My parakeet is scared of me when i try to wave and touch him and i had him for 2 years! help me please thanks!

Question

Help i have 2 parakeets for 2 years! and they are afraid when i open there cage touch them or wave at them! help
any desisions

Answer 1

Parakeets can be very timid and afraid if they are not used to being handled. You have to take it slowly to train them..try putting your hand in the cage and keeping it still for a min a couple times a day. Then after they are used to your hand, start offering them a finger. It can take a long time for them to get used to you so be patient! After all you look like a giant to them :)

A great site for parakeet info is http://www.lisashea.com/petinfo/budgie.html , there is a good hand training guide on there as well!

Answer 2

NEVER wave at a bird-their eyes can't respond and wave back. You begin with letting one out of the cage-preferably a cage with a drop down door/perch. Then over time it will come out and sit and perhaps fly, ( make sure there are no dogs, cats, or fans)-they need flight time. We kept our cockatiel in a room with a door so it wasn't so hard to catch him.
Then wait til they are on say the back of the couch and put out food for them. Then put some on your shoulder. Then after about a month try to slowly get them on your finger. My cockatiel made a beeline for my laptop and pecked and walked around, he also took food from my mouth. This all takes patience and it is fun. The cutest thing my cockatiel ever did was he would come over, sit on my shoulder, slowly walk down to my collar bone and put his head up under my neck and sleep.

Answer 3

It sounds like you mean well, but you're not taking the best approach. I find waving intimidates my lovebirds as well, because our hands are so much larger than they are and it looks scary to them. Instead, I say hi to my birds. I greet each one by name and spend time by their cages talking to them. Having been in your home for two years, they should be comfortable with the sounds and voices in your home, so they should be fine with hearing your voice. Also, never pet a bird when it's unwilling to be touched. If they don't want to be petted, they'll definitely let you know through their body language or a swift hole-punching bite.

I've heard that having a bonded pair of birds makes taming more difficult, as they'll be more focused on each other and not you. [However, I've had contradicting experience where with one of my bonded pairs, one was more brazen than the other and would often be the first to take food from me, step up on me, and receive kisses from me and the other followed along.] If this is the case, you can separate them into different cages (but in the same room near each other so they won't think one has been taken away) and work with each one-on-one. It takes a lot of time and patience, and a strong amount of trust.

What I suggest is sitting by them in their cage and talking to them cooing, whistling, and spending time by them. Also, bribery. It's worked for me with taming my lovebirds (and from what I know, lovebirds are more stubborn and hard-headed than budgies). I didn't tame two of them until they were a year old, and the other three were maybe one and a half or almost two years old when I tamed them. If they like millet, use that as a reward. Failing that, sunflower seeds, safflower seeds, fresh foods, anything you notice they've taken a liking to.
If out of the cage, hold your hand out a considerable amount away from him so they doesn't feel threatened, but close enough so that they can conveniently take a step up and be on your hand. Lay the treat on or hold it over your hand so that they notice something's there. If they really want it, they'll go for it -- eventually. It could take some time to build up the courage. When they come to you, say "step up", praise and give the treat. Basically follow a similar or the same routine over and over until they get the hang of it, and you'll be able to tell when that is. Eventually, they'll be so used to just stepping up onto you that they'll forget about the treat and you won't need it to have them come to you anymore.

If inside the cage, put your hand in slowly. If they cowers back or fly away, slowly retreat. Do not make any quick or sudden movements (a wave constitutes as a quick and sudden movement) that may frighten them and make them even more skittish of hands. If they seem calm, just leave your hand there for maybe half a minute and he'll learn, over time, to be comfortable with your hand near them. You can start putting the same little treats on your hand when you put it inside of the cage and maybe you'll luck out on the "step up" thing there, too.

Also, you can try taking them to a totally bird safe room where they you can always reach them, open the door, leave some treats in the doorway and allow them to come out on their own accord.

Keep your head up 'cause it takes a lot of time, patience, and dedication to your bird buddies.

Answer 4

When you put your hand in the cage. Don't take it out until they stop fluttering around. They will soon learn that being calm is the best thing to do. Good luck.

Answer 5

quit waving. its a threat . they think you're a big bird flapping at 'em. put your hand in the cage, keep it there without moving it for longer periods each day. they may get used to you that way, but if they are 2 yrs old, they are pretty set in thier ways.

Answer 6

well, if u had a parakeet for 2 years, i would think that u cleaned his **** out of his cage enough so that he won't be afraid of your hand.... but since, after two years he is still afraid of you, you must be groping and harassing your parakeet in inappropriate places. i know from personal experience that parakeets do not like to be touched in a place we like to call the parakeet palace. if u want to get him to let you touch him in places like that you might want to try giving him bird seed in one of your hands to distract and grope him with the free hand. and if that doesn't work, duct tape his little parakeet ankles together and give him an old fashioned irish bum rush.

Answer 7

Birds need to get used to human hands right from when they are very young - and they might have lacked human contact... Please don't try and change them now, it will only serve to traumatize them. Stress in birds can cause an immune deficiency, and they can get sick and die. And remember, like the other person said, don't grope your parakeet in inappropriate places, or you will be looking at a sexual harassment suit... lol.

Answer 8

Same with the oones I had. You got them at a pet store or a breeder's didn't you? They were taught that way by their mothers, so if one was seperated at birth and raised by a human, things would be different. I never found a way to change that.