Not sure if we're ready? Flight to hand

[Icca]

Hello everyone. Long time in hiding but we're still here. Lol
The rebel is getting very friendly and always happy to hang with me or on me. But she is STILL afraid to step up onto my hand if she is in her cage or on her playstands. However she will step up onto my hand if she is ANYWHERE other than those 2 places.
Soo the reason I'm asking in the free flight forum is that, she is fully flighted and is fairly good flyer. She will fly to her playstands if something startles her.

My question is has anyone started flight training with a bird who will only occasionally step up.?
And does anyone think this might help step up in general?

Side note we are in farm country with a resident red shoulder hawk population. So ZERO consideration for outdoor flight.

Thank you everyone look forward to any input

 

[Icca]

 

[SailBoat]

Congratulation on your progress!!

IMHO, many Humans have problems with Step-Up because it rarely incorporates a reason, beyond stepping-up. By incorporating a Real Estate tour of the flight paths within your home and setting your Parrot down on a safe landing area. Then after a few moments, asking for a Step-up and returning to the cage. This assures that Step-up has a reason /reward AND, you get to teach safe flight paths and landing areas at the same time.

Remembering that the most important reason for asking for a Step-Up, is so you can move your Parrot to a safe place as a result of a true emergency.

FYI: Great Photos!!

 

[Icca]

Thank you and it sounds like you have summed up my problem in a nutshell. She is very content on her stand and in her cage so maybe a treat is not motivation enough to step up in those situations. Maybe I should nix the idea of adding in flight and instead just work on step up from LESS familiar territory
Thank you

 

[Terry57]

My Talli doesn't want me to pick him up from his cage, either. After much practice with him (and his favourite treat as a reward) I tap where I want him to come to and he will run or fly right over to step up. This also works when he flies to one of the other bird's cages. I tap on his cage and call his name and he will fly back to his cage.

His favourite treats are walnuts, and I only gave them to him when we were working on this; I think he was more motivated because of that. Once he had it figured out I went back to giving him his favourite treat at other times rather than just when he stepped up.

I haven't needed to use a treat for a long time now, he knows he will get scritches and praise when he steps up and he is happy with that.

I have to ask, is that a poster of jellyfish? I LOVE that!

 

[Icca]

My Talli doesn't want me to pick him up from his cage, either. After much practice with him (and his favourite treat as a reward) I tap where I want him to come to and he will run or fly right over to step up. This also works when he flies to one of the other bird's cages. I tap on his cage and call his name and he will fly back to his cage.

His favourite treats are walnuts, and I only gave them to him when we were working on this; I think he was more motivated because of that. Once he had it figured out I went back to giving him his favourite treat at other times rather than just when he stepped up.

I haven't needed to use a treat for a long time now, he knows he will get scritches and praise when he steps up and he is happy with that.

I have to ask, is that a poster of jellyfish? I LOVE that!

That's great you are doing what I was thinking about. Since she will only come out of the cage / stand with a hand held perch I thought maybe flight be more rewarding for her. But at the stage we are at I may just be complicating life. But she has been showing alot of signs that she would like to fly, lots of flapping when on her stand and I walk away. Also flapping when we are walking around the house. Only thing missing is lift off.

And the jellyfish is actually fabric from Joann fabrics. It is covering my shelves of craft hoard and bird supplies

 

[wrench13]

@Icca - if you are into jellies, the book "Spineless" is a pretty cool read.

 

[Terry57]

That's great you are doing what I was thinking about. Since she will only come out of the cage / stand with a hand held perch I thought maybe flight be more rewarding for her. But at the stage we are at I may just be complicating life. But she has been showing alot of signs that she would like to fly, lots of flapping when on her stand and I walk away. Also flapping when we are walking around the house. Only thing missing is lift off.

And the jellyfish is actually fabric from Joann fabrics. It is covering my shelves of craft hoard and bird supplies

Oh, she is definitely getting up he courage to fly, that is so awesome!
Until that time when training may shift a bit, I think that with her favourite treat as a reward you can get her to do many other things. You just have to figure out which one is valued above all. For my cockatiel it is either millet or plain popcorn broken into tiny pieces. We use an air popper for that so it doens't have any oil or anything. Sometimes I add some Cayenne pepper into it, other times Rosemary.
All of my birds love it as a treat

I can't believe that's fabric, it is really fantastic! We don't have Jo-Ann's fabric here, so I'm going to see where I could get that. Thank you for sharing!

 

[Icca]

@Icca - if you are into jellies, the book "Spineless" is a pretty cool read.

Will look for that one. It's winter here which means time to hide and read
Thank you

 

[Icca]

Oh, she is definitely getting up he courage to fly, that is so awesome!
Until that time when training may shift a bit, I think that with her favourite treat as a reward you can get her to do many other things. You just have to figure out which one is valued above all. For my cockatiel it is either millet or plain popcorn broken into tiny pieces. We use an air popper for that so it doens't have any oil or anything. Sometimes I add some Cayenne pepper into it, other times Rosemary.
All of my birds love it as a treat

I can't believe that's fabric, it is really fantastic! We don't have Jo-Ann's fabric here, so I'm going to see where I could get that. Thank you for sharing!

Yes I'm very excited about thus new turn in her personality. She was so scared when I got her from the rescue and while I don't think she was "neglected" in a major way. I don't think that she was exposed to anything more than the cage.

It has been a real challenge to get her to try new things. She does eat chop and pellets. But crazy as it sounds the only treats she likes is sunflower in shell and millet. Ugh... We are still trying things and in different presentations but I've not tried popcorn. But it's on the grocery list now

Thank you

 

[Terry57]

I'm really excited for you! I have birds who are still challenging because they were not socialized, and it sounds the same as with your Sweetie.
I can say that when you begin to make progress that it is the best feeling in the world, because we had to work at it.
The reward is definitely worth the patience

I hope popcorn is accepted! My tiel, Keifer, also likes a small piece of walnut. I crush it in my hand and he loves it.

 

[Icca]

Thank you.
After the death of my bronze wing I said I would never get another but it does feel good to help a bird have a bit better of a life.
I feel like how to socialize a baby bird and how to, for older birds could be its own forum.
one last thing! Popcorn is in the popper now so we will see how this goes