Hand Trust

[Donix]

My bird is kinda weird
She eats from my hand , she likes to stay on my shoulder but every single time i get my empty hand close to her she freaks out and flies away.
How can i build "hand trust" and stop her from flying away.
I thought about cutting the wings but that might make things worse.

She is about one and a half years old and never had the wings clipped...

 

[Pumpkin]

Hi Donald please don't clip her wings, often that makes them trust less. I would put my hand as close as she lets it and eventually work it closer and closer. Don't make the hand a threat and when she allows the hand, praise her and off her treats. I'm doing this right now with my Juno and she trusts my hands now.

 

[JLcribber]

Some birds do not like hands PERIOD and never will. Why do you "have to" touch her? It sounds like you already have a great relationship.

I had a cockatiel for 24 years that was as tame as any bird could be but we could not touch him with our hands. He would snuggle under my chin and preen my moustache and step up on my forearm or elbow without hesitation but if you tried to touch him with your hand he was gone.

Clipping will only take away her confidence. Forcing yourself on her at that point is a form of flooding and will cause what they call "learned helplessness".

 

[AmberMuffinz]

Will she let you touch her with your nose? My aunts male 'tiel does not like hands at all (though that was because of his traumatic last home) but he loves if you pet him with your nose.

 

[Anne & Gang]

I have a tiel here that DOES NOT LIKE HANDS, PERIOD..no way...She will allow me to scritch her but only me and rarely, and I mean rarely, will she step up..your bird already sounds incredibly tame..just keep your hands away from her..if she doesn't like hands, so be it..some never do

 

[Donix]

thank you for the advice everyone...
I wanted to train her so i can let her outside. My house is fairly big but i want to see her fly out in the real nature. For now i believe ill have to keep her inside.
Yep she lets me touch her with my nose..thats a start

Question: I want to trim her nails do i need to take her to the vet or i should do it myself ?

 

[JLcribber]

Just what do you mean by you want to let her fly outside in nature? How were you going to go about doing this? It's not safe to take them outside without a harness or in a cage. And a harness is not going to allow free flight.

You can trim the nails yourself but if you don't know how then take her to the vet and let them show you how it's done safely the first time. If your comfortable doing it how they showed you then you can do it yourself from then on. She will in all likelihood need to be towelled to do it.