Breakthrough for Kokola

Miracle of miracles! What I've been trying for ages to get Kokola to do but he was too scared to, he's just achieved in minutes when I used positive reinforcement. He's always been too nervous to step up on my forearm, ever since he flew away by accident and learnt to fear the unknown (a couple of years ago now). Every time I'd tried to get him to step up, he just ran away.

This time, he was being reinforced for saying "Hello Kokola" and waving, and just when he put his foot on my forearm, I decided to extend the positive reinforcement I'd learnt and gave him his cashew nut reward. It wasn't long before he was putting one foot on my arm, then both feet on my arm, and soon he'd let me lift him off the cage (his security blanket), as long as I stayed close to the cage. I was amazed! He'd never have stepped on my arm before, let along stay on it. I realised I'd been building him up to it the last 6 months - when the only past occasions he'd step onto my arm was to hitch a ride from his cage to my chair beside it. At all other times he'd avoid my arm. But now, he's learnt to climb on at almost any time!

It's probably a first for me too - patience has not been my strength in bird training. Now I can see it pays off!