Advice for un-scaring young Alexander

[echosaisis]

I bought Alexander from a petstore about a week ago. The petstore person suggested I buy the smallest one because :budgie: would be easier to tame/train. Alexander was nippy on the first day but by the second Alexander will step onto my finger and loves to be on my shoulder. Alexander has never nipped me since the first day. I am concerned though that everytime I open the cage, Alexander starts jumping away and trying to escape my one finger. When Alexander is backed into a corner, Alexander steps onto my finger but only when all other options are gone. When I take Alexander out of the cage (already on my finger at this point obviously) Alexander will sometimes jump off my finger and run away from me and I need to chase him around the room until he is backed into a corner and then steps onto my finger. Alexander seems to love being on my shoulder (rarely jumps off) but I want Alexander to not run away from me all the time. Advice?

[cfnbryn]

Well first of all for about a week or maybe less just leave him in the cage and put your hand in the cage and keep it there for as long as possible and then after a few days move closer to Alexander with your finger, He is scared that a strange big huge hand that he isnt used ti is chasing him, he must get used to your hand, and eventually when he doesnt run away and jump all around the cage then get him to step on your finger (without cornering him) and take him out of the cage.

taming and handling is one of the longest processes and can be frustrating and will not happen over night, it takes time and patients.

hope this has helped!

[echosaisis]

thank you, he is sitting on my shoulder right now. He has never bit me even though he freaks out quite often when my hand is near, he always ends up stepping on. I will be slower and do the leave the hand in the cage thing you recommended.

[echosaisis]

How long does it take for a parakeet to be comfortable with someone enough that it wont freak out?

[Budgiekin]

That depends on your budgie's innate disposition. Some budgies are much more excitable and could take several months to tame. Other budgies are inherently more mellow and may only take days or weeks. What kind of budgie do you have...an excitable one, a mellow one, or one right in between?

[echosaisis]

He's very excitable. He loves running away from me until my finger is so close then he steps up. Then he will fly off my shoulder after a few minutes and hang out wherever he lands until I get up , he runs away to make me chase him. Its almost like a little kid would do, and he is a little kid (he's only a couple months old)

[echosaisis]

He seems to like to run away from me and then if I dont chase him he waits in the middle of the floor for me to get up and then makes me chase him, is it possible he does this for fun? I cant see any other reason why he would stop running away and waits for me when he notices I am not moving .

[Budgiekin]

He very well could be doing that for fun. Hmmmm, what a clever little fellow. He really will be a lot more work to try to tame. Does he have a time of day that he is in a relatively quiet mood? If so, that would be a good time to try to work with him. Have you considered bringing him out in a small enclosed room with just you and him? I would even leave his cage out of that room so it is just you and him.

[Brittany]

hi my bird is named sonny. i just got him a few days ago, i try everything i can to got him to trust me and then for a while it seems like he does. but then we go back to square one. am i moving too fast.????:S

[echosaisis]

Budgiekin Yes he is in a more receptive/quiet mood starting around 5 or 6pm. In the morning all he wants to do is play 'chase me'.

[echosaisis]

Here is a picture of him http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d76/Echosaisis/keep2.jpg

[Budgiekin]

What a beauty that one is!! So adorable!! You'll have to post more pictures of that lovely little sweety pie!! :D

[echosaisis]

He still runs away in the morning

[echosaisis]

ok I just figured out Alexander is actually female !

[Meghanxx4]

lol....i geuss shes alexandra now lol.....ya my sister had a bird and she thaught it was a female for the longest time until my sister tried to mate hers and mine athen she realized they were both males.

[echosaisis]

Im thinking of naming her Faye Dunaway.


Anyway she is only quiet at night, she's way high strung I wish she would play less 'chase me' games and just hop on my finger instead of running away before hopping on my finger.

[Budgiekin]

What about Faye RUNaway?? LOL :D

[echosaisis]

I think that's going to be her new name.


How can I get her to stop running away? Even when I open her cage she freaks out. She totally wont bite me though

[Alfie]

My friend has the same problems with his budgie. The whole running away from your finger but is happy to sit on your shoulder. The budgie is getting tamer and this is down to me spending a lot of time with my friend, helping him train the bird. It can take a while but it will come.

[echosaisis]

Faye sits on my shoulder quietly at night, preening my hair sometimes. Its just during the daylight she is overly excitable and freaks out like Im freddy kruger invading her cage when I open the door or have my hand in there. Maybe she feels comforted around me at night cause its like sitting next to your flock at night???