Training an untrained bird can seem like a daunting task, but with patience, persistence, and positive reinforcement, it is very possible to teach even the most stubborn bird new behaviors and tricks. The key is to go slow, keep training sessions short, get to know your individual bird’s personality, and make the training feel like a fun game for your bird. With time and consistency, an untrained bird can become a delightful, well-mannered companion.
How to Get Started
When beginning to train an untrained bird, there are a few things you need to do to set yourself and your bird up for success:
- Get the proper supplies. You’ll need treats for positive reinforcement, a clicker to mark desired behaviors, and target sticks or chopsticks to help guide your bird.
- Bird-proof your home. Remove hazards, restrict access if needed, and get any unsafe Teflon cookware out of the kitchen.
- Give your bird time to settle in. Don’t start training right after bringing your bird home. Let them get comfortable in their new environment first.
- Target train. Teach your bird to touch their beak to a target stick. This builds a foundation for more complex tricks.
- Build trust. Spend time interacting positively with your bird so they are comfortable with you.
The first few days with an untrained bird are about letting them adjust to you and their new living situation. Once settled in, you can begin target training and other simple, fun behaviors like stepping up onto your hand or finger. Move slowly and keep first sessions to just 5-10 minutes. You want to end on a positive note, leaving your bird wanting more!
Use Positive Reinforcement
The most effective way to train birds is through positive reinforcement. This means rewarding desired behaviors and ignoring unwanted behaviors. Provide an immediate treat when your bird does what you asked them to do. Use an enthusiastic, encouraging tone of voice and avoid punishment, yelling, or scolding. With time, your bird will learn which behaviors result in rewards and praise.
Good reward options include:
- Small seeds or pieces of nuts
- Chopped fruits and veggies
- Nut butters spread on a spoon
- Pellets
- Spray millet
Determine which treats your individual bird likes best and save them for training sessions. Keep rewards small so your bird doesn’t fill up too quickly. You want them to be motivated to keep working and earning treats!
A clicker is a useful training tool to “mark” the precise moment your bird does the desired behavior. The click sound immediately tells them they did the right thing. It helps birds associate behaviors with rewards faster.
Target Training
Target training forms the foundation of any bird training program. It teaches your bird to touch their beak to a target stick, chopstick or other pointed object on cue. Target training serves many purposes:
- Builds trust and cooperation between you and your bird
- Lays groundwork for teaching more complex skills
- Focuses your bird’s attention
- Can help direct their movement into and out of cages or to designated perches or play stands
To target train:
- Pick a target, like a chopstick or pencil eraser. Initially use a large obvious target.
- Hold target right in front of bird’s beak and wait for them to nibble at it. Click and reward the moment their beak touches target.
- Repeat this until your bird is consistently touching their beak to the target on their own. Then add the verbal cue “touch.” Say it right before they go to touch.
- Gradually move the target farther away so your bird has to lean or step closer to touch it.
- Once your bird has mastered targeting, switch to smaller, less obvious targets to refine the skill.
Target training establishes understanding between you and your bird. This sets up both of you for success as you progress to other behaviors and tricks!
Important Techniques
In addition to using positive reinforcement and target training, the following techniques are also very useful when training an untrained bird:
Shaping
Shaping involves reinforcing small, incremental steps that gradually get closer and closer to the final desired behavior. For example, to teach a bird to spin in a circle, you would first reward small head turns to the side, then larger turns, then turning halfway around, three-quarters of the way around, and finally a complete 360 spin. Shaping builds up complexity slowly so the bird is always succeeding.
Capturing
Capturing involves watching for a behavior your bird does naturally on their own, then rewarding that behavior to reinforce it. For example, if your bird fluffs up their feathers while preening, you can click and reward that to teach them to “fluff up” on cue. Capturing leverages behaviors your bird already likes to do.
Luring
Luring makes use of your bird’s natural instinct to follow or chase an object. You can lure them into certain positions or through movement patterns by leading them along with a target or toy. For example, luring a circle with a target can teach a bird to turn in a circle on cue.
Chaining
Chaining means linking several behaviors together into a sequence. Each behavior serves as the cue for the next one in the chain. For example, you can chain target touching, stepping up, and turning in a circle into a full trick routine. Chaining helps birds connect actions together into more complex behaviors.
Teaching Basic Behaviors
There are many basic behaviors you can teach an untrained bird using the techniques above:
Step Up
Place finger or hand in front of bird’s feet and wait for them to step onto it. Click and reward. Gradually phase out luring with a target stick. Repeat until bird steps up consistently. Add verbal cue “step up.”
Step Down
With bird standing on hand, move hand toward a surface and say “step down.” Click and reward when they step off onto the surface. Practice with different perches and hands.
Come
Back away from your bird with a reward visible. Encourage them to walk toward your hand to get the treat. Click and reward when they come closer. Increase distance over time. Add verbal cue “come.”
Turn
Use luring to guide your bird in turning in a circle on a perch or on your hand. Use a chopstick or target. Click and reward small turns at first, then full 360 degree turns. Add verbal cue “turn.”
Wave
Gently lift one of their feet and wiggle it back and forth. Click and reward. Repeat with the other foot. Add verbal cue “wave.”
Flap Wings
Lift your bird an inch or two. They’ll naturally flap to stabilize themselves. Click and reward flapping movement. Add verbal cue “flap!” Practice across longer distances.
Play Dead
Gently roll bird on their back in your hand. They will stick their feet in the air naturally. Click and reward. Add verbal cue “play dead!”
Advanced Tricks
Once your bird has mastered some basic behaviors through shaping, luring and capturing, you can start chaining those together into more advanced trick routines. Some examples include:
Circle Flight
Have your bird fly back and forth between two handlers in a circle pattern. Start by standing close together and tossing a treat back and forth for them to chase. Gradually separate farther apart until they fly a full circle between you.
Retrieve an Object
Teach them to grab a small ball or toy and bring it back to you. Start by simply rewarding looks at/interaction with the object and work up to retrieving.
Ring a Bell
Hang a small bell from their cage. Shape the behavior by first rewarding looking at the bell, then pecking it lightly, then harder pecks to ring it. Can shape to eventually ring the bell with a verbal cue like “ring your bell!”
Basketball
Hold up a mini plastic hoop on one hand and lure your bird to drop a ping pong ball through the hoop. Click and reward each success! Can work up to them picking up the ball themselves.
Mail Delivery
Train your bird to carry a small box, letter, or rolled up paper to bring over to you or place in a marked container. Start by rewarding interest in the object with shaping.
The possibilities are endless! Chaining together even small, simple behaviors can result in very elaborate tricks. Get creative and have fun with it! Your trained bird will love showing off their skills.
Overcoming Training Challenges
Training birds takes a lot of patience. Even experienced bird owners run into challenges from time to time. Some common roadblocks and how to address them include:
Biting
If your bird starts biting during sessions, they may be frustrated or overwhelmed. End on a positive note, take a break, and consider scaling back to simpler behaviors for a bit.
Loss of interest
If your bird seems to lose interest in training, try mixing up locations and incorporating new props or toys to make it more stimulating. Also reevaluate your rewards – your bird may be bored of their treats.
Distractions
Competing environmental distractions make training hard. Reduce noise, turn off TVs/music, close windows, and move away from busy household activities during sessions to keep your bird’s focus.
Fear
Some birds may be naturally fearful and shy. Work slowly to build trust. Let them observe training sessions, reward small progress, provide reassurance, and build up to handling over time.
Regressing on behaviors
If your bird seems to forget behaviors they previously knew, you may be progressing too quickly or not practicing enough. Go back to basics and strengthen foundation skills before moving forward.
The key is to stay calm, patient, and consistent. Don’t move too fast or get frustrated. If you hit a wall, take a break and come back to it later. Seek help from an experienced trainer if needed. With time, creativity, and positivity, you can guide even the most stubborn bird to success.
Following Proper Care Guidelines
While training is fun, it is still essential that you follow proper bird care guidelines. Training should never sacrifice your bird’s wellbeing. Be sure to:
- Keep training sessions short to avoid stressing your bird out.
- Train before and after feedings when energy is highest.
- Provide frequent breaks with water.
- Watch for signs of fatigue like panting or decreased responsiveness.
- Avoid physically manipulating or forcing your bird into positions.
- Provide safe, comfortable perches for training.
- Never punish your bird – stick to positive reinforcement only.
Train for just 5-10 minutes at a time for baby birds under 1 year old. Build up to longer 15-20 minute sessions for juveniles and adults if your bird seems interested and engaged. Provide lots of praise and affection. The goal is to make training an enriching experience that strengthens your bond.
Conclusion
Whether you have a cockatoo, macaw, parakeet, or parrot, any bird can be trained with time and effort. Building a repertoire of behaviors and tricks keeps your pet bird’s mind and body active. The secret is going at your bird’s own pace, rewarding small steps, and keeping training low-stress and fun. With plenty of praise, patience, and positivity, you can transform even the most untrained bird into a happy, thriving companion who enjoys showing off new skills. Consistent training strengthens the incredible innate intelligence and abilities that make birds such amazing pets.
Bird Type | Ideal Training Session Length |
---|---|
Baby Birds Under 1 Year | 5-10 minutes |
Juvenile Birds 1-2 Years | 10-15 minutes |
Adult Birds Over 2 Years | 15-20 minutes |
Related Questions
What are some good first tricks to teach an untrained bird?
Some good starter tricks for untrained birds include:
- Step up onto finger or hand
- Target training
- Turning in a circle
- Waving
- Answering to their name
Focus on one or two simple behaviors at a time. Train in short, frequent sessions to build trust and understanding.
Should my bird be fully flighted or have clipped wings during training?
This depends on your individual bird and training space. Fully flighted birds have more freedom but may fly away or get distracted more easily. Birds with clipped wings can’t escape but may spook and fall if they try to take off. Assess your bird’s temperament and your ability to control the training environment when deciding on wing clipping.
How do I motivate my bird to participate in training sessions?
Use highly rewarding treats like seeds, fruit, or nut butters as an incentive. Train right before feedings when your bird is most eager to eat. Incorporate novelty and fun like new toys or props. End sessions on a high note so your bird is left wanting more. Go at their pace and keep training low-stress and engaging.