Completely read over it, sorry! Nice name
I waited about 20 seconds before I moved him away. I think it was too late and he didn't associate the moving to him lunging at me.
I think you waited a bit too long indeed. Maybe next time try to react quicker if possible.
I also think it's better to remove x (your hand/treat/toy) from him and give him some time (few seconds or something) to cool down than it is to remove him from that situation by first having to 'catch him/have him step up on a branch' and then putting him somewhere else.
The 'catching/stepping up on the branch' might give him stress (especially if you try to do it in a hurried way) and he might link that with being put down somewhere else, not with the biting.
I'm not completely sure about the last part - but from what I saw with my own birds it doesn't sound too far-fetched I think.
These things cost time for you and for Beau both. It's a learning progress for both of you.
For example: I know what I
have to do when one of my birds bites me: remove my hand/treat/attention/the nice thing from them, wait for a bit (give them time to cool down) and then continue with what we were doing.
Instead of that I often first get startled, react by saying something (to my bird) and then the 'hey I shouldn't say something to my bird and remove the nice thing from them and continue the process'.
I think by doing these things and keep doing them it becomes kind of automatism? So it should become easier.
I would suggest a perch he can stand on and you xan carry instead of your finger, most birds are okay with that before they're okay with a hand.
Good idea!
I also moved him away using a branch and placed him behind me afterwords, i forgot to mention that
You said you used a branch to place him behind you, does he voluntarily step up on that?
...so make your own sounds?
I can´t speak for other lovebird folks, but mine love when I make a variety sounds.
My lovebirds love this as well!
With my birds it also helps to mimic (as much as possible) the sounds they make.
The beeps, boops, whistles and clicks Zara was talking about also work with my birds
I'm being impatient, right?
I'm not sure whether impatient is the right word.
I understand if you have hopes/dreams or maybe even expectations of how you would like your bond with your bird to look like.
And that's a good thing to have. But I think it's important to realize that not every bird is the same and every bird has their own personality/character.
And some things might be possible to do with your bird where other things might not.
It could also be that some things take more time than you might like/or expect but that's not necessarily a bad thing I think.
I think it's important to stay honest to yourself and your bird about your expectations and where needed to lower them and go along with the pace of your bird.
On youtube for example there are lots of videos of other people's birds doing amazing tricks, being scritched/'cuddled', hanging out and so on.
But I think what a lot of people tend to forget is that it took a lot of time, energy and trust to even reach a place like that for those owners and their birds.
What I also think is important to realize is that birds don't necessarily* show affection the same way for example dogs and cats do.
*There are always exceptions.
Sometimes Whiskey likes me to scritch his head and other times he'd rather have I do not do that.
That doesn't mean he loves me less or completely not at all. Just that at the moment he doesn't feel like it and that's okay as well!
My budgie is still afraid of hands but he likes it when I'm sitting in the same room as him reading aloud a book for him.
He's relaxed at those moments and sometimes starts beak grinding or he shuffles closer to be near me.
At the same time I still can't pet him or hang out with him outside his cage, but that's okay as well.
I think it's really positive that Beau wants to hang out with you even if it might look like he only wants to warm his butt on your laptop or that he only wants to do so when you're playing lovebirds sounds.
To me it sounds like you two are on the right track
