Parrots top the list of pets with great personalities, making many people tame them. However, it could be heartbreaking when your parrot does not offer you the same affection you shower him with. You start wondering hard what might have gone wrong. Could you have scared it by moving fast? Could you have hit him when he refused to do something? Or maybe you yelled at him. Such things might disrupt the trust that your bird had started building on you. Suddenly, he feels detached from you and even views you as a threat. When you approach him to feed him, he moves farther into the cage so that you cannot reach for him, or worse off, he bites you. Well, I’m pretty sure you do not want any of this. So then, keep reading the steps described below to know how to gain your parrot’s trust.
Keep your voice low and welcoming-
One way to gain your parrot’s trust is by keeping your voice slow and inviting as you talk to him. Like a small baby would mistake a high-pitched voice for a scold, your parrot will think that you are scolding it when you speak loudly to him. This is true, especially when he is new in the cage and tries to adapt to the new environment. Speaking in a low, soothing voice comforts the parrot and makes him feel safe and reassured. If all you do is talk loudly (even if you are addressing someone else, but you are near the bird), the parrot will think that you are scolding him and will have a hard time trusting you, or will never trust you at all.
Slow down your motion
Another tip you could employ to gain your parrot’s trust is slowing down when you approach him. Stop for a while and imagine how you would react if while sitting somewhere, a person suddenly comes while hasting. Of course, you would feel scared and even think of running. The same is true of a bad. If you rushed around him and approached him while walking fast as though someone is chasing you, your parrot will constantly feel scared. With constant fear and anxiety, the bird will struggle to trust you. You want your parrot to trust you; thus, keep it slow, be calm, and ensure that anyone else within the parrot’s cage’s vicinity is doing the same.
Offer your parrot his favourite treat
We all get excited when gifted with something we like. Though not human, parrots will always appreciate it and be happy when you offer them their favourite treat. For instance, when it’s feeding time, why not get your parrot his best seed and vegetables? When you do so, he will always enjoy it when you provide him with food and learn to trust you. Of course, your parrot may be eating a variety of foods, but over time, you get to know what he enjoys the most.
Let him acclimate to the environment outside the cage
Remember that naturally, most birds are not meant to be tamed and do well in the wild. Thus, allowing your parrot to go outside the cage occasionally offers him comfort, especially the type that only the pristine environment has. If possible, go out with him; he will really enjoy it and trust you more. Some people keep their parrots locked in the cage all day long. While this ensures that your bird does not disappear, it has severe impacts. For instance, the parrot may just get so much accustomed to the cage that he forgets the environment outside the cage is also an option.
Spend time with your parrot
It doesn’t matter whether your parrot is a Cockatoo, budgie, Amazon parrot, conure, or any other parrot variant. You will need to spend time with him. When I say time, I mean quality time and not ten or twenty minutes a day. Parrots are social birds that thrive well when they interact with human beings and do worst when isolated. However busy you might be, spending time with your parrot is a must-do if you want to gain his trust. For instance, if you have some assignments to handle or some work to type, why not do it next to your parrot’s cage? You definitely will be allowing him to trust you, and you might even see him come and sit with you as you do your work.
Play with your bird
As already mentioned, parrots are the most social birds. Apart from spending time with the bird, you need to play with him so that he learns to trust you. For example, when your parakeet is allopreening, cuddle him and fluff her feathers. When he bows his head steadily toward you, pet him on the head. Sometimes he may throw you toys, respond to that!
Don’t yell at your parrot
One thing that could jeopardize the trust that could already be forming between your parrot pet and you are yelling at him. These creatures fear noises, and they are intelligent enough to tell that you are scolding them. When they judge that you are annoyed at them, they may just stop trusting you. However annoyed you may get, never yell at or hit your parrot pet.
Take a break when he is upset
The parrot birds are so social and enjoy human interaction. However, they may just get cranky for reasons known to them but, unfortunately, unknown to you. You could be feeding them, and then you notice a sudden loss of interest. You did not yell at them or move fast, but something just seems amiss. Don’t worry, it’s called boredom. Probably, the activity you are engaging in just got monotonous. Help the parrot ease and calm down by giving him a break. Though he might not say it, he senses a feeling of understanding from you and learns to trust you.
Don’t force him to do anything
Parrots are intelligent and choose to do things of their own will and wish. Thus, forcing your parrot into playing, eating, or singing could only threaten the trust that is building between you. Therefore, resist the urge to push him to do anything and instead be patient with him. Remember, this is your pet, and you have a whole lifetime to bond with him and gain his trust. No hurry.
Learn your bird’s body language-
Your parrot is not a human being and will never shout that, ‘I am tired.’ Thus, it is your responsibility to learn his body language to always tell what message he is trying to communicate. For instance, if your bird started spreading his tail and hisses, he is annoyed. Backing off a corner in the cage could also mean that the bird is ruffled. When you see him flashing and pinning his eyes, he is happy. Learn these and other non-verbal cues your parrot uses to communicate to you.
Be honest with your bird
Although birds are not human beings, they also value and appreciate honesty. Tricking your parrot will strain your relationship with him and may move him to never trust you. If you mean to give him food, please do. Don’t trick him and take the hand back. If you do this repeatedly, your parrot will find it hard to trust you.
Maintain one location for your parrot pet
For birds living in the wild, changing the nests is not an option. This is because adapting to a new environment isn’t just an easy task. The same applies to your captive parrot. Suppose you keep changing his cage, giving him another every day or positioning it in different parts of the room. In that case, you could be making it quite taxing for the bird to get accustomed to his new environment. He definitely loses the hard-earned trust you are struggling to build.
Sing and speak to your bird
Parrots are great talkers, you know that! Singing to your parrot in a low, soothing voice or turning on some calm music and singing along to it makes the bird learn to trust you. You might be surprised to see them sing after you have sung the same song repeatedly to them. Whistling to them could make them feel good, especially if your parrot enjoys whistling serenades. Always ensure that you do whatever you choose to calmly in a low voice, whether singing, talking, playing music, or whistling to the parrot. This makes it easy for your pet to relax and slowly gain your trust.
Reward your parrot pet for accomplishments
Parrots resemble human beings a great deal and will appreciate it when you reward them. For instance, you could give your parrot the best treat when he accomplishes a task or finishes a training session successfully. Let’s say you were teaching him to mimic some words, and he wonderfully does it. Don’t be mean; reward him by offering him pumpkin seeds (if you are sure he likes them), and he will be assured that you value him and appreciate his efforts.
Conclusion
Parrots are among the world’s top avian pets whose experiences could be so thrilling. However, their intelligence makes them so sensitive that recklessness won’t work for them. If you are not a calm person, please, sign in for yoga exercises, learn to be composed, and allow your parrot to trust you. Otherwise, you will be spelling doom on your parrot, who may just run away never to come back when he is fed up with your recklessness.
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