Parrots are easy pets with a great personality. However, it breaks your heart when your parrot doesn’t return you with the same affection you shower him every day. You wonder what went wrong while petting him, which is making him terrified of you. Trust, yes, trust is the factor that is lacking between you two.
Once you build trust with your parrot, then you will be delighted with your new-found relationship. The interaction will be better and he might even start to talk to you!
So, How do you start building that trust and bond between owner and parrot?
Let us take a look at a few simple steps and best practices.
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Keep him where you spent the most time
It would be best to keep your bird in the place where you dwell the most in your house. If you spend most of your time in the living room, then you should keep it there so that it can see you and get casual with your presence.
If you spend most of your time in the bedroom, then keep it there. Seeing you every time will relax your parrot and let it feel safe with you in the background.
Let your bird see you continue with your activities without going into its territory. Just go on with your routine and see if it gets accustomed to your presence.
Should I change my bird’s location now and then?
No, birds are very fussy about their habitat. In the wild, too, they do not change their nest that often unless they feel threatened by the big birds. They will have a hard time adapting to a new environment, so you shouldn’t change its location that often.
Be gentle and speak softly
Nobody likes a loud person who screams and speaks in a high tone all the time, and neither does your parrot. It would help if you were calm and soft when communicating with your parrot. A soft voice will calm its anxiety and makes it feel safe even when you are close to your bird.
Voice is something that your bird will directly co-relate with the relationship with you. They can detect your emotions while listening to your voice. If you are a soft-speaking person, you won’t have a hard time bonding with your parrot and winning its trust.
In the beginning, don’t get too excited or frustrated. They can pick these emotions quite rapidly and be more anxious when you communicate with them. This will only result in difficulty in building trust between you two.
Be calm and relaxed
Yes, it is the best thing you can do when trying to build trust with your parrot. Parrots tend to notice nonverbal messages rather quickly. Don’t make eye contact as it might make them anxious and afraid of you.
Not staring in the eye doesn’t mean that you cannot look at your parrot. You can time and again look at your bird and then gaze into doing your own thing.
Birds don’t like sudden movement and get scared quickly. They are in the lower spectrum of the food chain, so, as prey, their innate nature keeps them on toe all the time.
How to study a parrot’s body language?
There are specific cues that can hint whether your parrot is happy, sad, anxious, afraid, etc. Their body language tells all, so you need to study their movement when you are in their presence.
If your parrot is spreading its tail feathers, then you need to know something is troubling him. It could be you who is bothering him by being too close to the cage.
And, sometimes, your parrot will stoop his head when you are nearby. This means that it is not troubled by your presence and wants you to scratch its back. It is an excellent opportunity to build trust with your parrot. However, you need to be slow and gentle while petting.
How should I feed my parrot to build trust?
Your hand is an essential tool to build trust with birds. You have to use your hands while feeding your parrot to make it comfortable. Think of your hands as branches of a tree where fruits grow, and where birds feel at ease while feeding.
One great thing about feeding is that this is an opportunity to bond with your bird. Every bird is different, and your parrot, too, will have its favorite food.
You have to find it out by feeding him various kinds of bird foods. Once you know his favorite food, treat him with putting the food in your hand and taking it inside the cage.
Generally, birds are territorial and are anxious when you put your hand inside its cage while feeding him his favorite food. If your bird is calm and relaxed when you place your hands inside the cell, try touching its toys and food but do not take them away.
This will let him know that you are not there to take things from him while building trust. You can speak slowly or sing to them while doing this.
When should I let my parrot out from its cage?
It would be best if you didn’t prolong your parrot’s stay in a cage because this might make it even harder for him to come out from its safe zone. Once you see that the presence of your hand doesn’t bother your bird, you can move unto the next phase of taking it out from its cage.
However, taking it out doesn’t mean grasping it and taking out forcefully. Your parrot should come out of himself from its cage.
Open the cage door and stay there for a while. Once your parrot sees that you haven’t moved from there even though the door is open, it will try venturing out.
Please don’t do any sudden movement that might trigger it to fly away. After your bird attempts to come out of the cage, treat him with his favorite food. Do not make eye contact as this might make him nervous. Repeat this several times, and the confidence will grow in him.
Like all of us, we relax, talk and interact more with others if we like the place we live. Parrots are no different! Provide them with a fun and spacious cage to live like the Yaheetech from Amazon ( link )
When should you stop playing with your bird?
Just like humans, birds get tired too. And when they are tired, you shouldn’t try puckering them. Doing this will only lead to a cranky and uninviting bird.
Look for their body signs, which they will reveal by flickering tail wings or walking backward. You should respect their privacy and let them be inside their cage when they are tired. Do not worry if your parrot shows this kind of behavior, as this is normal in birds.
How do you know if a parrot trusts you?
There are many ways to know if a parrot trusts you, but bowing their heads so you can pet them, playing with you, showing you affection, and whistling or chattering are all ways of parrots showing they trust you.
How long does it take for a parrot to trust you?
It depends on the parrot, and whether or not they’ve been around people before, but it can take anywhere from 2 weeks to six months to earn a parrot’s trust.
Can you lose a parrot’s trust?
Yes, just like people, you can lose a parrot’s trust by abusing or punishing them, forcing them to do something they don’t want to do, or tricking your parrot. Tricking your parrot can be something as simple as telling them you will give them a treat for going back in their cage, but not giving them their reward.
Why do you need a parrot’s trust?
Building trust with your parrot will make them less likely to attack, and they will be more playful and fun to be around.
Can you tame a scared parrot?
You can if you are patient. That parrot needs to learn or relearn how to trust humans, and it won’t happen overnight.
Conclusion: How to build a bond with your parrot
Every bird is different. Some are easy to build trust with, and some are not. It would help if you take time and be patient when building trust with your parrot. Their past experiences with humans could elongate the time frame for building trust. Know that this is a new surrounding with new people for him. Always remember to communicate with them in an inviting tone.
