Bird only stepping up for treat

RainbowRose

Member
Aug 6, 2014
318
0
So my 2 new birds are wild (parent raised). I've had them for a little over 3 weeks.

The Turquoisine is a year old and very skittish so I've been going very slow with him. I extend millet out to him and I leave my hand in the cage to try and move it closer. I want him to get used to my hand being around before I try getting him to step up for treats.

Now my Kakariki is 8 months old. She is not as timid. I have been clicker training her. If I have the millet in hand she let's me pet her belly and she will climb onto my hand. So now I'm teaching her "step up". Although at first she's a little hesitant, she will step up and have some treat... But if I start to move her too far away from her favorite perch she hops off or jumps on the wall, only to come back to my hand if it's near her perch back where we started. Which is fine I know she is still getting comfortable and is unsure.

My dilemma is that she will only NOT shy away if I have millet in hand. Even with the clicker, without millet she either runs away or tries to nibble at my fingers. Is this typical? Yesterday I tried loosening my grip on the millet so it would fall and leave her perched on my finger alone. She seemed okay just sitting there, but like I said she retreats back to her perch if I try to move her to another or wherever.

I've never had birds as wild as the two I have now so I just want to make sure I'm doing things efficiently. I sit near the cage with the door open to watch tv, study, talk on the phone, etc. They're still fairly new so I think the Kakariki is doing pretty good so far. I practice with her in 15 minute increments.

So is this normal warming up as far as only stepping up for treats?? Anything you think I can do that might ease her or am I doing right by just being around the cage a lot when home.
 

Falconry

New member
Aug 25, 2014
23
0
I believe I am in the same dilemma. I got a new lovie and she was completely wild too. She is 5 months old currently and I have had her for a month and a half. In the beginning I would just sit by her cage but now she is perfectly comfortable with eating from my hands. She will eat from my hands but otherwise has a great fear of hands. What I am doing is teaching her to step up on a perch. I will tell her step up and nudge the perch on her chest and she'll step up and i'll giver her a treat. Now she will step onto the stick the moment it is near her to get some treats. I can transport her in and out of the cage like this but the minute my hand gets a bit close she flies away and makes her warning call.
 
OP
R

RainbowRose

Member
Aug 6, 2014
318
0
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #3
I believe I am inWhat I am doing is teaching her to step up on a perch. I will tell her step up and nudge the perch on her chest and she'll step up and i'll giver her a treat. Now she will step onto the stick the moment it is near her to get some treats. I can transport her in and out of the cage like this but the minute my hand gets a bit close she flies away and makes her warning call.

Hmmm. I might try this. I think I tried dowels in the beginning and they were afraid. I feel like she will probably jump off and retreat to her perch again cause she is still afraid to let me take her out of the cage, we haven't gotten that far yet it's probably still too soon. It's tough!
 
OP
R

RainbowRose

Member
Aug 6, 2014
318
0
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #4
Well, any other suggestions would be much appreciated. I'm not sure if what I'm doing is okay. I mean I have enough experience to figure it out and I think I'm on the right track with them but if there's any other ideas I'd love to hear them. That and anyone else's personal experiences in taming parent raised birds.:):):)
 

LoryLover

New member
Jan 1, 2013
341
1
Southern California
Parrots
Chattering Lory, 18yrs old (Sweet Pea)
All 7 of the birds I have had, I've tamed by getting them on my finger, all the while talking sweetly to them. Then I set them back down, and again get them back on my finger by placing my finger directly in front of their legs, saying "come here". You have to actually nudge their legs with your finger so that in order for them not to fall backward, they have to step on your finger.

Be sure to get them away from the cage to do this training. In the beginning, I coax them onto my finger any way I can, but never with food. And I just repeat setting them down, having them get on my finger again, talking sweetly to them, and on and on. I do these sessions a few times a day. By the end of the week they are trained, and seeking me out when their cage is open. I didn't want my bond with them to be based on food, instead, use kindness and love.

As soon as they will sit on your finger, start petting them (still talking sweetly to them). Will take another few days for them to be comfortable with petting.

In just a couple weeks, you have a tight, loving bond with your little birdies that will last years.
 
OP
R

RainbowRose

Member
Aug 6, 2014
318
0
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #6
All 7 of the birds I have had, I've tamed by getting them on my finger, all the while talking sweetly to them. Then I set them back down, and again get them back on my finger by placing my finger directly in front of their legs, saying "come here". You have to actually nudge their legs with your finger so that in order for them not to fall backward, they have to step on your finger.

Be sure to get them away from the cage to do this training. In the beginning, I coax them onto my finger any way I can, but never with food. And I just repeat setting them down, having them get on my finger again, talking sweetly to them, and on and on. I do these sessions a few times a day. By the end of the week they are trained, and seeking me out when their cage is open. I didn't want my bond with them to be based on food, instead, use kindness and love.

As soon as they will sit on your finger, start petting them (still talking sweetly to them). Will take another few days for them to be comfortable with petting.

In just a couple weeks, you have a tight, loving bond with your little birdies that will last years.

Did your birds ever initially run from your hand? Mine frequently fear the hand and run away, jump on the walls, hide, etc. My little guy the Turq I can't even go near him with my hand. What would you do in situations where they run away?

And to get them away from the cage wouldn't that require grabbing them to take them out at first???

I really don't know if I should grab them and try to work away from the cage or let them come to me by treat only. I feel stuck.
 
Last edited:

LoryLover

New member
Jan 1, 2013
341
1
Southern California
Parrots
Chattering Lory, 18yrs old (Sweet Pea)
All 7 of the birds I have had, I've tamed by getting them on my finger, all the while talking sweetly to them. Then I set them back down, and again get them back on my finger by placing my finger directly in front of their legs, saying "come here". You have to actually nudge their legs with your finger so that in order for them not to fall backward, they have to step on your finger.

Be sure to get them away from the cage to do this training. In the beginning, I coax them onto my finger any way I can, but never with food. And I just repeat setting them down, having them get on my finger again, talking sweetly to them, and on and on. I do these sessions a few times a day. By the end of the week they are trained, and seeking me out when their cage is open. I didn't want my bond with them to be based on food, instead, use kindness and love.

As soon as they will sit on your finger, start petting them (still talking sweetly to them). Will take another few days for them to be comfortable with petting.

In just a couple weeks, you have a tight, loving bond with your little birdies that will last years.

Did your birds ever initially run from your hand? Mine frequently fear the hand and run away, jump on the walls, hide, etc. My little guy the Turq I can't even go near him with my hand. What would you do in situations where they run away?

And to get them away from the cage wouldn't that require grabbing them to take them out at first???

I really don't know if I should grab them and try to work away from the cage or let them come to me by treat only. I feel stuck.

Oh yes, they all ran away. I remember one young lovebird I had... I sat on the floor with it on the floor at the other side of the room (I used the dining room)... and I said to it "come here, come over here, come here" ... and was basically very animated to get its attention. Of course, it didn't come running to me... so I had to chase it to catch it. Then I let it loose again in the same area and with me at the other side, repeated what I said. After about 5 times of doing that in one session, it actually ran over to me, but then ran away.

The next time I did the session, it came to me more. This little lovebird got so tamed that it would sit on my handle bars as I rode my bike, it would run to me, climb up my pant leg. It was the sweetest bird.

I never, for one moment, thought "oh man, I'm just going to make it afraid of me"... no, I wanted a tame bird, and set out to do that.

Anytime they bite, say in a calm, but firm voice "no biting".

My method is probably unconventional, but it works. I get them any way I can (except for luring with food). If you wait on the training, then they become conditioned not go to you. You want them to get conditioned to be your buddy... the sooner the better.

Another tip, is not to have the birds together when you train them. Take the one you're working with, away to a different room.

I had a pair of older lovebirds that I got from my neighbor who had never tamed them. One would chat with the other one while I was taming it and then that one would get unresponsive... so I took it to my bedroom and used my bed to set it down, and then pick it up, set it down, pick it up... over and over. I would not act like a robot, but I would act like this little birdie was the only birdie in the world and so special. They will overcome their fear and become trusting. Especially if you're consistent.

But, yes... at first, you have to just grab them or somehow coral them to a place where you can get them. It'll be like work for you at first, but the rewards are totally worth it.

As I'm typing this, my little chattering lory is sitting nicely on my leg, telling me how sweet I am! Birds, just like most animals, can be conditioned to certain routines... so I make sure I'm setting up routines that I will continue.

Let me know if you have any questions. :)
 

Most Reactions

Latest posts

Top