In African greys that lose trust and Understanding Moluccan body language, you suggest that owners of distrustful birds use food treats as a reassurance. That certainly sounds like good advice when you have a bird that is motivated by food. Unfortunately, my Goffin's cockatoo is not interested in being touched, nor is he motivated by food in the least. I suppose I could interest him by not feeding him for day or so. Is that what I should do?

-- Leslie

LOTS OF PEOPLE ask this question. Don't starve your bird! I’m sure you can find something he likes. Once you find that one special food, pull it out of his regular diet and use it only to reinforce behavior you want, like tolerating your presence.

Rewards are relative. Not everything or everyone likes the same thing. I may find reward in a coconut crème pie milkshake from Sonic, while you may prefer Oreo cookies, and the next person simply wants cold hard cash. I love to hear that I did a great job, but someone else may want a hug. It’s the same way with animals. In training parrots for shows, we use a lot of sunflower seeds, but there are birds that simply don’t like them and will work better for pellets. Keep trying to find which food motivates your bird. Does he like sunflower seeds, peanuts, almonds, Brazil nuts, or pistachios? How about pine nuts, pumpkin seeds or even dry pasta? Choose a healthy treat. (I could have trained my bare-eye cockatoo using bits of pizza crust, but it tends to have a lot of salt, not to mention grease!)

Also, don't push him. Let him come to you. Put his cage near your favorite reading chair, and enjoy spending quiet time together instead of focusing on how long it will take to get him hanging upside down from your finger. Let him see that you are no threat to him. And drop that fun treat in his cup every time you walk by. Even if it is during the trial-and-error process of finding out what he likes, he’ll start to look forward to seeing what weird thing you are going to try to get him to eat today! Most of all, be patient. You wouldn't expect to develop a deep relationship with another human overnight, and it’s the same way with your bird. Good luck to you and your Goffin's!

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