Written by the Birdsville team. Last updated October 2026.

The best way to train a parrot is with short, frequent sessions that reward good behaviour and ignore bad behaviour, starting with step up and building to target training and tricks. Training builds trust, keeps your parrot’s mind busy, and makes everyday handling, vet visits, nail trims and moving between rooms far less stressful for both of you. This guide covers everything from reading your parrot’s body language through to teaching tricks. Every product we mention is available in-store at Birdsville in Sydney, or online through our partner store Petsville (https://petsville.com.au/) with delivery Australia-wide.

On This Page

How to Train Your Parrot: What We’ll Cover
You Can Teach an Old Bird New Tricks
Settling In Before You Start Training
Three Basic Training Principles
What Does Parrot Body Language Mean?
Handling and Step Up Training
Target and Clicker Training
Trick Training
Station Training
Stick Training
Carrier Training
Can You Potty Train a Parrot?
Harness Training Your Parrot
How Do You Stop a Parrot From Biting?
How Do You Stop a Parrot From Squawking or Screaming?
Quick Hints for Successful Training
Sydney Seasonal Training Tips
How to Train Your Parrot: Frequently Asked Questions

How to Train Your Parrot: What We’ll Cover

Understanding parrot body language, essential before you start any training
Basic handling and step up training
Target training and clicker training
Trick training
Station training
Stick training, useful for nippy or aggressive birds
Carrier training
Potty training
Harness training
Rewarding and reinforcing behaviour
Stopping biting and excess noise

You Can Teach an Old Bird New Tricks

Parrots of any age can be trained. Our owner saw this many times as a zoo keeper, before taking over Birdsville.

Staff tip from the Birdsville team: “I remember a red collared lorikeet we introduced to the rainforest exhibit. It was an older bird that had clearly come from a very small cage, because it didn’t know how to fly and could barely glide to the floor. It didn’t take long for it to learn our routines, and it was soon flying to us for treats.”

With the right knowledge, you can build the confidence to understand and communicate with your parrot properly, whatever its age. Our goal with this guide is to give you training methods that keep your parrot happy and healthy at home. If you find this page helpful, we’d love to hear about it in a Google review.

Settling In Before You Start Training

Let a new bird settle into its new home for at least 24 to 48 hours before you start handling it.

We always recommend starting with positive, reward based methods, whatever the size of your bird. Negative methods don’t work well at all for medium parrots like conures and quakers, or for large parrots and cockatoos. They can speed up bonding with small, flighty birds like budgies and lovebirds when they first arrive, but positive methods are still the best place to start.

Train in a quiet, relaxed place. With small parrots, start on a couch or bed so they can’t hurt themselves if they get a fright. Regular handling and bonding sessions are the key to success, and once a parrot properly bonds with you, that bond tends to last for life.

Three Basic Training Principles

Every parrot training method comes back to three simple rules.

When your bird does something good, reward it.
When your bird does something you don’t want, ignore it.
Never punish your bird physically or yell at it.

If biting or aggression is the problem you’re dealing with, see our full guide to parrot biting (https://birdsville.net.au/parrot-biting/).

What Does Parrot Body Language Mean?

Parrot body language tells you whether your bird wants attention, wants to be left alone or is relaxed. Parrots see their human family as part of their flock, so they expect us to read their signals the same way another bird would, much like a dog tucks its tail when scared or bares its teeth when angry. Reading these signals tells you when to keep going and when to change your approach.

A Parrot That Wants Attention

It may puff up its feathers, bob its head, move from side to side, hop up and down or flap its wings. It may also shriek, squawk, scream or whistle to get what it wants.

A Parrot That Wants to Be Left Alone

It may move away, shake its head, pin its eyes (making the pupils shrink and widen quickly), click its beak or lean away from whatever it doesn’t want near it.

A Relaxed, Happy Parrot

It will often half close its eyes, chirp, march around in circles or play with its toys. It may also preen or hop onto your hand or shoulder to show it trusts you.

Every species has its own signals, though many overlap. Some parrots touch beaks to show affection, while others do it to show dominance, so watch your own bird closely and don’t assume every parrot behaves the same way. Our parrot biting guide (https://birdsville.net.au/parrot-biting/) explains aggressive body language in more detail.

Handling and Step Up Training

Step up is the first and most important thing to teach any parrot, because every other kind of handling builds on it.

Teaching Step Up and Step Down

Start by getting your bird comfortable being touched and held. Hold your hand slightly above your bird, never below it. Place a finger gently against your bird’s lower breast, just above its feet, and say “up” or “step up” while applying light pressure. Your bird will lift one foot, and as you gently guide with your other hand, the second foot will follow. Reward your bird straight away with a favourite treat, like a piece of fruit, seed or nut.

As your bird improves, ask for a few step ups in a row before rewarding. Once your bird has caught on, swap some of the food rewards for praise like “good bird.”

You can build on this by “laddering” your bird between your hands: as each hand becomes free, place a finger against your bird’s lower breast and repeat “step up.” While you’re holding your bird, gently stroke and lift its toes with a free finger. This gets your bird used to having its feet touched, which makes nail clipping much easier later on.

To teach step down, do the same motion in reverse. Turn your bird to face its perch (never place it on backwards), hold it just below the perch so it has to step up onto it, and say “down” or “step down.” When your bird follows through, say “good bird” and give a small treat.

A Note on Shoulders

If your bird will grow into a large parrot, don’t let it sit on your shoulder. Any bird, however well trained, will bite if it’s startled, and you never want a startled bird that close to your face. Small birds have smaller bites, but it’s still worth keeping in mind.

Don’t overdo training. Keep sessions short but frequent.

Target and Clicker Training

Target and clicker training teaches your parrot that the sound of a click means a reward is coming, so you can mark the exact moment it does something right. Any parrot can learn it, though medium to large birds tend to respond best. We recommend starting clicker training once a bird is at least 6 months old.

All you need is a clicker, a target stick and your parrot’s favourite treat, all available in-store at Birdsville.

Choosing the Right Training Treat

Parrots work hardest for a treat they really love, so save their favourite food for training sessions only. Training just before a meal, such as first thing in the morning, also helps. Don’t withhold food for long, especially from small birds like budgies, which need to eat often.

For small birds, Millet Sprays (https://petsville.com.au/products/millet-sprays-mixed-100g) are the best training treat. Larger parrots usually prefer nuts, and Birdsville Blends Nut Magic (https://petsville.com.au/products/birdsville-blends-nut-magic-400g) is a favourite. Break treats into tiny pieces so your bird stays keen for longer. Our Best Bird Treats page (https://birdsville.net.au/bird-treats-tips-and-sprouted-mix/) has more ideas.

Quality matters here too. Our seed and Birdsville Blends are bagged fresh on site from quality ingredients, unlike many chain store mixes, which are bulked out with low quality grain and filler seed that affects the health and vitality of your bird. Our high turnover keeps everything fresh, and buying direct from the people who mix it means better value.

Getting Your Bird Used to the Clicker

Click, then immediately give a reward.
Wait for your bird to finish eating before you repeat.
It can take at least two sessions before your bird starts expecting a treat after the click. Every bird learns at its own pace.

Teaching Your Parrot to Turn Around

Hold a target stick in one hand and a clicker in the other, with your parrot on a perch or stand.
Give a cue like “turn” and make a small circle with your clicker hand.
Use the target to slowly circle around your parrot, giving it time to follow.
When your parrot completes the circle, click and reward.

Trick Training

Once your parrot understands target and clicker training, you can build almost any trick the same way: get the behaviour to happen, click the moment it does, then reward. Keep early sessions very short and always end on a success.

Wave

Hold a target just out of reach above one of your parrot’s feet. Most parrots will lift a foot to investigate. Click the moment the foot lifts, then reward. Once your parrot lifts its foot reliably, add the cue “wave” just before you present the target, then slowly fade the target out.

Nod

Hold a treat slightly above your parrot’s head so it has to tilt its head back to reach it. Click as the head moves, then reward. With practice, most birds start bobbing their head in anticipation, and you can add a cue word like “nod.”

Fetch

Start with a light object your parrot already likes to hold, such as a small ring or a piece of soft wood. Click and reward for touching it, then for picking it up, then for holding it a little longer each time. Once your parrot holds the object reliably, encourage it to drop it into your open hand or a small container for a reward, building up to a full retrieve.

Play Dead

This trick takes patience and suits a bird that’s already confident being handled. Gently support your parrot on its back in your hand or on a soft towel, click the moment it stays still, and reward. Keep early sessions very brief, because lying on its back is an unnatural, vulnerable position for a bird, and stop straight away if your bird shows any sign of stress.

Station Training

Station training teaches your parrot to go to a set perch or stand and stay there until you release it. It’s handy for managing out of cage time, keeping your bird safely out of the way when visitors arrive, and building a reliable recall.

Choose a stand, perch or mat as the “station” and keep it in the same spot. A Wooden Ladder (https://petsville.com.au/products/wooden-ladder-5-sand-steps) or play stand works well.
Use your target stick or a treat to lure your parrot onto the station, then click and reward the moment it’s on.
Build up time by waiting a second or two longer before rewarding each time your parrot stays.
Once your parrot reliably goes to the station and stays, add a cue like “station” right before you lure it there.
Slowly fade out the target, using the cue word alone, and reward every success generously at first.
Teach a release cue too, like “okay” or “free,” so your parrot learns the station is a “stay,” not a permanent spot.

Once your bird understands one station, you can teach a second one in another room the same way. It’s especially handy at dinner time or when the vacuum comes out.

Stick Training

Stick training helps with nippy or aggressive parrots, because they bite the stick instead of your hand. It’s also useful for getting a confident bird down from high places like curtain rods or the top of an aviary.

Before you start, your parrot needs to be comfortable around the stick itself.

Positive Reward Stick Training

This is the newer and more effective method. It takes a little longer, but your bird will look forward to it. Save your bird’s favourite treat for these sessions.

If your bird is afraid of the stick, leave it a short distance from the cage until your bird is comfortable, then move it closer hourly or daily.
Once your bird is used to the stick, rest it against the cage wire. If your bird touches or chews it, reward it with a favourite treat.
Open the cage door and place the stick just inside. If your parrot moves towards it or touches it, reward.
Repeat step 3 until your bird touches the stick with its feet.
Once your parrot is confident, hold a treat further back so it has to step onto the stick to reach it.
Once your bird steps onto the stick confidently, gently lift the stick a little way out of the cage with your bird still on it. If it stays, reward.
Repeat, moving a little further from the cage each time, and reward every successful step onto the stick.

Negative Reward Stick Training

This method works faster but is less effective overall. It can suit small parrots like budgies, but once they’re stepping up reliably, we recommend switching to the positive method above.

Always take your bird out of its cage with your hands first, not the stick. Then use a second stick and ask for “step up” onto it. Calmly and repeatedly ask your bird to step up until it stops biting the stick, which can take one to five minutes. Only put the stick down once your bird stops biting it. Repeat a few times a day until the biting stops, which may take a couple of days.

Once your bird is stepping up happily, use the second stick to gently stroke its back so it gets used to being touched, since some birds aren’t used to having their body handled. Slowly bring your hand closer, and eventually pat your bird directly while still holding the stick. Your bird will learn that nipping gets it nowhere.

Calmly hold the stick or perch in front of your bird, at about chest height.
Your bird steps up.
Use a second stick to repeat the step up request several times.
Continue in five minute sessions.
Once your bird is confident, ask it to step from your hand onto the stick.
Once your parrot is used to your hands, put the stick down and handle it directly.

Carrier Training

A carrier trained parrot makes vet visits, boarding drop offs and emergencies far less stressful. The key is making the carrier a normal part of your bird’s world, not something that only appears when something bad is about to happen.

Leave the carrier out in a room your bird already spends time in, with the door open, so it stops being new and scary.
Place a favourite treat just inside the door, then a little further inside over several sessions, rewarding your bird for approaching and then going in.
Once your bird will go in for a treat, close the door for a few seconds, then open it straight away and reward.
Slowly extend how long the door stays closed, always rewarding calm behaviour.
Practise picking up the carrier and carrying it around the room, then set it down and let your bird out.
Once your bird is settled with steps 1 to 5, try a short car trip, starting with just sitting in the driveway before working up to a short drive.

A cover or towel over part of the carrier can help a nervous bird feel more secure, since darker, enclosed spaces feel safer to a stressed bird. Never leave your bird in a carrier in a hot car, even briefly. The Deluxe Parrot Carrier (https://petsville.com.au/products/bono-fido-deluxe-parrot-carrier) suits medium to large parrots, and our Carry Cages page (https://birdsville.net.au/carry-cages/) covers the full range. If your bird ever needs boarding, a carrier trained bird settles in far more easily. See our Bird Boarding in Sydney page (https://birdsville.net.au/parrot-bird-boarding-sydney/).

Can You Potty Train a Parrot?

Yes, you can potty train a parrot. Birds usually go every 15 to 20 minutes, and reliably soon after waking or eating, which makes this one of the easier behaviours to put on cue.

Choose a consistent spot for your bird to go, such as a play stand over a tray, a sheet of paper or a bin.
Watch for your bird’s own sign that it’s about to go, often a slight squat or a lift of the tail.
Just as this happens, say a consistent word or phrase, such as “go potty.”
The moment your bird goes in the right spot, praise it warmly or give a small reward.
During out of cage time, take your bird back to its spot roughly every 15 to 20 minutes and repeat the cue word, before an accident happens.

With consistency, most birds link the word and the spot with the action, so you can prompt them to go before a longer stretch of handling. It takes patience and won’t happen overnight, but it cuts down a lot on accidents on shoulders, furniture and clothes.

Harness Training Your Parrot

Harness training lets your parrot safely enjoy time outdoors with you. Go slowly, because most birds take weeks to accept a harness.

Start indoors or in an enclosed space until your bird is comfortable wearing the harness.
Never leave your bird unattended in a harness, and never tie it to anything.
The harness should be snug, with just enough room to slip a finger between it and your parrot’s body.
If there are hawks or other predators around, walk in pairs and keep watch.
Use rewards your bird loves, such as Birdsville treats, toys or a favourite nut, throughout training.
Introduce the harness slowly. Let your bird mouth it, and reward every time it does.
Reward your parrot every time you put the harness on.
Practise indoors first, then move to outdoor walks once your parrot is confident.

The Aviator Bird Harness (https://petsville.com.au/products/the-aviator-bird-harness-mini-black) comes in sizes from mini to XL to suit everything from small parrots to cockatoos.

How Do You Stop a Parrot From Biting?

The best way to stop a parrot biting is to stay calm and never pull your hand away. Pulling away teaches your bird that biting works, and shows it you’re afraid, which can make it more aggressive. Stay confident, even if you have to fake it at first. Our parrot biting guide (https://birdsville.net.au/parrot-biting/) covers every technique in detail.

Biting When Going Back in the Cage

Many parrots bite when it’s time to go back in the cage, simply because they don’t want their out of cage time to end. This is usually a learned habit, not real aggression. A simple fix is to put a treat in the cage every time your bird goes back in.

Another option is to put your bird’s food back in the cage just before it goes in, so going back means breakfast, and it goes in without any fuss. You can also take the food out the night before, give your bird out of cage time in the morning, then put the food back just before you return your bird to the cage.

How Do You Stop a Parrot From Squawking or Screaming?

To stop a parrot screaming, reward it when it’s quiet and ignore it when it’s noisy, every single time. Expect some noise from any bird, the same as you would from a dog or cat. Training is easiest when your bird is young, because the habit gets harder to shift with age, though older birds can still learn.

Give Your Parrot Enough to Do

Make sure the cage is big enough for your bird to spread its wings, jump and move around, with room for toys, perches and bowls. When you’re out, leave plenty of toys in the cage, because parrots are clever, active animals that need variety. Rotate toys and move them to different spots so your bird doesn’t get bored.

Choose toys your bird can destroy and chew, like leather, wood and rope, toys that make noise, like bells, toys that move, like swings, and puzzle or forage toys that make your bird think. Washed native branches such as eucalyptus, grevillea or wattle, left with the leaves and flowers on, also keep your bird busy. Toys and branches lower the chance of problems like feather plucking, which is very hard to fix once it starts. Read more on our Feather Plucking page (https://birdsville.net.au/pet-bird-advice-and-training/feather-plucking/) and Natural Bird Toys page (https://birdsville.net.au/natural-toys/).

Reward Quiet, Ignore Noise

When you’re home, always reward your bird for being quiet or making soft noises. If it’s sitting quietly in its cage, take it out for playtime or a cuddle. If it’s out and quiet, give it extra attention or a treat.

When your bird is screaming, never yell back. Just ignore it. If it’s in its cage, leave it there. If it’s out, step it up and put it straight back in the cage with no pat or cuddle, and only bring it out again once it’s quiet. Make a fuss of your bird when it’s quiet, never when it’s noisy.

Your bird may get a little worse before it gets better. Don’t give in, because that undoes all your work and teaches your bird that screaming pays off. The whole household needs to be consistent. Stick with it and you’ll end up with a calmer, happier bird. Our guide to stopping parrot squawking (https://birdsville.net.au/screaming-and-squawking-parrots-how-to-stop/) has more detail.

Quick Hints for Successful Training

Always end a session on a positive note.
Use a favourite food as the reward, such as fruit, millet or sunflower seed.
Only train when your bird is relaxed.
Keep sessions short but frequent, no longer than 20 minutes.
Keep sessions fun for your bird.
Never hit your bird.
Stay firm and consistent, and don’t give up.
If your bird runs away from you, don’t leave it alone. Gently pick it up and keep handling it. It won’t take long to rebuild the bond.

The Unusual Pet Vets guide to behavioural training for birds (https://www.unusualpetvets.com.au/behavioural-training-for-birds) is another good read from avian vets.

Sydney Seasonal Training Tips

Summer: On hot Sydney days, keep harness walks to early morning or evening, carry water and shade for your bird, and never leave it in a car. Birds overheat quickly, so watch for panting or wings held away from the body.

Winter: Shorter days mean parrots can get bored and noisy indoors. Use the extra time inside for short training sessions and new forage toys to keep your bird busy.

How to Train Your Parrot: Frequently Asked Questions

My bird bites and runs away from me. How do I train it?

If you want a tame bird, the worst thing you can do is stop handling it. Running away is common in small birds that are new to a home. Gently catch your bird, using gloves or a towel if needed, and only put it back once it’s calm. Your bird will improve a little each time.

How long does it take to train a parrot?

It depends on the bird, the species and the method. Some parrots learn step up in a single session, while target training or tricks can take days to weeks of short sessions. Consistency matters far more than session length, so a few short sessions a day will get you there faster than one long one.

Can you teach an older parrot new tricks?

Yes. Older birds can still be trained, even ones with little or no handling in the past. It may take more patience than with a young bird, but the same reward based methods work. We’ve worked with older, previously unhandled birds that learned new routines within weeks, including in our own zoo keeping days.

What is the easiest trick to teach a parrot?

Step up is the easiest and most useful thing to teach first, and most parrots learn it within a few sessions. After that, turn around and wave are the easiest tricks to start with. Both build on target training, take only a few short sessions for most birds, and give your parrot a quick win.

How do I get my parrot to trust me?

Spend time near your parrot every day, talk to it calmly and offer its favourite treats from your hand. Move slowly, never grab or chase it, and read its body language so you know when to back off. Short, positive handling sessions, repeated daily, build trust far faster than long, stressful ones.

Do I need special equipment for clicker training?

Not much. A basic clicker and a target stick, both available in-store at Birdsville, are all you need, along with your bird’s favourite treat. The clicker simply marks the exact moment your bird does the right thing, so the reward that follows is clearly linked to that behaviour in your bird’s mind.

Should I let my parrot sit on my shoulder?

For small birds it’s generally fine, but we don’t recommend it for birds that will grow into large parrots, because it can build a habit that leads to injury later. Any bird, however well trained, can bite if it gets a fright, and a startled bird right next to your face is a real risk.

Visit Birdsville

We’re a small business that does things in a big way. With no one telling us how to run things, we keep our advice, seed and products the best of the best.

Not in Sydney? Every product in this guide can be ordered online through Petsville (https://petsville.com.au/) and delivered anywhere in Australia.

In Sydney? Visit us at Birdsville, 684 Botany Road, Alexandria NSW 2015, on the corner of Gardeners Road, servicing the Eastern Suburbs and Inner South Sydney, or call us on (02) 9669 1766. Our team is always happy to help with training questions, and you can bring your bird in for us to see.

New to parrots? Start with our How to Care for Your New Parrot guide [New Parrot page link] or How to Care for Budgies guide [Budgie Care link].

For live updates, training tips and photos from the store, follow us on TikTok [TikTok link], Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/BirdsvilleRosebery/) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/petsvillesydney/).