My 2-month green cheek conure won't step up. How do I train her?

Be patient with him and always move slowly. Try having a treat you know he likes close at hand and ask him to step up by putting your finger under his chest in front of his feet like a ladder rung and push back gently. This will encourage him to step onto your hand rather than have to step back. Use the treat to reward him or, if he's still very flighty, distract him with it when you offer your hand to step up. If he likes being petted, use that as a reward for him too, always moving slowly to avoid startling him. Make sure his cage is located in a quiet, draft-free area so he feels secure and hopefully less nervous.

The best way to work with birds is to move slow and also reward with treats. Typically I pick a treat that Meenakshi will love and only have you give it to him. I would start putting it in his cage and slowly move to hand feeding. Than you can place the treat up your arm and as he becomes more comfortable he will stand on your hand. I hope that helps

The best way to encourage this is to break the trick down into smaller steps. First, get the budgies used to you by offering a treat every time you visit them. Then, get them to eat from your hand every time. Next, start petting them every time you offer a treat. Then, you can start putting your finger to their chest right above their legs while giving a treat- most birds will naturally step up from this behavior. You can then start tying a command such as "step up" every time you do this and give them a treat. Any time they seem stressed, frustrated, or scared, returning to the previous step that worked, and trying again from there is best. You may also want to take a break for a bit to let them both calm down and relax before trying again. Also, finding a favorite treat and only offering it during training can help them associate you with good, fun things!

Thanks for reaching out about Jojo. Many birds can be cage protective and will not step up from inside the cage. Trust must be earned. While returning to the cage, try presenting further into the cage with the arm. Try to get her comfortable with your presence. Continue to work with her. Good luck.

It sounds like Cheeko still is wary of you, and honestly, you need more time to bond before focusing on tricks, especially if he is still flying away from you. Going back to a previous step such as hand-feeding, just being near his cage and spending time with him, petting him without handling, etc are all good previous steps to work on. You can then begin step-up training with a dowel or other object instead of your hand, that may help him train without being frightened by your hand or being handled. Training birds takes time and patience, so just keep trying, and if he seems fearful, give him a break, go to the previous step that worked, and then move forward from there.

Thanks for reaching out about Coco and including photos. First, don't let him to your shoulder as the dominant bird is often highest in the tree. Allow to come out of the cage with the use of a perch or stick. Keep the distal end higher than your hand to prevent climbing up the stick to you. This all revolves around proper training and a good book might help. Try "A Guide to a Well Behaved Parrot". Good luck.

Hi and thank you for this question. Unfortunately it sounds as if Rylee is not 100% adjusted to people. This could be because he was not hand fed for long enough, or was not handled for a while before you got him. This is not always reversible. All you can try with a lot of patience is to offer him treats when he is on you, and to avoid any reaction to his bites. He only bites to get a result. If there isn't one he wll stop. Consider also getting help from a professional trainer.