Question about taming adult IRN

[deliverus]

So, I got an estimated 2 year old IRN about a month ago. The guy at a rescue place gave me pointers on taming them and he told me to use a "towel method" where you basically retrieve the bird with a towel out of the cage, and every time he flies off of your hand, you throw the towel on him and pick him up in the towel. Then you hold him lightly with your index finger and thumb around the neck very lightly so no pressure is applied to the bird. Then let him out of the towel onto your hand. Then if he jumps off, repeat.

I hated this method, I found it really unkind to the bird so I never use it.

The little guy is kinda scared of me, but he will step up to my hand/finger. He will actually walk to me sometimes if he is on the floor and step up onto my hand. So after a lot of research on how to train him, all methods use treats. The only issue with Java, (my bird) is that he will not accept treats at all. The only way that he will eat treats is if they are in his bowl, and i'm not near him. He is extremely attracted to his cage. Whenever I take him out he always wants to go on top of it. He seems comfortable when i'm across my room though, he will preen, and occasionally fall asleep. Most of the time he just kinda stares at me. I understand that its only been a month, and i'm very lucky that he will step up at all. I also understand that patience is always key with these birds. I just want to make sure i'm doing every thing right with the little guy. As of right now for taming him i'm just letting him sit on his cage in my room while i'm home, and in my living room ill let him sit on my window sill. I'm trying to let him get used to me and my family.

Things I've noticed about him is that he has a lot of blood feathers, that will break sometimes if he falls (I pull them if they break, or if i cant find it, ill plug them) and that his flight feathers were completely pulled (this is why his blood feathers break due to the hard fall). I'm pretty sure he was abused before I got him, and I just want him to be a happy bird now that I have him.

Thank you everyone, and take care.

[AJPeter]

Forget towelling you only want to use a towel as the last resort, you need to build up trust. When you put his seed bowl in look what he eats first and use that as a treat, my hen is an absolute darling but it has taken 5 years to get her to the stage where l can pick her up with my hands and not get bitten. Why do you want to train Java? I have never trained my hen and yet she steps up (if she wants to) goes back into her cage when l tell her to it all to do with a rapport that comes from trust.

[sanjays mummi]

Are you aware of how quickly a bird can exsanguinate?, leave the feathers alone, and let them die back and fall naturally. Towelling is very stressful, there is no need to use such force, it's definitely a last resort. My bird goes into her cage as soon as I have put fresh food and water in. Half walnuts are the best treat, they love them.