Bird Training Tips for Beginners

When your parrot performs a desired behavior, like stepping up onto your finger or other key commands, Walter says to reward your bird immediately.

“That’s the thing a lot of people miss,” she says. “You want to pair your verbal praise—for example, saying ‘good bird!’—while [you’re] delivering food. It has to be super instant, too, so the bird realizes and connects that ‘my trainer asked this, I did it, and I was immediately rewarded.’ That’s how they learn a behavior.”

Nothing motivates a parrot to learn his cues like bird treats. Don’t serve any old treat. You want to find high-value bird treats that’ll motivate your pet to start training. So, how do you make a treat extra special?

“Designate a favorite food your parrot has,” Walter says. “They all have a favorite something…my go-to for larger parrots is pine nuts out of the shell.”

Walter also recommends increasing the value of the food by making it a rarity.

“They should only get this bird treat from their trainer,” she explains.

If your parrot receives his favorite treat all the time, the treat can lose its value. In time, your pet bird might be less motivated to train with you.

Once you find the perfect training treat for your parrot, break it into small pieces. You want the bird treats to be quick enough for your pet to eat so you can get right back to training.

“The attention span of a parrot is really short,” Walter says. “If you give them a whole walnut, they’re checked out from training and concentrating on eating.”

You can and should train your pet bird throughout the day. However, if you really want lessons to sink in, Walter says there’s one time that’s better than all the others.

“Mornings are generally the best time to train,” she says, adding that in the morning, your birds have just slept all night and should be refreshed and ready to go. “You don’t want to train a cranky, tired bird in the evening.”

On average, you want to keep training sessions short, no more than 2 to 3 minutes long. If your pet bird is highly engaged, however, feel free to keep training sessions going for another few minutes. Watch your bird’s body language to see if they’re ready to stop, Walter adds.

“If you ask your bird to do a cue, and they turn around and starts stretching or preening, those are signs that they’re checking out,” she explains.

Where you train is very important. Choose a place void of distractions, like those that you might find in bird cages, to help your bird stay focused. For example, if your parrot is in his bird cage, he might be more interested in his bird toys and his bird food instead of whatever you’re asking him to do.

For that reason, Walter designated a bird training stand for her parrots. Not only does the stand help parrots focus during training, it’s something that her parrots get excited about when they see it come out.

“My parrots beg to get on the stand when it comes out,” Walter says. “They know great things happen on that stand.”

Do you want to learn more about bird training and how it helps build a great friendship between you and your parrot? Check out “How To Be Your Bird’s Best Friend” over at the Bird Talk blog.

Featured Image: iStockphoto.com/MarkoDzeletovic

Training helps teach your bird which behaviors are encouraged and how to respond to cues. It also builds trust and strengthens the bond between you and your bird through positive interactions, treats, and praise.

Reward your bird immediately after they perform a desired behavior. Pair verbal praise, such as saying “good bird,” with a high-value food reward so your bird can connect the behavior with something positive.

Use high-value treats that your bird especially enjoys, reserving their favorite food specifically for training sessions so it remains highly motivating, and cut it into tiny pieces to keep your bird focused. 

Bird training treats should be broken into small pieces to allow your bird to eat them quickly and return their attention to the training session.

Mornings are generally the best time because birds have rested overnight and are typically refreshed and ready to learn.

Training sessions should generally last about 2 to 3 minutes, and you can extend them by a few minutes if your bird remains engaged and interested.

Watch your bird’s body language. Turning away, stretching, or preening after being given a cue can indicate that your bird is losing interest and is ready for a break from bird training. 

Choose a quiet environment with minimal distractions. A designated training stand can help your bird focus and associate that space with positive training experiences.

Yes! You can incorporate training throughout the day, but be sure to keep individual sessions short and pay attention to your bird’s levels of energy and engagement.

If your bird receives its favorite treats too often outside of training, they may lose their special value. Reserving them for training can help maintain your bird’s motivation.

Pay attention to its body language and avoid pushing it to continue. If your bird starts turning away, stretching, or preening, consider ending the session and trying again later.

Yes! Training helps birds associate their owners with positive experiences, including treats, praise, and bonding time—and can strengthen their relationship.