Socializing Off-Contact

Building friendships can be difficult for some birds. Alfie, my Moluccan Cockatoo, has a history of extreme aggression towards males. I’ve worked hard through training to increase his confidence and comfortability with males, and I’m always finding ways to respect Alfie’s feelings while still being productive.

One way to socialize a bird with people while still respecting them is to do off-contact socialization. What does that mean? That means activities to do at a distance or behind protective contact, like cage bars.

These behaviors can be catch, one of Alfie’s favorite things to do. One I always teach my clients is target training. If you don’t know what target training is, I would love to teach you too! Dancing or singing can be an excellent way to socialize with a bird, but I would recommend behind protective contact depending on the bird, as these activities can be very stimulating leading to over stimulation aggression.

You don’t have to have the bird on someone to socialize with them. Birds can take a while to get comfortable with a new person. Going at their pace and respecting their boundaries will always lead to more success, and your guests will stay safe, maintaining a positive outlook towards parrots who are usually seen as “scary”