How do I teach my bird to...?

Question

How do I teach my Green Cheek Conure to fly to me on command?

Thanks!

Answer 1

Hold some food that your bird likes in your hand, and if he/she flies to you to get the food, speak a simple word or make a recognizable sound. Repeat this using the same word or sound, and eventually, when you say the word or sound, he/she will still fly to you with the hope that you have some food in your hand.

If you want him/her to perch on your shoulder, perhaps you could set some food on your shoulder.

That's all I can think of, good luck.

Answer 2

Does your GCC already know basic commands? It helps if you've trained more basic tricks first, but the principles are relatively simple. Reward (ie "reinforce") small approximations of behavior you are trying to teach so that the behavior becomes closer and closer to what you want him to do eventually.

In other words, get him to step up. Then move further away and ask him to do it again. Keep moving further and further away until the only way to reach you is to hop. Then further still until he needs to flap his wings a little.

In the beginning, if he's flying to you on his own just because he likes being on you, give a verbal cue before he lands on you and then reward him. Do that for a while but keep saying the cue earlier and earlier, and then after that's pretty solid only reward him if he does it on cue. But be consistent about your cues or you'll confuse him.

Or, if he already knows how to target, simply use the target stick to get him to come to you and then phase out the target stick after you've put it on cue.

If you haven't already started training more basic tricks like step ups and targeting, I'd start there since those provide an excellent foundation for flighted recall (flighted recall = flying to you on cue).

This link shows you one way to do it:

http://bestinflock.wordpress.com/2008/03...

Answer 3

Experienced bird owners find training essential for a good relationship with their pet birds. Once you start a training program with your bird, you might also find yourself noticing the nuances of your bird’s body language and understanding more of your bird’s moods.

The Basics

Training with your bird should be fun. Here are some training tips to keep you both happy.

1. Keep your sessions short. Two or three 10-minute sessions every day works best to retain your bird’s attention.

2. Let your bird get used to props by leaving them near the cage for a few days. Play with the items to pique your bird’s interest.

3. Find a quiet place free of distractions to work together. Keep the cage out of sight, so your bird’s attention is on you during the training session. The exception to this rule is a frightened or insecure re-homed bird that might need to see its cage for reassurance.

4. Find a special reward that you only give to your bird during training. A food reward should be something small and easily consumed within a few seconds. Or, if your bird enjoys praise or a head scratch, offer these instead of food.

5. Train at the same time every day, so your bird can look forward to your new routine together.

6. Keep it positive and offer lots of praise if your bird gets even part of the trick or training correct.

Basic Commands

A few basic behaviors that every companion bird should know are:

STEP-UP COMMAND: The most important behavior you can teach your bird is the Step-up command, in which your bird reliably steps onto your finger, wrist or onto a hand-held perch. Your bird should automatically offer a foot when you say “Step up” (or whatever cue you use) while you simultaneously offer the hand or perch.

A reliable Step-up makes it easier to retrieve your bird in an inconvenient or even dangerous situation. It also ensures that other people can work with or retrieve the bird without either party feeling nervous or threatened.

To get your bird stepping up, gently offer your wrist, finger or perch at the spot where your bird’s abdomen meets the top of its legs, and give the cue, “Step up.” Most birds will naturally raise a foot to step onto the offered object. Praise and reward the bird, and then repeat the step up a few times.

Keep your hand or wrist steady, so your bird feels confident stepping onto it.  

STEP-DOWN COMMAND: You can also train your bird to step down onto a playgym or its cage. If your bird likes hanging out with you, you’ll have to make it worth its while to step down.

CONTACT CALL: You are your bird’s flock, so naturally it wants to keep track of where you are. Teach your bird a special whistle, word or phrase to use when it wants you to respond. If taught correctly, this contact call can replace that ear-piercing shriek that your bird likes to use when you leave the room.

If your bird has already learned that screaming seems to make you reappear or respond (i.e. yell or admonish), it will take much more persistence and patience to change the behavior.

To teach your bird a contact call, use a consistent phrase – “Be right back” – each time that you leave the room. Call frequently to your bird while you are out of sight. This will let it know that you are nearby.

If your bird makes the desired contact call, respond immediately by either calling in return or poking your head into the room. Do not respond when your bird is screaming.

Consistency is crucial in this training. It might not seem like such a bad idea to occasionally respond to your bird’s screams, but resist the urge. You’ll be rewarded later on.

Other Useful Training Behaviors

Recall: This extension of the Step-up response is essential for flighted birds, but is also important even for wing-trimmed birds. Praise and reward your bird for approaching you to Step up.

Bite a target stick: Many experienced avian trainers recommend that the first thing you teach your bird in a training program is to bite the end of a chopstick or other small, hand-held stick (not a perch). Chances are, your bird will bite the target stick when it is presented. If you keep praising and rewarding the behavior, your bird will quickly notice that it receives attention when it does so and will be glad to bite the target stick.

Once your bird has the idea that biting the stick brings praise, you can then use the stick as a tool for teaching other behaviors, such as walking or flying to get the stick or climbing a ladder to reach the stick. This can, in turn, be used to teach the bird to walk or fly to you when you hold the stick, or to climb a ladder in order to ring a bell.

Other fun ideas: Relatively simple tricks include teaching your bird to ride a small wagon; wave “Hello” or give a “high four,” or tap a mirror in response to a cue (such as “Who’s a pretty bird?”).

Common Training Mistakes To Avoid

Prevent biting from becoming a habit by not letting bites happen in the first place. Keep your hands out of beak range, and your bird will be less tempted to aim for them.

Don’t be intimidated. If your bird is acting aggressively, stand nearby until it calms down. When it is calm, you can leave. Now your bird knows that aggressive behavior gets it nowhere.

Don’t expect your bird to be ringing bells on command immediately after one or two training sessions. Your bird will learn best if you continue to reward and encourage it with each small step it takes in your training sessions.

Answer 4

I am not a bird master but I have an idea. Birds learn from practice so try letting it loose in a small room. Once it flies call to it with some food in your hand. Keep doing that until your bird gets used to it. :) Hope it helps!