Birds seem to be of two types; one which likes human physical contact or one which will never like to be pet or touched. If you think that you'd like to pet your bird, first spend a bit of time observing her body language and communication styles when she interacts with you. If your bird eagerly engages in hand feeding, learning new tricks with you as the teacher, communicates in a cognitive way, your changes of a pet-able bird are good. Conversely, if your bird seems to prefer being friends from a distance, please realize that no matter what you do, your bird will probably never like being pet

Assuming that your bird enjoys interacting closely with you, keep in mind that many birds will allow their primary caregiver to pet them but will still be very aggressive toward anyone else. So, be very careful about allowing anyone else to try and pet your bird.

How to Begin Petting Your Bird

Training your bird to accept being pet is usually a slow process. Be patient, consistent and treat your bird kindly and she may being to look forward to the training sessions.

Begin by noticing the direction of her feathers. Sensitive birds will become very irritated if you pet them against the natural direction of the feathers. Never approach your bird from behind, this will seem like a threatening gesture to your bird. Have your bird step up to your hand, talking softly and calmly to her at all times. Notice if she is bobbing her head, in a ducking motion toward you. This is a happy, friendly gesture!

Gently begin stroking your bird's head with one finger. Use light, slow strokes at the same time that you are speaking to her. If you feel her body stiffen, or she backs away from you, stop! Both are signs that she is uncomfortable and you do not want to risk alienating your bird. If this happens, end the training session on a happy note, maybe with a treat and words of praise. Let the bird do something it enjoys and then place her back into her cage.

Continue the training process, allowing your bird to guide the frequency of the sessions. It will generally be clear to you within a few days whether your bird is enjoying the lessons or not.