Heart to Heart with your parrot

When you have to reach up for your bird, you will often find yourself in awkward positions. An ornery bird may then take advantage of this and bite or climb away playing a game of catch. Your parrot knows when you do not have a comfortable hold and may show "Height Confident" behavior. 

Height Confidence is when the parrot is higher than you and takes advantage of their position. A height confident bird may charge from shoulder to shoulder along your back avoiding your hand when you ask them to step up. or a height confident bird may bite when you reach your arm up to their perch if it is higher than you. Often when a person has to reach up, their arm is not as stable as usual and the parrot notices slight shaky movements...even if the handler doesn't notice. 

I'll admit: I'm short, which means just about every cage and perch position even a small parrot higher than my heart. But even a person of average height has to reach up to get their parrot off a cage top perch or many of the parrot trees. Keep your parrot heart to heart or lower. This will help you avoided unnecessary frustration. Don't use your cage top perch and get a perch that is suitable for your height. One reason the Xerch Perch is avian vet recommended is because of the intentional height of the trunks. The tall Xerch Perch is just a little over 4' tall which would set a larger parrot, such as a cockatoo, African grey, or Macaw, "heart to heart" with most people. However, if you are 6 1/2 ft or taller, you can get a 6 foot tall Dragon Wood Trunk or a best sellers dragon wood set. These are very tall but sturdy parrot play stands.