Budgie harness training?

[kifird]

Hello AA! I have bought an aviator harness for my budgie Hula, he fits into the weight range for their smallest harness. I've been trying to look into ways of harness training my budgie. Most of the training videos I see are for larger parrots (the smallest one being a conure) and they all involve holding the bird in one way or another.

Hula is uncomfortable in being touched by me, and I've tried about 2 weeks now in "holding training". I can't seem to get past me putting my finger on his wing for more than 10 seconds without him screaming. I won't even try to hold him right now because he is already clearly uncomfortable.

Any tips on training a smaller bird like this into the harness? I would really love to start flighting my birds around the neighborhood, or bringing him over to friends houses.

Many thanks in advance AA!

 

[Yoshi&Raphi]

You could probably try training him to accept being touched eg: touch him if he accepts it click and reward touch him for a couple seconds if he accepts It click and reward etc

 

[Gribouille]

I've been "training" Pichu (parrotlet) to being touched by covering his back with my hand when we have cuddle sessions. I start with head scritches, pet his head with one finger then 2 then all of them as he gets more and more relaxed. But he accepts this only to a certain point and never in another situation (yet).
Also I am training him to take treats through the hole of his harness, we've been at it for about one month I think, not much progress... I may have to hold him at some point but I don't want him to hate the harness. We have a mini wings too and while we were training to take a treat through the head loop, he stumbled and caught his foot in it, got stuck and fell from the table. I caught him mid-air and untangled him but he was very scared and refused to approach this harness after that.
He is OK with the new one though (an avian web)