Lovebird Training HELP!!

[linseurimmer]

So I have a young lovebird named Icarus. He was hand raised and is very tame. He is a wonderful little bird. He and I get along 99.9% of the time. However, he has ONE behavioral issue, and I would really like to know if there is any way I can fix this. Because it seems to be getting worse.

He loves to sit on my shoulder. I know at first this sounds like a good thing. Most of the time, I am more than happy to have him sit on my shoulder. However, that seems to be the ONLY place that he desires to be. He has always known how to step up, and never has an issue with it - unless hes on someones shoulder.

Once he gets on your shoulder, he is hell bent on staying there. And he has recently started biting whenever I try to get him onto my hand from my shoulder. And this biting is HARD and agressive. Hes fluffing up and keeping his beak open and ready to bite if he sees my hand (mind you, this is ONLY when hes on my shoulder) So someone, PLEASE HELP ME!!! what should I do?

I have tried making my shoulders "off-limits" to him, but whenever i take him out of the cage, he instantly jumps to my shoulder. I have tried treating him whenever he is on my hand and never when hes on my shoulder, and he will take the treat gladly, then jump right back onto my shoulder. When I repeatedly remove him from my shoulder, He gets irritated and bites even worse. I love my little bird and want to work through this problem with him, because otherwise, he is the most loving little thing ever. PLEASE respond. - Any insight will be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

[Michael]

Looks like shoulder time is working strongly against you. I would suggest eliminating it entirely and only using it as a reward for good behavior and only for as long as good behavior persists. Try some target training and trick training to get the parrot more used to being on hands/perches instead.

[linseurimmer]

OK, I will try. But I know that as soon as i take him out of the cage, he will try to fly to my shoulder. Should I dodge him, so that he will have to land somewhere else? Or immediately put him back in the cage and try again later? I think that is what bothers me the most, is that he never really seems to be interested in anything other than getting to my shoulder.
Thank you for the reply.
I subscribed to your youtube channel, btw. Your videos are great!

[liz]

Welcome to the forum.


Try putting a towel over your shoulders. when you want him off - take the towel off.

When I first got Myrtle she wanted to stay on my shoulder all the time. One time when I was changing clothes I had to take my blouse off with her still attached.

[Cage Cleaner]

Welcome to the forum.


Try putting a towel over your shoulders. when you want him off - take the towel off.

When I first got Myrtle she wanted to stay on my shoulder all the time. One time when I was changing clothes I had to take my blouse off with her still attached.

Hahaha I have done that. When my GCC was new and challenging me.