If you are bringing home a new bird, you don’t want to get that new bird home at a time that you’re going out of town. You don’t want to bring your new bird into your house and then go on vacation or suddenly change your work schedule. When you bring your bird home, you want to be able to spend time with that bird, as you would any new pet.
This new bird needs time to get to know you. If you’re going to be the bird’s primary caretaker, teaching the bird that you are the one who is going to bring the food, clean the cage, give the bath, or be the source of entertainment, is key to having the bird learn to trust you. You don’t want to overwhelm the bird with all kinds of change at the beginning. When you bring the bird home, he or she encounters many different new people, toys, other pets, and so many other new things, so being patient with the bird is key. Too many times, new bird owners get frustrated and want everything to be perfect right away. It doesn’t happen that way with birds. You must give them time. Most birds are very responsive to training if you’re patient with them. But even with gradual training, there may be bumps on the way. Even when you’re training them to accept new toys in their cages, some birds absolutely freak out. This is true of my own pionus parrot. He doesn’t like to chew a lot of things, but he has certain toys that have been hanging in his cage for twenty years. Although he doesn’t chew them up, these toys are his cage furniture, and he likes them exactly where he likes them. So, I don’t move them. I don’t mess with them. That’s what he’s used to. So, start with a couple of toys and treats, see what your bird likes best, and once you learn his or her preferences, let those preferences be the training tools you use to help teach him new behaviors.
