Training to allow touch

[SilverSage]

Since arriving in Hawaii I have been blessed to acquire two young Indian Ringnecks, Blue and Scout. Blue was mostly parent raised, the only chick in her clutch, and began her bluffing phase within 48 hours of coming home with me; we are still working through that.

Scout was hand raised with siblings and can be quite the velcro bird; he does not want to be alone, ever. His favorite place is on someone's head, he does not like shoulders. So he wants to be "in the mix" but he does not like to be touched really. This is fine with me, I don't need him to be a teddy bear, but I really want to harness train him. He is a great flier, and he truly loves to fly. I have an Aviator Flight Line and I would really like him to get to experience outdoor flight, however with Flick I used both food and touch rewards, and since touch was a form of reward, the touch-intensive process of harness training was time consuming but not really that confusing for either of us. I am just not sure exactly how to go about it with a flighted bird who thinks touch is "uncool." Seriously, he has such a great personality but when I try to touch him I can just hear him saying "Come OOOONNNN mom! Not cool!" like a pre-teen boy whose mom just tried to give him a kiss on the cheek in public.

Please note that I dont think it is a fear thing (not that ANYTHING scares Scout anyway ), he is partially recall trained (still working on it, he comes about 80% of the time) and will land on my hand without hesitation, sometimes when I am not even expecting it. He will explore, move, and otherwise interact with my hands no problem, and eagerly steps up to come out of the cage.

Anyway, I am sure we can figure it out, I am just wondering if anyone has experience with this type of personality. I really prefer not to clip him for a myriad of personal reasons. I do believe clipping is sometimes the best thing, but I am hoping to avoid it in this situation, especially because I really do think he would LOVE to fly outdoors, and our back yard literally has a big empty field in it.

 

[Phlox]

I don't have advice, but I'd love to get some too. Scout sounds similar to Iris, in that she also will step up and likes to be near me and is flighted, but won't even accept head scratches yet. I'm working on touching her feet and beak too, but she's not sure she liked it. I think, like a lot of Amazons, she may have bit someone during puberty and after that didn't really get touched very much, so she's just not used to it.

I'd love to harness train her eventually (maybe by next summer?) so I'd love to hear what people have done! She's also not very food motivated in the big scheme of things, so she may be a hard nut to crack, so to speak.

 

[RavensGryf]

Certain species are naturally more inclined to be "wired" that way. Hands-off. Many times though, the exception to the rule can be broken (barring the birds' individual personality) if touch training starts at a very young age.

With an older bird... much time, as well as the patience of a saint, and in very small steps MIGHT eventually produce something close to the level of "hand tameness" you desire, but there's also a good chance that they'll never come around to that level, depending on the individual no matter what you do.

Good news is, I once had a bird who did not like to be touched on her body, but nonetheless was able and willing to put on a harness. Good luck!

 

[Dustbunny]

Once I got PB to the point she could be handled, there were still areas she refused to be touched such as her wings and feet. I started very, very, very slow. For instance with her wings I would touch them and immediately give her a treat. Touch. Treat. When she no longer seemed irritated with the quick touch, I moved my finger closer to under her wing and attempted a slower touch followed immediately by a treat. Eventually I worked up to her lifting her wings on signal and allowing me to touch and pet under them. I'm still working on her allowing me to lift AND spread her wings, but I have no doubt we'll get there eventually. It all just takes time and more patience than I thought I had tbh.

 

[RavensGryf]

Although 'some' conures aren't cuddly, the Conure species as a whole IS generally speaking a "touchable" species, so makes sense with PB that with consistency and patience it's working
I'm not trying to be negative, and I know it's not impossible in all cases, but just don't be too disappointed with a species that is hard wired in their genes to be more hands off. In these species, it really depends on the INDIVIDUAL how possible it is. Good luck

 

[Dustbunny]

Right, sorry, I didn't mean to make it sound like what worked for PB would absolutely work for anyone else's bird. I was just sharing what MIGHT work, if anything would. I figure it never hurts to try...unless the bird bites hard...then it may hurt a lot.

 

[SilverSage]

Thanks everyone Scout is tame - he even lands on strangers. Right now he is sitting on my head, staring at all of you through the internet I never expect him to be cuddly (I still have yet to hear of an IRN who likes to snuggle. I have tried the simply "touch, treat" method, but he flies off - he can escape I am afraid I may have to just clip him We have begun target training, perhaps that will pay off.

 

[Birdman666]

I have done the "two perch method" of touch training using two popsicle sticks with small birds. If you're consistent with it, it generally works, but it's not guaranteed.

 

[SilverSage]

How do you reward for the perch method? He is flighted and I really want to keep him that way. If he were trimmed I could probably just touch him - he was handled a LOT as a baby.