STEVE MARTIN
When your bird won't leave its cage
 My yellow-nape Amazon loves his cage. It is so hard to get him off it, you
wouldn't believe it. Once he is off, he is perfectly fine, but until then he
will crawl all over it making it impossible for him to step up. If he is in
his cage, he will evade my hand until he maneuvers his way outside.
What should I do? I swear he thinks it’s some kind of game.
--Linda Walters, lin618@earthlink
 Yours is a fairly common situation. I have witnessed many parrots act shy
about leaving their cages, but become model citizens once out.
When I see a
bird balk at coming out of (or off of) a cage I often ask myself these
questions: Why should he come out of the cage? What's in it for him? What is
it that makes him want to stay in the cage, or what is it that makes him not
want to go to the person? These questions often produce enlightening
answers.
At the many bird club meetings I attend, for instance, parrots that are
frightened and stressed by all the activity sometimes resist leaving the
cage. The owner, oblivious to his pet’s fearful body language, gropes and
manhandles the bird all the while thinking it is returning the affection as
it clings to him. In fact, the bird may only be seeking comfort and security
in a frightening environment.
This may not describe your situation. However, most people don’t realize that
a truly affectionate bird that wants to be with them will come out of its
cage willingly.
Ask yourself what your bird’s motivation for leaving his cage would be. This
will help you look at the situation from his perspective.
From his perspective, life in (or on) the cage might be good. Within its
confines, he is free of stress and worry. Only when you provide rewards, or other
positive experiences, outside the cage, will you convince him that it’s a good idea to leave.
A good sign that you have won your bird’s trust is if he moves toward you on
his own and willingly steps on your hand to come out of his cage.
World-renowned animal trainer Steve Martin established one of the first free-flight bird shows in the country at the San Diego Wild Animal Park in 1976. His international consulting company, Natural Encounters, Inc., now helps zoos all over the world train all types of animals using positive reinforcement.
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