Playtime
“What do you mean by play? My bird just sits in his cage, occasionally beaking at a toy. He doesn’t seem to care about his toys. So, I just leave him alone.” . Like all other socialization skills, the art of playing must be taught.Parrots are fun-loving. When you interact with them one-on-one each day you can expect a happier, better-adjusted companion parrot. One of the ways to have a parrot bond to you is to play interactively with the parrot.So, how does one teach a bird to play...... by demonstration. The more playful you become around your bird, the more quickly it will learn to play. The following are a few rules to follow while teaching your bird to play:
HAVE FUN! Be a child. Be light, silly and have lots of fun!
PLAY FIRST! When introducing a toy, play with it first. Hug it, kiss it and nudge at it with your nose (beak). Throw it up in the air (not very high) and catch it. Hug it again. Giggle. Tell your bird how much fun you’re having! Giggle again.
BE PERSISTENT! The teaching process may take a few days, weeks or months. But never give up. Sit down every day with the toy and act as excited as the day before.
PHYSICALLY INTRODUCE CAUTIOUSLY! Our birds are generally a pound or so in weight, and a new toy may look like a predator to them. Therefore, toys need to be introduced slowly to the bird and its territory. After you first play with it, place it in an area in the room that is a good distance from your bird’s cage. Then move it closer every few days, after playing with it. If your bird appears a little nervous, move it further away. Once your bird appears totally comfortable with the toy and interested in playing with it, place it in the cage. However, make sure you are in the room to supervise for at least a three hour period. If your bird shows any signs of fear, take it out of the cage again and introduce it slowly.
BE POSSESSIVE! Once your bird looks curious, let it beak at the toy. But then grab it back! Act possessive of it. Like human nature, our birds always seem to want what they can’t have, such as the popular ink pen or telephone. They always want what we seem to really enjoy playing with. Therefore, the more fun AND possessive you act about a toy, the more attractive it may become. This works wonders, especially with African Greys.
DEMONSTRATE! Show your bird what it can do with the toy. Use your nose as your beak and fiddle with the toy as a bird would.
Laughter is an essential ingredient to effective playtime. Another essential ingredient is praise. Parrots love to hear us laugh. Some parrots even laugh with us. A parrot that learns to laugh will sometimes call their owners to play with them by laughing. The sound of a parrot laughing is music to a parrot lover's ears.The more you can teach your bird to have fun and play with its toys, the more balanced it will become.
