Hi,
It’s definitely to soon to put your hand near the booth. If this bird was not handfed, then you will likely have a long process of trying to gain the bird’s trust. At 8 months, there is no way to know if the bird is a male or female unless a blood test was run. IRN do not begin to change to adult colors until at least a year old, and it can take up to three years to fully develop the adult markings. So it may look like a female and still be a male. All IRN look like females for the first year.
I’ll give you the links to our behavior and training pages so you can better understand the bird and how to go about earning its trust. It can take weeks, months or indefinitely to tame a wild parrot, even if it was captive raised. If it wasn’t hand raised and tamed as a chick, it’s basically a wild parrot. IRN are notoriously hand shy, even when they are hand fed. You can continue to sit near the cage and talk to the bird. When the bird gets to the point that it takes an interest in you and seems to want to interact, you can try getting it used to your hands. Parrots are prey species, so if you reach or grab for a parrot, it thinks you are a predator trying to catch it. So if you move too quick, you can undo any progress you have made. Be patient, read all of the information, and take things slowly.
Pet Bird and Parrot Behavior
Teaching Your Bird
Thank you for asking Lafeber,
Brenda
