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I have my sweet IRN for 5 weeks. I made some progress with him, but he has this problem with hands. I can touch him with my hand only if it`s dark in the room. When he is outside, I can go near him and kiss him. I have to admit that it bothers me a little that I can`t handle him as a tamed bird, and I don`t know if he will ever be like that. I take into consideration to buy a small baby, just a few weeks old. I`m thinking that he will be very easy to tame, and Alex will assist to my moments with the "baby" and he will realise that is ok to touch him and play with him. I know that he is intelligent. He proves it every day, but I don`t know if this would be a good idea?! Did you have similar experiences? Did anybody try this? Maybe my patience is the problem, but I really need help! Does anybody know tricks that really worked in similar situations?

Try being patient a little longer. Five weeks is not very long for a bird to learn to accept hands.

For petting Hane, I began just by touching his beak with my finger while he was on my other hand. This was our one on one time where he got all of my attention. If he reached out to bite me, I just shook the hand he was on a little bit to redirect his attention. Once I could touch his beak every time without him trying to bite me, I touched the feathers on his forehead. And from there inched my way to the back of his head and stroking him.

He was hand-reared by me and this took something like two months or maybe a little more.

Really, five weeks is not very long.

For stepping up:

Whatever his favourite thing to eat is, only let him get it from your hand. You can give him the treat while he's in the cage, but make him come to your hand, don't bring the food to him. Then you can slowly introduce your other hand and make it so he has to use it as a perch to get to the treat.

For a more straightforward approach, if he reaches out to bite your hand, move your finger quickly under his belly (above his feet) and push at him and up to make him step up. Because you're throwing him off balance, he'll likely step up instead of biting you- and it makes it harder for him to grip you with his beak.

Don't let him onto your shoulder, and once you get him to step up once he should only come out of his cage by stepping up onto your hand. If you are the only way to 'freedom', he's more likely to step up. Wing clipping also helps, as birds quickly learn that the only way off the ground is by stepping up onto a finger.

Our birds are never permitted to put themselves on our shoulders. They can only go there if placed there by me. Hane usually just rides on my hand while I walk around, or he sits on my hand while I pet him.

Thank you very much! The problem is that I have already let him out of the cage, and now, when I come home he goes wild to get out of the cage. He is shaking everything there, he is going around up and down, doing everything just to get my attention and let him out. I have already clipped his wings. I let him out in the first days and I couldn`t get him back into the cage. He was flying in the room. The only way to get him back into the cage was to let only the light of the tv set on, and when I cought him he bited me really bad. So, next time, I used gloves and clipped his wings. He had a huge "surprise" when he got out of his cage and he saw that he can`t fly anymore . Along with this new way of living, he start being less wild. If he is in the cage, he acts like that is his "place" and he doesn`t want to step on my hand. He doesn`t bite me, but there is no way to come near my hand. Only once, I gave him a slice of orange through the cage, but I waited like half an hour till he took a a few bites. I think that I made a mistake by letting him out. I should have use this technique you are telling me about. I should have gave him treats only by hand. I wouldn`t like to "punish" him now and not giving him his fruits that he loves so much. He knows that he will have his treats even if he "is a good boy" or not. He is very funny. He knows already that evey evening, when I come home, I let him out, he goes near the mirror where I have all the perfums and cosmetic stuff, he plays there, he knows that I`m coming to kiss him, he is not running, he is just playing a little hard to get, than he knows that I use that small thin blanket to take him into bed, where I make a small "tent" where we can see each other, and kiss each other. He tries to escape, but not really hard. When I let him out, after a few minutes he acts as if he wants to be caught again, and calls for me, he just wants some attention, no matter what. He enjoys these moments when I kiss him under the blanket. A few days ago I tried to use hands to touch him. If he has where to run and hide, he does it, if not, he lets me touch him, he turns sometimes to bite me, but not strong bites. Only this evening, he bited me a bit harder, but only because I used hands a lot to hold him. I dind`t give him the satisfaction, I just ignored him. Do you think that it`s a good idea to start now the trick with hand feeding him, at least to give him the treats only from my hand? Isn`t it too late to do that? He has such a "strong pesonality" He wants to prove me that he is the boss. I love him very much and I spoil him, and I want what is best for him. I think that if I use now the trick with feeding him through the cage with treats is useless, if he already knows that he can get it on a different way. As about letting him on my shoulder, he doesn`t even think about getting there. No way to come that closer. Only if he is under the blanket, and I don`t want to use that blanket for long.

You can start the new rules now. It's never too late. With birds, we have to use gentle guidance. We give them rules and they abide by them- you are the boss, not him. He'll probably fight you at first, but once you're over that first hurdle the rest is easier. We can't be angry or physical, they don't understand that and can have negative side affects. So I think gentle guidance is the proper way to explain how we deal with our birds.

If he wants to get out, he can only get out on your hand. If he wants to go to the mirror, he travels on your hand to get there. He has to rely on you. This helps develop trust, respect, and he knows to come to you for help.

Hane seeks me out when he ends up on the floor- he knows I'll pick him up and give him attention. And he knows that I'm where the food comes from! Which, I think, is his greatest motivator.

When you put him back in the cage, give him a small treat (one sunflower seed is good) and tell him what a good bird he is. When you go to pick him up to put him back in the cage, tell him that he's going back home now. Use the same phrase every time and he might stop running from you- he knows he'll get a treat in the end.

Hane gets his normal veggies and fruits in his food cup or on his playstand. The treat is whatever his FAVOURITE food is. So just one fruit or type of seed.

Hane and Tsume get most of their fresh foods when they're downstairs on their playstand, so they're always willing to leave their cages for the food! But to get out of the cage, they have to step-up first.

I hope some of this helps. ^_^