Parrot Tricks Information

Many parrot behavioral problems stem from the fact owners do not know how to properly train and challenge their parrots. Facing boredom, a parrot will choose to entertain themselves by screeching, biting, and chewing if not properly challenged to learn new things about the world around them. Patient, dedicated, and loving owners can easily train their parrot pals to learn tricks, enhancing both of their lives.

Before trick training can begin, a parrot must first feel comfortable with their owner touching and handling them. If a parrot is not used to being handled, trick training may result in frustration, both for parrot and owner. Gradually, over time, an owner should be able to touch and handle their parrot pal more. Patience and dedication is key in trick training. Successful results may seem small, but they will accumulate over time.

Once a parrot feels comfortable with their owner, the trick training can begin. Most parrot owners feel that the easiest trick to begin with is “Step Up”. This trick is designed to encourage a parrot’s instinctual desire to step up when something is put in front of them. The owner should begin by placing their finger in front of the parrot and asking them to “step up”. If the parrot does not respond, a food treat may be used to get the parrot to move forward. The owner should place the food in front of the parrot, and say, “Step up.” If the parrot responds and obeys, the food treat may be given.

Another popular trick is called “Turn Around”. This trick begins with the parrot on a perch. The owner encourages the parrot to turn around by placing a food treat in front of the parrot’s face then slowly bringing the food around the back of the parrot’s head while saying, “Turn around.” If the parrot makes a successful rotation, the owner should give gentle praise and the food treat.

Speaking tricks are also quite popular with parrots. Because of their high intelligence levels and their ability to mimic, teaching them a wide variety of vocabulary words can be quite an entertaining experience. Gently repeating the same words on a regular basis in a calm and patient manner will encourage a parrot friend to do the same. Speaking tricks are more difficult and require patience and consistency over a long period of time.

As with any time spent with a parrot pal, consitensy, patience, and love are of the utmost importance. If an owner makes the effort to love and train their parrot on a routine basis, the trick’s success rate will be much higher.