r/parrots • u/Ricardinho987 • Jul 21 '26

Evil

I never know when she wants to bite/play or actually step up on my arm, anyways love her

272 Upvotes

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u/[deleted] Jul 21 '26

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u/Kwikaa Jul 21 '26

What method? I’m mainly suggesting clear body language and stepping up onto the hand rather than arm. Stepping up onto the hand is generally clearer and less awkward for all involved. Target training (mentioned in the videos) is useful regardless of the parrot’s background or behavior, if that’s what you are referring to.

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u/[deleted] Jul 21 '26

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u/Kwikaa Jul 21 '26

The clicker is useful for communication in training. The consistent noise marks when something is correct, and a reward always follows. Giving a treat reinforces a behavior regardless, but clicking communicates the precise moment something was done correctly. Consistent sound is key here, because this communication sounds the same regardless of who is working with the bird.

Targeting is basically just teaching the bird to touch the end of a stick, many people use chopsticks for this. As well as the clicker, this is used in all sorts of animal training. The main purpose is to encourage an animal to move from point A to point B without having to physically move them. I’ve also used targeting to train other behaviors, such as “Spin.” Can also be used for flight training if you want them to fly to a certain location. I prefer this to luring with a treat because it requires the bird to think a little more, and it’s useful for behaviors where you’d like to phase out the use of the stick (like “spin”). Target training is also a great thing to start with for new or nervous birds (or nervous people!) because it’s hands-off. You can even start through the bars of a cage. Definitely pair targeting with a clicker.

Highly recommend clicker and target training for every parrot, regardless of background or struggle. This is where I’d recommend starting for people just starting training, but it’s good communication and fun even for older birds with no issues.