How do I train my bird to hop? (better explanation inside)

[crackofdawn]

So, I have an 8 month old Quaker (that I've had for 3 months). He is completely bonded to me at this point, is learning some tricks (shake, turn around, will freely step up and step down on command, can say a few sentences, etc). His wings are clipped currently, but the plan is to let them grow out and not clip them again (he's currently moulting so I imagine he'll get his flight feathers back soon).

I have a pair of training stands (just like the ones sold on this site pretty much, 2 5' stands with a perch on each one) and have been trying to follow the video to get him to move back and forth between them, slowly increasing the distances, enticing him with his favorite foods (safflower seeds and cheese). As the perches get further apart he will travel between them the only way he knows how, which is lean forward until his beak can rest up against the other perch, and then bite it and climb over to it. Once the perches get far enough apart that he can't reach with his beak, he refuses to go between them no matter how good of treat I offer or how much excitement I show. I can tell he REALLY wants to do it, because he squats like hes going to shoot forward with his beak but then turns his head, re-examines the distance, and decides not to, then paces back and forth on the perch he's on.

What I've realized is, I've NEVER seen him hop before, ever. Not in his cage, not out of his cage, etc. So, I don't think he even realizes he CAN hop. My question is, how do I break him past this barrier to get him to go to the other perch which will require either hopping or flapping his wings (He can glide pretty good but obviously can't fly at the moment). I'm trying to get him to the point where he can at least hop + flap between the two perches BEFORE he's flighted again so that once he's flighted he'll already have some decent control/landing capabilities.

Any ideas?

[Dave & Karen]

He may have a fear of falling depending on how badly he was clipped which will prevent him from hopping across something if it's any distance from the floor. Once he gets his flight feathers back, and if he learned to fly before being clipped etc...
Maybe try lowering the perches so they're only a few inches off the ground, table top, or bed to eliminate this fear of falling.
My parrotlet does a lot of tricks requiring him to be upside down etc and he's fully flighted but won't try to perform certain tricks if he's too far from the ground, he will try the new tricks if he's held a few inches above our bed and will then perform the trick at any hight after he learns it at a safer falling distance, but even tho he can fly away from the danger of a fall, he still needs to be close to the ground during the learning phase.

[crackofdawn]

I don't think he's scared of falling because he jumps off his cage (which is 5 feet off the ground) and flutters down all the time, but moving the perches lower is a good idea, I'll try that next!

[Wayne361]

I would wait till he got his flight feathers back. In my mind you are basically asking him to do something he isnt able to do yet....fly.....

Wayne

[crackofdawn]

Well the goal was to have him a little capable of 'control' before he gets his flight feathers back, as I don't want him to suddenly have flight capability with 0 ability to control it and smack into a wall or not be able to land properly.

At this point I'm only trying to get him to hop 6 inches or so, not really fly, though it might take the tiniest flap of his wings to make the hop.

[Pricey_boy]

try using your hand instead of a second perch. get to the point where he has to lean over and grab the perch with his beak and has to flutter to get back up practise that for a day or two and move back the perch by the mm and not by the cm and so hell adjust. my lorikeet lloyd has just got his flight feathers back after being clipped and hes unable to fly yet so youll still need to practice hops and fluttering even if hes got his feathers thats what im doing with my lorikeet and he can hop at best about 30 cm at best

[marie83]

Well the goal was to have him a little capable of 'control' before he gets his flight feathers back, as I don't want him to suddenly have flight capability with 0 ability to control it and smack into a wall or not be able to land properly.

At this point I'm only trying to get him to hop 6 inches or so, not really fly, though it might take the tiniest flap of his wings to make the hop.

Tbh I think this scenario is unlikely, for a start he will be unlikely to realise he can fly once his wings grow in or his glides to the floor will help him learn control as his wings grow in and will help. You will get the odd crash land regardless unless he is very lucky but they learn and build up strength quickly. More quickly than my 6 year old+ cockatiel who has never flown, we have had several crash lands and she has never injured herself.
I think practicing a 6 inch hop has the potential to damage his confidence if he fails, I would wait until his wings grow in better if only to prevent un-even muscle development.

[cml]

...as I don't want him to suddenly have flight capability with 0 ability to control it and smack into a wall or not be able to land properly.

This will happen, regardless on how well you flight train him. Dont worry, and take it easy, it can be very easy to panic if your bird goes right into a wall. Leroy hit the wall a couple of times before he learned how to fly properly indoors, and one time was quite bad.