Budgie Taming: I'm stuck >.<

[Lake]

Hello everyone, 

I'm not sure if there was an intro post somewhere, but I figured I'd start here because this is why I came here. 

First off, I've never used forums before for help, but I am stuck and other instructions I've found for budgie taming all say the same thing but don't really help me solve my problem. My family had 8 budgies about 10+ years ago, but never adopted more after they passed away. So it has been a long time...

I would start at the beginning, but that's too far back. To put it simply, I had 2 budgies. Sunny (female) and Jericho (male). At the time, their taming had progressed to getting them onto your finger. I could get Sunny out of the cage and she would sit on my sholder quite nicely. Jericho was obsessed with her and would follow her everywhere, but getting him out of the cage and away from it was harder.

In any case, that is irrelevant now. Sadly, Sunny got really sick and despite the vet's best efforts, her immune system was just not strong enough. She had a seizure and I had her put to sleep because there was nothing more they could do and she was suffering. 

Right now, I think Jericho has figured out that she's gone. He stopped flying to her empty cage. He does fly to my rabbit's cage and hang out or his own. But that's it. He is still afraid of me and shys away. His cage is still his safe space. 

I can get him on my finger and out of the cage. If he goes back in, I let him and try again. On the rare occasion he walks out onto my hand, wrist, then flies to my rabbit's cage (it's close by) and he chills on there watching Benjamin. Then he goes back to his own cage and climbs back inside. 

I have not been able to get him to eat anything from my hand. Not even millet. He looks at all attempts to introduce fruit or veggies as poison (literally avoids them) and rarely comes near from the corner of his cage. I think he's improving, but it is very slow. As he is older now, I understand it is harder. 

I've started spending an hour with him every day where i sit quietly and read in my bathroom with a cup of tea and a snack. He usually sits on my shoulder or my raised knee and watches me. 

Today, it was on the second try that he walked out onto my hand, wrist and instead of going to Benjamin's cage, he hopped onto my shoulder!! This has never happened before like this! I was so surprised. I rolled my chair back to my desk (he's about 4-5ft from me) and he stayed on it. When I got back to my computer, he was there for a few more seconds before he flew back to his cage and went back inside. 

I think that's progress...I left him there for now. But I don't know if I should just keep doing what I am doing...or try something else? How do I progress from here without scaring him? Anything too new is very overwhelming I think. I feel like he is more afraid since Sunny passed away. 

[Hezz]

I would continue to do just what you are doing, sitting quietly going about your business and letting him decide if you are a safe place or not, interspersed with regular but short moments of interaction on your part to teach him to step up when asked. Having him around while you work at the computer is good as you will generally be quiet and relatively still, you are being productive doing whatever you are doing so the need to get up and move on is not there and it gives him time to settle in your presence and feel comfortable enough to begin to explore.

The only other things I would consider at this stage is to think about setting up a perching station somewhere close to the computer, somewhere where he knows it is safe to sit, somewhere that is his place to be, which brings me to the next suggestion - have a little treat, bobble of millet if that's his thing, next to you or sit it on the play gym/ perching station to entice him to come over and explore.

[Lake]

I know it is important to be patient. But I feel like I've made zero progress. When I get near the cage, he moves from the center perch to the top one in the corner. I've gotten him to eat Lettuce from my hand, which is good, but I don't think there's any improvement in his trust of me.

Sitting with him in another room, he just huddles close to my shoulder. :/ I don't understand, am I doing something wrong or is he just insanely untrusting right now? When he's not sitting on my shoulder and ends up on another perch or on the counter, he shies away and seems to hide. I waited for him to step onto my finger on his own, but he continues to be hesitant.

Maybe it is all overwhelming and I need to take smaller steps, but I feel like I'm already taking small steps.

[bud9]

Patience is a vertue, it could take from weeks to months.

[Hezz]

Can this bird fly at all?