My macaw is cage bound

[hcurab]

I recently added my first macaw, he’s a 6-year-old B&G macaw.

He’s doing very well. It was a rough start with diet conversion and initial training.


The hardest part currently is the fact that he’s cage bound. He’ll stay on the highest perch on the left and will rarely if ever step up to come out.

He will lunge and try to bite if I try to approach him when he’s in the cage.

Once he’s out of the cage, he’ll easily step up.

I was thinking of lowering the perches because he’s obsessed with being high. He shoulder rushes, doesn’t like to step up when on top of his cage, although I already solved those issues. However, I can’t get him to step up when he’s on my shoulder, so I need to crouch down and get him to step off on the couch himself.

Basically, he’s lower, he’s behaves better.

Does anyone know how to get him to not be so obsessed with his cage? I clicked and target trained him. He also knows that if he steps up, he gets a treat—He’ll actively search for my hand when he’s out of his cage, but when he’s inside, he will never search for my hand.


Edit: I just lowered the perches and it seemed to instantly change him.

 

[Macawdamia Nut]

My amateur advice from almost 50 years of experience with my macaw is: give him time. The cage is his safe space. He will come out once he is ready. Have patience. My macaw waited 10 years before he mustered up the courage to step foot on the swing I put in his cage. TEN YEARS! He loves his swing now, but it was a scary thing for a good long while. Others may give different advice, but I am a big believer in giving your bird the freedom to do his thing in his own sweet time.