Training a bird to be friendly and bonded towards humans requires time, patience and consistency. While some birds like parrots and cockatiels are naturally social, any bird can become a friendly companion with the right approach. The keys to success are starting young, positive reinforcement techniques, frequent interaction and avoiding negative reactions.
When is the best time to start training a bird to be friendly?
The earlier you can start handling and interacting with a young bird, the stronger your bond will become over time. Baby birds from just a few weeks old are at their most impressionable age for forming positive associations. If you acquire a bird that is already several months or years old, it is still possible to train them to enjoy human company but this takes much more time and effort. Birds have unique personalities though, so some adults warm up more quickly than others.
Use positive reinforcement
The most effective approach to encourage friendly behavior in birds is through positive reinforcement. This means rewarding desired actions with treats or affection, while ignoring unwanted actions. For example, when your bird allows you to gently stroke its head without retreating, offer verbal praise immediately after followed by a small bite of favored food. This helps the bird associate being touched with a positive outcome.
Suggested steps for handling and training baby birds
- Allow the bird to adjust to its new home for a few days before starting hands-on training.
- Move slowly when first interacting with a new bird.
- Sit near the bird’s cage and speak softly to get it used to your presence.
- Place your hand on the outside of the cage until the bird seems comfortable with it there.
- Offer treats through the cage bars so the bird associates treats with your hand.
- Open the cage door but don’t force handling the bird right away.
- Let the bird come out of the cage and onto your hand voluntarily at its own pace.
- Lightly touch the bird if it sits on you, then immediately reward with a treat.
- Gradually increase handling sessions to several times a day.
- Continue rewarding desired behaviors such as stepping up onto your hand or allowing petting.
Tips for handling and taming birds
Go at the bird’s pace
It’s important not to overwhelm a bird during taming and training. Let the bird adjust to new experiences on its own timeline. If a bird seems nervous about a new interaction, go back to an earlier step in the training process that the bird was more comfortable with.
Use a command for stepping up
Teach your bird to reliably step onto your hand or finger when given a verbal command such as “step up.” Always reward with a treat when the bird steps up so that this action becomes associated with a positive result.
Encourage foraging
Hide treats around the bird’s surroundings both inside and outside the cage so that the bird associates you with rewarding “foraging” experiences. Start with easy to reach spots and gradually hide treats in more challenging places to find.
Try target training
Use a stick or rod with a soft tip to train your bird to touch its beak to the target. Move the target around and reward when the bird touches it. This teaches the bird to follow commands and come near your hand for a reward.
Associate talking with rewards
Gradually reward your bird with treats when you talk to it in a calm, soothing voice. This teaches the bird to associate human speech with positive outcomes.
Avoid “flooding”
Flooding refers to prolonged handling that causes a bird to become overly stressed. It’s important to limit handling time for new birds and give them breathing room. Stop any session if the bird acts agitated or tries to break away.
Watch body language
Look for signs of fear in a bird’s body language such as fluffed up feathers, backing away, hissing or biting. These behaviors mean you should pause the training and try an easier step.
Be patient!
Some birds will warm up to their owners quickly while others may take weeks or months to become comfortable with interaction. Work at your bird’s own pace for the best results. Always end sessions on a positive note with a reward.
Provide a bird-friendly environment
Aside from focused training times, there are other things you can do to create an environment that encourages a pet bird to be friendly, trusting and sociable:
Give the bird safe freedom
Allow the bird supervised time out of the cage every day so it doesn’t see the cage as its only “territory.” Make sure any rooms the bird has access to are bird-proofed.
Offer frequent social interaction
Spend time engaging with your bird through talking, singing, reading out loud and playing music. The more positive interaction time you can provide, the more sociable your bird will become.
Arrange the cage near household activities
Keep the cage in a frequently used room where the family spends time such as the living room. Avoid isolating the bird in rarely used rooms. They want to feel part of the flock.
Give your bird “people toys”
Provide foot toys, foraging toys and other objects the bird can associate with quality time interacting together. Puzzles and treat dispensers also build confidence.
Expose birds to new stimuli gradually
Let your bird adjust to new sights, sounds and environments at a slow pace to avoid overwhelming their senses. This includes introducing birds to visitors and other pets.
Troubleshooting training challenges
Fearful or skittish behavior
If your bird acts excessively fearful and avoids human interaction, try letting it get comfortable in its cage before repetitive handling. Limit handling time and use treats to build more positive associations.
Aggressive biting or lunging
An aggressive bird that bites or lunges is often frightened of being handled. Avoid scolding or reacting emotionally. instead, work on rebuilding trust through cage-based activities like talking or offering treats before attempting handling again.
Screaming or noisy flock calls
Loud vocalizations can indicate a bird wants attention. Redirect the bird’s energy into foraging toys or training sessions. Ensure the bird gets adequate daily interaction with owners so it doesn’t resort to negative behavior for attention.
Destructive chewing or bar biting
Chewing and bar biting habits stem from boredom and lack of stimulation. Provide puzzle toys, foraging opportunities and foot toys. Also ensure the bird gets sufficient time out of cage each day.
Refusing food rewards
Try different food treats until you find one your bird likes. Offer rewards immediately after a desired behavior and avoid “bribing” with treats in hand during training.
Conclusion
With time and persistence, birds and owners can form close bonds built on trust and positive associations. While every bird has its own unique personality, following proper training techniques can turn even untamed birds into friendly companions. Ensuring your bird gets plenty of social interaction, stimulation and supervised freedom is also key to good behavior. Training a bird takes dedication but the effort is well worth it.