Need Help with Buster XPost from PC

[Bustersbuddy]

Ok, we've had Buster, our female pearl cockatiel, for a little over a year now. When she came to us as foundling (literally found her walking down the sidewalk, no tail, just a mess), she was a very traumatized little bird and scared of almost everything. She wouldn't come out of her cage, wouldn't have anything to do with humans and certainly wouldn't step up or get on a human body at all. Now she is totally free flight, flies all around our bedroom, eats from our hands, comes right up onto Kent's arm and mine too. But she still will not step up on command. She only comes to us when SHE wants to. Nor will she allow us to pet her in any way, she bitches at us and will fly off if we persist in trying to touch her. She doesn't bite or hiss at us, just makes that little hen cockatiel squack that says "Leave me alone!"

Kent and I have discussed clipping her wings to make her a bit more dependent on us for transportation, but Kent is really opposed to it and I have to admit, I don't like to take her freedom away from her, especially since she has made such HUGE progress. She's a very confident, smart little girl now, a far cry from the sad little frightened thing she was a year ago and I would hate to set her back in any way. But since it is early Spring in California and the days are markedly lengthening, I know she will be going through her molt soon and the flight feathers will grow back very soon.

We really need to get her to step up on command. Last night I suggested that everytime she willingly comes to one of us to get on our hand or arm we say "Step UP, Buster" or "good step up, Buster". What do you guys think? Any similar experiences? Please let me know

[Archive]

My Budgie was & still is to some extent, afraid of hands. It could be just a natural thing that some birds take to a higher level - or it could be memories from fearful encounters.

We had much better results from using a wooden perch for him to step-up onto. Even now with the Recall work we are doing, he prefers to land on a stick. He has gotten used to hands from encouraging him to step from the perch to the hand & back to the perch, fairly quickly - so he knows he doesn't have to be on our hands for long. He'd rather sit on our heads or shoulders, than rest on the hand.

Hope that helps.

[Tiki]

Doug, some of my tiels will only come to me when THEY feel like it too. I think it's more they have bonded with each other more than me. If their bonded mate/friend is on me, the other one will come on me. They just want to be together. Since you have an only tiel, at least you don't have to compete with other birds for her attention. She isn't afraid of you since she will climb on you, she just doesn't get the command. Maybe keep doing what you are doing, say "Step up" and give her a little treat like millet or a sunflower seed.

[Lynjupiter]

You know a light clip of four feathers on each wing won't completely ground her. I have found even a light clip on a bird used to being flighted brings them down to your level. In my house almost every bird is flighted. If they start thinking they are above me a light clip brings them right down while still enabling flight.
It make take her a day or two but she will be flying around again really quick.
Tiels have such light bodies it takes a severe clip to keep them grounded.
Lynda

[Archive]

I would use some positive reinforcement training. Have a small sprig of millet (or whatever her favorite treat is) hidden in your hand. When she does fly to you, and especially when she's on your arm or hand, immediately praise her and offer her a treat (reserve this treat only for training, and try to keep training sessions short and before a big meal). I think that eventually she will associate the action of being on your hand/arm with the treat. Like Jac said, you can try having her step up onto a perch (might be less intimidating), and then work your way up to hands/arms.

[Archive]

Using a hand perch has worked for me in the past for several birds.
Even when my macaw is being stubborn and wont step up - she will on a wooden perch. Then, she climbs onto my hand.
I have done this with budgies, tiels, quakers and now Baby.