Imprinting/Bonding?

As some may know I recently added a little Lovebird named “Kiwi” to our home. I bought her from the store she was bred and hand raised in. I just had a few concerns and questions I wanted to ask...
Kiwi is deathly afraid of hands. This came as a surprise to me as she was “hand raised”, yet if you put your hand within 2 feet of her she has a heart attack and runs. However, once she is in your hand, she hunkers down (albeit hyperventilating with her mouth open) and seems to groom your hand and give you kisses.
I have tried for the past week putting my hand in her cage with millet and she still will not come close.
I guess my question is....is she ever going to bond with me? And if so, will I be able to eventually have her perch on my hand without having to chase her through the room first?

P.S. - She has also learned how to escape her cage and it’s only been 2 weeks. She figured out how to raise the latch and push open the door at the same time....I have never had a bird hate me so much D’: Haha.

Birds are by far not dogs or cats. New environments can be scary because it's unfamiliar. Things that are unfamiliar to birds scare them. You are new and different, too. If you have to chase her, this would be making it harder for her to learn to trust you.

The behavior you describe sounds normal, even for a hand raised bird. Some birds are fantastic once home and others will take time!


I would suggest figuring out what her favorite treats are and seeing if she'll eat those by hand. If not, any time you walk by her cage, drop that treat into a cup. This will help to teach her to look forward to your presence.