How to Tame a Wild Bird

A wild bird makes an excellent pet, but the problem will be in the early days in the cage. It is usual for the birds to be frightened and scared of your presence while adjusting to the cage in the early days in your home.

But how to tame a wild bird? A wild bird can be tamed, but it is actually a process that will take time. But you need to be aware of the bird’s movements, like the body language and getting the attention. It is also important to be gentle all the time for you to be able to gain the trust and eventually tame the birds.

Contents

Make Your Presence Felt in the First Few Hours

When a wild bird is in captivity or is new in the cage you use at home, it is expected that the birds will be scared or frightened. There will be a lot of adjustment on the bird’s end with its new habitat. It will be a process to adapt to the bird’s new home, but it is essential to make your presence felt in the very first few hours.

Since you are a stranger to the bird, it is normal for the bird to be afraid of you. What you can do is establish your presence in the first few hours. You have to stay in the bird’s vicinity to let the bird know of your presence.

The constant presence must be peaceful and quiet. You can now start talking and singing to the birds to introduce yourself. Then, you can now begin to give the birds food and snacks while you are near the bird’s vicinity. This step will make the bird recognized and be comfortable with your presence.

Learning the Bird’s Body Language

If you want to know how to befriend a wild bird, you must be familiar with the bird’s body language. After you have established your presence, familiarizing the bird’s body movement will give you a hint that the bird is slowly adjusting to your presence.

For example, when a bird will move away once you are near, it means the bird is scared. The bird feels comfortable if it moves towards you. Once the bird is still scared of you, make sure not to force your newfound friend in your hand.

Birds will also show other signs that they are scared. Apart from staying away from you, they will also try to fluff their feathers when they are scared. They will also produce growling sounds and constant head movement to show that they are still afraid.

There is also a body language that the birds do when they are comfortable with you. When they start feather fluffing and shaking to dismiss some concern, the birds probably show signs that they are more comfortable.

The Power of Bird Food and Treats To Tame Wild Birds

Establishing the presence and understanding of their body language is not enough. You need to start doing some actions that will make them comfortable and erase their fear of you. One way is to begin giving bird food and treats.

Birds are motivated when there is food on the feeder. So, you need to find the best food that they like. You can be creative with the food you give by giving treats every time your feather friend shows some positive interaction with you.

If the bird is still scared, you can put the treat on the floor and let the bird walk towards the food. If the bird feels comfortable with you, you can start hand feeding the bird every time you like to give the wild bird a treat.

Building Trust is a Continued Process

Your bird might show signs of being comfortable inside the cage or near you, but you must nurture that trust to make it deeper. It is all about doing things that make the relationship grow stronger, but it is a process, and you will need patience and time.

After all, it is still a wild bird that comes from a completely different environment. The moment the bird is willing to step in your hand, you need to give the bird a treat. This step will make the birds trust you more and eventually deepen the relationship.

Taming Wild Birds in the Backyard

It is not only in the cage that you can tame wild birds. You can also make your wild visitors trust you so that they keep on coming back to the backyard. The key is to make them habituated in your place. But how will you do it?

If you are a regular backyard birder, you should know how to do it. You can place a feeder and constantly refill it with bird food. Again, birds are motivated by food, so they will be encouraged to come back for more treats.

Some wild birds can even be trained to take food from your hand once they build trust and confidence in you. These wild birds include chickadees, house sparrows, hummingbirds, and many more. It is essential to establish your presence and get their trust once they visit your backyard.

Conclusion

Learning how to tame a wild bird can be a challenge but is doable. We have presented a guide to help you gain the birds’ trust the moment they live in your house. The key is establishing your presence early to gain confidence until the relationship becomes deeper as the bird will feel more confident in your presence.