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kiq
Bappie
Joined: 10 Mar 2006
Posts: 64
Location: Estonia |
| How to tame a very timid bird ? |
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I have had my senegal for 8 days now and i have been trying to get to know him better - he is about six months old - and it seems that he has never been handeled allthough he came from a breeder. He is very afraid of my hand - he doesn't bite he just panics - if i hold my hand in his cage, he is alert but not paniced but if i move it, he goes nuts - i have tried not to frighten him with my hand but i have to change his food and drink and also clean the cage - otherwise he seems happy, he likes to interact with me - i think he is trying to imitate my whisteling and he always seems to be excited when i talk to him, he starts fooling around in the cage. I just would like to have a few pointers, how should i start - i can't believe when i see some pictures in this forum, how friendly and cuddly some parrots are - i know it takes a lot of time but i just want to start as early as possible so I could get along with him, when he gets older. He also refuses to come out of the cage - he is afraid outside - his cage is his castle. Maybe i could start off with somekind of a training or something that will earn his trust - he is willing to take an apple from my hand (finger to be exact) but that's as far as he goes. I would really need some help on how to start working on that trust and phobia - so if anybody has had a similar kind of problem etc i would be so happy to hear about it and how to become friends.
PS! his wings are not clipped and i have no intention to do it beacuse there are no avian vets here who could help me and besides that will shock him even more...  |
Saturday March 18, 2006 8:35 am |
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Cathy
Kamikaze pilot
Joined: 02 Apr 2005
Posts: 6673
Location: Omaha, NE USA |
My sennie was more aggressive, than frightened, when I got him. I've read somewhere the differenc in handling the 2 different situations, but I can't remember where, or what, sorry  I do remember they said that with a timid bird, try working with him in a somewhat darkened room.
Do you leave the cage door open for him when you're close by to supervise, so he can go out of it if he wants? Maybe even put a screw on typ of perch on the outside of the cage & attach some spray millet, or sother kind of treat to tempt him out.
It took about 6 wks before I was able to handle my sennie without using a dowl. |
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Saturday March 18, 2006 1:57 pm |
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kiq
Bappie
Joined: 10 Mar 2006
Posts: 64
Location: Estonia |
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i keep my curtains in front of the window so it is darker and i keep the cage door open all the time - except when i am not at home - i have built perches in front of the cage door and hung some treats and i can see that he is very tempted and today he stepped on the perch and put his head out of the cage - thats definately progress. But i am just troubled about the fact that he is so frightened - from a safe distance he is looking for contact and he is very friendly but otherwise human contact is a big NO NO.
I have read many things on the internet and here in this forum but i haven't really found anything for the frightened bird situation - all the pointers and tips and lessons have to do with a bird that bites or with a bird that in some extent lets their owner near them - but mine doesn't bite, he hasn't even tried that, he just escapes - when i sit next to the cage and talk, he does come next to me so that only cage bars are between us - but the hands are the problem - he is also willing to take a treat - guess it will take some time of course but i am 100 precent sure that he has some real issues with hands and this has to be *treated* somehow. |
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Saturday March 18, 2006 3:17 pm |
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Cathy
Kamikaze pilot
Joined: 02 Apr 2005
Posts: 6673
Location: Omaha, NE USA |
It sounds to me like he's doing pretty good & you're doing all the right things.
Sounds like he's getting curiouser & curiouser  I'm sure it's probably just going to take some time & patience with him. How about some soothing music in the background?
I'll look around for that site I had read about frightened birds. |
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Saturday March 18, 2006 5:01 pm |
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kiq
Bappie
Joined: 10 Mar 2006
Posts: 64
Location: Estonia |
music is his favourite thing - he goes wild and spreads his wings and starts joking around - and i whistle a lot - all kinds of tunes, he kinda picks something up....at least he is trying. I know i am not doing anything wrong - i am just worried about the hand phobia |
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Saturday March 18, 2006 6:31 pm |
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joti26
Fledgeling
Joined: 07 Aug 2005
Posts: 222
Location: Northants. UK |
It took me about three months to really get my sennies trust, had him for nearly a year now and he still won't step on to my hand for more than a few seconds, he will however happily get on my jumper and is now very tame except for the bare skin phobia. He was also terrified of dowels or hand held perches. Just go steady, it really is early days. |
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Wednesday July 12, 2006 10:34 pm |
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sentiels3
Experienced flier
Joined: 12 Oct 2005
Posts: 1312
Location: Joliet, Ill |
kiq, do not give up on your sennie. try offering your arm instead for him to get on. put a towel around your arm or wear a long sleeved shirt, it will give him something to hang onto. it's too bad that the breeder couldn't socialize his birds more. I was very lucky with my sennie in that the breeder made sure that she could be touched all over her body, scooped up if needed and handled well. I also make sure I reinforce the bodily handling, playing with her feet, scritches under the wings and more. I am now working with her in letting my parents being able to handle her. Give your sennie time, sit with her and talk to her. Eat a meal in front of her, let her know you are there for her. see if you can take her into a different room away from her cage to work with her. By all means do not give up hope, she will eventually come to you. Good luck and let us know how she is doing. |
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Thursday July 13, 2006 5:12 am |
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chispleeze
Flier
Joined: 14 Jul 2005
Posts: 475
Location: Upstate NY |
I agree with all the good advice everyone here has given and all the good things you're doing already. You've had him a very short amount of time. The key with birds is patience, patience, patience.  Especially if you are not going to clip his wings. Clipping does help for the initial taming process. But I can understand you not wanting to clip him as my Pickles is not clipped either. It just may take a little longer because he's flighted, but stick with it.
One thing I've read about a fearful bird is to consider cage height. Sometimes raising it a little higher (or his play area) can make the bird feel more confident. We often think of not wanting them higher because of dominance issues but if fear is an issue it might be better for him to be higher than you.
Does sound like you on the right track though. Keep us posted on his progress. Btw, what's his/her name?
Robin |
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Thursday July 13, 2006 3:02 pm |
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kiq
Bappie
Joined: 10 Mar 2006
Posts: 64
Location: Estonia |
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Hi everybody, thank you all - you gave me a lot of confidence. I haven't been able to post any replies etc. for a few months now, but I am back now.
After a serious consideration I decided to clip Kiwis wings and it seems that it made a lot of difference. Now Kiwi has been with me for 4 months and he is not a timid bird anymore. He comes on my bare hands and arms and he doesn't bite and he even doesn't try to bite, I take him everywhere with me when I am home (he steps up on my arm and I take him everywhere I go in my apartment, if I watch tv in my livingroom - he plays in front of me on the table with legos - he likes them), the only time he is in his cage is when he goes to sleep or when I am not at home. He still doesn't really let me to pet him but I think he will eventually let me do that too - but it seems that he trusts me at least so much when he wanders off I can always put my hand or a perch near him and he will come to me - I guess he feels safer...I still have a lot of work to do withhim - I also have a lot of friends visiting during summer and I am trying to get him used to other people as well. Anyway I couldn't be more satisfied - compared to how he was when he first came to me it is a BIG difference....  I'll definately post some pictures soon etc. and talk about Kiwis realtionships with my chipmunk ...soon. And post some videos too....SOON |
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Tuesday August 1, 2006 4:47 pm |
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Cathy
Kamikaze pilot
Joined: 02 Apr 2005
Posts: 6673
Location: Omaha, NE USA |
Hey! It sounds like things are going real good! I'm so glad to hear it |
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Tuesday August 1, 2006 6:30 pm |
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Fluffy Sue
Joined: 13 Jan 2005
Posts: 10073
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That sounds soooo wonderful! That it made such a big difference: WOW!  Don't worry about the petting, all things in time!
I can't wait to see pics and vids!
The movie option has been updated.. It's now easier to upload movies, if I'm correct. |
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Tuesday August 1, 2006 7:12 pm |
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chispleeze
Flier
Joined: 14 Jul 2005
Posts: 475
Location: Upstate NY |
So happy to read that things are going so much better. Anxious for pics and to hear about the chipmunk.
Robin |
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Wednesday August 2, 2006 5:50 pm |
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Cheeta
Moderator
Joined: 06 Apr 2005
Posts: 7970
Location: Australia |
Glad to hear that Kiwi is getting better now. Keep up the good work mate. and yes pics and vids please. |
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Wednesday August 2, 2006 6:22 pm |
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Julie White
Flier
Joined: 17 Nov 2005
Posts: 421
Location: Staines, England |
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Hi kig, you said you got your Sennie from a Breeder but I can't seem to see if he was hand reared or parent reared in an Aviary, if he was hand reared he'll probably just need a little time to get used to his new surroundings, if he was parent reared it will take longer but you can still tame him, we have an expression here which says 'make haste slowly' either way it sounds like you're doing well, the fact that he's a young bird stands you in good stead, do you live near the breeder, if so could he clip his wings for you if necessary? Whether wing clipped or not lots of patience is needed, give him titbits lots of times in the day from your hand, interact with him little and often, at least every couple of hours if you can and always leave on a positive note i.e. if he takes a titbit and seems a little braver than before, that's the time to stop so that when you come back again he will have the memory of something good to move forward from, you will have a lot of good advice from everyone on this site, good luck. |
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Wednesday August 2, 2006 10:03 pm |
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sentiels3
Experienced flier
Joined: 12 Oct 2005
Posts: 1312
Location: Joliet, Ill |
congradulations kiq on winning trust of kiwi. keep up the good work and soon you both will have a great relationship. can't wait to see pics and vids of kiwi and the chipmunk. how do they react towards each other?  |
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Thursday August 3, 2006 7:29 pm |
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