Training & Behavior · Birds
Bird Target Training
Building Recall, Step-Ups, and Trust
A chopstick and a clicker can replace every towel and finger-push you have ever used. 10 lessons on the ABC model of how birds learn, finding the reward your bird will work for, loading and timing the clicker, teaching the first target touch, steering a bird without pushing, stationing on a mat with a release word, the voluntary step-up, short-distance recall, flying across a bird-proofed room, and troubleshooting stick biting and lost interest.
About this course
Target training is the first thing I teach every bird that comes through my door, because it replaces force with choice. Lesson 1 lays out the ABC model: set up the environment, watch the behavior, control the consequence. Lesson 2 finds the reward your bird will work for, spray millet for a budgie, a sliver of almond for a bigger parrot, or a head scratch for a bird that is not food-driven. Lesson 3 loads the clicker with 10 to 15 click-and-treat pairings and explains why timing is everything. Lesson 4 captures the first beak touch on a chopstick, and Lesson 5 uses that touch to steer the bird across perches without ever pushing on its chest. Lesson 6 teaches stationing on a mat with a release word so you can open the cage and clean in peace. Lesson 7 fades the stick into a hand step-up, Lesson 8 starts recall with a short hop across a tabletop, and Lesson 9 stretches it into full-room flights once the windows, fans and mirrors are dealt with. Lesson 10 troubleshoots the two most common roadblocks, a bird that attacks the stick and a bird that wanders off.
What you'll learn
- How the Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence model works, and finding the reward your bird values most
- Loading the clicker in two short sessions, and clicking at the exact moment the behavior happens
- Capturing the first target touch, and steering across perches without pushing on the chest
- Stationing on a mat with growing duration and a clear release word like Okay
- Fading the stick into a voluntary hand step-up, and the first short-hop recall
- Room-length recall in a bird-proofed space, and fixing stick biting and lost interest
Who this is for
New owners whose bird climbs backward every time a finger comes near; keepers who have been towel-grabbing a bird for years and want a calmer way; and anyone who wants to get their parrot flying to them across a room.
Course outline (10 modules)
Quiz & Certificate
Knowledge quiz
After completing all lessons, take a short quiz to test your understanding.
Go to quiz →Completion certificate
Pass the quiz and earn a shareable certificate of completion.
View certificate →Frequently asked questions
Ready to get started?
$9.99 · Lifetime access · 10 lessons