How to Stay Put?

[Caitnah]

Could use some advice...
My Conure is three years old and is housed in a large cage with a huge playground outside the cage. He also has window perches in the room.
I live alone and am mostly retired so am home a lot.
I usually let him out of his cage about five days a week at 4-5 hour stretches.
This room is also my TV room and I spend most of my time in there so we are with each other constantly. Naturally he likes being out of his cage but I have one problem...

As everyone knows, what toys are his, belongs to him. What toys are mine, belongs to him!
So even though he has a large playground, if I reach for my remote or tablet or headphones, he feels compelled to come down to me and play with them. Many times I put him back on his playground but back he comes.
Also, MANY times, even if I’m just sitting watching TV he will fly down to me and pick at my shirt or just climb all over me. I understand that this is flock time and he wants the companionship but it is almost impossible for me to just watch TV.

If I leave the room, he calls out for me and will just sit there until I return.

A few times I have been successful with constantly putting him back (on his playground) and he might stay for awhile, but I usually get a look of “why do you keep putting me back; I just want to sit with you”. So then the guilt kicks in.
I assume that if he wasn’t fully flighted that might help, but he hasn’t been clipped in 2 1/2 years.
Any suggestions on how I can keep him on his playground when needed. Obviously I am concerned for his well-being so do not want to discourage him in a negative manner.
Putting him back doesnt have to be the entire time, just occasionally.

 

[SailBoat]

Your are not experiencing a problem but a away of life. I would guess that every longtime Parrot owner has experienced the same issues. It's part of the life style of an individual that is owned by a Parrot.

Provide a ton of toys, building and entertainment Stuff with the goal of developing self-entertainment. Most people do this to assure that their Parrot is busy, not bored when they are away. But a set-entertaining Parrot will off-set the amount of their normal out and above time playing with their stuff.

 

[noodles123]

You could try target training and station training (2 things that are related)--- first, reward just for going to that point. Then after the bird gets that down, try using a timer or something and setting it for a few seconds. Say wait, when the timer goes off, if they are still in that spot, reward etc. Time would have to get longer over time etc-- you would have to start really slow and increase the time gradually. Remember, if attention is a greater reward for your bird than a treat, then you will want to make sure your attention is paired with the treat etc (as the attention is what is actually motivating your bird to seek you out).



Do you already have places like play-stands in other rooms so that your bird has a place other than you where it can still feel included?


When he does fly to you, if you are giving in and giving him what he wants, then he's definitely going to keep doing it. So if he comes to you when you are watching TV and you let him play with your shirt etc- he's getting rewarded. I would have stands around the house and work on target training and recall training. Recall so that he knows WHEN it's okay for him to fly onto you etc, and targeting and station training to improve his ability to stay in an area. If he flies to you when you are doing something, use a phrase, like " station" or something and with as little attention possible, but him back on a permitted area (perch etc). If he stays there, make sure you periodically come pick him up from there and let him do the things he wants to do when he flies to you. He can still do those things, but you want to make it so that they are happening more on your terms.

 

[Tman]

I am retired as well, one thing to try is change up what time you let him out of his cage. Let him out one time before you feed him in the morning. Let him out for 2hrs. Then get his food ready and put him up and feed him. Don't leave the room sit and watch TV read a book. This way he sees that you are still there.
Then before you let him out again go do what you need to do. When you come back it will be in the early evening. Before you feed him in the evening let him out for a few hrs. And then again get his evening meal and put him in the cage and feed him. This way he sees that going back in the cage is food. Keep changing up the times you have him out. This way its not one long time and you put him up. He won't know when he's coming out or going up.
But he will see.when he goes up he gets fed.