New Bird Training

Hi guys, I just got my bird yesterday. She is very acceptable to hands as I can pet her, and my hand can be around her, but as soon as I put my hand under her belly she bites me. Not hard but out of curiosity. She has come out of her cage which is GREAT but she wot step up. Even when i press under her belly, she jut sits there like "really, do you think i'm going to move". She is a baby and doesn't know the "step up" command but she should still come on my finger when I press up on her belly correct? Any advice on what I should do would be much appreciated . Training will start when she is used to being in her new home

Hi. Well, yes, pressing at the abdomen just above the legs with a forward and upward scooping motion will force a step-up once the parrot's balance is threatened. But your goal here is to get your fid to WANT to step up. Your parrot will be fully step-up trained once you reach the point where you don't need to force her. Where she will just do it willingly, on command.

To that end, you first need to earn her trust and begin building the bond between you. Parrots are a prey species. As well-socialized as your girl seems to be, it is still her natural instinct to be wary of you. Trusting you and stepping up for you is a learned behavior. So, for now, my advice to you would be to focus on making her feel comfortable around you and in her new home.

She's already comfortable enough to come out of her cage on her own... on day 1! That's huge! So now, spend as much time as you can talking soothingly to her and offering her treats. As she comes to trust you more, you can place the treat so that she has to step up onto your hand to get it. (This will be most effective between meals when she will be more motivated by the reward of a treat.)

Once she begins to associate you with good things, such as treats and out of cage play time, you'll find that she'll be much more willing to step-up.

Anansi is right. You CAN train a bird to step up by pressing you hand into it's belly, but that's not really the RIGHT way to train your bird. All that does is make the bird feel uncomfortable, off balance and trapped into having to climb on your hand (not good). It creates a negative association with stepping up. A better way is to hold your hand a few inches away from the birds abdomen with a treat in your other hand just slightly out of the birds reach, so the bird will WANT to climb up to get the treat. Then you praise the bird for doing a good job once it's on your hand. Until the bird becomes more proficient at this, do not move your hand, rather allow the bird to sit there until she climbs down on her own. Let her be on your hand as long as she's willing because that allows her to make a positive association with being on your hand and learn not to fear it. Once she becomes comfortable on your hand, then move her very slowly and gently a short distance on your hand while speaking in a soothing voice and praising her. The motion of moving around on a hand is NOT natural for them, and it will take her some time to get use to it. Just take baby steps with her, and remember using positive reinforcement is always better than forcing.

Edit: I just don't think about the size differences sometimes, so I wanted to add, holding your hand a few inches away from a conure may be too big of a step for her. Just place your hand at a distance it will be easy for her to step up that is not touching her.

Yeah okay I'm working on it

Barbara Heidenreich has a neat way of holding the end of the perch with her hand. Then, she uses a food treat to lure the bird along the perch and - woof! - onto her hand, before he even notices it! Once you get the bird on your hand, you just shovel treats in so she learns to love being there. Next time you ask, it should be easier.

The other thing is, if your bird is a young baby, she might not have the balance and coordination to be stepping up yet. The act of lifting one leg to reach to your hand might not be possible! So go slowly and just be happy birdie's not afraid of your hand and running from it. Keep encouraging her and rewarding her for allowing you into her space and, as mentioned above, give her a reason to want to come to your hand. Bribery is a wonderful thing!

I really like the video in the below link of teaching a budgie to step up. If you watch, you'll notice that there is no force used to get the budgie to step up.

Living With Parrots Cage Free: Bucky and Strider - Millet Eating Fiends!


The next link is also a great read! Be sure to check out the Youtube videos that the author links to!


Working with Fearful Parrots: A Study in Videos | Learning Parrots