Birds are very intelligent animals and make excellent pets. Fortunately, taming birds is not a difficult job. However, this requires a lot of time and patience. By taming a bird, you will not only build a closer bond with it, but will also help the bird feel more comfortable and safe in your environment.
Step
Part 1 of 4: Gaining Bird's Trust
Step 1. Give the bird time to get used to your home
It may take your bird about two weeks to acclimate to its new environment before you start taming it. Place the bird cage in a busy room. Intuitively, a quiet room seems ideal. However, placing the bird in a busy room will allow the bird to get used to it and become more comfortable with human interactions and activities.
- Do not place the bird cage in the kitchen. The fumes from nonstick equipment are toxic and potentially fatal to birds.
- You'll know when a bird feels safe in its new environment is that it doesn't flap its wings when you approach it. If it starts to perch stiffly on the perch, the bird isn't comfortable with you or its new environment.
Step 2. Talk to the bird in a calm voice
An important part of gaining a bird's trust is making him feel comfortable and safe when you're around him. You can do this by talking to the bird in a calm voice. Of course, what you talk about is not important. birds just need to know that you are a calm and reassuring person in their environment.
Talk to birds throughout the day and especially when you change food and water
Step 3. Use slow, gentle movements when approaching the bird
Birds are naturally startled animals. Thus, any sudden movement can frighten the bird. Slow, gentle movements will reassure the bird that you are not a threat.
- When approaching the bird, you should be slightly above its eyes. If it's too high above its eyes, you could scare the bird away. Going too far below his eyes will make you appear submissive to the bird.
- It's helpful to use a calm voice when approaching your bird to calm him or her in your presence.
Part 2 of 4: Familiarizing Birds with Hands
Step 1. Place your hands near the cage
Taming birds by hand is a common way to tame birds. However, due to their easily startled nature, birds may be suspicious of your hand. In addition, birds from pet stores may associate hands with grabbing and chasing, making them more suspicious of the touch of a human hand.
- Place your hand where it is easy for birds to see. To reduce the bird's anxiety, speak in a soothing voice while keeping your hands still.
- Hold your hand near the cage for 10-15 minutes (or as long as you can hold your hand up), two to three times a day, for four to seven days. You need to gently place your hand outside the cage.
- Getting your bird used to being comfortable with your hands takes time and patience.
Step 2. Put your hands in the cage
When the bird no longer seems confused by your hand outside the cage, familiarize the bird with the hand in the cage. Placing the hand in the cage slowly and without sudden movements is very important. You should also avoid eye contact with the bird when placing your hand in the cage. Direct eye contact can seem threatening to birds.
- At this point, don't try to touch the bird while your hand is in the cage.
- In practice, you need to put your hand in the birdcage every morning when changing food and water. By establishing a routine of gently tucking your hands into the cage each morning, your bird will become more comfortable with your hands.
- Birds need about a few days to a few weeks to get comfortable with their hands in the cage.
- Continue talking to the bird in a calm tone while the hands are in the cage.
Step 3. Persuade the bird with food
If the bird is still not comfortable with your hand in the cage, you will need to move the object by holding the food in your hand. Milet is a very popular food for birds. Dark green leafy vegetables, such as spinach, are another great food choice.
- Whatever food you use, make sure it's familiar to the bird and he likes it.
- Hold the food in your hand and hold your hand to keep it from moving, this will take several tries until the bird is comfortable enough to be close to your hand and eat the food, depending on how easily startled the bird is.
- Hold food in hand three to five times each day, and each time changing food and water. Later, the bird will begin to expect daily food.
- Slowly move your hand closer to the bird when you hold the food. With the help of daily food, the bird will be more comfortable with his hands in the cage.
Part 3 of 4: Teaching Birds to Perch in a Cage
Step 1. Position your hands like a perch
With your hand in the cage, make a perch with your hand by pointing your index finger and folding your other fingers toward your palm. In a slow, non-threatening motion, move your hand toward the bird and place your index finger under the bird's chest, on top of its feet.
If you are afraid of being bitten, you can cover your hands with a small towel or wear gloves. However, covering the hands will undermine the goal of making the bird comfortable with the hands. In addition, birds can be afraid of gloves or towels
Step 2. Get the bird to perch on the finger
With your finger under the bird's chest, gently push the finger toward the bird's body to coax it to perch on it. Don't be surprised if the bird jumps and flies to another part of the cage. If the bird does this, don't chase it in the cage-take your hand out of the cage and try again later or leave your hand in the cage until the bird calms down and is ready to approach the hand again.
- If the bird needs a little support, hold the food with the other hand. Hold it far enough away that the bird can jump on your finger to pick it up. You can try this method if the cage door is wide enough for two hands to enter.
- If you want, you can give the bird a verbal command (“Up” or “Jump”) when pushing its body. Say the command each time you want the bird to perch on your finger.
- Hold your hand so that it doesn't move when the bird is perched on your finger.
Step 3. Reward the bird
Feed the bird every time it sits on a finger, even if only briefly. Be careful, the bird may jump up and down from the finger or be comfortable just placing one foot on the finger. Reward the bird for each progress it makes by perching on the finger.
- Do short training sessions: 10-15 minutes, two to three times a day.
- Along with food, you can also give verbal praise when the bird is perched on the finger.
Part 4 of 4: Teaching Birds to Perch Outside a Cage
Step 1. Set up a bird safe room
Teaching birds to perch on their toes when outside of the cage is an important part of taming birds. A bird safe room is a room where birds feel safe and protected. To prepare the room, close the windows and curtains. Also clean the room from pets and other sources of danger, such as fans.
- Ideally, the room should have a door that can be locked so that other people cannot enter during the training session.
- Make sure the room is bright, tidy, and clean.
- Bathrooms are a common choice for bird safe rooms.
Step 2. Rearrange the birdcage if necessary
The bird cage is a bird's comfort zone. Getting a bird out of its comfort zone can be a daunting experience for the bird-you don't want to create a more terrifying experience by making the bird look for perches and toys. Take the time to clear your way out of the cage of anything that could hinder your ability to get the bird out of the cage.
Step 3. Remove the bird from its cage
With the bird perched on your finger in the cage, gently move your hand backwards to get the bird out. Don't be surprised if the bird jumps off your finger when you take it out-the bird may not be ready to leave the safety of its cage. If the bird does this, don't chase it in the cage.
- If the cage door is large enough, reach out with one hand and grasp the back of the bird. The other hand is a protection so that the bird does not jump from the finger, but does not actually touch the bird.
- Do not force the bird out of its cage. Remember, be patient with birds. It can take several days of training sessions for the bird to feel comfortable outside the cage.
Step 4. Give the bird time to get used to being outside the cage
The bird may soon jump out of the cage. Again, don't chase it with your fingers if the bird does. Wait patiently for the bird to calm down before telling it to perch on its finger again.
- If the bird's wings are not cut, the bird may fly away when you remove it from the cage. Approach her slowly and slowly to coax her back, and be sure to speak to her in a calm, reassuring voice.
- Reward the bird for food if it stays perched on the finger.
- Do short exercise sessions each day (10-15 minutes).
Step 5. Instruct the bird to perch on the finger in a bird safe room
When the bird is comfortable outside the cage, walk to a bird safe room with your back to the cage. When indoors, sit on the floor or on the bed. If the bird jumps off the finger, instruct it to return to its perch.
- To challenge the bird, use both hands as a perch. With the bird perched on the index finger of one hand, use the index finger of the other hand to gently press the bird's chest and tell it to perch. Alternately using both hands, move the perches of the fingers higher to imitate the movement of climbing stairs.
- Reward the bird with food every time it sits on a finger.
- Train the bird in a bird safe room for 15-20 minutes, one to several times a day.
Step 6. Although the bird will want to jump out of its hands as soon as it returns to its cage, you should try to place the bird on one of the perches
To do this, position your fingers so that the perch is in front of the bird and higher than your hand.
- When the bird is perched on the perch, give a verbal command to "get down." Even though the bird is perched on a perch, this action is still considered a descent from the finger.
- Close the cage door when the bird is comfortable in the cage.
Tips
- Be patient and calm always face the birds. Birds will likely see you as a threat, to the point of being completely tame. Birds need time to trust and be comfortable with you.
- Anticipate that the bird will bite you during the taming process. If this happens, do not pull your hand or let go of the bird. If released, the bird will learn that biting you is a good way to ask to be released.
- Birds that can fly are almost impossible to tame. Cut off the bird's wings before taming. Exotic vets can cut off a bird's wing.
