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In order to train a parrot in the most simple way, your manner must be gentle and slow. The best time to train a parrot is when the light is low and the area is quiet. A soothing voice will enable you to remove the bird from its cage through the large door of its abode. A parrot that has flown to the floor must be retrieved with cupped hands and transferred to your shoulder.

Only one person should work with the bird during initial taming sessions. Two people tend to distract one another and can make the bird nervous. The best trainers are those that truely have time to devote to the task. Parrots have individual personalities and some may take much longer to tame than others. Being impatient or inconsistent will result in your parrot possibly never being trained properly.

As you will see most parrots can communicate better than you would expect. Parrots prefer to get their affection in a physical fashion, words will not be enough to tame the bird. They respond especially well to touch. The training of a parrot is accomplished through both words and actions.

Over time, your bird will begin to trust you more. He will sit comfortably on your shoulder, hand, or finger, and may be playful. Now you can move your touch from his head toward his face or the back of his neck. Next, touch under and over his wings. This fondling will help form an attachment between you and your parrot, eventually enabling you to teach him tricks.

Parrots will naturally imitate sounds, including speech; therefore, you can teach your parrot to talk by talking and singing to it often. However, the attention span of a young parrot is short, so talking lessons should be only a few minutes long. Choose an easy-to-speak name for him, using long "e" sounds and hard consonants. Peter is a good example. During feeding times, clearly repeat his name for him to hear.

Parents teach young children to talk by speaking to them; the children learn by watching and listening. You will teach a young bird to speak in the same way. Just as young children learn to speak more quickly than adults learn a new language, a young bird will learn more quickly than an older bird.

A parrot is trained if it can do the following. The parrot will leave the cage when the door is open and step onto your hand. The bird will then wait until you transfer it to the stand. With a gentle nudge the parrot can be persuaded to step onto your other hand. When placed on the stand it will stay there without biting. Once a parrot is trained other members of your family can interact with it safely.