How to teach a bird to accept being touched...?

[AlexTheGreenCheekConure]

Hi all!

I'm trying to re-teach Alex, my GCC, to let me touch him. When I first got him I was able to touch him and scratch around his neck. I believe he only let me do this because he was young, and I was misreading him as being okay with me touching him when he was actually scared/uncomfortable.

So my question is, how do I go about getting him to let me touch him? Right now I have him target trained (he's not 100% perfect, but we just started training recently, and I think he's doing a really good job), and we've started some recall training as well.

He doesn't seem afraid of my hands when he's perched on them he steps up when I ask him to, and will fly to my hands when I call him. It's just if I put my other hand up next to his side, then he backs away.

I've started just putting my hand up at a distance and holding it there. He'll sit there without backing away. I figure once he gets use to that, I can move my hand slowly closer over time. Is this a good starting point?

Thanks for the help! Alex and I appreciate it!

 

[MikeyTN]

Yes that's an excellent starting point. The touching comes after trust is built. Just give him time.

 

[AlexTheGreenCheekConure]

Alright, thanks MikeyTN! My mom got me an aviator harness for him as a Christmas gift, so I'm excited to start working with him on that, but I obviously have to get him okay with me touching him first. For now I'm just working on getting him use to the harness being near him.

He's doing really well so far (with both getting use to my hand, and the harness). I put the harness on his perch stand, and he walked over it just fine. And with my hand, he's already started 'ignoring' it when I have it up near him (he started with staring at it, opening his beak every once in a while).

I'll keep on working with him. He's come so far already (super proud of the little boy), and he's so patient with me. <3

 

[Ginnybird]

How's progress?

I just started working on this, too, with my Amazon for her aviator harness. She loves everything else we've done in training so far, and loves head and neck rubbies from me (so far not from anyone else), but hates when I touch her wings. At first she wanted to growl and bite, but now she tries to get on the touching hand, or just take it in her beak and hold it away. I've found that if I lull her with cheek rubs first, she'll let me touch her wing with my finger for a count of three. Then I give her a treat.

Slow and steady hopefully wins...

 

[Birdman666]

With a bird the size of a conure, you might try playing with him with two popsicle sticks. They generally don't find those threatening.

Use the popsicle stick to touch all over during play, and then gradually work your fingers down the stick as he learns to accept this, until you are touching him with your fingers.

 

[AlexTheGreenCheekConure]

Progress is slow and steady, Ginnybird. Still can't get my hand on him, but he will let me get my hand closer to him (baby steps, we'll get there). I have noticed that he feels threatened if I have my hand with my palm towards him, and will open his beak to tell me to back off. But, if I have my hand palm away from him, he just tries to step up. XD Silly little bird.

And thanks for the suggestion, Birdman! He loves his Popsicle toys, so I'll try that with him this afternoon.

And an update on his training in general, I've been working with him and my sister (everyone in my house is scared of him, and she's the only one willing to help me socialize him). She can now feed him in the morning, take him out of the cage (I use a perch to take him out, as he gets nippy if you put hands in his cage), give him treats, and we just got him to fly to her hand this morning. Woohoo! And all of this happened with no biting.

Thanks for all the suggestions and support! You all rock!

 

[MonicaMc]

Instead of teaching him to allow you to bring your hand closer to him, why not teach him instead to walk towards your hand? Same concept, different approach!