My bird flies off my finger. How do I train it not to fly away?

Birds for dummies is a great book with basic training and care. Don't take offense at the title! I use it myself for refresher. Basically. It take times, patience, treats and accepting that you will get bitten sometimes. Clipping the wings so they are flightless helps with some birds as it makes them dependent. But I would recomend an avian vet do this as too much can lead to injuries or crashes. But check out the book. Good luck. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0764551396/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1501541201&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=birds+for+dummies&dpPl=1&dpID=51JTcGm06lL&ref=plSrch

I am sorry to hear that your bird tried to escape. The good news is that the wings were clipped so he was unable to fly away. I would recommend continuing to keep the wings clipped to prevent him from escaping. It is important that when you get him out of his cage to interact with him that you make sure the area is secured with no open doors or windows. The more you get him out of the cage and interact with him the more used to it he will be and the less likely he will want to fly away. I would recommend having his wings trimmed every 1 to 2 months to prevent him from flying away. It may also be beneficial to train him to come to you for a treat so that, in the event of an escape, he will be trained to come back to you instead of wander off. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

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/

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.

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.

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

Try starting by getting him to step up with the millet, then removed the millet a few inches away. If stays put, bring millet closer and allow a treat. Gradually you can move the millet further away or for longer periods.