No problem in the cage but stranger outside.

[Newyorker216]

Hi all,
I was wondering how your lovebirds started coming to your shoulder?

I bought my bird Tweet a month ago from a liar petshop in İstanbul. I am assuming he (?) is young because he never bitten me. He seems young. We made some progress. He is not afraid of me. He comes and eats from my hand in the cage. I can pet his foot, chest. He sits on my finger and we do step ups with a stick. All in the cage though and all with some hasitation. Outside of the cage which he is when I am at work day time, he never comes close to me. When I approach him he flies away. Yes he is not clipped. He enters his cage at night and I lock him out. I wake up hour or so early everyday and play with him in the cage. Every night I spend time with him and some noons I come home at lunch break to play with him.
1- How can I socialize with him outside of the cage?
2- No matter what I put for bath he never went in and took a bath.
3- I could not find any treat to make him crazy. Millet, sunflowers etc. sometimes he likes to eat corn from my fingers but he is not crazy about it.

Thank you for your advice.

[Newyorker216]

Its sad that such an old forum became a ghost town. Nobody writes actively. :(

[linda040899]

Its sad that such an old forum became a ghost town. Nobody writes actively
I know I used to be a lot more active here than I am now but I've been going through a very rough period in my life. Don't know if you've read any of the older posts in the lower forums but I lost my disabled veteran husband last May as a result of a fully preventable accident. It was very unexpected when it happened and the loss was very devestating to me because, as his caregiver for probably 4 years, I tried to make sure that he was safe at all times and the individuals responsible for his death broke all medical protocol.

Most of the dust has settled and things are slowly going back together so I have more time and am really beginning to feel a bit better about myself. I'm trying to be here as much as I can, as I know the experience I have as a breeder and simply long time parrot owner is helpful to many.

Hope this helps explain what's happened, and know that watching what's happened here is not quite what I had planned.

[linda040899]

Now to answer your original message.

Your lovebird's cage represents security to him. It's his home and he feels safe there. He's allowing you to somewhat interact with him within his home and on his terms. And there's nothing wrong with that. He's beginning to trust you and that's a step in the right direction.

Outside the cage is a completely different story! You don't totally have his trust and when parrots are in situations that make them uncomfortable, they fly away, which is exactly what he's doing. If you can manage to get him to a small room where he can only fly so far (bathrooms are great for this!), you can work with him more easily. In the beginning, it's just going to be sitting in the room with him and talking to him. Let him experience you outside of his home. Dim light will make it easier, as parrots prefer to fly when they can see in good light. I have a Green Cheek Conure that I've been working with since last July and this is how I work with him. He's a Turquoise mutation and they are the hardest ones to tame. We're getting there and he's finally learning the "up" command but I can't put him on my shoulder and walk around the house with him. Believe me. I'd love to be able to do that, and I'm jealous of all the other GCC owners here whose conures just love to be with them. Skye isn't quite there yet and I have a feeling it goes back to his experiences at the breeder where I got him. He's hand fed, yes, but how do you properly socialize 1 bird when you are hand feeding 20-30???????

All I can say is patience!!!

[Newyorker216]

Hi Linda,
I am really sorry for your lost. I am glad you are a bit better now.
When I said it's a ghost town I didn't mean to point anyone I meant the whole community. You by yourself is not enough, it should be other experienced lovebird owners should be more active. But I am glad I found here.
I live in a 1+1 apartmen which I don't have a small room and bathroom is too small :)
I love my bird, its my first experience and I believe we are doing good. It has been only 5-6 weeks since I bought him. I put as much time as I can to tame him. He feels better now eating from my hand. I also take my hand outside of the cage slowly while he is eating from my hand. He continues to eat and at some point he says hey if I am out I should fly and enjoy freedom. We started target training in the cage. He learned it from the first day. I don't quite know what I will do with target training once training is completed but I guess I will try target to a stick outside of the cage. I use millet for a treat and he likes it. He doesn't take a bath but not so important I guess.
Sometimes I get upset because if I bought a cocktail, he would be all over me by now. Should I continue target training or step up training? All in the cage of course.

At last I really appreciate for your previous answer. I wish you best in your life.

[linda040899]

Tiels are nice birds, too, and I have several of them. Personality is the difference. Lovebirds are little clowns that will entertain me for hours and that's what has stolen my heart!

Target training and step up are both important and I would alternately work with both. I have a command that I use with Ginger, my CAG, and she does exactly what I tell her to do........go home (back to her cage)! Ginger is notorious for wandering around the house and getting into mischief. When she's where she's not supposed to be, "go home" gets her back to her cage almost instantly! :lol

[Newyorker216]

Hi Linda,
I took your advice and put Tweet in the bathroom. Let him explore there for an hour. Then let him out with a stick. He came few times to a stick in my hand like a recall training. I will do more of this. Thank you again.

[linda040899]

Working with a perch is usually easier than working with your hand when trying to earn the trust of a parrot. Many just flat out don't like hands and see them as "evil." He may eventually trust your hands and be all over them but just not yet. Parrots learn by experience. You know you mean them no harm but they have to experience that. There are no short cuts, regardless of what some bird trainers may tell you.

Skye, my Green Cheek Conure, feels very comfortable in my bathroom and will let me work with him more there than any other place in the house. There's enough room to move around but not enough to get into trouble or go someplace that is not safe for him.

Love, kindness and lots of patience will get you to where you want to be. :)

[Newyorker216]

Hello Linda,
He got used to my hand from the cage so we are kinda cool with that. Today we went to bathroom for the second time. He had so limited space. We did some stepups and target training with help of millet and a perch. I put millet on my shoulder and he ate it (of course from perch which was on my shoulder). He flew away few times and I got him back with perch. He enjoyed todays activity because I put him back to his cage with perch couple of times and he immediatly wanted to get out of the cage. So we played little longer.
I am not saying he is 100% calm and wasnt nervous at all times but mostly he was calm and not scared. If we will do this bathroom thing 5-10 more times I would say we will be good and close buddies.
It was all your advice. I thank you so much.
Wish you happiness :)

[Newyorker216]

Hi Linda and pet lovers.
We are cool in the living room. I hold up a perch and he flies to it every single time. He eats millet from my palm and etc
How do we go about taking a bath? He doesn't take a shower in or outside of the cage. I put a bath in the cage many times but he never interested. When I spreyed him he is not affraid. Any suggestions?
Thank you

[linda040899]

Glad that the taming is coming along! Targeting a perch will be invaluable if you are ever in an emergency situation and need him to come to you immediately!

Most of my lovebirds seem to think their water dishes are for bathing first and drinking second! That's why I don't use water bottles. If he likes being misted, perhaps set the spray bottle on "mist" and aim over his head so the water falls gently like rain outside. The bird baths that you can buy at pet shops are usually a waste of money, as none of mine will use it, either. Maybe a larger water dish??????? :happy:

[longobongo]

All of my birds (two lovies and a cockatiel) prefer to shower with me, in my shower. You can get "water perches" which have a suction cup on one end, to attach to your shower wall. My birds just hang out on my shoulder. It's important to be careful not to get any soap, etc. on their feathers, but this is their preferred bathing experience.

Second to that, they all enjoy wading in the sink from time to time. I put about an inch of water in the sink, no soap, and let them walk around. One of my lovebirds will also bathe in a glass of water. The other lovebird will bathe in his water dish from time to time.

None of my birds like to be sprayed with water.

[Newyorker216]

Thank you Longobongo and Linda for your replies. Longo my bird is not tame enough to take a shower with me. He doesn't come to my shoulder yet. But today I was laying down on a couch. I held up a perch and some millet on my stomach. He came to perch few times then came to my stomach for millet. This is the first time. What I am trying to say is we are progressing slowly and surely but we are not there yet. It has been 3 months since we are together. I am happy with him.
Linda I will take your advice and remove water things and put a water plate instead.
Also Linda thank you again. I got close to my bird because of your bathroom advice.

Have a nice one all. Weather is beautiful in Istanbul

[linda040899]

Forming a trust relationship with a bird can take time or it can happen quickly. Depends on the bird. He comes to you for the millet right now but you will find he will come for the socialization.