New Bird, Hand Shy

[joeparrilla5790]

Hey guys,

I just picked up my green cheek yesterday. He was hand fed and just weaned over a week ago. He is eating and drinking great, but he is a lot more scared of hands than I expected. This morning he would freak at the sight of my hands, but a few minutes ago he began taking sunflower seeds through the bars. I opened the door and he does come to the ledge to grab the seed, but he quickly runs away after he grabs it. If I try to lure him onto my finger with the seed, he just sort of pinches my finger and walks away. Its obvious that he is just wanting the seed and has no interest in me. Should I call it quits for tonight and try again another night? I was excited to see him making progress, but I dont want him to just take a treat and run. What should I do to get him to willingly come out and be with me?

 

[tab_xo]

hello, im no expert like some of the other people on here, but i recently got a new parrot as well... he was also hand raised but was still very scared of me... he would take the treat through the bars like your guy is, and would also move away to eat it... I did this for the first few days, and he was taking treats with my hand inside the cage... i think patience is the key, and he just has to get used to you, and know that you aren't a threat.
so starting out the same as what your guy is, after a week he knew that i wasnt going to hurt him, and would let me pat him... 2 weeks later on he loves scratches and flies to me on command..

so just keep feeding him treats and talking to him to let him know you are a friend..
hope this helps!

 

[joeparrilla5790]

hello, im no expert like some of the other people on here, but i recently got a new parrot as well... he was also hand raised but was still very scared of me... he would take the treat through the bars like your guy is, and would also move away to eat it... I did this for the first few days, and he was taking treats with my hand inside the cage... i think patience is the key, and he just has to get used to you, and know that you aren't a threat.
so starting out the same as what your guy is, after a week he knew that i wasnt going to hurt him, and would let me pat him... 2 weeks later on he loves scratches and flies to me on command..

so just keep feeding him treats and talking to him to let him know you are a friend..
hope this helps!

Thanks for taking the time to respond. My biggest fear is being hated by this bird. I just want him to love and trust me, and this rocky start is really upsetting. I will try to have patience and be happy that he is at least willing to eat from my hand. Maybe I am expecting too much too quickly. I just dont want him to think I am nothing more than a sunflower seed dispenser

 

[tab_xo]

ahh i had that same fear! i was so scared he wouldnt calm down, but now he doesnt leave me alone haha
in time he will definitely love and trust you... you just have to remember this is a whole new world for him! if you are his main caretaker he will take to you
i think winning him over with sunflower seeds and talking to him is the easiest way,, but after he trusts you he will be willing to do things without a treat...
fargo wasnt stepping up or coming to me unless i had a nut in my hand... but now after a few more days he will ! ( of course i still give him a big treat after ) haha

 

[MonicaMc]

Well socialized dogs warm up to new people pretty quickly.

A parrot that may, or may not have been well socialized, may or may not warm up to new people in a short period of time.

You just bought this young bird and as far as he knows, you took him away from the only place he has ever known and you are a stranger to him. He hasn't been with you for long, and the new environment may be scary to him. Give him time to settle in, and keep feeding him by hand!

If he's not interested in coming out of the cage for a few days, that's ok, just continue being near him and offering him goodies. He'll learn to associate you with good things.

 

[joeparrilla5790]

Well socialized dogs warm up to new people pretty quickly.

A parrot that may, or may not have been well socialized, may or may not warm up to new people in a short period of time.

You just bought this young bird and as far as he knows, you took him away from the only place he has ever known and you are a stranger to him. He hasn't been with you for long, and the new environment may be scary to him. Give him time to settle in, and keep feeding him by hand!

If he's not interested in coming out of the cage for a few days, that's ok, just continue being near him and offering him goodies. He'll learn to associate you with good things.

So you don't think that he will just take advantage of the fact that I'm giving him seeds and only come to me expecting a seed? Even now, once he sees that I don't have a treat he wont bother to come over to me. Am I just rushing it?

 

[MonicaMc]

I think that if you do it right, he will come to enjoy spending time with you because he'll learn that spending time with you can be a fun and rewarding experience. Food can be a great method to start that process.


I sometimes see people who feed and water their birds, give them toys and an ok cage. They then expect the bird to be friendly because they take care of said bird. They don't try interacting with the bird or not in a way that the bird would enjoy.


It's all in a matter of how you interact with your bird and your mannerism towards them. A good bird to human relationship should be based on respect and communication. At first, this can be rocky, having to get to know each other, but it can be done.

 

[joeparrilla5790]

I think that if you do it right, he will come to enjoy spending time with you because he'll learn that spending time with you can be a fun and rewarding experience. Food can be a great method to start that process.


I sometimes see people who feed and water their birds, give them toys and an ok cage. They then expect the bird to be friendly because they take care of said bird. They don't try interacting with the bird or not in a way that the bird would enjoy.


It's all in a matter of how you interact with your bird and your mannerism towards them. A good bird to human relationship should be based on respect and communication. At first, this can be rocky, having to get to know each other, but it can be done.

Thanks. Do you have advice on where to go next after he takes food from my hand comfortably? I plan to sit next to the cage as often as possible and feed him at the door from my hand, but I am not sure what to do next.

 

[MonicaMc]

Once he gets comfortable taking food from you without running away, see if he's willing to come out of the cage and sit near you. From there, you can see if he's willing to sit on you.

If he's still skittish/afraid of you, and he comes out of the cage, you don't want to chase after him. If you can, grab his cage and take it to him. If not, use first a rope perch held in a loop, second a wooden perch, and walk slowly towards him, talking softly and see if he's willing to step up to the object and be taken back to his cage. If not, try your hand.

If he's in a safe room where he can't harm himself, you might allow him to explore first prior to retrieving him and just keeping an eye on him... that way, he will have a better chance to learn that you aren't out to get him. Have food/treats on hand and see if he'd be willing to come over for said stuff while out.

 

[joeparrilla5790]

Once he gets comfortable taking food from you without running away, see if he's willing to come out of the cage and sit near you. From there, you can see if he's willing to sit on you.

If he's still skittish/afraid of you, and he comes out of the cage, you don't want to chase after him. If you can, grab his cage and take it to him. If not, use first a rope perch held in a loop, second a wooden perch, and walk slowly towards him, talking softly and see if he's willing to step up to the object and be taken back to his cage. If not, try your hand.

If he's in a safe room where he can't harm himself, you might allow him to explore first prior to retrieving him and just keeping an eye on him... that way, he will have a better chance to learn that you aren't out to get him. Have food/treats on hand and see if he'd be willing to come over for said stuff while out.

I was thinking about this when he decided to come out onto his door this morning. I quickly got him to go back inside, because I was afraid that if he came out I wouldnt be able to get him back in. The last thing I need to do is traumatize him to get him back in... I already did that twice while getting him from the breeder to my house.

I have been trying to offer him a seed, but put my empty had in between him and the seed so he has to climb over the other hand to get the seed. He is so wary of my empty hand that he actually climbed around the ENTIRE cage to get to the other side so that he didnt have to cross my hand. It just breaks my heart to see how badly he wants to avoid it...

 

[MonicaMc]

From the sounds of it, he still needs more time to get used to you. Posted a quote that I typed up back in August in another thread... maybe it'll give you some ideas?

http://www.parrotforums.com/amazons...ions-not-enough-answers-lol-3.html#post190483

 

[joeparrilla5790]

From the sounds of it, he still needs more time to get used to you. Posted a quote that I typed up back in August in another thread... maybe it'll give you some ideas?

http://www.parrotforums.com/amazons...ions-not-enough-answers-lol-3.html#post190483

Very informative, thanks so much. So it seems that he is beginning to switch his attitude toward my fingers. He is beginning to lose his fear... but he is biting instead. If I offer him my finger or entire hand.. he bites it. First just a nibble, then a very hard bite. Now I dont know how to react to this... I cant punish him by leaving him alone, because frankly I dont think he cares if I leave. Should I just allow him to bite and deal with the pain hoping he realizes its useless? This is so stressful, I just dont want to "ruin" him forever by creating bad habits.

 

[MonicaMc]

He's gone from being afraid to testing you. When I say testing, I don't mean he's trying to test his dominance (doesn't exist), but rather he's exploring you.

Parrots don't have hands to explore with, so they use their feet and their beaks. You might try making a tight fist and allowing him to explore the back of your hand (he may still find flesh to nibble on), however it would be ideal to try distracting him with foot toys or treats instead. That is, try not to give him the opportunity to bite, and if he does, try to teach him "easy" or "gentle" without startling him.

 

[joeparrilla5790]

He's gone from being afraid to testing you. When I say testing, I don't mean he's trying to test his dominance (doesn't exist), but rather he's exploring you.

Parrots don't have hands to explore with, so they use their feet and their beaks. You might try making a tight fist and allowing him to explore the back of your hand (he may still find flesh to nibble on), however it would be ideal to try distracting him with foot toys or treats instead. That is, try not to give him the opportunity to bite, and if he does, try to teach him "easy" or "gentle" without startling him.

Ok I will try that. The bites starting out as nibbles, but now they seem more aggressive. If I put my hand near the bars he will actually come over and bite pretty hard (as hard as he can it seems, enough to draw blood). I have been putting my hands in the cage, and he really seems to have lost all fear. If I make my fingers accessible, he will bite them hard. If I make a fist, he tries to bite but since he cant get his beak around skin he just gives up. Am I reinforcing something bad here? I just thought that having my hands in the cage as often as possible would be good so that he knows I am not going to hurt him.

 

[MonicaMc]

Stop offering your flesh to be chewed on! I mean this in a sincere way!

You could be inadvertently teaching your conure to bite simply by allowing it! You give bird hand, bird explores hand, bird nibbles hand, no reaction, bite harder. You continue ignoring the bite, the bird tests/explores you further, biting harder each time.

When you first explained it, I was thinking it was an occasional thing, not every time... and as you explained the situation further, it sounds like its an every time occurrence. Stop offering your flesh to be nibbled on, and instead try small toys, bottle caps, pony beads, wood beads and treats. Give him something to chew on other than your hands!

 

[joeparrilla5790]

Stop offering your flesh to be chewed on! I mean this in a sincere way!

You could be inadvertently teaching your conure to bite simply by allowing it! You give bird hand, bird explores hand, bird nibbles hand, no reaction, bite harder. You continue ignoring the bite, the bird tests/explores you further, biting harder each time.

When you first explained it, I was thinking it was an occasional thing, not every time... and as you explained the situation further, it sounds like its an every time occurrence. Stop offering your flesh to be nibbled on, and instead try small toys, bottle caps, pony beads, wood beads and treats. Give him something to chew on other than your hands!

I really don't think its a matter of wanting to chew... I just think he is being aggressive towards my hands. I can stick my face up to the cage or just about anything else and he doesn't care.. once I put my fingers there he hurries over to bite. I was able to have some step up success with a stick though. If I try to put my finger under him he will just bite it as hard as possible until I move.. but he was willing to step onto a perch I was holding in order to get to a seed. Should I train him to step up this way or will it just make him never stop hating my hands? This is the most stressful thing I have ever dealt with involving an an animal. He went from terrified of my hands to wanting to mutilate them within a day.

I feel like I need to get him away from the cage and into a room with just me and things he loves.. does that make sense? I'm thinking that since he will step onto a stick I should do that and bring him into my bathroom with some seeds and shiny toys. Maybe if he enjoys that he will stop the biting? Maybe its still too early for that and I should spend the rest of the week sitting near his cage talking and not physically interacting? I think I am confused as to how much I should be physically interacting. I know hands are the problem, so does that mean leave him alone for a while, or use my hands a lot to show him that they are safe? Sorry for all the questions... I just feel helpless and have noone to talk to about it.

 

[MonicaMc]

Try the stick or a rope perch looped around and reward him for stepping up onto it.

Taking him into another room may help him depend more on you, but it doesn't necessarily address the cage issue. It's honestly fine though to continue working with him through the cage!


Lara Joseph


Once you train a parrot not to bite, you can't assume that the bird wont bite for the rest of it's life. There will be times that the bird will bite. Maybe he's overly excited? Maybe he got up on the wrong side of the perch? Perhaps something in the environment startled him and he bit out of reaction? Perhaps you accidentally weren't paying attention to his body language and he's trying to tell you something. When you don't understand it, he bites you.


Once you figure out how to "read" him, learn his moods and how to interact with him, it does get better! Green cheeks can live for 12-25+ years! I know you are eager to interact with him, but he hasn't been with you for even a week. Give him some time to settle in and get to know you!

 

[joeparrilla5790]

Try the stick or a rope perch looped around and reward him for stepping up onto it.

Taking him into another room may help him depend more on you, but it doesn't necessarily address the cage issue. It's honestly fine though to continue working with him through the cage!


Lara Joseph


Once you train a parrot not to bite, you can't assume that the bird wont bite for the rest of it's life. There will be times that the bird will bite. Maybe he's overly excited? Maybe he got up on the wrong side of the perch? Perhaps something in the environment startled him and he bit out of reaction? Perhaps you accidentally weren't paying attention to his body language and he's trying to tell you something. When you don't understand it, he bites you.


Once you figure out how to "read" him, learn his moods and how to interact with him, it does get better! Green cheeks can live for 12-25+ years! I know you are eager to interact with him, but he hasn't been with you for even a week. Give him some time to settle in and get to know you!

I feel like I need a Dr. Phil for birds Ok so for now do you suggest to continue the interaction through the bars? Just giving treats and communicating vocally? I am afraid that he will begin to get bored and get destructive. I havent put toys in the cage because I read that the first few days he should just get used to the cage. I dont want him to be content with being in the cage and have no urge to venture out of it.

How will I know when to take him out with the perch? Also do you think that taking him out and interacting somewhere else will stop the biting? He doesnt just bite my hands in the cage, he did it outside as well.

 

[MonicaMc]

If it were me, I'd fill the cage with toys so he has something to do so he wont be so bored! And continue working with him either through the cage bars or through the cage door. I would continue doing this until he gets comfortable enough to take food from me without running off. Once more comfortable, I would then try using my hand as a platform perch, place it against the cage door, and see if I could lure the bird out without biting. If the bird was comfortable enough with me, I would walk away from the cage and interact with him or her. If unsure about being away from the cage, I'd stay near it so as to not freak the bird out.

Working with him/her away from the cage and in another room may help. It takes him out of his comfort zone and makes him rely more on you... however, I'd rather keep the bird in his/her comfort zone and not freak out. That's just me, though. Taking him away from the cage is no guarantee he'll stop biting.

 

[joeparrilla5790]

Gotcha. Do you think that it could be the fact that I was giving him seeds through the cage that caused the finger biting? This started when he began to be excited about me giving him seeds. Is it possible that he thinks my fingers are edible? Or is that not something a bird would confuse? Its just totally confusing to me how he went from total fear to actually deliberatly running over to bite my hand. He runs over the same way when I offer a seed and when I have nothing.. when I have a seed he takes it no problem.. when I don't he bites. I just feel like there's a connection. I have been around aggresive birds who just flip when you come close... this isn't the case. If I repeqtedly offer him sunflower seeds, I don't think he would bite at all.