Don't wanna resurrect an old thread for nothing, but for anyone else having the same problem -- my tiel was the same way. Check out below what I posted on the clicker training thread.
When you buy a clicker, get your bird out of the cage with a stick or handheld perch and onto the top of his cage. Then, get as close as you can to him without him biting you. He'll probably be hissing and look really mad at you and his crest will be down.
As soon as he closes his mouth or stops hissing, give him a click and calmly move your hand away -- you don't wanna scare him on the way out (even though he'll probably start hissing again).
Then reward him by giving him what he wants -- you out of the room :P I mean, that's why he's hissing and nipping: he doesn't want you there. Spend 2-5 minutes outside the room or on the other side of the room. Don't give him any attention at all during this time.
Remember, if he nips at you when you have your finger close to him (while you're waiting for him to calm down so you can click), try not to budge at all. That'll teach him that the ONLY way to get you out of the room is by being nice.
I was able to touch my bird's beak and crest feathers in 3 or 4 days by doing this.
Quote:
Originally Posted by aidee
Yip - either clicker training definitely works or I have a really tame birdie :)
I got my 4-month-old cockatiel about 6 days ago. At first, he would start flapping about his cage whenever anyone got within 5 feet of it. So, I bought a clicker and would stand there until he stopped flapping. As soon as he stopped, I would click it and walk away for 5 minutes.
That same day, he let me put my hand in his cage.
The next day, he let me touch his head.
On the 3rd day, he was stepping up when enticed but was REALLY nippy (biting hard sometimes).
By the 4th day, he was stopped most of the biting.
On the 5th day, he was stepping on command (even when my finger was really far away, he would use his beak as a third foot kind of thing).
Today, the 6th day I've had him, he's learning to fly from one hand to the other when enticed.
What was holding his training back was the fact that I could only reward him verbally, since he was still afraid to eat treats from my hand. I tried sunflower seeds, pellets, etc but he wouldn't eat them because my fingers were too close to his mouth. Tonight, I found some millet spray thing that he does eat from my hand!
Tomorrow, I'll try to teach him to wave and keep working on the fly-on-command :-)
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