Tame VS Domesticated

Birds are special animals, and unlike dogs and cats, they are tamed, but not domesticated.

Domestication is breeding over multiple generations and selecting for characteristics and temperament over the course of many many years in a species to be better suited to living with humans.

Taming is working with a single individual and getting them habituated to interaction and conditioning them to interact with humans.

This means that birds are still mostly wild animals that allow us to be their friends due to repeated good interactions (also known as positive reinforcement without going into detailed training lingo and theory). This is why when birds are left alone for long periods of time, they can return to a “feral/wild” state, where they are less tolerant of the presence of humans and choose not to interact with them. This is why daily interactions and training are important. I see this a lot with green cheek conures; that once they hit their nippy stage, people quit working with them daily and they become little misunderstood terrors. But if you keep working with them, they can be some of the most friendly little birds. It’s not just the green cheeks, but most of the smaller birds that are easier to ignore, the ones that are already on the more skittish side, that take a lot of time to earn their trust like cockatiels, budgies, and lovebirds. Just because they are small, does not mean they need less care and attention than a bigger bird. Sometimes, I’d even say they need more attention and time.

The trust an animal 20 times smaller than you shows by coming to you willingly is some of the most rewarding things about bird ownership in my opinion. Kuba, our Blue and Gold Macaw, knows he can throw his weight around to get what he wants. He’s harder to ignore body language with because he can do some serious damage if he wants. My little guys at home rely on me and trust me because I don’t force them to do things they don’t want, I listen to their subtle cues that tell me to back off before they resort to biting to get my attention for whatever it may be.