Get Ready to Train Your Parrot

Are you excited to start training your parrot? It can be a lot of fun for you and your bird if you are prepared. Before you have a training session here are a few tips to help make sure you have a great session.

1.      Pick a location to train. Training is fun if both you and your parrot are relaxed and comfortable. Try to find a place that your parrot enjoys being. This may be in or near his enclosure or another place he frequently visits such as the couch or a play stand. You also want to make sure the location you choose is comfortable for you. You don’t want your parrot perched someplace that is difficult for you to reach. Sometimes trainers end up in some funny positions while they wait patiently for the bird to respond. If this position is uncomfortable you won’t be able to be wait for very long. Also try to pick an area that is calm and quiet. Too much activity can cause your parrot to focus on everything else except you and the training session.

2.      Have a stash of favorite treats and toys on hand. When we train a new behavior or trick it is important that something good happens when your bird does what you request. Usually favorite foods are the perfect thing to use to reward your parrot. Try to have tiny pieces of food prepared before you start training. This means you may have to spend some time breaking up pieces of peanut, almond or sunflower seeds before your training session. It is nice to have lots of extra treats on hand in case your session goes really well. You don’t want to run out of goodies! If your parrot likes toys, you can gather a stash of small toys for training. Have lots of different toys to choose from so your bird will stay interested.

3.      Have a plan. Before you bring your parrot to your training location think about what you would like to teach your bird to do. You will also want to think about the steps you are going to take to train your parrot to do the behavior. Thinking about the steps will help you decide what props and set up will be needed to train the trick. For example if you want to train your parrot to turn around in a circle, you may need to have a target stick and a perch that allows you to easily move your hand underneath the bird.

4.      Make sure your bird is ready for a training session. Two things are very important for training. Your bird needs to be relaxed and comfortable and he also needs to be interested in the treats or toys you have to offer. Try to choose a time of day when your parrot seems to be eager to interact with you and is also happy to have some treats or attention. For many parrots this can be in the morning after they wake up and before they get breakfast.

5.      Have fun! When you follow steps one through four you can expect to have a great time training your parrot. If you or your parrot is not in the mood for a training session, it is OK to stop the session and try again later. This helps make sure both of you are enjoying training. It is a very exciting moment when your parrot understands what you are trying to teach him do. This is what makes training so fun. Try these tips with your parrot at home and you will find your training sessions will be very successful.

Barbara Heidenreich has been a professional animal trainer since 1990. Her company Good Bird Inc provides parrot training DVDs, books and workshops. She has been a featured speaker in twenty countries and has been published in nine languages. Barbara also consults on animal training in zoos. 

Barbara Heidenreich

For more information on how to train your parrot visit Good Bird Inc  

Barbara's Force Free Animal Training www.BarbarasFFAT.com

Copyright 2014  First appeared in Fledglings Magazine by The Parrot Society of Australia

How to Make Friends with a Parrot

If you are a fan of parrots like me, you look forward to those moments when you get to make a new parrot friend. Unlike a dog or cat that may respond to a new person right away, birds can sometimes require a little extra effort on our part. Birds are often a bit nervous about meeting a stranger. Here are some things you can do to help them to be more comfortable when you are getting to know them.

1.      Give the bird space: Although it is very tempting try not to go right up to a bird. Give him some time to get used to you being in the same room. Once he is looking relaxed and comfortable you can move a bit closer to the bird.

2.      Move slowly: Birds can become frightened when people move too quickly. You don’t want to scare your soon-to-be new friend.

3.     Approach from the front: Be sure to approach the parrot so that he can easily see you coming. Many birds don’t like it when someone is moving behind them.

4.      Show him something special: Before walking closer to a parrot, it is a good idea to have some treats, parrot toys or other special item with you. Ask people who know the bird what he likes best. You can show the bird what you have to give him before you get too close.

5.      Watch his body language: When you show the parrot the special treat or item you have for him, watch how the bird responds. If he leans towards you he is saying he would very much like to accept your gift. If he leans away he might be saying he is not sure he is ready to make friends right now.  If he is not ready, you can always try again later. 

6.      Offer him the special treat: If the parrot leans forward and reaches his beak towards what you have to offer, you can move closer and give him what you have. Whenever you offer a treat or toy to a parrot for the first time try to present it so that the bird has to lean forward to take it with his beak. This way you don’t have to get too close to the bird’s beak. This is so you can be extra sure the bird is ready for the treat. Sometimes when we get too close or offer the item to fast, a bird might respond by biting. 

7.      Offer more treats: If the parrot takes the first treat or toy and enjoys it. He might look or lean towards you for another one. If he does, that is an invitation to really start getting to know each other. Continue to offer him special treats or items. This will cause your new parrot friend to really look forward to your visits. 

Once a parrot understands good things happen when you visit, you will begin to notice he will really want to get to know you better. He might be eager to step onto your hand. He might even talk or sing to see if he can encourage you to come closer with a special treat. If he feels very comfortable with you, he might even let you stroke the feathers on his head. This is a good sign that you were very careful not to scare him and have done a good job earning his trust.

Making friends with a parrot sometimes takes a little extra effort. But it is a very special compliment when a parrot accepts you as a friend. Pay close attention to your actions when you are meeting a parrot for the first time, offer him yummy treats and fun toys. Soon you will find yourself surrounded by many new feathered friends.

Barbara Heidenreich has been a professional animal trainer since 1990. Her company Good Bird Inc (www.GoodBirdInc.com) provides parrot training DVDs, books and workshops. She has been a featured speaker in twenty countries and has been published in nine languages. Barbara also consults on animal training in zoos. 

Barbara Heidenreich

For more information on how to train your parrot visit Good Bird Inc  

Barbara's Force Free Animal Training www.BarbarasFFAT.com

Copyright 2014  First appeared in Fledglings Magazine by The Parrot Society of Australia

Is a Parrot the Right Pet for You?

Not too long ago Kaytee launched a survey to gather more information on the reasons people relinquish parrots. Many readers of this blog and subscribers to the Good Bird Inc mailing list contributed their experiences to the survey. Dr Susan Clubb evaluated the results and produced a very in-depth document that is available on the Kaytee website. The results were quite intriguing and I highly recommend parrot enthusiasts read the report.

I, like many others, have found sharing my life with parrots to be extremely enlightening, fulfilling and enjoyable. In turn I try to make sure their life is equally engaging. I have been fortunate to meet many bird lovers who successfully share their lives with parrots. Their presence can help us learn to appreciate these amazing creatures and also their wild counterparts. I personally believe helping people connect with animals is important to making us better human beings. We can learn to be kind, gentle and nurturing.

However in order for that connection to have the effect I hope for, people need to have the tools for success. This means being prepared for a life with parrots. Knowing what to expect can help prevent families from getting into a situation that might not be the right fit for their household. And sometimes all it takes is a little information to help prevent behavior problems that can lead to parrot relinquishment. To help potential parrot owners be informed Kaytee has created a new resource that is based on the results of the survey. It is a twenty minute video called Bringing Birdie Home.


If you are a new parrot owner or are considering acquiring a parrot, I highly recommend you watch this video. It provides a brief introduction into what to expect. You will learn about diet, veterinary care, household dangers, behavior and training, enrichment and managing the mess. It will get you started on the right path and help you enjoy your life with a parrot. The video is a free resource and is also available as a pdf. All of us involved hope resources such as Bringing Birdie Home will help prevent parrot relinquishment and allow people to experience the joy of sharing your life with a parrot. I do hope you will check it out and share it with others. Here is the direct link to the video. http://youtu.be/zbhhAFVJjE8 Cross posting/sharing is encouraged!

Barbara Heidenreich
www.GoodBirdInc.com
Copyright 2011

Training a Parrot to Bathe

Blu Lu the Blue Throated Macaw from the Bird Endowment took her first bath at my house today! I had just finished eating lunch and was running the water to wash my dishes when guess who launched herself to the sink. In her first few weeks with me I did make a few attempts to spray her, offer a pan of water, etc. However she did not show any interest. To me when a parrot wants to bathe I see some very specific body language, such as some flicking of the head side to side, dunking their head in the water, the wings stretching out, maybe some eye pinning and small vocalizations and most importantly an effort to interact with the water.

Blu Lu had not shown this body language in my earlier attempts. In fact she decidedly moved away from the water. Maybe people advise you must bathe a parrot no matter what. I personally can’t force a bath on a parrot who does not want one. I also think doing so makes it less likely a parrot will voluntarily participate in a bath in the future. Therefore I wait for moment just like the one that happened today. And while I have a bird actively engaging in the water I start to introduce some of props that might be involved with bathing such as a spray bottle.

I gently sprayed Blu Lu from quite a distance, and only a little at a time. This helps introduce the spray bottle at her pace and keeps it paired with the fun she is already having under the water stream. I also used my fingertips to trickle a little water over her back. I tried introducing a pan of water too. The best part is that anytime she wanted she could fly away. This piece of empowerment kept her coming back for more. Remember giving your parrot the choice to not participate is a big part of building trust and confidence. And it is an important part of a positive reinforcement approach to training your parrot.

I anticipate as more of these type of bathing experiences happen Blu Lu will be more inclined to bathe more frequently and bath time will continue to be viewed as fun time. Needless to say after so much fun, a nap was order. Her photo shows her resting on one of the parrot perches she has been trained to fly to.
Barbara Heidenreich
http://www.goodbirdinc.com/
Copyright Good Bird Inc 2010