Secret Bird Language: How To Calm Your Bird INSTANTLY 

DovidZ same!

Not doing jerky movements is trick? Learning everyday

Forget the neighbours - you'll have the last laugh once you summon your army of crows!

Awesome, glad to be of service and welcome to the community! Nice art on your channel, btw :)

How lovely of you to say! Nice to see you again :D

Leporello the Goldfinch - Birdtaming Tips & Tricks awww^-^You too^-^

It really works! I do this, too, when Leporello starts quacking during my video conferences.

Awesome, congratulations on your new friend and well done calming him a bit already! :) All the tips on this channel are tried and tested, they work a charm as long as you're willing to put in the effort. Here's a good place to start: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-dWeoAsBdOFo.html Best of luck, let us know how it goes!

Leporello the Goldfinch - Birdtaming Tips & Tricks thanks! I will let you know how training is going!

Hi Calvin, thank you for your kind words and interesting contribution. I agree with you, birds certainly have names for us, too. Leporello's special call is in every video intro (0:16). - It always makes me happy to read from people who treat their birds well, and it seems that you and your love bird have a truly great bond. Greetings from Austria!

Hi Ellie, thank you for your suggestion - I'll definitely put this at the top of my video ideas list!

How lovely to see you here again - that is amazing news!! This made my day. I just checked out your recent video and clearly Gigi loves you very much!

A long time indeed, but I'm hoping to get back on a more regular upload schedule now that spring is here. Nice to see you!

Excellent! Keep up the great work!

Thank you so much!

Always a pleasure to see you, and to hear lovely stories about Gigi! :) I miss Leporello too when I go to work, so I bought a wifi camera just for the purpose of being able to check on him when I'm out. Can recommend! Regarding your Gigi's smarts, I think you hit the nail on the head a couple of months ago when you said that goldfinches have a very inquisitive, parrot-like character. It also makes me wonder whether human interaction/taming primes a bird's brain for capabilities that exceed those of wild birds. Tamed birds' abstract reasoning skills can be quite striking. For instance, when Leporello has a piece of string in his beak, he will exchange it for a hemp or sunflower seed, but never for nyjer or millet. Somehow he's got a hierarchy worked out with regards to what would be a good deal for him and what wouldn't.

Wifi cam on naughty Gigi.. I have ;) I check him out and even call him. Though when I call him he gets mixed up. How impressed I am with Leporello's 'dealing skills'. (A big wow). I mean so much reasoning going on in that little brain that he will only swap for a better deal. Amazing!! Most probably you are right that when a Goldfinch is brought up like ours, interacting with humans they do get smarter. We have more mental capacity then them so interacting with us stretches their brain further. Have a nice day.. off to work I go.. Cam set :-)

My pleasure! Sorry to hear about your grandmother - it must be very special to you to have Tito around! This playlist should help you with your taming efforts: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-dWeoAsBdOFo.html And yes, the next video won't take as long, promise! :)

Glad to be of service! :)

What a nice welcome, thank you! I've got a good video lined up for next time. Looking to get back on a biweekly upload schedule, so it definitely won't take as long as this one!

We missed you, too! Thank you and glad to be back :)

Hello back from Austria and greetings to Josie!

Thank you! :)

Hi there, all the taming videos on this channel work for a pair of birds and even a flock, too!

Aww! Thank you 😎

Awesome, welcome to this community! I love that you're doing research before getting your birds. Let us know how it goes! :)

Leporello the Goldfinch - Birdtaming Tips & Tricks hey! I just got my zebra finches! A smaller one and a larger one :) the smaller one is named Flame and the larger is named Miu! I keep doing the bird crunching sounds around the finches to calm them down :)

Congratulations on your two new companions!! OMG this is so exciting :) Miu and Flame are very pretty names!

Well done! Sounds like you've got a lot of empathy for the little fellow. Keep up the good work - your parrotlet will eventually return it a hundredfold :)

Thanks so much. He loves when I speak to him, he will tilt his head and close his eyes. He also loves cuddles before bed and you can hear him crunching his beak

Well done! There's a bird-taming playlist on this channel which you might also helpful in understanding your bird :)

I'm sorry for your loss. Hang in there :(

Thank you, we've been missing this place, too! :)

Nope, he actually hates bathing and will only bathe every third day or so, despite a fresh bowl being there every day! He does get dirty playing with his food (especially greens) but he always preens himself right afterwards.

Thank you, my absolute pleasure! :)

Leporello the Goldfinch - Birdtaming Tips & Tricks welcome

Hi there, congratulations on your first success! Boiled peas and corn are fine as long as they have been cooked without salt. Peas should be given in moderation, however, as they are hard on a bird's digestive system. - Nova is a really pretty name! :)

Leporello the Goldfinch - Birdtaming Tips & Tricks Thanks again, I was actually inspired to give my bird a beautiful name thanks to your finch.

My pleasure.

YES! That is such a plus to living with birds! :) I live alone, too, and it's nice to have a pet that responds to you when you talk with them. They bond really closely, too.

Leporello the Goldfinch - Birdtaming Tips & Tricks exactly! I love birds too! They're really cute and fascinating

I own a budgie and he sits on my shoulder

House-training only works so-so on little finches, simply because they can't hold it for very long! The best method I've found is to watch your bird closely when you're handling him and to place him back on his cage when you see that he needs to go. Every bird is different so it might take you a while until you figure out his particular body language. Eventually you two will reach a mind-meld stage where you'll just know! :)

My pleasure, welcome to the community! If only I knew how to say sorry in bird language - it's difficult! I suppose the only thing we can do is try to do better everyday and be a reassuring presence in the meantime :) Hope this helps!

Very true. A cage should always be placed against a wall, and at least one more side (not the front) covered. It makes it a lot easier for birds to relax.

@@leporellothegoldfinch yeay I was right !

Step 0: NEVER EVER DO THIS is you want your bird to trust you: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-b2Iic7zzGw4.html Step 1: Build a basic sense of trust with your bird (never skip this step!!!): ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-dWeoAsBdOFo.html Step 2: Make your bird eat from your hand: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Edx5XzvOrp4.html Step 3: One thing you should avoid when taming your bird: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-8gjS1LdIFv4.html Step 4: Start speaking bird language to your bird: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-bo4NFXGQwDg.html Step 5: Get your bird back into their cage easily: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-QAW4sE6o76Y.html Bonus: 3 Tips for Bonding with your bird: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-16NCYLfjw7o.html

Leporello the Goldfinch - Birdtaming Tips & Tricks thanks but I’ve watch all your videos. How long after getting him should I let him out of the cage

i-Bird sand here

Excellent! You're right, I think when we get "in sync" with birds, humans and birds are able to understand one another quite well.

Not all birds just this one i ❤ it he's so smart to understand his owner We think about our logic, but it still hides a lot to learn from/Believe me

YASSS! :D

Leporello the Goldfinch - Birdtaming Tips & Tricks Hi you are back i hope your studies are good the video was awesome loved it alot

+HugaBuga1 Long time no see! There's another one scheduled soon so I promise the next upload won't take as long :)

Leporello the Goldfinch - Birdtaming Tips & Tricks there is no need to promise take your time 😀 i also wanted to ask a question about my goldy, my goldy when i put my finger near the cage he would rush to it flap his wings like hes in excitement and then he would try to nibble my finger? whats the meaning of this does he like me ? wants to breed? im not sure so i came to you the best of all

you’re*

Cheers!

Thanks!

Leporello the Goldfinch - Birdtaming Tips & Tricks you produce tremendous and unique videos unlike almost anyone on RU-vid currently

The soft chirp is a flock call. Since Charlie does not have another of his own kind, he tries to be close to you at all times. This is problematic because in the wild, birds are never separated - unless one is dead. So if you leave, Charlie automatically assumes you must be dead. I need not say that this isn't good for him. Please think about getting him a cockatiel friend again, from what I remember the aviary you had is easily big enough to hold two.

Hmmm; sorry, i don't know, he's not the same bird race

Leporello the Goldfinch - Birdtaming Tips & Tricks good news we are finally looking for a cockatiel for Charlie the only thing is we want one from a breeder that is humane so it's taking a little

I'm sure this ranks pretty high on the "List of Things Best Not Googled"

Hi there, lovely to hear you and Zoro are well! Yes, claw growth can be a problem, because no matter what one does, in captivity a goldfinch's nails never wear down as quickly as they grow. I know how you feel - grabbing the bird just to clip his nails is a nightmare scenario, and while it's the safest way to clip claws, I definitely don't recommend it because it easily and permanently destroys the trust you've built. There's a simple way around it, however. Does Zoro ever fall asleep outside his cage? If so, and he's asleep, you can carefully turn on the light and clip the nail when he's sitting on the perch. He'll wake up from the snipping sound and you can only do one nail at a time, but this method is completely stress free. (Always cut a lot less than what initially seems a good idea, blood vessels run really deep into claws and you definitely don't want to accidentally cut one open.) Depending on how tame Zoro is, you can also get him to perch on your finger in the mid-/late afternoon when he is relaxed and busy preening himself... as long as he is calm and doesn't budge, you should be able to clip his claws in this situation, too. (This is how I mostly do it with Leporello these days.) Careful if he's skittish in even the slightest way - always go with your intuition on whether to clip or not and don't take risks! If you trust your gut feeling, you should be able to suss out the moments when he'll stay still enough.

Leporello the Goldfinch - Birdtaming Tips & Tricks Good evening and thanks for the confirmation of what I have been doing so far. It’s tricky but relatively easy to do but so difficult to take just a tiny piece off it’s so risky and always more is cut than I want! I did his back large claws today and will leave it a few days and do the front large ones. I don’t plan to do the smaller outter (do you do all or just the large middle?). I couldn’t find the private message facility on here you suggested to keep in touch easier, if you can please message me! Thanks for your help and incidentally as an opera lover I’m off to see Don Giovanni at the Royal Opera in June when I will hear the original Leporello! I have made you a new video of Zoro’s progress...

Leporello the Goldfinch - Birdtaming Tips & Tricks ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-AIDnO-qiTas.html

Hello there, thank you so much for your lovely video! Zoro looks delighted with all the entertainment he gets from roaming about and also the birch (another smashing idea). What a beautiful space for both birds and humans - modern and composed, yet profoundly in touch with nature. There's a little thing I noticed, and that is the sandpaper perch - one has to be careful with those, as they tend to irritate a bird's feet and can cause really nasty infections (they are illegal on the continent for this reason). They don't do much in terms of wearing claws down either, unfortunately. That said, excellent job on the clipping! Waiting for a few days between sessions is exactly the right thing to do - I take it you probably know that the claw's quick recedes after a week or so? If not, great intuition! And you're right, if you cut the largest claws, the smaller side ones generally wear down naturally, though if they don't it's fairly easy to correct, given that they are thinner and easier to clip. You're in for a treat with Don Giovanni at the Royal Opera! There are no words for how much I love Leporello's catalogue aria. Ferruccio Furlanetto sung it to perfection, but I digress... The private message facility of RU-vid is quite well-hidden - worst of all, it doesn't offer notifications so I never see any messages until a few months have passed and I accidentally stumble across it. If it's about your videos, I understand why you'd rather keep your private realm private, but may I just point out that you're doing such a brilliant (and aesthetically beautiful) job of keeping Zoro happy that surely a great many people and their birds would benefit from seeing them!

Leporello the Goldfinch - Birdtaming Tips & Tricks Good evening from us. Thanks for the tip on the sand perch covers, he has just two in his enclosure which I have now removed. Mostly his perches are birch with a few plastic ones. I introduced the sand ones along with some other things in the hope it would keep his claws in check but they were useless on a number of levels including most of the sand coming off when you install them! I notice you mentioned Leporello is not keen on bathing, Zoro would not bath for the first three months he was here then he finally took many over a two day period. Now he avoids the bathing for about 2 weeks or so then he takes many for s few days. He has had a partial moult over the last month and I guess his system is a little confused with the quality nutrition and sunlight including the lamp. I’m happy for you to digress on the music front. Furlanetto is my all time favourite bass (baritone before of course singing the catalogue aria). I have had the privilege of hearing him live many tines the best of which was as the king in Don Carlos and as Fiesco in Simone Boccanegra (Domingo was Boccanegra). He has a wonderful voice and he’s a great actor. I wonder if you like Jonas Kaufmann? I’m assuming you are also German btw? I was at the first night last year for his first ever Otello...wow. I could digress a lot on Opera!! Anyway I really appreciate your help and input thank from me and Zoro.

You are correct! Zebras especially must be kept at least in a pair, better yet in a small flock. They have one of the strongest flock instincts of all finches. - Goldfinches should ideally be kept as a pair, too, but Leporello was unsociable as a juvenile, which is why I got him in the first place (and since I'm at home for the largest part of the day, this works). Rule of thumb, most birds should be kept in pairs. Canaries and goldfinches can potentially do well alone but only if you've got 8+ hours per day to spend with them. Exotic finches like zebra finches however need a feathered companion, or they will fall ill and die very quickly.

Hi there, good on you for rescueing those birds, please don't panic! The biggest problem is that three male zebra finches will never get along, neither among each other nor with other species. You will need at least three female zebra finches for this arrangement to be harmonious - ideally in a large, separate aviary. If at any point you surmise that the zebra finch is about to hurt the gouldians or one of his brothers, and there really is no other way to prevent harm, you can grab him softly (!) and put him in another cage. Unfortunately there's no other way of separating the birds, so while grabbing is a big no-no in bird-taming, it needs to be done if it's the only way to prevent injury or death.

Thank you! I tried to be as gentle as possible and grabbed them with a clothe but because the cage is big it was a little bit messy. For now I only managed to separate the zebras from the gouldians, and everyone is doing fine. I know that it is always tricky to put males together but those three grew up together and are already one year old, the ex owner told me that they never had issues. I think it may be sad to separate them, but I'll keep an eye one them and I'll look for a new cage in case I need to do anything. I'm a little bit afraid that forming couples will increase the rivalry between them and cause trouble..

No worries, glad to be of service :)

Hi there, it depends on your bird. The best thing is to pay attention to your bird's body language and place him back over his cage/on a perch right before he has to go. Some birds will learn over time that this is the place for their business, some won't. Birds have a really fast metabolism and thus can't hold it in unless they're in resting mode. When they are excited, they need to "go" more often. It's just one of the aspects of bird ownership. - However, you can avoid many messes by offering your bird places to be (like a dedicated perch on your desk). It won't eliminate the messes, but it'll make them more manageable by mostly confining them to a single space.

There you go: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-gogzGXVKGvY.html

Hi Marilyn, sorry to hear about your bird. Unfortunately the condition you describe is a sign of illness. Please take your Gloster canary to an avian (!) vet as soon as you can to get him checked up. It's important to treat the root cause (illness) and not the symptoms (cleanliness).

Canaries aren't able to hate, your canary is merely scared. Start with this: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-dWeoAsBdOFo.html

Looking to upload this Sunday! :)

Leporello the Goldfinch - Birdtaming Tips & Tricks Sweet thanks!

Hi there, sorry it's taking me so long - life keeps getting in the way, but I'll be trying to get a video done this week!

Yes, definitely! You will definitely have to practise mimicking that sound, though, and repeat it when your cockatiel crunches its beak, so that your bird will understand you.

It works for all birds.

@@leporellothegoldfinch That's good to hear! Thanks!😊

Hi there, awesome that you're doing some research before getting a bird! I wouldn't recommend a goldfinch as a first bird - they have very specific, detailed requirements with regards to upkeep, lighting and diet, and most frustratingly for a beginner, they are very difficult to tame. The latter requires an insane investment of time in the first three to six months - at least an hour every day during the morning or early afternoon, which is a time of the day when most people work. Goldfinches are also incredibly sensible to stress, to the point that it becomes a common cause of death to them. A couple of commenters on this channels have sadly had their hearts broken when their beloved finch died on them for seemingly no reason a few months in (mostly due to inexperience in handling, feeding, lighting or a combination of the three). As for vacations, they too tend to be problematic with goldfinches as these birds get incredibly attached; for illustration, I've had Leporello for three and a half years and I've only been away for one (!) overnight stay during that time because I a) didn't want to put him under the distress of being left alone and b) couldn't find anyone I trust enough with the specialised care. The only real way to deal with that is to not go on vacations at all, which may not suit your lifestyle. Lastly, goldfinches can live up to sixteen (!) years in captivity - so they're a long-term commitment, not unlike a dog. There are quite a few birds who are just as colourful, curious and gregarious as the goldfinch, but easier to tame and keep - if you're interested, I could offer some suggestions. Again, thanks for your comment - it always delights me to see people educate themselves before committing to a bird, for this makes both birds and humans happier in the long run! :)

Thank you for the response! Wow! I definitely don't think I'd make a good goldfinch owner. What kind of bird would you recommend that is easier to care for? I'm home quite a lot (though I do travel a few times a year), and I'd be okay getting a pair as well if that would be better.

No problem, happy to help! :) It really depends on what you want out of a bird (or two) - a playful companion? A bird that enjoys being petted? A bird that sings beautifully? - Like most things in life, bird breeds are mixed bags; most birds that sing beautifully don't like being touched, and many "cuddly" birds can raise hell with their shrieking if they don't get the attention they feel they deserve (though that problem is greatly minimised with keeping a pair in most cases).

I don't mind a hands-off kind of bird that doesn't like being petted, and one that isn't super loud as I live in an apartment. I was thinking maybe a pair of society finches. Maybe a canary? After thinking about it more carefully, I think I'd prefer a bird that doesn't need lots of interaction. I'd probably be content just watching it/them. So it's important that I don't get a bird that feels neglected without human interaction. (I mean, it would be cool to have one that's really tame, but I wouldn't be able to devote enough time to interacting with it.)

If you referring to free flight (= out of cage time): Definitely. If you are seriously demanding that captive-bred birds with no survival skills be set free in the wild: This is lethal to captive-bred birds, dangerous to the native ecosystem and also illegal in most countries for this reason. Please educate yourself.

It's not enough to watch them, you actually have to do the things in them - including improving your own understanding of birds. Birds will never like having a hand behind of them, because this is how they protect themselves! They also take several weeks or months to warm up to people, because this is how they survive. Do read up about WHY birds behave the way they do, because nothing will be of use until you actually UNDERSTAND them.

They are definitely a finch's favourite, but I wouldn't say they are healthier than other seeds. They are certainly more fatty so they shouldn't be the only component of a finch's diet.

Yes.

This is your bird's way of signalling that they are lonely. Buy another one of the opposing sex and the problem will solve itself.

Thanks for the respond

But still I can't afford another bird at the moment is there a way to make him stop doing this?

Leporello the Goldfinch - Birdtaming Tips & Tricks does this problem take some time because my bird still does that although I brought what it wants

No, it took a big time investment and lots of patience. But it was worth every single second. When you tame a bird, you don't actually tame a bird - you gain a friend. And I don't know anything in life that would be more rewarding than that.

Take her to the vet NOW. Birds hide illnesses until things are severe, so please don't lose another minute.

Leporello the Goldfinch - Birdtaming Tips & Tricks She just started eating. And is moving around. She also started making noises. Do I still need to take her to the vet?

Leporello the Goldfinch - Birdtaming Tips & Tricks And I got her yesterday, today is the day she first sees me. So she was maybe scared?

If she's eating and acting normally, she's likely fine - but it's a good idea to keep watching her, especially when something seems wrong! (Intuition is very valuable with birds!) It's a good idea to give a new bird at least three or four days to get settled in - just change food and water daily, but don't interact with her, so she can get used to her new surroundings and doesn't associate the stress of moving with you as a person. After that, you could start with this: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-dWeoAsBdOFo.html Let us know how it goes!

Leporello the Goldfinch - Birdtaming Tips & Tricks Okay! Thank you so much for your help and advice. I will definitely let you know. But I have another question, since her water bowl is inside her cage (we are planning to buy a different one) I can't change the water because she gets scared when I put my hand inside the cage.. She has poop inside her water.

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