Few things are cuter than a little bird that flies to you on cue. Once you have bonded with your budgie, he may want to fly to you on his own. When teaching him to fly over when called, however, the key trick is bribery.
Step 1
Place your finger next to your budgie and say your cue word, such as “come” or his name. Choose a short, clear word that doesn’t sound too much like any others. Alternatively, make a noise such as a short whistle instead of using a cue word. If he doesn’t step up immediately, press your finger gently against his chest and use your cue again.
Step 2
Give him a small treat (such as a sunflower seed) and praise him.
Step 3
Repeat this process until he jumps onto your finger as soon as you cue him with a word or whistle. Reinforce your training with small treats and praise.
Step 4
Hold your finger an increasing distance from the budgie each time you ask him to jump on your finger. Cue him and give him a treat as soon as he obeys.
Step 5
Continue practicing this until the distance between you is so great that he needs to fly to you in order to come over.
References
Tips
- Some budgies will fly over as soon as you walk into a room or make any sort of sound. Others require this sometimes lengthy training process, so be patient.
- It is easier to bond with a single budgie; however, if you decide to get just one, be prepared to spend a great deal of time with him as budgies are social animals and become lonely if left alone for long periods. You may wish to acquire a second budgie after you have bonded with the first. Once introduced, the second budgie will follow the first budgie's example, so you shouldn’t need to repeat any training.
Writer Bio
Judith Willson has been writing since 2009, specializing in environmental and scientific topics. She has written content for school websites and worked for a Glasgow newspaper. Willson has a Master of Arts in English from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland.