Desk Part 2

[LegendClappitao]

I have a Sun named Phoebe. My last post was about her squinting her eyes after she fell of my desk. In the days following, she doesn’t seem to trust me very much. She’s avoiding my hands and won’t come out of her cage.

My only guess is that the way I caught her scared her pretty bad about hands. I’ve been giving her space, plenty of treats, and be been spending time near her since Tuesday but nothing works.

It’s to the point where she drops treats I give her, and when I move my hand towards her to give her a treat, she dodges around.

I don’t know what to do.

 

[TeekoGreenCheek]

It sounds like Phoebe had a pretty scary experience, and right now she’s associating your hands with that moment of fear. Birds—especially conures—are incredibly sensitive to trust, and once shaken, it can take time to rebuild. The good news is that trust can be repaired, but it usually requires patience and a step‑by‑step approach. Try offering treats through a spoon, small cup, or flat surface instead of your fingers. This can help her accept rewards without the stress of dodging hands.
- Step‑up retraining: Once she’s comfortable again, reintroduce your hand slowly. Start by resting it near her without moving, then gradually encourage her to approach at her own pace. Think of it like repairing trust with a friend after a misunderstanding—you don’t rush it, you show reliability over time. Phoebe will likely come around once she sees your hands aren’t a threat anymore, but it may take days or even weeks. Every bird is different

 

[LegendClappitao]

It sounds like Phoebe had a pretty scary experience, and right now she’s associating your hands with that moment of fear. Birds—especially conures—are incredibly sensitive to trust, and once shaken, it can take time to rebuild. The good news is that trust can be repaired, but it usually requires patience and a step‑by‑step approach. Try offering treats through a spoon, small cup, or flat surface instead of your fingers. This can help her accept rewards without the stress of dodging hands.
- Step‑up retraining: Once she’s comfortable again, reintroduce your hand slowly. Start by resting it near her without moving, then gradually encourage her to approach at her own pace. Think of it like repairing trust with a friend after a misunderstanding—you don’t rush it, you show reliability over time. Phoebe will likely come around once she sees your hands aren’t a threat anymore, but it may take days or even weeks. Every bird is different

Thank you! I’ve been so worried about regaining her trust. She’ll take treats through the cage bars and while she cuddles, but anywhere else she’s wishy-washy. Reading what you had to say makes me feel better

 

[LegendClappitao]

It sounds like Phoebe had a pretty scary experience, and right now she’s associating your hands with that moment of fear. Birds—especially conures—are incredibly sensitive to trust, and once shaken, it can take time to rebuild. The good news is that trust can be repaired, but it usually requires patience and a step‑by‑step approach. Try offering treats through a spoon, small cup, or flat surface instead of your fingers. This can help her accept rewards without the stress of dodging hands.
- Step‑up retraining: Once she’s comfortable again, reintroduce your hand slowly. Start by resting it near her without moving, then gradually encourage her to approach at her own pace. Think of it like repairing trust with a friend after a misunderstanding—you don’t rush it, you show reliability over time. Phoebe will likely come around once she sees your hands aren’t a threat anymore, but it may take days or even weeks. Every bird is different

I find it odd though. Phoebe has started stepping up again, and every time she’s stepped up out of her cage is when I give her a treat. So she’s perched on my finger while dodging the treat giving hand. Sometimes she won’t dodge it, sometimes she won’t drop it either. It’s really confusing

 

[clark_conure]

This is going to sound ridiculous put on a pullover....let the sleeves drape over your hands so you don't have those dangerous talons you have. It worked for me, stepping on a sleeve is safe and comfy stepping on a mammal is weird. Then you can ween it off later. I'm not saying it will work but....it worked out for me stepping on a harmless sleeve vs. aggressive mammalian talons.

I just realized I typed this as If I was the bird...... Oh screw it try it you might be surprised.

 

[DonnaBudgie]

This is going to sound ridiculous put on a pullover....let the sleeves drape over your hands so you don't have those dangerous talons you have. It worked for me, stepping on a sleeve is safe and comfy stepping on a mammal is weird. Then you can ween it off later. I'm not saying it will work but....it worked out for me stepping on a harmless sleeve vs. aggressive mammalian talons.

I just realized I typed this as If I was the bird...... Oh screw it try it you might be surprised.

This doesn't sound ridiculous at all! An oversized long sleeved sweatshirt is a great hand hider. And if it has a hood it's a great ear protector, too.

 

[rheashard2]

This is going to sound ridiculous put on a pullover....let the sleeves drape over your hands so you don't have those dangerous talons you have. It worked for me, stepping on a sleeve is safe and comfy stepping on a mammal is weird. Then you can ween it off later. I'm not saying it will work but....it worked out for me stepping on a harmless sleeve vs. aggressive mammalian talons.

I just realized I typed this as If I was the bird...... Oh screw it try it you might be surprised.

It can work. Sometimes Nameliss' going to vet ESP kicks in. She won't get on a stick and threatens but usually avoids my hands and arms. I put on a hoodie. She loves being in the hood. She gets on long sleeve walking to hood. After a few minutes, I snag her for vet trip. It is kinda hard dealing with the look of betrayal afterwards!