How to Tether a Bird

Tethering birds falls into two broad categories: hunting birds and pet birds. Hunting birds such as trained falcons are tethered with jesses, or leather straps attached to the bird's leg. The jesses are then tied or clipped to a leash. Pet birds such as parrots are sometimes tethered with jesses but are usually trained to wear either a harness, which looks like a tiny parachute harness, or a bird diaper, which looks like a miniature wetsuit. The harness or diaper attaches to a leash. The hard part is not so much tethering the bird as it is getting the bird to agree to the tethering.

Things You'll Need

  • Nuts or other bird treats
  • Bird toy
  • Bird harness
  • Leash
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Instructions

    • 1

      Pet under your bird's wings. Teach your bird that after you lift up its wings you will pet under its wings. Encourage your bird to tolerate having its wings lifted by giving it nuts or other bird treats each time it lets you do this.

    • 2

      Hold your bird's favorite toy in your hand. Pet the bird's head and beak with the toy and practice wrapping your hand around its head and neck. Reward the bird each time it lets you do this.

    • 3

      Put the bird harness in your bird's cage. Encourage the bird to play with it. Substitute the bird harness for its favorite toy when you practice wrapping your hand around its head and neck.

    • 4

      Expand the belt of the harness that goes under your bird's wings and around its chest. All harnesses have a loop that goes over your pet's head attached to an adjustable loop that goes around its chest and under its wings.

    • 5

      Close all windows. Put the bird on a table in front of you.

    • 6

      Slip your hand and the front loop of the harness over your bird's head and neck. Reward the bird.

    • 7

      Scratch under one wing. Lift the wing and slip the expanded, adjustable loop of the bird harness under the wing and pull it tight to the bird's body. Fold that wing and reward the bird.

    • 8

      Scratch under the opposite wing. Lift that wing and slip the expanded, adjustable loop of the bird harness under the wing. Tighten the harness to your bird's body and secure it with the buckle.

    • 9

      Reward the bird. Attach the leash to the harness according to the manufacturer's instructions.