How to tame a pair of wild african grey parrots?

Question

i have bought a pair of african grey parrots they are two years of age but they are not tamed actually they start screaming and they get a bit afraid when i touch them could anyone please help me in how to tame them

Answer 1

Why don't you teach them to talk? I've heard they really like to pacify themselves by imitating people.

Answer 2

bird tricks helps alot

Answer 3

Parrot ts are extremely smart animals ...also they are wild animals ... in my opinion i think it's not fair and cruel to have a wild animal)

But anyway with you parrots what you need to do is try and spend time with them but not come into their personal space to much  always talk softly and quietly and never corner them  

also  ..

try and give them treats in your hand but WEAR GLOVES ... cos a bite from them can break a finger .. and cause severe bleeding .. Their beaks are striong enough to crack open very hard nuts eg brazil nuts etc and they can easily peck out an eyes so be careful ...

one question are you birds a pair? (male and female) because then that would explain the screaming they will protect each other etc

gradually you will eventually be able to (with gloves) pick them up onto yuor hand  you will know when that time has come

It will take time and patience but you wil get there .. but don't keep going after them .. they will then hate you  ... and if they just don't want to be touched just leave them .....

Answer 4

Wow, DO NOT clip their wings if they are fully flighted right now. That is a huge way to start off WRONG with two new birds that are already petrified of you - take away their mobility to get away - not a good idea at all.

Birds do what is referred to as "fight or flight" if you take away the "flight" part then all that is left for them to do is fight.

Birds bite when they feel threatened - you need to make yourself a positive thing in their environment and not so intimidating.

Also, these greys are obviously bonded to one another so it's going to be much harder to tame them as they trust each other more than you. I'd recommend "touch training" which is also called "target training" explained here;

http://jamiesparrothelp.wordpress.com/20...

A friend of mine did this with two wild rose breasted cockatoos (pictured below);

http://flickr.com/photos/davewomach/

And the female loved the training while the male was fearful and hung back in the cage. But once he realized she was having fun, and he was the wimp in the backseat, he quickly joined her and she taught him how to be tame which was really neat to see. So it's not impossible to do, it just takes patience and time. If you feel yourself getting frustrated, stop because the birds can read those emotions and will become harder to train sensing your nerves.

More on training;

http://jamiesparrothelp.wordpress.com/ca...

http://www.birdtricks.com

Answer 5

1st off clip their wings it's a good safety measure. If you take the time, it is possible to do a clip that really isn't visible and looks pretty good. Wing clipping is painless, and the bird isn't going to hate you for it.

All birds need some time to mouth off, but constant screaming is a problem. But you simply cannot punish a bird for doing what comes naturally. First, think about when the bird screams. Is it in the morning and at night? This is normal and natural. Is the bird near a loud TV or stereo or a window that has bustle and hustle going on outside? Or is the bird in place where it can hear but not see things that are going on around it? Did you forget to feed the bird? Did you forget to water the bird? I'd scream too, if I was hungry! Try moving the cage. Never yell at the bird, this is a reward of sorts for it. If the bird is screaming in its cage, try covering it for about five minutes. It should quiet down. Remove the bird when it's quiet. Try to provide more toys for the bird if left alone frequently. Reinforce positive behavior. This can be hard to do...we're more inclined to notice bad behavior than good. Each bird is unique and may require a different approach to remedy its screaming. You can consult with a animal behaviorist to help in really bad cases.

Sitting with the door open and your hand in the cage is a great way to let your bird become used to your hands and fingers. Many birds are attracted to shiny jewelry so wearing a piece of bird-safe jewelry might gain some headway too. (Bird-safe = no loose stones, non-toxic metals = sterling silver and gold). After a while, a brave bird may come down to nibble on that irresistible piece of jewelry you're wearing while you're talking to him. Praise him gently if he does.

Getting beyond the first few weeks is the hardest for most new bird owners who have purchased an unsocialized bird. Once you have made some headway in the trust department, the most important command to teach your bird is to "Step Up". The "Step Up" command not only establishes a bird owner's place as "head of the flock" (which is definitely where you need to be), but it is also useful and can be life saving for your bird. A bird who knows "Step up" can be transported out of harm's way immediately by his human companion should the need arise, and the bird is much more manageable in the household environment.

Establish a routine, and stick to it! Birds are creatures of routine, and one that is consistent will help the bird feel more secure. Establish taming/training time, say, for an hour every day at two. Then just do it! Every day.

I'm including many helpful links as well! Happy training!

Answer 6

First we need to know if they were ever tame or are they wild birds.  If they are wild I wouldn't even attempt it as wild birds are not easy to tame.  The best thing you can do is make them safe and give them lots of toys and good quality food.

If they were tame, you can start by offering them treats.  Just walk by them and put a few sunflower seeds in their food dish and keep on going.  After a week, try handing the seeds to them.  See if they will take it.

It is a long process, specially with african greys.  If they are bonded then they will not want human interaction as birds mate for life and anything else is an intrusion.

If you can get them to take the treat from your hand then the next step would be to place your hand on the cage and let them get used to your hand so that they learn to trust it.  All this should be done in weekly intervals.

They should come to learn that your hand is not a threat to them.  Once you get to that stage you can try to see if they will step up for you.  

Do not wear gloves as it will scare the birds and do not clip them at this point as it will only reinforce that you are something to fear.

Nancy Daniels

Parrot Adopt Southern Ontario

www.parrotadoptontario.com

Answer 7

Parrot training is an important step in raising and caring for any parrot that is going to be a pet in the home. Training your parrot can be as basic as teaching to whistle and step up or down or as complicated as talking and p**p on command training.

Parrots are very intelligent and social creatures and need plenty of stimulation to keep them active and to prevent boredom. Parrots are very fun pets to have and raise if they are understood and their needs are met., not all species are suitable for everyone or every situation. Many parrots can be loud and destructive if not properly housed. Choosing a species is a very important step in owning a parrot and should be thought out thoroughly.

Most bird owners begin to look into parrot training to correct behavioral problems after they have begun. It is very important to begin training a parrot as young as possible so as to raise a well adjusted and behaved pet. When a parrot is older the training will become harder as bad habits will have been established, but with work and persistence these can be overcome.

Some of the behavioral problems that are often encountered and need to be corrected through parrot training include biting, screaming, feather picking, chewing and jealously. Many times the parrot owner wishes to teach their bird new behaviors such as stepping up on command to make handling the bird safer and easier. Teaching a parrot to talk is another example of a behavior that can be taught to your bird to make owning a parrot more enjoyable and rewarding.

Training your parrot will help to strengthen the bond between you and your bird. By spending the time needed for the training sessions and providing proper rewards the bird will become more cooperative and attached to you as a handler, the bird will also be kept busy and will focus its attention on you and the learning that will help to prevent problem like screaming and feather picking.

Parrot training basics are to always keep it positive, always reinforce good behavior with a reward and ignore bad behavior. Rewards can be a favorite treat or toy to play with, or a simple praise and affection. It is very important to never punish for negative behavior, the bird will see this as attention as reward and this will reinforce the negative behavior.

Points to remember:

* Train only when relaxed so you don't get frustrated

* Keep training sessions short so the bird does not lose interest

* Use a favorite reward sparingly and not every time alternate with praise only

* End parrot training  sessions on a positive note.