Do Parrotlets Need Human Time?

dalefelton450

Banned
Banned
Sep 15, 2019
18
0
So, I got a parrotlet that was about 6 months old at the time of purchase. He is now 1.5 years old, and his name is Pascal.

This was the first parrot I had purchsed myself. The breeder (a woman at a bird fair) told me that she'd hand raised him but stopped handling him when she decided he would be a breeder due to his turquoise coloring. However, she changed her mind and brought him to the bird fair to see if anyone wanted him.

It was (foolishly) love at first sight. Even my husband adored him. So, she clipped his wings, told us to forcibly handle him to get him used to human interaction, and we took him home.

He has never gotten used to people. He is terrified of hands and flees if people get too close. After a few weeks, I researched and found claims that forcing your bird to be handled is very bad, so I stopped. I also researched specialty training for very skittish birds (which he is). It suggested not clipping his wings to give him a sense of safety, so he's had full flight for almost a year now. Because he has full flight, he won't step up onto his training stick.

Basically, his days consist of eating fruits and veggies and then having free flight of the whole floor. He tends to fly to the indoor aviary to watch the finches all day, but he almost never visits me or my husband (in the next room over).

If you've read this much so far, thank you! My questions are:

1. Even though I'm sad I don't have the relationship I crave with my parrot, I'm really more worried that he isn't happy. Can a parrotlet be happy living this way?

2. Any tips of how I can train him if he won't stop flying away...?

Note: Pascal has a complete playpen set up by my desk that he can and does ocassionally visit.
 

Laurasea

Well-known member
Aug 2, 2018
12,593
10,702
USA
Parrots
Full house
Welcome to the forum. We have some psrrolet owners her do hopefully they will offer advice.
I'm all about bribing with food.
We have a tips on bonding thread I think undr general parrot info page too in blue..
 

Inger

Well-known member
Parrot of the Month šŸ†
Mar 20, 2017
3,395
826
Everett, WA
Parrots
Bumble - Pacific (or Celestial) Parrotlet hatched 02/19/17
Iā€™m so glad youā€™re asking these questions and youā€™ve researched beyond what the sort of awful breeder told you.

I have a 2.5 year old parrotlet and she prefers to spend her time on or near me. But she came hand tame and I was given better guidance on keeping her that way. She is the little love of my life.

I think if you want a good relationship with her (and you CAN have one, Iā€™m sure of it), I would start from scratch. The link Iā€™ll put below is a good place to start, and i would also read all the stickies in the Amazon forum. Partly because some of it will apply to all parrots, and partly because parrotlets are often thought of as little Amazons in their behavior.

Iā€™m so glad youā€™re here, and I hope you come back and give us updates on your progress!

https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink/to...read.php?t=49144&share_type=t&link_source=app


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

fiddlejen

Well-known member
Mar 28, 2019
1,232
Media
11
1,156
New England
Parrots
Sunny the Sun Conure (sept '18, gotcha 3/'19). Mr Jefferson Budgie & Mrs Calliope Budgie (albino) (nov'18 & jan'19). Summer 2021 Baby Budgies: Riker (Green); Patchouli, Keye, & Tiny (blue greywings).
Parrotlets are small like budgies right? I have friends with budgies that are even less tame than my own barely-tame petstore budgies. They refuse human interaction also, and Love hanging out on their finches' cage. They seem very happy! So IF your birdie seems happy enough, then she probably is.

Not to say don't work on taming her. Do so, use the resources here. BUT, you're giving her a good home, she's probably quite happy - don't add un-necessary Guilt into the mix. Love her, tame her gently only insofar as possible, and just enjoy her company.
:)
 

wrench13

Moderator
Staff member
Super Moderator
Parrot of the Month šŸ†
Nov 22, 2015
11,383
Media
14
Albums
2
12,567
Isle of Long, NY
Parrots
Yellow Shoulder Amazon, Salty
Try to figure out what Pascals favorite treat is,and use that for taming. Small pieces of shelled pine nuts work great,most small parrots love them. Start giving him a piece every time you pass his cage,thru the bars at first. Every time. He should start to associate you with tastytreats and good things. Progress from there to offering them in your hand,thru the door, only intruding into the cage alittle bit,and progress from there.
Taming and training parrots can take time,weeks,and even months sometimes. And parrotlets are STUBBORN. So be patient with him.
 

Inger

Well-known member
Parrot of the Month šŸ†
Mar 20, 2017
3,395
826
Everett, WA
Parrots
Bumble - Pacific (or Celestial) Parrotlet hatched 02/19/17
Good advice from Wrench. Keep in mind that Parrotlets are often very cage territorial and exercise caution when you stick your hand in there.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Ezekiell

New member
Jan 31, 2016
111
3
Sydney, Australia
Parrots
Māui (white bellied caique)
It sounds like she's had bad experiences, so it would be good to work on building trust and a common language with her.

Manda & Rio on YouTube has a good video demonstrating how to use targeting around the cage (you outside with the stick, bird inside in their comfort zone) to start building the trust and common language.

BirdTricks YouTube also has a great video showing how they taught Lefty the Quaker to get comfortable with hands by targeting him in a way that meant he had to accidentally step onto a flat hand.

These might be a useful starting point for finding resources to help with hand desensitisation.

As mentioned, bribery with treats is a great tactic. Maybe spend some time offering a whole heap of different nuts/seeds to her and seeing which one's she considers the no 1 & 2 optimum treat. Once you know her preferences then you can set up your interactions so that she learns "if I do X I get Y which is awesome".
 

herbwx

New member
Jan 3, 2020
20
3
Maryland
Parrots
50+ years with parakeet experience and last 10 years with parrotlets. Currently have parrotlet born approx 2010.
New member here. I've had birds -- mostly parakeets -- for 50 years!

I re-homed a 1yo parrotlet 8 years ago. Before I got him, he was living on a boat, where the boat owner traveled all week ... and so the bird was alone and lost whatever socialization he previously had. To re-train him, I would bring the cage into a small powder room, so that he couldn't get too far away from me. For some birds, it takes longer to train -- each has his own character, obviously. I had plenty of bleeding bird bites in those early days 8 years ago. But after 50 years of bird-handling, bites don't affect me at all.

My parrotlet is just the opposite of every parrotlet trait I've ever read about. He squawks loudly when I enter the room -- very excitable -- but there isn't a food in the world I've found that draws him to me. I've tried every veggy, fruit, nut, cheese, pasta, etc. imaginable. I offer and he refuses or just ''beaks'' the food, then I drop it into his seed cup and he eventually explores the food later on. It's tricky to find that "magic bullet" that draws the bird to you. For me, it turned out to be an empty medium-sized vitamin jar, which he loves to hang-out in, like a nest. He is not afraid of me, he just doesn't wanna hang out with me. And even 8 years later, he is still VERY timid about my hands/fingers. And I work with him every day. But these birds are headstrong in character and not easily persuaded to do something against their will. He still isn't quite convinced that I'm not going to eat him! But he tolerates me and knows me and will get on my finger -- eventually.

And yes, birds do need time with their humans. I find my bird keeps himself quite entertained on his own, but they still need that people-time. They need to learn that you are his "flock".
 
Last edited:

Mo33

New member
Aug 29, 2020
3
1
Parrots
Parrotlet
Hi I'm a newbie on here. Hello to all

Regarding 'Human time'.
Many years ago we kept budgies and canaries(not together), caged but always allowed their freedom daily. They had one another for company so didn't interact very much with us humans. They were always very active, happy and healthy birds.

Over the last couple of years I've found a distinct behavioural difference whilst caring for a family member's little parrotlet. I had already had some unpleasant experiences with parrots' beaks so both little bird and I were unsure of one another and I knew it was going to be challenging as he was only semi-tame....and... had a beak....:-(. Yes, I know - Wus.

We persevered with our daily routines and, over time, he realised I was friend not foe.
From being extremely nervous he's progressed from staying firmly rooted on the top of his cage before climbing back in to his sanctuary, to now flying on to my shoulder and sharing eggs on toast at breakfast time, flying to my arm from the top of his cage for a treat and sitting on my shoulder while I clean his cage each day. (He loves my fleece dressing gown and digs his little talons into the pile) also climbs round the collar looking for my earrings!
He's still a somewhat nervous little chap and easily spooked (hates the colour red) but we have come on leaps and bounds. I think we've gone as far as we can with confidence which suits us both fine. He hops from his perch onto my arm to be taken out of his cage every morning too - lazy boy. He used to fly straight out (like a bullet) but appears to enjoy the contact now and shows no aggression when I put my hand in to place food inside the cage while talking softly to him - unless my fingers get to close and then the dreaded beak opens, but I know not to push it......

Being a proper foodie has done the trick, that and plenty of patience. So rewarding.
He chirrups, blows kisses (and raspberries) whispers and imitates my laugh. Most days he does his yoga trick too, upside down at the side of the cage clinging on with his little feet and beak. Bit worrying is that but I expect they do that in the wild too.

He loves his daily zooms round the room and his Lafebers seed balls and strawberries, kiwis and tomatoes. Hates greens..... always throws them out.
All of that together with extra treats, egg biscuit, millet, seed sticks etc, and his toys, keep him a happy and healthy little boy. Hubby & I love him dearly.......Sometimes more than others..... He hates any changes made to his 'domain', new toys etc. and kicks up quite a commotion to let us know by doing his angry blackbird impersonation and sort of marching up and down his big perch with attitude doing head bobbing. Depending what it is I usually leave it till he gets acclimatised. If the performance carries on he gets his way and offending item is removed.

Sometimes while he's sitting on my shoulder I put Koolaid (The American parrotlet's escapades) on uTube for him to watch and listen too. He gets very animated and excited. What a great character Koolaid is, if you've never seen him check it out. I would love mine to talk like that.

Anyway, in summing up, sorry it's been so long in coming, I would def. agree with Herbwx, parrotlets do need human time.

Take care. M x
 

18WheelsOfSteel

New member
Jun 26, 2019
236
80
West Central Louisiana, originally from Portland O
Parrots
2 Budgies
"Southern Belle" a blue female
"Beau Dandy" a green male
Not sure any bird really NEEDS human time, we generally want to interact with them, and with diligence many birds will agree to interact with us, but it's best when the bird decides it is in its comfort zone to be on or around you.

My experience is with two budgies that were bought from a pet store, they were not hand raised, it has been over a year now and they are generally still averse to spending time with people, usually, occasionally they decide to spend time with a human (usually me but not always) and are incredibly insistent, then go back off to do whatever they want to do when the fancy strikes them, just keep in mind this will probably take a very long time to reach the point of mutual trust with the bird.
 

Most Reactions

Latest posts

Top