Parrotlet:

Hi all, I'm new...Did a search to see if I could bring up anything on the info I was looking for but found nothing. Anyway I recently got a parrotlet, estimated age around 9mths. He's a great little bird, and I KNOW that all birds require a "settling" period. (It's only been a few days)

Is there any tips or suggestions to maybe get this bird a bit more active? I am home all day...I also get that each bird has a different personality, adjustment time.. So I don't need that to be "thrown out there".

My main concern is the treats. That was the only way I figured it'd make training him easier. But if he wont take anything, how can I praise him? I do the "good bird" thing...But it seems to just p-off him and he starts biting? (Treats offered have been Sunflower seeds, peas, toast, carrot, banana and a puffed rice cracker - for babies) Nothing. He looks at it like it's strange. The previous owners said he loved sunflower seeds. But he seems to not want anything to do with it?

Tips?

Thank you!

I am very new to bird owning. I have a English budgie and a parrotlet... My budgie was hand tame but refused to take food from me too... I had the same training concern. After two months aprox he now takes food happily. I kept trying randomly and one day he just did it. Now he can cover me in millet mess extremely quickly lol. Hopefully it is something that will come.
Can't wait to learn along with you.

I think he just needs more time. I've brought home new birds that settled in immediately like they'd always lived here, and others took a few days. And I know some can take weeks or years to settle in and bond with a new person.

I've also had the experience of a previous owner telling me a bird loves this food or that food, and then it won't eat it for me. Could be because I prepare it a bit differently? Eventually though they seem to get used to my way of making it and start eating it.

My amazon is very scared of new toys. He never had any before and it took him 2 weeks at least to begin playing with the first ones I gave him. And every time I go to give him a new one, I have to introduce it really slowly.

It sounds like he's a little sad and missing his previous owner. Try using his name the owner gave him and loving on him as much as you can. All parrots connect to their humans especially if they are not paired. They even grieve the loss of their partners in the wild. I think you have gone the right rout in educating yourself. I have no dout that you love your little guy. Good luck!