1. Start by gaining your budgie's trust inside the cage. Spend time talking to your budgie in a low, soothing voice. Offer treats from your hand and gradually move them closer to the perch your bird is on. As your budgie becomes comfortable with this, try touching its feathers with your finger. Once your bird is comfortable with being touched, you can start to encourage it to step onto your finger.
2. Once your budgie is comfortable with stepping onto your finger inside the cage, start practicing outside the cage. Choose a quiet room with few distractions and place your budgie on your finger. Keep your hand steady and close to the bird's body. If it jumps off, don't chase it. Just wait until it comes back and try again. Be patient and consistent, and eventually, your budgie will stay on your finger for longer periods.
3. Reward your budgie when it stays on your finger. Offer treats, praise, or head scratches to reinforce the desired behavior. This will help your budgie associate staying on your finger with positive rewards.
4. Practice frequently. The more you practice, the more comfortable your budgie will become with staying on your finger. Aim for short training sessions of a few minutes each, several times a day.
5. Be patient. Training your budgie takes time and patience. Don't get discouraged if your budgie doesn't cooperate immediately. Just keep at it and you'll eventually achieve success.
6. Use a target stick. A target stick can be a helpful tool for training budgies to step onto your finger. Simply hold the target stick near your bird's feet and encourage them to step onto it. Once they are comfortable with this, you can gradually move the target stick closer to your finger until they eventually step onto it.