A Rosey Bourke parakeet on my head

[@CelineLegault-b1s]

Très bel oiseau ❤

[@sweetbirds6236]

Merci Celine🤗🐦

[@mathiasmontage]

Hello, do you have any tips to tame a parent raised bourke ?

[@sweetbirds6236]

Hi Mathias, good question. First of all I let my birds decide if they want to approch me or not. So I never grab them, make them stay with me or anything. Instead I lure them. I do this by recording their singing with my phone or simply play other Bourkes sounds and keep the phone near me. This way they will come to the sound right away and love to sit close to you while listening to the sounds. When they sit close to me I always strech on of my arms so they can jump or fly unto it. In order for them to get used to my hands and connect it with something positive, I use bird snacks. I will keep it in my hand or close to my hand so they need to approch me in order to get to the snack. I hope this will help you. I am not an expert but this is how I tame my birds. Good luck😊

[@LaBorghesa]

when your bourke(s) first arrived and flew in your home, did they fly into windows and such? The first time they fly in a new space mine run into walls and windows and objects and I'm worried that is not normal and they will hurt themselves!

[@sweetbirds6236]

Yes one of the Bourkes did the same thing. It was horrible to watch. How much time did you gave them to get used to the surrounding?

[@sweetbirds6236]

Not into windows by the way because I placed decoration stickers on the windows at first and kept the curtains closed at the other side. Now I have dried long grass stand before the windows at all times because when they get scared of anything, they will fly to the windows not seeying it is glass.

[@LaBorghesa]

@@sweetbirds6236 Even by the second day they seemed better (They spent a couple of days in the mudroom because they wouldn't return to their cage! but it was so bad initially I wondered if I should take them in to avian vet. They seemed fine afterwards though. I want to eventually fly them in living room but it's very open and has second story staircase I'm worried they would get hurt or never return :) I did get dots for a glass wall we have on the staircase and I always close the blinds in any room they fly in now that I know better. It seems like the answer is no, but you don't clip their wings, is that correct?

[@LaBorghesa]

Hello, do your bourkes play with toys? I know that they aren't ones to climb their cages with their feet or beaks, but mine mostly just fly and hang out and sometimes sing. How do I get them to forage or play? I want them to have mental stimulation..

[@sweetbirds6236]

Good question. Mine do not play with toys. Mine love it when I change the place of the branches (in the livingroom not in the cage) so they can explore new hights and places in the room. One of my Bourkes loves the big swing. They also love to eat fresh herbs from my garden. What mine also love is when I call them, to fly on a branch wich I hold in my hand. What Mingo also likes is to surch for organic sunflowerseeds. I show it to him and than slowly I drop it behind something. (Drop it so they can hear the sounds of the sunflower) Good luck with everything and If you ever find something new, let me know too🤗

[@LaBorghesa]

@@sweetbirds6236 thanks so much, this is helpful. Branches in your living room--- like big play trees? do you pin the herbs to the cage or chop them up very finely? so far they are only wanting to eat seeds (they only had seeds at breeder), but im trying to get them to eat greens and pellets as well.

[@sweetbirds6236]

I also want to say that my Bourkes love love love to listen to other birds on youtube (no preditors afcorse, but small or exotic birds like sparrows) Mingo can listen to it for hours and will imitate them as well. Try to find wich sounds your Bourkes love the most. You should only play the sounds of other birds when they are very well adjusted to the surroundings afcorse as these sounds can and will exits them a lot

[@LaBorghesa]

@@sweetbirds6236 I’ve read they mostly like preening toys but I seem to only find toys for bigger parrots to chomp on.