Target Training Budgie
June 4th, 2009Mike
So I bought my girlfriend a budgerigar which we decided to name Duke. He is a dark eyed clear with white feathers and black eyes. This is different from an albino which has no pigment and red eyes. Budgies are a type of parakeet native to Australia. The term parakeet refers to many long-tailed, small-sized species of parrots.
From the very first day that we got him home, the training began. Honestly, this is the easiest time to start setting boundaries and establishing routines. Think of it as starting a new school or being the first day at a new job. You would have to observer your new surroundings and go with the flow to fit in. By starting basic training from the very beginning, starts building a bond with the bird and letting it know that it’s how things are going to be.
The first training sessions basically consisted of having him step up on fingers and being clicker conditioned. We would just hold or perch him and click and immediately reward with millet. We did this several times a day for the first few days to make him get used to the concept of a clicker. Now we were ready to start some real training.
We used a chop stick as the target stick, clicker, and millet as the reward. My girlfriend held the target stick and clicker in one hand and millet in the other. We placed the budgie on a perch far away from its cage to keep him focused. She put the target stick in front of Duke just a very short distance away. Also she kept the stick pointed at the bird so only the tip would be visible and the rest of the stick facing back toward us to avoid him beaking the wrong part. He looked at the stick for about 10 seconds and then nipped it really quickly at which point she promptly clicked and gave him some millet.
We tried a few of these and then started holding the stick slightly farther away so that he would have to turn his head or take a step to beak it rather than just bump into it accidentally. In the following video you can see the result of target training a budgie on just the 5th try. We started holding the stick further away and at first he would not make a move toward it. Instead of bringing the stick in closer, we waited it out until he’d make a move for the stick and then reward. This is so the bird doesn’t start to think that waiting the stick out will bring it in closer by itself rather than having to walk over to it. If the bird is unresponsive to the stick from that distance for too long. Take it away and hide it for a little bit and then present it again closer.
Within a few training sessions since this video we can get him to run anywhere on his perch after the stick and up a person’s arm. Target training is a very easy and useful thing to teach your bird because it helps you show it where to go. I was once trying to show my Senegal Parrot to a man who was eager to hold the bird but she would try to bite his hand when he brought it near. I told him to stop and just place his hand near her perch and I held my target stick over his hand. My parrot walked right up onto his hand after the stick and he was absolutely amazed at how I used my magic wand to get the bird to come on without biting.
A few useful tips on target training your bird:
- Get your bird when it is hungry by taking the food out of its cage for a while. It will try harder and learn quicker.
- Try to do target training outside of and away from cage if possible
- In the beginning hold the target stick so that the bird cannot touch any part but the tip. You don’t want it develop a bad habit of touching anywhere but the tip.
- Start targeting close and then work your way out as far as bird seems responsive.
- Do not get into a pattern of targeting the bird into the same place or direction every time or it might learn a dance routing rather than targeting.
- Be patient and let the bird come to the stick rather than bringing the stick in toward the bird once positioned. The bird can only learn by experimenting and that does including failing as well.
I will keep you posted on the progress we are making with training Duke and any advice folks with parakeets can use.
My problem in using the target training is getting my new bird off the side of the cage in order to gain his attention. He is 2 year old Indian Ringneck and as soon as he sees me coming he jumps to the side of his cage and holds on for dear life. I’ve only had him for 2 weeks. If I have to remove him from his cage I have to towel him. And if I sit him on a perch he flies away. I think I need a few suggestions to get him to perch first, before taining him further.
I need some help in getting my new bird to stop clinging to the side of the cage so that I can begin target training. As soon as he sees me approaching him he jumps onto the side of the cage and will not perch for me. If I remove him from the cage, using a towel, to a perch he flies off. How do I gain his confidence?
Hi Chet,
Buffering takes up to 1 hour for the videos but completes on pause ! I might have to try another ISP.
Yes I watched the video, and targeting is interesting and looks productive.
I’ll give it a try.
Regards Ian
I keep trying to do the target training, but as soon as I take the millet away again my cockatiel screams bloody murder and won’t calm down for hours! How do I give him just a little treat without him going nuts because he can’t have more?
I just adopted an abused and neglected 1 1/2 year old female cockatiel – I’ve been working on this with her and actually got her to eat a tiny little piece of millet out of my fingers. I’m so proud of her and looking forward to the day when she’s my buddy and can enjoy life instead of hiding fearfully whenever hands come by. Thanks for these blogs!!
Megan and Eeeeva.
what that thing that u are giving to him plz tell me in this e-mail kushtrimm_8@hotmail.com
yea wats thte thing u’r givin him???
i have a african grey and i was wondering how would i know if it’s a male or a female,how there do the dna test.
Your vet can do the DNA test for you.
i had the same problem with Bette Jo Traggiai!pls help!my lovebird sees me coming he jumps to the side of his cage and holds on for dear life. I’ve only had him for 2 weeks. If I have to remove him from his cage I have to towel him. And if I sit him on a perch he flies away. I think I need a few suggestions to get him to perch first, before taining him further.Just like Bette Jo Traggiai!
pls help!
I used the target training with my new 3 month old cockatiel and it worked great. He’ll strategize to move anywhere the stick is to touch it for millet. He’s started stepping up on occassion too…but he is still very selective as to when he will choose to do this.
I think the worst thing you can do with a new bird is to reach into his cage and grab him. That must be terrifying to the bird and I believe would only prolong the training process. Usually My bird will step up on command when I reach into her cage, but if she is in her cage and backs away when I offer my finger, I don’t even give her the step up command. I figure she just isn’t in the mood to come out, so I leave her alone. Her cage is her home and sanctuary and I respect that. If I really want her to come out, all I have to do is come back into the room munching on something and she will come out to beg for a bite.
I think it is ok with a new baby bird to grab them to come out of cage at first. You have to get them out of their element and onto a training perch. We make up for the grab with a super rewarding experience outside of the cage. After a few days we no longer had to grab because we taught target training and step up outside the cage.
The alternative to (initially) grabbing your bird to come out is to either open the door and wait for them to come out (may never happen) or to train them through targeting to come out. The trouble is, that the new bird doesn’t know what to do and the cage is confining. On the other hand, the bird has lots of room to ignore the target stick and not try to do it. On a separate training perch, the bird can be more focused on training and learn better.
Believe me, this has caused no major detriment to my birds. I’ve grabbed both of them out of the cage to get them started and both of them willingly came out by the end of the first weeks. They were used to being grabbed by the store owner from where I got them so it wasn’t something out of the ordinary. On the other hand they were not used to being rewarded for it so they got to like the way I do it better.
Letting the bird choose whether to come out or not is ok with an experienced bird. A new bird does not know the benefits of coming out until you show them and the only way to show them is to force them out and then show how great it is so that they can look forward to coming out next time.
I got my Umbrella Cockatoo when he was 6 mos. He is now 4 yrs. He was hand fed and allowed to be out and was touched and petted by customers. When I got him he said, “Hello, Hi, Step up”. Now his favorite saying is “Hi Baby” and “Nighty”. Once in a while he’ll ask, “Watcha doin?” or “3,4,5″ I can’t seem to teach him “Go Dallas”, LOL, I told my husband, maybe he likes the Eagles! Anyway, he is totally connected with me, but he bites my husband. He will let him pet him on the head, but then wants to go up his arm and bite his ear. How do I get him to like my husband enough to not bite him? Also, he loves people but wants out the cage when company comes over or he will squak incessantly. If I let him out he wants to visit everyone and won’t leave anyone alone–they are afraid of him. HELP!
I have a 5 month old conure. she is always biating me. she will step up to me, she will fly to me, she will shake my hand, but she still nips at me all the time. it hurts.. how do I stop the biting?
I also have two cockatiels. one is nine months the other is two years old. they still hiss at me all the time and do not let me touch them. they will not get out of the cage at all. the older one will say words we taught but thats it. where do I start? I want to be able to hold them.
Well as the article so clearly states, you can start with a training diet, clicker conditioning, and then target train the birds. Once target trained you can use the stick to point to where you want the bird to go, it’s fun. You mentioned that your conure flies to you. It is harder to train a flighted bird. It doesn’t sound like you’re at that level to train a flighted bird and you are getting bit, so I think you should go get your bird’s wing feathers clipped.
ok all what i want to know that when you are traning the bird you have three thing in your hand ,my question is what are these three things?
Wonderful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Chet,
Iam thrilled at the success of your methods but the demos that you have been sending to me do not have audios. I just cant hear a word. Someone checked my system & said the fault is from the mail. Can you please check & confirm? Eagerly waitng, please
Hi.
HI
than k you for all the tips I have a sun conur, he is two years old and he is very friendly, but there is no way that I can make him step on my finger he stars to bit me
he is doing very well in targeting unless he is asking to step on the finger.
Try targeting him to step up onto a perch first:
http://www.birdtricks.com/blog/biting-parrot-the-solution-part-2/
I have the same thing as most people how do you get you’re brid out of the cage. do you let them are do you make them come out?????
Sheilah,
Actually it’s a bit of both. Since this is a topic of interest to many people, I will write a blog about this really soon to answer this question. In the meantime, you may refer to my Biting article for one solution for getting the bird out of the cage:
http://www.birdtricks.com/blog/biting-parrot-the-solution-part-1/
http://www.birdtricks.com/blog/biting-parrot-the-solution-part-2/
http://www.birdtricks.com/blog/biting-parrot-the-solution-part-3/
what are you feeding to you bird,
can you give the name of that food to this id.
shahvez@rocketmail.com
Where do you get the clicker.
You can usually get a clicker in the dog training session of a pet store or try to order one online. They are usually really cheap but the shipping costs too much so in store is better.
i got parakeets at least 2-3 months ago maybe even 4 but i can’t tame them no matter what i do they fly away every time i have watched literally every utube vid available but i can’t tame them and i need to go to the store and get some millets so i hope this works to form a bond between us
I think you guys are just awesome and it works!!!!!!!!!!!!! only problem is i dont live in america hahaha do you have any suggestions on how i could get the organic pellets that you use, as the website said they dont ship out of the states
I want to train outside the cage this is why I was advised that clipping her wings would help, as geeting back in and stopping her from flight is difficult and distressing for her, any ideas
Another good organic pellet that might ship internationally would be Harrison’s. http://www.harrisonsbirdfoods.com/products/index.html
I have three lovebirds Agapornis personata which I trained to fly off the 8th floor balcony leave for short periods or as they choose. They have total freedom and have even seen them effectively escape predators, they are semi wild hand raised birds.
the video s are working plus with the touch training they ate from my hand (reg seeds not millet)for the 1st time in their lives they ate from a hand!!!!
the videos are working plus with the touch training they ate from my hand (reg seeds not millet)for the 1st time in their lives they ate from a hand!!!!
I had a sun conure that did the same thing as the ringneck, i used the target method inside his cage, what i did was get him on a training diet, then open the side door. used millet , clicker and training stick. within two days he started getting on my arm and comes to me now as soon as i open the cage, hope it works for u
i can’t get my parakeet to eat milet? is there somthing eales i can try?also can u send another frear level training video the last one helped my bird flutter tons.
thanks so much david
Hi:
You and your girlfriend are natural bird people. So good to see, in a world where there are far too many parrot refuges and abusive situations for the pets we love.
Laurie
We bought a male cockatiel.Later we bought another female cockatiel.The male cockatieI died after eight months.The left female cockatiel,that we bought in January 2009,It is very aggresive with everyone.Doesn’t lets anyone to touch her.We can only rub her head and she likes it but if we touch her back,She screams as if she is injured don’t know wy we checked her but there was nothing but some kind of wings.We let her out daily.And she mosty likes to sit in front of the mirror.Even when she is out.Sometimes if someone touches her she flies. Can I still Train her.She can sing and I have taught her many songs too.She likes mirror a lot.And sings when it is placed in front of her.I just want to know can I train her still.If yes then how.I’ve got your movies and they are great.I liked them a lot.But I’ll try them after my exams when I’ll get time to.