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Training Bourkes Parakeet

Hasanah

Strolling the yard
Joined
9/10/20
Messages
75
I've had my bourkes Parakeet for nearly a year now and he's still pretty wary of me I think. He's a no touch bird and that's fine, I can get him to step up and I can kiss him on the head, and sometimes get him to sit on my lap with millet but that's about it.

He doesn't like leaving the room, he's fine doing his own thing but I just feel like there's more I could do to enrich his life with me. I can't get him another bourkes Parakeet partner anytime soon, though he seems to enjoy my conure's company.

Is there anything I can do to help him feel more comfortable with me?
 

The_Mayor

Sprinting down the street
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
9/3/20
Messages
518
Location
Washington, DC
Real Name
Martha
Hey, not an expert here. My birds were at around the same step of being interactive but when I moved them into an aviary we took a step back in terms of contact.

Still having watched them for a while, I do have some ideas about things I know my birds really like.

I do have a pair, and I think that's good for them. Even though I wouldn't say they're "bonded" they are at least, mostly, cheerful companions to each other. But I also understand that sometimes that's just not reasonable.

Some of the things my birds really like - they're not big with toys. I don't think they see the point. But, they do enjoy shredding and chewing. The morning after I put in a couple of sola sticks it looks like a wood chipper was parked in the cage overnight. Eucalyptus leaves and branches are another favorite that they really get into.

Flying, obviously, is a biggie. I don't know how this would work with your other bird, but I deliberately create an artificial dawn and twilight for my birds as a designated flying time. As I mentioned, mine are in an aviay so they're flying to get around all day, but when I turn down the lights in the lead up to bed time they frequently take about 15 minutes to whirl and swoop and just generally enjoy the fact that they're awesome little flyers.

The caveat is that I've read that other birds, who are getting ready to go to sleep at that time, can find it annoying and be snappish with the Bourke's, so that'd be something to pay attention to see how your conure takes that.

Those are the biggies. Mine are in an aviary because there was really no way to make my apt bird-safe, so giving them their own space was the only way to give them an open space to hang out in. But I know other people are able to make it work for the birds to have generous out of cage time.

If I've forgotten something I'm sure they'll remind me. :cool:
 
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