Anti-hand budgie! But shoulders and arms are fine?

[Pudgerigar]

My lil buddy Itachi (hatched 12/15/15) is only a week into being home, so I expect some resistance on most things. Weirdly though, while he started off being okay with hands (not enthusiastic, but okay), he's decided he hates them. I have to nudge to get him on the finger, which takes four or five times as he steps up and then right back down or flutters away. Once on the hand and out of the cage, he either flutters down to the nearest surface or marches up the arm and onto my shoulder. Thing is, until yesterday when he climbed up himself, he's never been on a shoulder. He's decided that's the place to be by himself.

He's the "nuh uh, you can't make me" bird. This week has been an exercise in "I don't have to, you can't make me". Most interactions, unless I allow shoulder access, go as follows:
"Don't wanna move from THIS SPOT. Will not move. No. Staying here. Nope. Ahhh! What are you doing? No don't nudge me with your hand! No! I said I'm not moving! Okay. Okay fine I'm on your finger. No. I don't wanna get on the perch. No. I'm not going. You can't make me. Ugh FINE I will step on the perch. Fine."
*20 minutes later after I'm done cleaning cage*
"No. I'm not going back on the finger no, you can't-no! Fine. But now I'm not getting off it. I don't want to go in the cage on the perch. I'm on this hand, you can't make me. I'm not moving, you can't make me" ad infinitum!

Is he just weird and it'll always be like this? Should I just be proud that he's interacting at all this early? Think he'll grow out of it? I'm just not sure what I should be doing with this behavior, what angle to approach it from, and I'd appreciate commentary.

Cute lil jerk:
3628


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[Lady]

HAHAHA love the commentary! Lady has some of the same symptoms. She use to not mind my hand and always liked the shoulder but I think when she was caught in a toy and my hubby and I had to rescue her she stopped liking my hands. Now she will step up if she finds herself on the floor, and she will even stay there less I get to close to my shoulder. I think you just have to be persistent and let them know what is acceptable to you.

[wingman]

I have noticed that our budgies and lovebirds go through phases of stubborness. I use a small trick of having a treat like a piece of millet and get our budgies to trust the hand. They will step up on a small wood perch stick (a small wood dowl rod i hold) and get rewarded. I guess they start associating that hmm the hand gives me something good so it's not so bad when I get close to it or on it. Give it a try and let us know what happens.

[spiritbird]

There seems to be many small bird species that are hand shy. I cannot touch my birds at all, except for a light touch on the beak.

[Pudgerigar]

Updoot:

He now has a 70% success rate for getting on the hand inside the cage, if he says no I just shrug and assume he doesn't want to come out. We now have a 95% hand success rate outside the cage (he still prefers shoulder, though) and yesterday he flew to me from the floor when called! It was a phase, and a very short one. Haha, thanks for the support y'all! I'm a nervous new parront with a very strong-willed budge.


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[Albert]

One thing I have to compliment the breeder who reared Salty from an egg on, they started him off right. Step up means step up, and no hesitation or fuss or complaining. Inside the cage, out side the cage, on the floor, on a shoulder, on a playstand, even when he's on my back. Step up means STEP UP!

[Pudgerigar]

Haha, Itachi was this particular breeder's first round of hand fed budgie babies, so he's a little... wonky. Clueless is probably a good word. She wasn't super aware of how clever and capable budges are, as she typically deals with larger birds. She and I have discussed what she'll do different next time, and that is definitely one of them.

Love Salty, such a stand-up guy!


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