Progress with new pionus

[caprifolia]

I adopted a 5-year-old maximilian pionus and brought him home this previous Sunday. His name is Edwin. At first he needed to settle in and was afraid of me when I got too close. After a few days of giving him space combined with spoiling him with hand-fed tasty things (fresh apple, dried mango, and anything with a shell that needs cracking), he has grown increasingly curious and interested in moving close to me. He has realized that when I eat my apple and peanut butter for breakfast, he's going to get some of the apple, so he slides down the outside of his cage really close to where I'm sitting with my plate, and I feed him.

This morning after doing this little routine with him and placing his food bowl in his cage, I was having some trouble getting him back in his cage. I open his cage door every morning so he can go out and walk on top of his cage -- and he didn't want to go back inside. Since I haven't been handling him or getting too close to him, I am only able to get him back in there by enticing him with tasty treats sitting inside. So, I was bending down to place a treat in his bowl, and I noticed he was sort of moving forward toward my shoulder. I thought, 'My shoulder is too close; he is going to lunge and bite' -- but no! He stepped onto my shoulder. I was so excited! I praised him and rewarded him with a treat.

Then, conveniently, I was able to crouch down so he could step back into the cage, and I was off to work. I look forward to getting home later and spending more time with him.

Before getting him back in the cage by crouching, I tried moving him onto my arm and then onto a perch. He didn't get hostile toward either one, but he did seem a little freaked out/hesitant about both. I have a bit of work to do. Once he fully settles in, if there still seems to be any perch or arm anxiety, I think I'll start from the ground up with target training. Deciding on whether to try it with or without a clicker... I have consistently been saying "Good bird! Good bird!" when I give him a treat, so I may let that act in place of a clicker.

[cml]

Welcome to the forums!

After a few days of giving him space combined with spoiling him with hand-fed tasty things (fresh apple, dried mango, and anything with a shell that needs cracking), he has grown increasingly curious and interested in moving close to me.

Sounds good, you are doing great!

He has realized that when I eat my apple and peanut butter for breakfast, he's going to get some of the apple, so he slides down the outside of his cage really close to where I'm sitting with my plate, and I feed him.

Be wary, this is something that can spiral out of control, I wouldnt allow my parrots to eat from my plates, or get food from there.

This morning after doing this little routine with him and placing his food bowl in his cage, I was having some trouble getting him back in his cage. I open his cage door every morning so he can go out and walk on top of his cage -- and he didn't want to go back inside. Since I haven't been handling him or getting too close to him, I am only able to get him back in there by enticing him with tasty treats sitting inside.

Have you tried target training? Its a great way of getting a parrot back to the cage until you have progressed further with taming and training . See http://www.trainedparrot.com/taming for more info.

I thought, 'My shoulder is too close; he is going to lunge and bite' -- but no! He stepped onto my shoulder. I was so excited! I praised him and rewarded him with a treat.

I know, its great to have them on your shoulder isnt it? Its dangerous though, as they may unintentionally do great harm to your face, ears or eyes though and unless you REALLY trust your parrot its generally a good idea to have the shoulder off limits.

Once he fully settles in, if there still seems to be any perch or arm anxiety, I think I'll start from the ground up with target training.

Actually I would start that right away, you can do it with him still in the cage. The hardest part of him accepting treats from your hand is something you've already done .

Deciding on whether to try it with or without a clicker... I have consistently been saying "Good bird! Good bird!" when I give him a treat, so I may let that act in place of a clicker.

I would get a clicker, its a great tool.

Also, please consider letting him regain his flight by allowing his feathers to grow out. He will be a much happier bird from it, trust me. It also helps preventing some bad behaviour.
See http://www.trainedparrot.com/clipping for more info.

[mrbowlerhat]

He has realized that when I eat my apple and peanut butter for breakfast, he's going to get some of the apple, so he slides down the outside of his cage really close to where I'm sitting with my plate, and I feed him.

Be wary, this is something that can spiral out of control, I wouldnt allow my parrots to eat from my plates, or get food from there.

I do agree that teaching a parrot that it's okay to eat from your plate isn't always that good, since you won't always eat food you can share with a bird, but then again, sharing a meal with your parrot is potentially a huge bonding experience. I only bring foods that are good for both people and parrots into the bird room and share with my birds.

Sharing pieces of apple with the IRNs was in fact how I won Nicko's trust when everything was new and scary after the rehome

If you eat your only-people-food in another room, or when your bird is caged, I don't think sharing your breakfast is a bad thing

[caprifolia]

Thank you both very much for your thoughts. cml, I think you have further convinced me that target training is a good idea. Regarding a clicker.. Does it ultimately serve as a way to reward the bird without necessarily giving him a treat every time? This seems great, as we can only feed a bird so much before the amount becomes unhealthy or before the bird gets full... and then the reward is no longer enticing. Maybe I will pay a visit to the local bird store tomorrow to look for a clicker. I already have a chopstick ready!

I will keep in mind that I should be wary when he is on my shoulder or interested in my plate. I have been eating non-parrot-friendly foods on the other side of the room, where he is not yet comfortable venturing. But I eat my apple breakfast right next to him. It's so cute to see how excited he gets about apple. That must be his favorite food so far!

cml, regarding flight... I would rather him be flighted too. Flight seems so fundamental to a bird. His previous owner had him for 2 years and never clipped him... but I notice his two outermost primary flight feathers are clipped pretty short, and only on one wing. Do these outermost flight feathers molt? Maybe one set has molted and the other hasn't, and that might explain the asymmetry...

[cml]

If he only misses two primaries on one wing, then I am quite sure he CAN fly, its probably just a matter of him being clipped before and not knowing how to.

Michael has some excellent tips on how to train a parrot that doesnt know how to fly on his blog, which you can use later on when you've mastered targeting and the parrot trusts you. I'll post a link later, I am on a mobile device atm.

EDIT: link to flight training. http://trainedparrot.com/Recall/

Btw, you can get a clicker in any pet store, its something used for dog training. The clicker act as a bridge when you are training, you condition your pet to know that the clicker means that they've done good and will get a treat.
That means you can click at the CORRECT time when training, and the parrot will feel and know that they've done what you want, and that a treat is coming. Its much harder to do this by just offering a treat, because it wont be as precise.

As I said though, you need to learn your parrot that a click means treat before you can use it in training though.

[cml]

Oh and yes, the last primaries will probably molt with time =)-

[caprifolia]

I read through Michael's taming guide. Now I understand what a clicker is for. It unambiguously marks what the bird is being rewarded for. Very cool.

I found a blue dog-bone shaped clicker at Petsmart and am now clicking just before each time I give Edwin his treat. Turns out he is 'nuts' about pecans... So much so that he came all the way down his cage and stepped onto the arm of my chair. Then I tried tempting him to step on my arm. He did it! I clicked and rewarded him, then put him back on top of his cage... and gave him another pecan bit preceded by a click.

I hope this training takes hold! Then I can really begin target training him. So far he is afraid of the chopstick. But maybe once he realizes that click means treat, I can click as he moves closer and closer to the target.