Birds are unique and beautiful creatures that make wonderful companions and pets.
They are generally considered low-maintenance pets which are very suitable for most households.
Their small size, quiet nature except for parrots, charming looks, cleanliness, and diverse nature make them one of the best pets to have especially for first-time pet owners.
However, it is difficult for a bird to feel safe around other animals or humans.
They can easily be frightened by the presence of other animals or humans.
They easily get nervous or frightened and their instinct when startled is to fly away for safety.
Building trust with your new feathered friend will take a lot of patience, compassion, bonding, training, and consistency.
Forced interactions with these little creatures will likely destroy any intended relationship before it starts.
Here are a few tips that can help to build trust with your new feathered friend.
1. Respect Their Space:
Birds are cautious animals just like cats and in most cases, considered more cautious.
They love their space so much and can easily get startled by the presence of others.
If you want them to trust you, you must respect their space.
Always approach their personal space gently else you should observe them from a little distance.
2. Approach Slowly And Calmly:
Sudden moments and the tiniest of sounds can easily startle a bird, especially the young ones.
Always observe them from a distance before approaching them and avoid making a loud sound so they don’t get frightened.
3. Learn Your Bird’s Body Language:
Birds are good communicators with body language. Understanding how they communicate with their body is essential to know their mood, needs, and feelings.
If you cannot tell a bird’s body language it will be difficult to bond with them to foster trust.
Here are common bird body language cues used by birds to communicate.
- Head movement: Birds have two ways of communicating using their head. They can communicate by either bobbing or tucking their head. Bobbing signals curiosity while tucking is a sign of relaxation.
- Eye Contact: Direct eye contact signals alertness in most cases, that is the moment they fly away.
- Beak Position: Birds have two ways of communicating with their beak when not eating or drinking water, either by grinding or opening of beak. An open beak signals stress, fear, or aggression while a grinding break signals comfort.
- Wing Position: When a bird’s wing is raised from the body it signals excitement toward an object, animal, or human. when it is withheld from the body, it signals preparation for flight. Do not roughly touch a bird’s feathers when it’s withheld from the body to avoid causing great pain to the bird.
- Tail: The movement of a bird’s tail is either by tuckling just like cats or wagging like dogs. When a bird wags its tail, it signals excitement, agitation, or readiness to fly for safety. Meanwhile, when a bird’s tail is tucked, they are either ill or startled.
- Body Posture: Upright posture indicates activeness while crouched posture indicates fear, illness, or submission in birds.
A bird’s body language and ability to mimic human speech are some of the unique characteristics of birds as human pets.
A good understanding of the reasons why they act in certain ways helps to bond better with them and also alerts you to know when they are in danger, stressed, or sick.
Pet ownership means responsibility. Responsibility requires you to show care which will almost be impossible if you don’t know how they communicate.
4. Spend Time With Them:
Every pet needs and deserves quality time, especially with their caregivers and owners. To understand a bird, you have to spend more time with them.
Always endeavor to spend quality time watching them from a distance while they eat, drink clean water, sleep, mate, play, etc.
Birds are social animals that do need and appreciate quality time to feel comfortable and trusting.
While also spending time with them, try to talk to them calmly so they can familiarize themselves with your voice.
5. Offer Treats:
Birds like other domesticated pets such as dogs, cats, etc love treats.
Treats such as fruits, vegetables, millet, and seeds can be a reward when they feel comfortable around you.
This can lure them and the continuous use of treats can make them fond of you.
6. Avoid Corporal Punishment:
Training and trying to gain the trust of any animal especially a bird is not a walk in the park.
Sometimes, the process might be too complicated and time-consuming and you might be tempted to yell, hit, or strike them.
Whenever faced with such a situation, remember they are little creatures that should always be shown love, empathy, care, and kindness.
Do not physically abuse a pet even when they are wrong.
Corporal punishment does not only destroy every trust but also affects their general well-being.
7. Consistency And Patience:
Every bird is unique. while some might take a short time to trust, others might take a longer time.
Do not compare them to other animals that are unique in their ways.
Patience, love, care, empathy, compassion, provision, and consistency is a proven and trusted way to build trust.