Conditioning Your Parrot to Allow Touch

Dave and I have always done this as a "habit" with our birds. We do this mostly with just our macaws because they tend to reject touch more than our other parrots, such as our cockatoos or grey. So, to be on the safe side and to always know that we won't be getting bit in the face, we make sure to present a treat when we kiss our birds on the t...
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Teaching Parrots to Be Touched All Over

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Senegal Parrot

 

People instinctively crave touch, as to us, it means empathy, love, and affection. To a parrot, however, touching outside of the head, neck, and feet means that you are initiating sex, very simply. A parrot can be perfectly happy without touch, though many love it.

We should not be touching our parrots outside of the head, neck, and feet, as it brings such frustration to our birds. If continued, human touch can actually spur hormonal attacks in our feathered pets. There are a ...

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Using Touch Training to Solve a Problem With My Eclectus Parrot


Male eclectus parrot.

 

My male Eclectus Pepi, has been a flying nightmare lately. He has gone from being sweet, affectionate and talkative to being moody, unpredictable and often downright nasty. It happened overnight and hasn’t been accompanied by any of the usual signs of sickness.

 

Of all of my birds, it’s Pepi who seems to have the nastiest bite. He has this knack for getting a tiny bit of skin pinched in his beak. When something ...

 

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