Hand shy; shoulder trained

[TheRealCJ]

Hi everyone.

I've just bought an 18 month old Alexandrine from a nice family, and he has a very sweet personality. He'll sit happily on your shoulder for as long as he wants.

However, he's also VERY handshy, nipping and running away if you get your hands too close; he'll step up from a perch or someone else's shoulder onto you hand, immediately run up to your shoulders, then stay there until he gets bored or you entice him down.

As you can imagine, this makes caging him very hard, as well as reaching for things while he's on there - he bites as soon as a hand is anywhere near the shoulder.

He's very new to the house, only three days, so I understand that he's still getting used to the house and us, but I'd like to install trust in him as soon as I can.

 

[MonicaMc]

Find his favorite treat and start feeding him by hand. Then teach him to target and step up with the use of the treats.

 

[weco]

Even though he has been with another family, your new feathered friend doesn't know you or his new home and time and patience is the only way to establish trust with new birds, they don't come with trust already instilled.....

You might want to stop trying to get him to step up, because this can stress him out...it is like somebody standing in front of you every couple of hours, wanting you to do something, then coming back later, standing in front of you and wanting you to do something else.....

Welcome to the forum & congrats on your new feathered friend.....

 

[MrSquak]

Bribery goes a long way with birds. Tango didn't want to meet my buddy from work either, but throw some sunflower seeds into the deal and he's ready to make friends!

 

[Ian]

Hi CJ

My female was a rescue and started off like this....turned out she didn't trust fingers....maybe people poking her or bite-shy people who didn't provide a nice solid finger to stand on.

It took about 2 months to fix it totally which seemed a long time but is nothing really. she's fine now but grips fingers really tightly.

Be careful of him lunging at your face when he's on your shoulder when he gets upset.

 

[BradGC]

They always do prefer shoulders to hands. Our Alex will always run straight for our shoulder when he steps up. Hopefully with time, treats and consistency he will trust your hands more.

If you're having trouble getting him back in the cage, use one of his favourite treats like an almond to bribe him back in. The only time I ever have problems with ours is getting him back inside in the evening. And if he's had a big fun day with both of us he will be even worse to put away.
You can also get him a bit hungry for the treat in preparation for putting him away, don't give him any treats or seeds in about a 2 hour lead up to putting him away, then let him see you put a nice sized almond or bowl of seeds in his cage and he'll go running in there.

I find too that if I turn around and don't watch him, he goes back in on his own

 

[SandyBee]

They feel safer on the shoulder, it takes more trust for them to like your hand.
My amazon was that way when we first got him, he would go on my shoulder not my hand, he hates sticks(still cant use one with him)

That being said, I only allow him on my shoulder when he is calm, Nipping is not an acceptable behaviour. And he had to come off my shoulder when requested otherwise he will lose the option. Since he didn't trust my hands yet we had to find other ways.
I would drop my shoulder to his T-stand so he could climb on there or stand by his cage so he could climb on to it, really any surface would work, I've used the kitchen counter, arm of a couch etc...

Now he will step onto my hands/arm anytime. Treats and praise!!!
He now even steps on just because even when I don't want him too LOL
Just keep desensitizing him to your hand, soon he will realize that they won't hurt him and he will get comfortable.

 

[noblemacaw]

I just brought home a 8 year old rescue Noble macaw. Julio is a very sweet bird but is really scared of Lupe's hands. He has bit her very badly causing ligament damage in her index finger. You can imagaine that I am being a chicken with even the attempt to get him to step up for me. At this time Lupe's finger is healing well. It looks kind of ugly with the huge bruise but the swelling has gone done a lot.

Julio is fine on the shoulder but because I do not trust him (he is fine on shoulder but I don't know him very well enough to trust him) He was also fine in the foster home and never bit the foster mom nor her daughters. I know there was abuse in his past because he seems so afraid of Lupe's hands. She has large hands and I wonder if in this little parrot's past a man backhanded him with abuse.

Because Julio is displaying too much for me he gets so worked up I have backed off from training him myself. Lupe however has been working with him one on one without me being in the room. She has successfully trained him to step up onto her wrist to the stage without having to bribe him with seeds. She will continue trust building with him until he is comfortable with stepping up.

Everyday gets better. It helps that Julio is a Noble macaw and their personalities are very laid back. I can tell he WANTS to be with us so bad and enjoy us but he also has the fear that holds him back right now. We will help him with his fears and in time he will be more happy and secure here.

As everyone mentioned food goes a long way for bribing good behavior. Sometimes it only takes food to help them learn to love you.