My bird hand-feeds but won't let me pet or step up. How do I tame him?

Hand-feeding treats is actually the major way you can help to tame her. You /do/ want her to expect treats from you every time, because this teaches her that you are a positive thing to be around, instead of scary by chasing her with your hand or finger. So I highly recommend starting to hand-treat her or tossing a favorite treat every time you come by to visit. This can certainly help with bonding and positive experiences. In some cases, a bird may not bond very well with its owners, or may bond in other ways (singing, talking to you, dancing for you, etc). Even if she never decides to sit on your hand or cuddle, you can spend other ways bonding by playing with a toy, talking to her, offering treats, etc to let her know you enjoy being together.

Thanks for reaching out about Pico and including pictures. Individual birds with respond differently to training techniques. Being the provider of treats and playful activities can gain trust. Letting Pico see you play with the other lovebird, and then want that same experience, might help also. This is a difficult one, because not all birds are tamable. Good luck. Be persistent.

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

It may take a little longer than you thought to get him used to you. Some budgies, if they weren't hand tamed before you got them as little babies, they may always be a little skittish. Try putting his favorite snacks and foods on your hand and holding very still and see if comes over to nibble at that. Keep talking to him and singing to him softly all day so he gets used to you. Try sitting right next to him without moving as well.

You are doing fine. Do not rush him or force him to step up. Use other high value treats. This can include grapes, scrambled egg, a bit of a peanut or sunflower seeds. Move slowly and talk softly around him. Be patient. Eventually, he will step up on your finger. When he does, praise and reward him. When he is doing it regularly, you can slowly remove him from the cage. Be sure all windows and doors are closed, fans are off and nobody is cooking.

Time and patience are key to helping your parakeets get used to you, and each individual bird may bond differently to you due to their individual personalities. If your birds have a favorite treat, you can also use that by giving it to them every time you visit their cage or interact. I'm also including an in-depth article on teaching your bird to step up which can help with the bonding process as well: https://www.petcoach.co/article/basic-bird-training-how-to-train-your-bird-to-step-up/

Time and patience! It can take several months for a bird to start trusting enough to want to hop on you or interact more. It sounds like you're on the right track already with offering food from your hand. I would continue to do this, and gradually increase to petting Sky, and then handling her more/asking her to perch. If she becomes too nervous, letting her calm down and trying again later is best.