Stepping Up

Anesthesia · Feb 3, 2018

Hello all,

I have two young Lovebirds that I've been trying to tame.
I've managed to get one of them to step up and eat from my hand whilst inside the cage. I however, cannot get my birdie to step up and eat while outside the cage (whenever they escape; that is).

Should I just continue on with what I've been doing? Or does anyone here know of a better method that I could use for getting them to remain on my hand outside the cage? I'm a first time Lovebird owner, by the way. Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much!

GaleriaGila · Feb 3, 2018

My darling is flighted and fearless, and steps up only when he pleases. I'm guessing yours are flighted also. I think most will agree that wing-clipping (at least for a time) is the easiest way to establish firm control, but I know there are many who object to that.

You sound like a loving parront, so... I see no problem with continuing with what you're doing, for now... you can always make a change later.

Let's see what others think.

Oh, and good for you, for reaching out, and being open-minded!

FlyBirdiesFly · Feb 3, 2018

The problem with wing clipping is that it forces the bird to stay with you instead of letting the bird learn to trust you. It isn’t a very honest relationship because the bird has no choice, even if they’re terrified they know that if they try to fly away they’ll end up on the floor. You need to move slowly, gain the birds’ trust, so they learn to accept you. Feeding them from your hand is a great first step! Many untame birds are too scared to even eat from a hand. Just keep doing that and eventually they’ll learn to trust you and come out of the cage. Offer some treats outside the cage to make it interesting for them. How long have you had these birds? It might be too soon, you need to be patient when taming birds. My baby budgie Pearl was flying away from me in a panic the first day, but after she settled in and got used to her surroundings, she was stepping up and even recall flying in no time, and I recently taught her to go back in the cage easily and without hassle.

Anesthesia · Feb 3, 2018

FlyBirdiesFly said:
The problem with wing clipping is that it forces the bird to stay with you instead of letting the bird learn to trust you. It isn’t a very honest relationship because the bird has no choice, even if they’re terrified they know that if they try to fly away they’ll end up on the floor. You need to move slowly, gain the birds’ trust, so they learn to accept you. Feeding them from your hand is a great first step! Many untame birds are too scared to even eat from a hand. Just keep doing that and eventually they’ll learn to trust you and come out of the cage. Offer some treats outside the cage to make it interesting for them. How long have you had these birds? It might be too soon, you need to be patient when taming birds. My baby budgie Pearl was flying away from me in a panic the first day, but after she settled in and got used to her surroundings, she was stepping up and even recall flying in no time, and I recently taught her to go back in the cage easily and without hassle.

That makes sense. I was highly considering clipping before when they would fly out and crash, but they haven't had any crashes for quite some time. I'm hoping to get them to the point where I can have a harness on each of them.

I purchased them last November. They were approximately 2 months old when I bought them (Still plenty of brown on each of their bills).
I believe the girl (Siouxsie) is the one who has been slightly warming up to me. The problem is that Ziggy is still a bit skittish and whenever he escapes she'll usually freak out and fly out with him. For that reason alone I've been a little weary on actually trying to get her to actually come out to my hand whilst outside the cage entrance.

Anesthesia · Mar 24, 2018

Well, almost 2 months have passed and it feels like we're back to square one.
I've gotten both of their wings trimmed, and have upgraded them to a larger cage. Unfortunately, they haven't really been the same since they were trimmed. Siouxsie used to step up almost immediately after I would put my hand in the cage. Now she rarely does it. They actually don't even attempt to leave their cage since the clipping.
Have any other Lovebird owners experienced anything similar to this? If so, what was your solution for getting your birdies to trust you again?

FlyBirdiesFly · Mar 24, 2018

The clipping probably made them more timid - birds have a lot more confidence when they can fly, as flight is the only way they can escape danger. Take away that means of escape, and you have a helpless, scared bird. They probably don’t trust you anymore because you’re big and scary and now they don’t have the security of being able to get away from you if they need to. If you were making so much progress, why did you decide to clip them? Now you’ve damaged their trust in you. Now you must go at their own pace, read their body language and be able to tell if they’re uncomfortable with your actions - remember, they’re helpless now. Making the birds defenseless against you when you want to gain their trust won’t get you anywhere - they’ll just fear you more. Please reconsider the clipping in the future unless absolutely necessary for their own safety.

Anesthesia · Mar 24, 2018

Flybirdiesfly,

I mainly did it as a precaution. When I'd let them out to fly around my room they would sometimes bump into the mirror on my dresser. I had visited my local bird store, and was suggested that I take them to get their wings trimmed. Definitely won't be doing it again. Once they're out they're somewhat receptive to stepping up, although it takes a bit longer than before. They still enjoy my head and hair, thank God.

FlyBirdiesFly · Mar 24, 2018

Glad to know that you won’t be making that mistake again in the future. Unfortunately, you can’t always trust what a pet store employee says. One pet store I know tells their customers that it’s okay to feed birds nothing but seed! I suggest that you cover up the mirror until they know their way around the house. Do they still eat from your hand? If they do, you can use a treat to lure them onto your hand so you can take them out of the cage. Always associate coming out of the cage with positive things, such as getting to eat treats they wouldn’t normally eat, or playing on a playgym with lots of toys.

FlyBirdiesFly · Mar 24, 2018

Oh, and while their wings are clipped, it’s a good idea to show them the layout of the house. Gail has a video of her walking around with the Rickeybird on her shoulder and she taps on the windows and mirrors, and the Rickeybird copies her. This way, they know that the mirror is a hard surface so they won’t crash into it. You can also put a sticker on the mirror so they know something is there and they can’t fly through it.

Stepping Up

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