Fun and Easy Parrot Tricks

By Casey Kukiel


There's no doubt that parrots are incredibly smart birds. These creatures have been tested to determine their intellectual capabilities and have shown researchers that they are as smart as a young human child. One of the best parts about owning one of these fascinating birds is teaching your pet parrot tricks. But remember, teaching your parrot tricks isn't just for entertainment purposes as it will also help the bird to become more social and better behaved.

When teaching your parrot tricks, keep the training sessions brief so as not to tire the bird or lose their attention. You certainly don't want training to be seen as a negative experience. Training sessions should be positive and upbeat and done in a quiet room with no distractions. Also be sure to have a well lit room that your parrot is comfortable in to increase the chances of success when training. Make it a point to have plenty of patience with your parrot as acting stressful or impatient will affect their ability to learn.

An easy trick that most parrot owners start with is teaching their parrots how to "step up". This is an extremely useful trick that will be used most often and throughout the bird's lifetime. It is the simple act of asking the parrot to step onto the object that is in front of it. This act can simply be done by placing one's fingers in front of the bird's feet and asking them in a calm soothing voice to "step up". Use a forearm for larger birds. Owners can use a piece of food to entice the parrot to move forward. When the act is completed, the food is given as a reward.

Another trick that people like to teach their parrots is to "turn around". As the parrot is standing on its perch offer it a piece of food. As it reaches for it move one's hand slowly to its back so that the bird has to turn its head around to see the food. Owners have to coax some birds to do a full turn while other birds immediately turn themselves around on the perch. Once the parrot has completed a full turn, the food reward is given to it.

Have you ever heard the beautiful, interesting voice of a parrot while "talking?" Some parrots just love the sound of their own voices and screech whenever possible, which isn't the most pleasant sounding noise. If your parrot likes to screech, redirect that energy by teaching them to talk. Start with simple words with just a syllable or two, like the common "Hello," or perhaps you'd like to teach them how to say their name. Slowly repeat the word, and only one word at a time, over and over again in the same steady, soft voice until the parrot responds with some kind of noise. As soon as you hear the noise, regardless of what it sounds like, give the parrot a piece of food as a reward. Soon they'll realize they will get the treat when they make a sound in response to your voice. This parrot trick is mastered with patience and repetition but it's certainly one that will amaze friends and family.




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