When I got Jayde, she was terrified of leaving her cage, terrified of hands *UNLESS* she was receiving scritches, wouldn't take treats but *OH* so badly wanted human attention and affection! @
webchirp had her for 6 months before me, and I seriously do not understand why Jayde would not warm up to her. Webchirp very clearly loves her birds and dotes on them so much!
Now? Well, it's been 7 months since I adopted her and Jayde steps up after I 'baby talk' to her first, will fly to my hand, arm or shoulder from her cage, willingly goes to other women as long as they sweet talk to her first (if that happens, I'm chopped liver! I kid you not, she is an attention whore!!!! And I love it!
) and has started to fly from my shoulder back to her cage, or from my shoulder to a different cage (she has recently taken to climbing to the top of it as well if I stand near it with her on me) and then back to her cage. She's finally getting comfortable enough that she doesn't have to be on me or her cage *all* the time!
She still bites and nips, but far less often now and not with the same intensity as she did when she came here. She used to bite to draw blood, but now nips more as a warning - as well as giving kisses! Don't know why she has decided that her kisses must be somewhat painful... lol She used to only allow one hand to pet her head but she's now comfortable with me using both my hands to pet her - well, kind of! I just love her fluffy face!!!!
When I first got her, I just wheeled her cage around the house so she could be "with" me without having to be on me or leaving the safety of her cage. One day shortly after getting her I was sitting on the floor (I don't remember why) next to her cage when she came down to investigate. She kept climbing down, then back up, climbing down another side with an inquisitive look, then scampering back up, etc. Finally, she took the plunge and stepped up onto my shoulder. She was *SO* happy! Jayde was moving her head all about, making a bunch of happy noises, occasionally preening me. So, since she was willing to climb to my shoulder from her cage, I continued doing this for a few weeks before asking her to step onto my arm instead of my shoulder. She still preferred stepping to my shoulder, because if she got onto my arm, she would make a mad dash to my shoulder. Once she started getting comfortable with that, I started asking her to step up onto my hand first. I learned that if I ask for a straight up step up, she'll bite/nip. If I sweet talk to her first and "butter" her up, she is more willing to step up onto my hand, then go for my shoulder.
Did all that without using food or treats as a reward. Now though, she'll actually take treats without biting and quite gently, too, might I add, but I still haven't trained her using treats!
I haven't worked with princess parrots before, but what little I know about them, I imagine that they would appreciate a calm and slow approach.