I swear I have the world's laziest bird. He wont step one step to get a bunch of millet. Just sleeping and standing all day every day. I know I have to be paitent but I'm getting frustrated. It sucks to come home after going somewhere to see he hasn't moved all day.
It's a gamble, every day. Like one day he'll be super brave and the next he'll be the most mellow bird ever
Today he doesn't even want to STAND on the perch that leads to the outside of the cage. What is going on? He wants the millet...but only if it's a centimeter from his face
Look, I'm sorry but you need to stop being angry at your bird. Anger isn't going to get you anywhere good. Your bird feels it. Stay positive, stay realistic, and go with the flow. Your birdie needs patience and if he's acting in a strange way your first thought should be worry and concern, not anger and frustration that he's not the character
you want. If our birds aren't happy and acting normal it worries us (and sometimes makes us feel like we're doing it all wrong) but we do what we need to do to figure out what's wrong and give them a happy and healthy life; I do think that is what you're feeling but you're not recognizing it correctly. Whatever a bird can offer us in companionship or cuteness or social standing is secondary. Please remember that as bird keepers, their happiness and health, in this completely unnatural environment, is our priority.
So start mulling it over. A happy young creature shouldn't be sitting around all day; that's not normal, so something must not be right. Think about it; how bored and depressed would you be if that's how you were living? It's not his personality. Nothing is wrong with your bird (What's his name by the way?). So some factor needs to be changed so you need to experiment with different things and see the effect they have on him. Good or bad. You need to learn to watch and understand his body language so you can figure out what you can change to improve the situation (and animals always feel more comfortable when the people around them really
understand the things they say, or mumble sometimes, with their actions; just like people. You're a lot more comfortable around people who understand you). You really need to commit to it, not just give it a half-ahemed attempt and succumb to frustration and give up if it's not instantly magically better. Think about everything from his perspective. How his life started, the confusion he must feel about what life is like, all the little things that effect him. Moving through homes, different people, different houses. How old is he? I gather he's a young guy. He's not sure how to do this whole "life" thing. No one has taught him. He needs your help to figure it out. He hasn't been on youtube or tiktok and seen how other critters like him act so how should he know? He needs your guidance, patience and understanding, like a young child does. The term "bird-parent" isn't just a joke; I think most would agree that's the exact reality. We're raising little feathered children here. Don't live it all day-to-day and give in to the emotions of the moment; see the big picture and stay positive.
Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk. : ) Also we should totally have bird pictures in this thread - let us see your little guy!