Training your parrot is one of the best ways to build trust, keep them mentally stimulated, and make everyday handling, vet visits, nail trims, and moving them between rooms, far less stressful for both of you. This page covers everything from reading your parrot’s body language through to teaching tricks, so you can build a genuine bond with your bird.

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, 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, both positively and negatively
• Addressing biting and excessive noise

You Can Teach an Old Bird New Tricks

You can teach an old bird new tricks. I saw this firsthand many times back in my zoo days. I remember a red-collared lorikeet we introduced to the rainforest exhibit, an older bird that had clearly come from a very small cage, since it didn’t know how to fly at all and could barely glide to the floor. It didn’t take long for this bird 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 their age. Our goal with this guide is to give you training techniques that keep your parrot happy and healthy in its home environment. If you find this page helpful, we’d love to hear about it in a Google review. We also share ongoing training tips with customers through our Facebook and Instagram pages.

Settling In Before You Start Training

Let a newly acquired bird settle into its new environment for at least 24 to 48 hours before handling it. Negative handling techniques don’t work well at all for medium parrots like conures and quakers, or for large parrots and cockatoos. They can fast-track bonding with smaller parrots like budgies and lovebirds, which tend to be flighty when they first arrive in a new environment, but we’d still recommend starting with positive methods regardless of size.

Make sure training happens in a quiet, relaxed environment. With small parrots, start training on a couch or bed so they aren’t injured if they get startled. Regular handling and bonding sessions are the key to successful training, and once a parrot properly bonds with you, that bond tends to last for life.

Three Basic Training Principles

Keep these three concepts in mind whenever you’re training your bird.

1. When the bird does something good, give it a reward.
2. When the bird does something undesirable, ignore it.
3. Never punish your bird physically or yell at it.

If biting or aggression is the specific issue you’re dealing with, see our full guide on stopping aggressive parrot behaviour: https://birdsville.net.au/parrot-biting/

What Does Parrot Body Language Mean?

Parrots have their own body language that can be difficult to read if you don’t know what to look for. Because parrots see their human family as part of their flock, they expect us to understand their signals the same way another bird would, similar to how a dog tucks its tail when scared or bares its teeth when aggressive. Understanding your parrot’s body language helps you know when to adjust your approach and take a different course of action.

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

When a parrot doesn’t want to do something, it may move away, shake its head back and forth, pin its eyes (making the pupils small) or dilate them quickly, click its beak, or lean away from whatever it doesn’t want to be near.

A content, relaxed parrot will often have its eyes closed, chirp, march around in circles, or play with its toys. It may also preen its feathers or hop onto your hand or shoulder to show it trusts you.

Different species have their own unique behaviours and communication signals, though many overlap. Some parrots use beak-touching as a sign of affection, while others use it as a sign of dominance, so always pay close attention to your individual bird rather than assuming every parrot behaves the same way. Learning to recognise these signs early means you’ll know when to give your parrot space and let it calm down. For more detail, including specifically aggressive body language, see our guide on stopping aggressive parrot behaviour: https://birdsville.net.au/parrot-biting/

Handling and Step-Up Training

Teaching Step Up and Step Down

Begin with the basics: getting your bird comfortable being touched and held. Always stand above your bird rather than below it, so you remain in the “master position.” Place a finger against your bird’s lower breast, just above its feet, and say “up” or “step up” while applying slight pressure. Your bird will put one leg up, and as you pull gently with your other hand, the second leg will follow. Reward your bird straight away with a treat, like a favourite piece of fruit, seed, or nut.

Repeat this, and as your bird improves, ask for a few step-ups in a row before rewarding. Once your bird has caught on, swap the food reward for verbal praise, like “good bird.” This will soon become second nature.

You can reinforce this by having your bird “ladder” between your hands: as each hand becomes free, place a finger against your bird’s lower breast and repeat the “step up” command. Keep sessions short, and end them before your bird loses interest. While you’re holding your bird, lightly stroke and lift its toes with a free finger. This gets your bird used to having its toes 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 use the words “down” or “step down.” When your bird follows through, tell it “good bird,” and follow up with a small treat.

A Note on Shoulders

If your bird is going to grow into a large parrot, don’t let it sit on your shoulder. This reinforces a habit that can lead to injury later on. No matter how well trained, a bird will bite if it’s startled, and you never want a startled bird that close to your face. Small birds tend to have smaller, less injurious bites, but it’s still worth keeping in mind.

It’s important not to overdo training. Keep sessions short but frequent.

Target and Clicker Training

Any parrot can be target trained using a clicker, though medium to large birds tend to respond best. All you need is a clicker, a target stick, and your parrot’s favourite treat, all available in-store at Birdsville. We recommend clicker training only once a bird is at least 6 months old.

Parrots respond better to training when they’re a little hungry, so remove food a couple of hours beforehand, or first thing in the morning before they’ve eaten. Millet is the best training treat for small birds, while nuts tend to be more popular with larger birds.

The aim is for your bird to understand it’s done something right and to associate the sound of the clicker with a reward on the way.

Getting Your Bird Used to the Clicker

• Click, then immediately give a reward.
• Wait for your bird to finish eating the reward before repeating.

It can take at least two sessions before your bird starts anticipating a treat after the click. Every bird learns at a different rate.

Teaching Your Parrot to Turn Around

• Hold a target (a stick or wand, available at Birdsville) in one hand and a clicker in the other, with your parrot on a perch or stand.
• Give a verbal cue like “turn,” and make a small circular motion 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 from the same foundation: get the behaviour to happen, mark it with the clicker the instant it happens, then reward. Keep early sessions very short and always end on a successful rep.

Wave

Hold a target just out of reach above one of your parrot’s feet. Most parrots will lift a foot to investigate or balance. Click the moment the foot lifts, then reward. Repeat until your parrot reliably lifts a foot on cue, then add a verbal cue like “wave” just before presenting the target, and gradually fade the target out.

Nod

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

Fetch

Start with a light object your parrot already likes to chew or 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 second longer each time. Once your parrot holds the object reliably, encourage it to drop the object into your open hand or a small container for a reward, building up to a full retrieve.

Play Dead

This one takes patience and works best with 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 initial sessions very brief, since lying on their back is an unnatural, vulnerable position for a bird, and stop immediately if your bird shows any sign of stress.

Station Training

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

1. Choose a specific stand, perch, or mat as the “station” and keep it in the same spot.
2. Use your target stick or a treat to lure your parrot onto the station, then click and reward the moment it’s on.
3. Gradually build duration by waiting a second or two longer before rewarding each time your parrot stays put.
4. Once your parrot reliably goes to the station and stays, add a verbal cue, such as “station,” right before you lure it there.
5. Slowly fade the target out, using the cue word alone, and reward every successful attempt generously at first.
6. Practise releasing your parrot from the station with a clear cue too, like “okay” or “free,” so it learns the station is a “stay” rather than a permanent position.

Once your bird understands one station, you can teach a second one in a different room using the same process, which is especially handy if you want a safe spot for your parrot during dinner or when the vacuum comes out.

Stick Training

Stick training can help with handling nippy or aggressive parrots, since they’ll bite the stick instead of your hand. It’s also useful for getting a confident bird down from high places, like curtain rods or hard-to-reach parts of an aviary.

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

Positive Reward Stick Training

This is the newer, more effective method. It takes a little longer, but your bird will genuinely look forward to it. Before training an adult bird, make sure it’s hungry by removing food a couple of hours beforehand.

1. 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.
2. Once your bird is used to the stick, rest it against the cage wire. If your bird touches or chews it, reward with a favourite treat: https://birdsville.net.au/bird-treats-tips-and-sprouted-mix/
3. Open the cage door and place the stick just inside. If your parrot moves towards it or touches it, reward.
4. Repeat step 3 until your bird touches the stick with its feet.
5. Once your parrot is confident, hold a treat further back so it needs to step onto the stick to reach it.
6. Once your bird will step onto the stick confidently, gently lift the stick a little way out of the cage while your bird is still on it. If it stays, reward.
7. Repeat this a number of times, gradually moving 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 methods above.

When using this method, always remove your bird from its cage using 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 anywhere from one to five minutes. Only put the stick down once your bird stops biting it. Repeat this a few times a day until the behaviour stops, which may take a couple of days.

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

1. Calmly hold the stick or perch in front of your bird, around chest height.
2. Your bird steps up.
3. Use a second stick to repeat the step-up request several times.
4. Continue this in five-minute intervals.
5. Once your bird is confident, use one hand and ask it to step from your hand onto the stick.
6. Once your parrot is used to your hands, you can put the stick down and handle it directly.

Carrier Training

A parrot that’s comfortable in its carrier makes vet visits, boarding drop-offs, and emergencies far less stressful for everyone. The key is making the carrier feel like a normal, unremarkable part of your bird’s world rather than something that only appears when something bad is about to happen.

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

A cover or towel over part of the carrier can help a nervous bird feel more secure, since darker, more enclosed spaces tend to feel safer to a stressed bird. Never leave your bird in a carrier in a hot car, even briefly. If boarding is ever needed, a carrier-trained bird will settle in far more easily on drop-off day.

Can You Potty Train a Parrot?

Birds typically defecate every 15 to 20 minutes, and reliably do so shortly after waking up or after eating, which makes this one of the easier behaviours to put on cue.

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

With consistency, most birds start to associate the word and the spot with the action, and you can prompt them to go on cue before taking them out for a longer stretch of handling. It takes patience and won’t happen overnight, but it significantly cuts down on accidents on shoulders, furniture, and clothing during out-of-cage time.

 

 

Harness Training Your Parrot

• Start training sessions 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 down.
• The harness should fit snugly enough that you can just slip a finger between it and your parrot’s body.
• If predators are in the area, always walk in pairs and keep watch.
• Use motivational rewards, such as our 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 place the harness on it.
• Practise indoors first, then move to outdoor walks once your parrot is confident.

How Do You Stop a Parrot From Biting?

If your bird becomes a little nippy or starts biting, the worst thing you can do is pull your hand away. Pulling away actually trains your bird to bite, since it shows the bird you’re afraid, which can make it more aggressive and reinforce dominant behaviour. Stay confident, even if you need to fake it at first. For a full breakdown of techniques for aggressive parrot behaviour, see our dedicated guide: https://birdsville.net.au/parrot-biting/

Biting When Returning to the Cage

Many parrots want to keep exploring and may bite when being put back in their cage. This is often a learned habit rather than genuine aggression, since the bird simply doesn’t want its out-of-cage time to end. A simple fix is to place a treat in the cage every time your bird goes back in.

One way to do this: place your bird’s food back in the cage before you need to put it away, so returning to the cage means returning to breakfast, and it can go back in without any fuss. Alternatively, remove your bird’s food the night before, give it out-of-cage time in the morning, then place the food back in the cage right before you need to put your bird away.

How Do You Stop a Parrot From Squawking or Screaming?

Expect a little noise from your bird, the same way you would from a dog or a cat. To reduce consistent noise or loud squawking, the best approach is to start training at a young age, since the habit only gets harder to shift the older a bird gets, though you can still teach an older bird new habits.

Make sure your bird’s cage is a reasonable size, big enough to spread its wings, jump, and move around, with room for toys, perches, and food and water bowls. When you’re not home, make sure there are plenty of toys in the cage, since birds are active, intelligent animals that need variety to stay entertained. Rotate toys in and out, and move them to different spots in the cage, so your bird doesn’t get bored of them.

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 toys that challenge your bird, like puzzle or reward toys. Native branches from eucalyptus, grevillea, or wattle also give your bird something to do, left with the leaves and flowers on, provided they’re washed first to remove any unwanted bacteria. Toys and branches also reduce the chance of your bird developing behavioural issues like feather plucking, which is extremely difficult to train out once established.

When you’re home, always reward your bird for doing the right thing, 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 of the cage and being quiet, give it some extra attention or a treat.

When your bird is being noisy or squawking, never yell at it, just ignore it. If it’s in its cage, leave it there. If it’s out, put it away with no pat or cuddle (a simple step up and straight back into the cage), and only bring it back out once it’s quiet again. 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 go back on the training, since giving in undoes everything up to that point and reinforces the habit instead. The whole household needs to be consistent for this to work. Stay focused, and you’ll end up with a calmer, better-behaved bird. For more detail, see our guide to stopping parrot squawking: https://birdsville.net.au/screaming-and-squawking-parrots-how-to-stop/

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Quick Hints for Successful Training

• Always end a training session on a positive note.
• Choose a favourite food as a reward, such as fruit or sunflower seed.
• Only train your bird in a relaxed situation.
• Keep sessions short but frequent.
• Keep sessions fun for your bird.
• Never hit your bird.
• Stay firm, consistent, and don’t give up.
• If your bird runs away from you, the worst thing you can do is leave it alone. Gently pick your bird up and handle it. It won’t take long to rebuild the bond.

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 playing with it. Running away is common in small birds that are new to an environment. Gently catch your bird using gloves or a towel if needed, and only put it back once it’s calmed down. Your bird will improve each time you do this.

How long does it take to train a parrot?
It varies hugely by bird, species, and technique, some parrots learn step-up in a single session, while trickier behaviours like target training or tricks can take days to weeks of short, frequent sessions. Consistency matters far more than session length. 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 absolutely still be trained, even ones with little or no prior handling. It may take a bit more patience than with a young bird, but the same reward-based principles apply. We’ve personally worked with older, previously unhandled birds that learned new routines within weeks.

Do I need special equipment for clicker training?

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

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, since it can reinforce a habit that leads to injury later. Any bird, however well trained, can bite if startled, and a startled bird near your face is a real risk.