Tricks & Treats

[Helitorian]

Con and I have started trick training and I'm curious as to what everyone has taught their birds.

So far he knows how to step up and down, give kisses and spin. Sometimes he spins so much he goes right off the perch and I have to catch him while laughing. Next I'm trying to teach him "eagle" where he lifts his wings and lowers his head. His treat of choice is a sunflower seed which I break in half.

So what does your bird know?

 

[roxynoodle]

I've not really tried to teach tricks, other than step up of course. But, my Nanday gives kisses and every evening she makes funny poses for me. She changes it every 10 minutes or so until I notice. My favorite is her "angel" pose. She hangs on the front of the cage, puts her wings back, and sometimes even puts a key ring on top of her head. She has other pretty amazing ones, too, where she hangs from toys in rather gymnastic positions. This is her own game though that she made up.

My amazon hangs upside down and flutters his wings. He wants me to say, "Batman! Batman!" when he does it.

 

[Spiritbird]

I just teach the basics they need to know for good behavior such as the step ups. I really am not a fan of teaching tricks to animals.

 

[Amber]

We have mastered...

Stepup
Kiss (Well, more like "let me shove my beak in your face!")
Wings up
Over (Over on back)
Laugh

Alex also pretty much potty trained himself, which was about the best thing ever,

Thats about it. Not many now that I type it out. The only ones deliberately taught were step up and wings up. That said though, he does many more 'tricks' that don't really have a cue from me, or that are more games between us, like 'chase' where he'll hunt down my hand under a blanket and so on.

I think trick training can be mentally stimulating to many birds, and in future I'm planning to (once we move into the new place with actual room to do these things anyway) start with recall training for safety reasons (like 'come here' for your dog) amongst a few other things. But some birds just seem to find it boring or tedious.

 

[Helitorian]

I plan on adding recall training because I want him flighted so that will be very important. And I'd love it if he'd roll over on his back but he gets scared when ever I try so I don't do it often.

Con is very delicate when he gives kisses. It's cute

 

[Remy]

Puck kisses when I kiss him on the beak. He also makes kissy noises when he sees my boyfriend and I kissing.

The only "trick" that I have really taught him is Batbird, where he hangs upside down and elongates his body. He only does it when he feels like it, but he does know what I want when I ask him to do it, haha.

He laughs, often at very appropriate, or inappropriate times.


Mainly I have been working on behavioral things with him though. He is very strong willed.

 

[antoinette]

Mishka will do anything for yoghurt
This video was taken in July 2011 (when we thought Mishka was a girl LoL)

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSi5aQ4naRI]Talking African Grey Parrot "MISHKA" BEING OBEDIENT - YouTube[/ame]

 

[roxynoodle]

My Nanday has a bedtime ritual that is very important to her. I wouldn't really call it a trick though. First, she tells me when she wants her cage covered by saying "Ok." Then I cover it and we both say "Kiss" and make kissing sounds and give kisses. We also both say, "You're a good girl, I love you." It ends with us both saying, "Good night." I'm trying to establish similar with the zon. So far he just makes one of his happy noises when I say these things to him. I've gotten a couple of kisses, but only because he presented his beak and I kissed it. He doesn't know what it means yet.

 

[antoinette]

My Nanday has a bedtime ritual that is very important to her. I wouldn't really call it a trick though. First, she tells me when she wants her cage covered by saying "Ok." Then I cover it and we both say "Kiss" and make kissing sounds and give kisses. We also both say, "You're a good girl, I love you." It ends with us both saying, "Good night." I'm trying to establish similar with the zon. So far he just makes one of his happy noises when I say these things to him. I've gotten a couple of kisses, but only because he presented his beak and I kissed it. He doesn't know what it means yet.

Your bird definitely understands what you are saying.........
As you mentioned she responds accordingly

Keep up the good work

 

[roxynoodle]

Thank you! Yes, in the 12 years we've been together I have come to realize she understands quite a bit that I'm not aware of. I suspect they all must. Even the cat seems to understand quite a few words and phrases. I think all animals are more intelligent than most people give them credit for. And birds especially so since they learn to communicate with us in our own language.