Hand Feeding Parrots"Good Hand/Bad Hand" Hand Feeding Parrots a bird might begin to bite even a well-placed hand prompt for the step-up command. The most common time for a nip or bite of a hand offered for step-ups is when the bird is being removed from a familiar perch, the inside of the cage, or top of the cage. This behavior can usually be defeated with improved technique and more frequent step-up practice in unfamiliar territory. Maintain eye contact and offer the hand to be stepped on, approaching from below, as usual. Just as the prompt hand begins its approach to the bird, present an unfamiliar object just out of reach of the bird's beak (with one hand) and give the "step up" command (with the other hand) followed by "Be a good bird." That is, if a bird is threatening to bite the hand I want it to step on, I can pick up a small object (a spoon or a telephone or a piece of junk mail) and hold it about an inch below and in front of the bird's beak, give the step-up command, and suggest good behavior. Usually the surprised bird, responding to the familiar behavioral pattern, and knowing what "good bird" means, responds also by being what it
is expected to be (a good bird). Eye contact is especially important here. Hand Feeding Parrots will often maintain eye contact rather than bite. If the bird's eye is distracted by the introduced object, it will seek to regain eye contact immediately rather than take the time to bite after being distracted. Even if the bird bites, that unfamiliar object (rather than the hand being offered) will probably be bitten. Care must be taken to ensure that the distraction device is not frightening to a shy parrot. The distraction object must be neither too large (which might scare the bird off the perch), too small (which might be ineffective), nor toxic (a lead or painted object). Accidental Messages Some people have trouble responding verbally without moving their head. Because most birds understand body language better than human speech, unintended body language can give unintended messages. Waving hands about or superfluous head movements may give the bird confusing or contradictory messages. When Hand Feeding Parrots A shy bird might react negatively to head nodding; an interactive human-bonded bird might respond positively; an over-stimulated, poorly socialized bird might attack someone who punctuates speech with head movement. |
