Parrots are arguably some of the most popular pets to have in the entire world because of how these birds are so endearing for a lot of different types of owners. They are fun to look at because of their bright and beautiful colors, are a joy to hang around with because of their funny antics, and are great as companions because they tend to show some empathy towards you. However, these will only be true if the parrot trusts you.
Trust is not something that a parrot easily gives to people, even if the person is its owner. It has to be earned over a long period of time and is not something that is developed over a single night. Trust is essential in building a bond and connection between you and your parrot because the relationship should be a two-way road. You need your parrot to trust you if you want it to actually want to bond with you. Meanwhile, you also want your parrot to trust you enough to the point that it will want to have the much-needed care and attention you are willing to give it.
If you are having problems with building trust with your parrot, we have prepared a guide that could help make your parrot more trusting towards you.
Spend a lot of time around your parrot
Even if you are not doing anything with or to your parrot, something as simple as spending time around it will be enough for it to trust you. When you are around it while you are doing your work or while you are watching TV or playing games, the simple fact that you are around the parrot will allow it to adjust to having you around its immediate environment to the point that it will begin to trust you.
However, what you should take note here is that you should never do anything that might upset the parrot when you are around it. Do not show any hints of frustrations when you are playing games or are working because the parrot will easily pick that up. Try not to turn the volume up when you are watching television because that can irritate the bird’s sensitive ears. Also, make sure to avoid smoking or doing something that can emit fumes around the parrot because of how sensitive its respiratory system is.
Observe your bird try to learn more about its body language
If the bird is already used to having you around it, it might have already built a bit of trust towards you. However, that won’t be enough to establish a deep and lasting bond between you. What you must do now is to try to observe its behavior and the way it moves whenever you are around. Learn its body language and figure out how it is communicating with you using subtle signals. Certain movements are obvious enough to tell you that the bird trusts you or that it actually likes hanging around with you. Meanwhile, you can also clearly see if the bird does not like having you around if it does not even look your way or if it tries to run away whenever you are nearby.
Birds usually try to spread their feathers and make a hissing sound if it does not like your presence. These parrots may also try to back their way into a corner to try to hide from you if they do not trust you yet. However, if your parrot tucks its head or looks straight into your eye without showing any signs of fear, it may trust you enough to want to get a head scratch from you.
Eat together with it or give it some treats
Bribery is something that works both in the human world and the animal world. In this case, the best way to bribe your bird into trusting you is to share a meal with it or to give it some treats. This is a really good way to show the bird that you are treating it as part of your family. In a similar way, the parrot will also feel like you are also part of its flock if you are eating the same meal together.
When you are willing to share your food with your bird while you are bonding together, you can do so while your bird is out of its cage or even while it is still in it. Also, keep in mind that you should only share your food if it is safe for your parrot to eat. Otherwise, try to carry parrot treats that your bird will surely love in case you are eating something that is poisonous for it.
If the bird is a bit hesitant to eat the food you are offering it because it is yet to learn how to trust you, try to place the food in its dish first. After that, try eating your food in front of the parrot so that it will learn that what you are offering it is edible. You can also speak softly and tell it how delicious the food is so that it will finally be convinced that what you are offering it is nothing short of yummy. Eating together with your pet parrot goes a long way in building a trusting relationship between the both of you.
Socialize with it and allow it to leave its cage
The most important part of building a trusting relationship with your parrot is the part where you have to socialize with it. In that sense, make time to actually socialize with it and make sure that you are putting in the necessary effort into socializing with your pet parrot. A little effort goes a long way and will make the parrot want to trust you if you are showing signs that you want to be with it to socialize with it.
If you are socializing with your pet parrot, try to let it out of its cage and give it time to explore its environment and the things around it. Make sure that there are no open doors or windows that could allow it to leave. Keep the curtains closed to prevent the bird from flying into the windows, thinking it is open. A bird that feels free in its environment will want to build a trusting relationship with you.
Parrots that are not used to being around humans, and those who previously lived with other humans but were unable to socialize with them may have negative experiences. This will make it harder for you to try to socialize with it and build a trusting relationship with the parrot. So, in such a case, try to desensitize the bird to your presence by allowing it to have some time on its own. Give it some space and try to approach and socialize with it once every 10 minutes to see if it still is not comfortable with you around. Do this on a regular basis to see whether or not it has come to enjoy being with your company. If the parrot has already adjusted with you being around it, try socializing with it by actually sitting close to it. You can eat together, watch television, or play games. The more time you spend with your parrot, the faster it is to adjust to your presence and learn to trust you.
