by Sherry Johnson

The key to a happy, healthy, and contented fid (besides diet) I feel is consistency and security. All of our fids love repetition. Once they get into a habit they will often repeat it for life (whether good or bad). The goal is to set up good habits from the time they are babies. This is not to say that you can’t get them into good habits at any age, sometimes it just takes longer. At first they may reject the habit you are trying to establish (like a bedtime hour). This is quite understandable when you consider you are asking them to break an existing habit.

Birds tend to look at situations after the fact. They are more apt to let you repeat it again. Let’s say you are trying to get a new bird to stand on your finger. If you grab him and put him on your finger, the fids memory will be of an unpleasant one and it will be even harder the second time. If, on the other hand, you simply hold your finger in the cage for a short time, all the while talking to him in a loving voice, then remove it, the bird thinks, Hey, that was okay. So the next time you put your hand in the cage, he or she will probably ignore it.

The biggest way a bird shows comfort is to groom him or herself, or eat. It’s a signal that all is well. Once you see that he’s feeling comfortable, move a little closer until the bird seems agitated. Move your hand back a few inches, leave it there for a while, and then slowly take your hand out. That wasn’t too bad the fid will think.

Keep this up for a few days (and remember to talk to your fid lovingly) until you are within easy reach of the bird, and your new buddy acts totally at ease with your hand in the cage. You may even want to try giving your fid a treat. Then when you think the time is right, gently press your finger against the fids tummy and he or she will step up on to your finger. Don’t even try to bring him out of the cage yet, just hold your finger as stiff as you can so your bird feels the security of his new perch and the gentleness of your voice. After a minute or so, press the little tummy against the perch and up the bird steps. Another good experience.

When you know your fid is comfortable standing on your finger, slowly and gently bring the bird out of the cage. Tell him how proud you are of him and how much you love him.

Whatever you do, always keep one thought in mind: Your number one goal is to build trust between the two of you. Build that trust, and the sky’s the limit.

Never force an issue with your bird or smack him with your finger or take his food away. The best punishment when he’s bad is to put him in his cage for ten or fifteen minutes and leave him alone in the room (after telling him he’s been a bad bird). Birds want to be with the flock (and that’s you).

I feel that there is no such thing as a mean bird . . . just a frightened/scared bird. When a bird is scared he can either fly away or fight (bite). Since you’ve probably clipped his wing feathers, all that’s left when the fid is frightened is to bite. Most of the stories we’ve all heard has had to do with a mean bird has usually always been about an adult bird that the people got from someone else. That means he is either frightened of his new environment, mourning the loss of his flock, or was treated badly by his previous owner. In any case, the fid is an unhappy frightened bird that needs lots of love. Think of him that way and you will know just how to win him over. PATIENCE-LOVE-PATIENCE