Getting budgie comfortable with touching

[rae]

Hey guys, it's taken almost two years for Basal to allow me to give him a little cheek scratch or beak stroke.
With the new little bird I'd like to get him a little more comfortable with being touched. Now, this isn't a chick that was handled as a younger chick. I fully understand the time for training and bonding and such. But since he is younger than Basal was when we got him...

He is really smart (still waiting to name the little guy). And already has "step up" down after just a day of playing around with it. He will accept food from my finger, but isn't quite there yet on hopping onto my hand to get food from my palm. All in due time.

How should I proceed with cheek scratches and such?

[Hezz]

You cannot make a budgie accept or like scratches; they either do, or do not enjoy/accept them. It isn't necessarily the quietest, or most bonded budgie that will allow itself to be touched.

[samwiseg]

This is something that is more a "personality trait" rather than a training issue as some budgies dont like to be touched AT ALL or some only accept certain areas of their body like the top of their head rather than the sides of their head.

It is a trust thing obviously, but you have to take this slowly and see if your bud tries to preen you as that may indicate his/her intentions.

[Marianne Marlow]

Hector is very hand tame, as is Blithe and they wont let me touch them!

Hector will allow me to touch his beak with my nose and that's it. If I did that to Blithe he'd bite my nose off!

[OP]

I wonder if when we touch some birds it tickles them. Whiskers is the same as Hector in that he will touch me but I'm not allowed to touch him. He doesn't bite, just flies off screeching. Try and touch Edward and she just bites, yet she will get on the finger. Joey just runs away or flies off and bobby just gets away anyway she can.

[Marianne Marlow]

Hector will leap off of my hand if I try and stroke him. He might not be able to fly but he shows me when he doesn't want something.

I think that they sometimes see it as an act of aggression on our part if they don't want it. Who can blame them, we're huge and they're tiny. We're predators and they are prey.

[rae]

That's actually kind of a relief. I thought I was potentially doing something wrong. Though I would imagine at day 4 with us his personality is still hiding. As long as I can get him to trust me well enough for "step up" and treats that's really all I can ask. Right now he's definitely in the really skittish phase. Though I think it has helped that he can hear Basal, and maybe hear me when I use common phrases like "good morning" and put it together with when I use it with him.

[Deleted]

My Reggie will not allow touches at all but he preens my hair and gives me kisses and also cuddles up to me. His rule is no touchy. I do the touching. And I'm completely fine with that. Some budgies just don't like touching and others do

[Hezz]

Sorry, rae, I thought my original post might have come across a bit abrupt ... I was in a bit of a hurry ... it is very much an individual thing, and the best I can suggest is that you offer him your finger to his beak - this is a more commonly accepted approach - and then slowly, gently see if he will accept a rub about the face feathers. If he is keen, you will know; he will puff out his face feathers and turn his head to give you a better go.

[rae]

Dec 13, 2016 19:59:55 GMT Hezz said:

Sorry, rae , I thought my original post might have come across a bit abrupt ... I was in a bit of a hurry ... it is very much an individual thing, and the best I can suggest is that you offer him your finger to his beak - this is a more commonly accepted approach - and then slowly, gently see if he will accept a rub about the face feathers. If he is keen, you will know; he will puff out his face feathers and turn his head to give you a better go.

I didn't think you were being harsh or anything. I'm a bit of a blunt person and I would probably have said it about as you did. Though I never intend to sound rude or anything. 
I always see people with cuddly birds, and though I know there are so many personalities I have worried I was doing something wrong. With Basal, he was already an adult, and it's taken this long for him to give his cheeks a little stroke. And with him being so timid I figure he will never care for much more. With Link, I was thinking I could get a little further in hopes of having a happier bird. Mind you Basal doesn't want for anything.

[Hezz]

Of course he wants for nothing - it is there if he chooses. My quietest of bonded birds never like to be touched - loved to touch but not be touched, Mango is my next in line there but again, no. she would as a youngster but not now. Spyro just loves a scratch, but only inside the cage, in the mornings, and as long as the planets are aligned ..... You get the picture, I am sure.