i need major help :((..

[3.7]

hello!! im really sorry to be asking for so much advice on this website but this time i really have no idea what to do… I bought bones 5 months ago, hes so beautiful and i love him so much just as much i love my other bird! hes 1 year old and untamed. i have another cockatiel, tequila, whos young and was already very tame when i bought her and she loves me and is perfectly fine with stepping up, my hand, etc. but bones is still SO aggressive and scared. at first i was making a bit of progress, it took me months but he was comfortable with my hand feeding him and he wouldnt run away. but recently my baby cousin came over and decided to try and grab bones without my permission and now bones is horrified with me all over again and doesnt want anything to do with me. my mom is impatient and she says if i dont get bones to step up soon she’ll have to give him away or something and i dont want that someone please give me some advice.. ive been consistent with him everyday, and i try so hard to be as gentle and slow as possible… but bones just does not like anyone!

 

[birdienerd]

hello!! im really sorry to be asking for so much advice on this website but this time i really have no idea what to do… I bought bones 5 months ago, hes so beautiful and i love him so much just as much i love my other bird! hes 1 year old and untamed. i have another cockatiel, tequila, whos young and was already very tame when i bought her and she loves me and is perfectly fine with stepping up, my hand, etc. but bones is still SO aggressive and scared. at first i was making a bit of progress, it took me months but he was comfortable with my hand feeding him and he wouldnt run away. but recently my baby cousin came over and decided to try and grab bones without my permission and now bones is horrified with me all over again and doesnt want anything to do with me. my mom is impatient and she says if i dont get bones to step up soon she’ll have to give him away or something and i dont want that someone please give me some advice.. ive been consistent with him everyday, and i try so hard to be as gentle and slow as possible… but bones just does not like anyone!

Spending time with bones and working with him everyday shows you care! Its very unfortunate that small children cant quite understand boundaries, but you can try your best to explain how in the wild predators grab small birds (educate the youngins so they grow to love birds too xD) Sitting and reading or singing to birds can help gain their trust as theyll start to see you less of a predator/threat and more as a curiosity. Its also unfortunate that many people, like your mother, don’t understand birds are very complex prey animals and gaining the trust of one, is a process. (often a long and difficult one) Have you tried using a perch rather than your hand to get him to step up? How often are the birds out of the cage, sharing the space with you? Try working with both birds at the same time too, its very common in bird pairs that one is more confident than the other, but you can use that to your advantage! Goodluck, I really hope your mom wasnt serious too. Try let her understand birds are more than circus clowns, they can do more than step up! (Sometimes we gotta educate the elders too! XD) I wish you the best of luck with bones!

 

[Shezbug]

Some birds unfortunately never take an interest in stepping up or interacting with us- mostly I have found it tends to be birds who have never been given a reason to trust humans due to people grabbing at them and poking about in their safe spaces etc. and of course once this happens it is so much harder to get anywhere with them as their first feeling about us is that of fear.
It can take years for some birds to come around to being interested in us.

Why is it that your mum insists your bird must be stepping up etc? What is her hurry or need for this to happen for you?

 

[sb sigmund]

Birds are sensitive and you have to work on their time. My rescue is only starting to come out of his shell after 3 years and he still will not step up. Why would somebody rehome an animal for that reason? He will likely be passed from home to home like a lot of rescues are because he isn't doing what people "want him to do". I'm sorry but as someone who volunteers for a rescue that makes me furious. Your mom and other people in the family need to respect this bird period. It's not like a dog or cat. You CAN rebuild this relationship with Bones but it's going to take time and everyone needs to be on board.

 

[sunnysmom]

All good advice already given. I will just add you can try teaching him to step up on a perch rather than your hand if he's really afraid of hands. And you can try target training. There are some good YouTube videos on it.