Instructions
Train your budgie in 10 to 20 minute sessions only, and do not let other people in the room. Longer sessions or additional stimuli can cause the bird to experience unneeded stress. During each training session, talk to your budgie in a calm tone.
Put your hand inside your budgie's cage, but stay away from the bird. Your budgie will likely sly around the cage somewhat frantically. Hold your hand still until the bird calms down. If this takes 10 to 20 minutes, do not continue with the day's lesson. Keep this principle in mind as you hand train your budgie.
Move your hand closer inch by inch until your budgie allows you to be close by without flying around the cage. Don't progress too quickly or your budgie will become overly stressed.
Touch your budgie's breast in front of the legs with your index finger. Say the "Up" command as you do so. The pressure from your finger should cause your budgie to step onto your hand. If your budgie gets frantic and flies around, you progressed too quickly and should take a step back in the training process.
Continue with the "Up" command until your budgie gets onto your hand when you say "Up," but don't touch the bird's breast, giving him the opportunity to respond to only the verbal command and not the touch.
Move your budgie out of the cage. Take this process slowly to keep your budgie from panicking. Understand that it is normal for your bird to fly away the first time he is taken out of the cage. Be sure to close windows and doors and cover mirrors as a precaution. Eventually, however, your budgie will sit still as you move your hand out of the cage.
How to Hand Train Your Budgie
A budgerigar is a type of parakeet that is commonly known as a budgie. This particular parakeet is often tamed and kept as a pet. Having a pet bird might sound fun and interesting, but you should not bring home a budgie until you have learned all you can about proper care and training and talked over the decision with a veterinarian. Once you get your budgie home, hand training will make having the bird a more rewarding experience.