great sign, Ducky does it all the time to get scratches. Instead, lure her with some fruit or whatever she likes, it doesn't have to be sunflower seeds, or target train her to get her to come to you on her own. After you two have mastered step up, you can even teach your bird to come on command.

clark_conure said:

i know a couple people on here are going tto say NOOOO, but some times you need to show a bird....

You obviously aren't scared of it, so put your hand or a finger against his breast and push back say a 1/4 inch....

This is where they say NOOOO....but it's training...push back and stay step up or whatever command you want, maybe come here.....Even better have a treat out also and have him step up to get the treat.

Click to expand...

See the thing that makes me disagree is this. Imagine you're in your house and some random person comes in and starts trying to push you out of the door. you're gonna take offense to that. So with a bird they will resort to a good quick chomp quite often which will quickly tell them a bite means the hand goes away.

The treat should be so worthwhile to get that they're stretching out to get it, to the point they're almost salivating. If they aren't doing that for a treat then it's the wrong treat. Birds know by instinct how to step-up, how else did they get on the perch in the first place?

It also can lead to a point later down the line when they become more independent where they'll decide stepping up isn't fun and no longer do it. Where as if it's grained in when they're young that step ups lead to treats and it's entirely their choice then they do it all the time

I respect your analogy LordTriggs but it's flawed in that bird learn by wrote. Repetition of I offer my hand, we spend time playing outside the cage. Nothing is forced. if the bird doesn't want to come it's ok but learning by wrote means repetition. If you open the cage every morning and stick your hand in the bird should learn WEEEEEE outside time! The treat should be the shoulder time..and the playing on the floor time. It won't be a week before most birds are climibing to the doorway to jump on anyway.... if it's more than that might mean something deeper.

I've never been one to force a bird out of their cage, but I've also been one who does stick my hands in to get them to 'perch'. That form of training has always worked for me and is really the only one I've ever been taught in that regard. I was taught that you stick your hand in their cage slowly and 'nudge' their bellies so they climb on speaking softly to them in reassurance. IF they freak out (which is common enough) than you slowly retreat your hand and stop just before removing it entirely and try again. That method has always worked for me.

For me, I have a very unique situation with Skittles. He "waits" for my hand to climb on to come out. The only way he will come out on his own is if I open the cage door and walk away, he'll quickly jump out and fly to me. I think he does that because that is what he's used too. He knows that daddys hand means 'out of cage time'.

Fortunately, Skittles is very comfortable being held and handled. Even the vet said so last year and this year too. His heart rate was completely relaxed.

clark you're describing different things. The method you described second is the same as what I describe, rewards for choosing to step-up. But you shouldn't need to push them to make them step-up, even at first. Start with a food based treat to get them doing it initially then when they learn to do that they realize outside is fun and to get outside they have to step-up.