How to Train an African Grey Parrot – Part 1
by Anna Hart
Filed under Parrot Training
Parrot training is more or less effective, depending on the bird. The African Grey Parrot has come to be known as the easiest to train – especially when it comes to talking. Not only can you train an African Grey Parrot to mimic your words, but also to obey your commands. With as little as a month of parrot training, many African Greys go from fussy juveniles to obedient, calm parrots that do tricks on command. You can even train an African Grey Parrot to be “housebroken” when out of the cage – or to play “fetch”.
African Grey Behavior Modification
You might choose to begin your parrot training with behavior modification techniques. African Grey behavior modification is best achieved when humans behave as caregivers, guides, teachers, and parental figures. An African Grey considers himself your equal, and expects respect from you. He does not seem to understand punishment, but remembers who punished him. Parrot training for an African Grey should give choices rather than punishment.
Choices
One behavior you may want to modify through your parrot training is that of the adolescent parrot that refuses to leave his cage when you give the “up” command. He knows the word “up” and associates it with hopping to your fingers to leave the case, but he develops a stubborn, independent streak. You can train an African Grey Parrot to make a choice in such cases: obey your command, or come out in a towel.
The Towel
At the beginning of your parrot training course, your parrot may, by default, choose the towel. He knows little about it, but is determined not to obey your “up” command. After a time or two of leaving home in a towel, however, he will choose to obey and step up on your fingers.
Parrot training to the towel will require that you set yourself to be gentle, calm, and unhurried. Then follow these steps.
* Fold a bath towel in half.
* Place your hands beneath the towel for protection.
* Move the towel into the cage, and gently enclose the parrot.
* Be careful not to squeeze the parrot’s breast.
* Grasp the parrot gently around the sides of its body.
* Holding it in the towel, slowly remove both from the cage.
* Gently place your parrot on the cage top, holding it until it is secure on the perch.
* Remove the towel carefully.
* Scold the towel firmly as you lay it aside.
* Speak to your parrot in a happy, calm voice.
The next time your African Grey refuses to obey your “up” command and leave his cage, simply show him the same towel and ask, “Do you want the towel or do you want to come up?” If he still refuses to leave home on his own, repeat the towel process.
As you continue your parrot training, adapt this same behavior modification technique to other behaviors you want to change.
In Part 2 of this article, we will discuss parrot training that teaches new behavior rather than modify current behavior.
Hello, I need help !! Please !! i have an african grey, this is the first time to get one, the pet store told me that he was 1 and a half year old, today will be the 2nd week for him in our house, it is just me and my wife in the house, He is very scared of me, he will not talk or make any noises infront of me, i can pet him and when i come close to him, he growls sometimes, when i pet him he gets to the end of the cage holds on with his claws to the cage and bow his head so i can pet him, but i sence that he is very scared, how can i be friends with him, he will not accept any kind of treats, nothing !!, he only like seeds, i feel like quiting on him, he doesnt like me,, what can i do ? to make him feel happy, to make him jump onto my hand ? we left the house an we recorded something when no one was in the house, he said his name 4 times, when no one wa around, please again i need help. im really sad, and so is my african grey. what can i do ??
dear sir i have take a grey african parrot ,,i have bought it 2 days before when ever i go close to him he just screems and goes in the corner of the case,,,,pls help me how do u want me to tame him?,,what shd i give him as healthy food?,,and in what age does the african can start talking pls help me i willbe very great full to u
thansk yaseer reshamwala india
I have the same problem i always feed him and treat him well, but no reaction from him and when i come close to him he feel angry or feel scared from me….
how could i be his friend
I have all the same issue with my African Grey Congo, I bought it a month ago, he is also nearly 2 years old. He accepts treats from me but not eat in front of me. I am taking care of him – his food and water, cleaning and everything but he never say anything nor eating anything when i am near the cage. After keeping the cage door open too he never come out. He eat only sunflower seeds, apple and sugar cane. Sometimes he have fresh spinach.
I have read all the details about Grey and trying my level best with patience and know that after continuous efforts I will be successful but please guide me the way.
Thanks.
hi!im from tanzania east africa i even got same problem with my african gery
i tried several time to talk to him but no reaction i get i just bought him about 2weeks ago.he wisels when no one out with him other wise he just keep him self in the coner of the cage.i really need help what shal i do plz help me.
you have to be very patient with them.i’ve never had birds as pets,but my then boyfriend/now husband had the african grey. she was pure evil to me, i got bitten a few times and she’d lunge at the cage when i’d come to her. i am the one who is at home w/her so she sees me all the time, but when he comes home she is so sweet.so i decided to get in her face ALL THE TIME.for instance,whenever i am walking around my house i make a pitstop to her cage and say something in babyspeak, like ‘you are soooo pretty’, or ‘i love u’, or ‘be nice’..but always in a mushy voice,like you are trying to win her affection.i would do this about 20-30 times a day!then when my husband holds her,i pet her & say ‘b nice’ or ‘pet sara’ always lovingly.then she started coming around,it took a couple months.after lots of practice with a towel wrapped around my hand she would come to me,& i give her apples,or grapes.she eventually realized i wont hurt her and now i can grab her without a towel.i am still wary when i pet her,but i always say ‘be nice, pet sara’ she understands, and bows her head with her beak on the cage to show me she wont bite.just repeat your commands over &over&over in a sweet voice and eventually it will learn to trust you.
I had never heard of the towel method before. This was an informative introduction for me. I know my Grey understood me, but I suppose I was letting him disobey. Time for a re-train!
i have had my african grey parrot for 2 years now he likes me comes wen i call him he comes but i wana train him to do tricks how do i do that ad people just be patient with them they will start 2 like u they just need time
i have just bought 1 year old handfed african grey parrot 5 days ago.he eats and drinks normally.but till 5 days we havnt heard him making any sound.some times taking nut from hand .how can we tame him
Sit next to the cage and talk to him like he’s your friend they start to trust you and when you say up he will sort of bite you don’t flinch if he does bite you deal with it don’t cry because they like volcalization and will bite again for the same noise just keep him near his cage when you have him so he feels safe they bite when they get on your finger just like when you climb a branch to see if it holds.
I had had my second African grey now for about a month every time I open the cage to let him out he attacked me & fly’s straight at me and tries to bite me as hard as he can. I have another African grey who Is just under a year old and she is great and I can do anything with her is it because of the first African grey? Archie the African grey I got last month talks but not so much when I’m in the room Is it something I am doing wrong? Or is it just a matter of patience because it’s no fun trying to put the food and water in the cage when his attacking me.I talk to him a lot and give him treats thou the bars which he takes and eat
It sounds like some of you may be dealing with juvenile or baby birds. It’s very common for the first few days in a new home for a bird to be quiet. Sometimes, it can take several weeks before the bird “adjusts” and it’s extremely important to monitor your bird during this time for weight loss or stress. Not all birds with the ability to talk do so, regardless of how much time you spend with them. My Hawkhead says three words, but is a great whistler. At any rate, most birds begin to vocalize more after 12 months of age. I think with any intelligent parrot, you’re not “taming” them. It’s so imperative to “friend” them. You want to become part of their flock, not them to become your pet. It’s suggested that Greys need at least 45 minutes of one on one time a day, plus ambient time around you out of the cage, but supervised. If necessary, pull up a chair, open the cage doors and just talk to your parrot and show them things that are safe if they decide to come check them out. Don’t push yourself on the bird, let them make the decision to come to you. Hope everyone has a happily ever after with their feather baby!
my african grey hates me he is 4 years old i have jus got him when i saw him he was happy talking every thing now i have him he keeps biting wont talk or come to me he snatches food out my hand can some one help me please
my parrot is not saying the words that i say, we brought him from 1 year and yet he is not saying any word i am sad what can i do to let him talk ?
its a lovely thing you are doing to help the parrots and their owners and i have two african greys in separate cages right now if i leave them togeather they fight and that’s why i need some suggestions and advice.
African Greys are smart “for birds” but they are like dealing with 5 year old kids. They take great patience and constant reinforcing. Anyone with kids or nieces/nephews knows that the most outgoing 5 year old becomes very shy when a stranger enters the room for the first time, but over time if the stranger is nice to them they come back out of their shell. Same thing with African Greys, they need to learn that you’re a friend. What’s the easiest way to befriend a 5-year old? Candy! LOL African Greys respond the same way to peanuts, grapes or whatever their favorite treat happens to be.
My introduction to them came when a friend’s parents went to Florida for the winter and asked if I’d watch her 18 year old Grey for 5 months. The first day she tried to come through the cage to attack me, I was wondering what I got myself into! I used to have love Birds and they were super friendly. I’d feed her peanuts through the cage but she’d try to bite my fingers instead of taking them so i put them on a small spoon and fed her that way while whistling softly and telling her how pretty she was. After a couple days I left the door to the cage open and she’d crawl up on top but would never leave the security of her cage in this strange new environment. On the fourth day I was shocked when she flew over and landed on my head. I stayed calm and she left after a few minutes but i passed the test and we were starting to bond.
I would wrap my mand in a towel and get her to hop on. If I made a fuss she’d fly away but if I kind of ignored her and whistled or talked softly she’d stay around. The visits became more frequent and longer in duration and by day six she was climbing on my shoulder and nuzzling into my neck. Then she “kissed” me, I was shocked, I thought she was going to rip my lip off but she was gently taking it in her mouth and nibbling. If I freaked out she’d probably have taken a chunk out of my lip but now she says “give me kisses” and does it all the time.
Oh yeah, they will usually lead with their beak when climbing onto your hand or arm the same way they would if they were climbing a tree or their cage, which can be mistaken for attempted biting. It does take some nerve at first to leave your bare hand exposed, especially if you’ve been bit before, but if you remain calm so will she and she’ll gently pull herself on without hurting you a bit. Now I can’t leave the room without her chasing behind and landing on my head or shoulder. I’ve woken up to find she’s made her way to my bed and cuddled into my neck so now I’ve got to be careful when I wake up so that I don’t roll onto her. They want to love you, they just need time to figure out you’re on their side!
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Good luck…
My African grey is trained and comes up on my hand and eats and makes sounds when we’re not there. But when it comes to talking…….he doesn’t. I had him for about 1 week and a half and nothing. Plzzzzzz help me…. I feed him nuts. Can u tell me what else is good for African greys? I would really appreciate it.