by Wolf » Mon Nov 07, 2016 10:14 am
I don't know. It appears to work for some birds, but it also depends on the diet that you feed and when and how you feed what foods to the bird. For instance, if you feed seeds or pellets all day long then using treats as an incentive for learning new behaviors or trick does not work as well. All parrots have their very own personalities, each one is unique and just as in raising and teaching human children what works to teach one child does not work well for another one. Many times the differences in their personalities has a larger effect than the differences in their species.
Still species difference are important and IRN's are classed as aviary birds because they bond much closer to other birds of their species than they do to humans. This does not mean that they can't make a great companion bird, it just means that it require more effort on your part to help them to remain bonded to you. One hour per day for out of cage time and personal interaction is simply not enough to maintain a great relationship as a companion with them. They really need as close to 4 hours per day as you can give them for out of cage and personal interaction. By personal interaction, I mean that they are in physical contact with you while you scratch their heads, talk with them, teach them tricks, share bird safe treats with them and other such activities where you are primarily focused on the bird.
The sharing of food with a parrot is a bonding activity, I am sure that you have noticed that if you have anything to eat or drink and your bird is aware of it that it always wants some of it, well that is the reason for this. They do not eat alone in their natural habitat and often share their food with each other, it increases the bond between them and their flock. So while the bird is out with you and you have a snack make it something that is god for the bird such as nuts, vegetables or fruit as this will help to build and maintain your bond. This will also help with your friend learning to step up directly onto your hand.