Step 1:
First, wait until your bird performs the behavior naturally.
Hint: Observe your bird for several days and ask yourself, when does the bird usually do that? Is there a certain time of the day or something in particular that triggers the behavior?
Step 2:
Wait until the desired behavior occurs. When it does, immediately capture that behavior using a bridging stimulus and reward the bird with a treat.
Step 3:
Next, to predict when the behavior is about to occur and give a cue right before it happens. In other words, attach a verbal or visual cue before the behavior occurs.
Step 4:
Next, the behavior must be brought under stimulus control. This means that we will now reward the bird for making sound ONLY when we give the cue. We will ignore all other behaviors, making sound included unless it is cued.
Step 5:
Finally, let’s test your parrot to see. If parrot really knows what it means to talk and to see if we truly have the behavior under stimulus control?
Conclusion:
In order to capture a behavior and put it under stimulus control, we must first be able to predict when our birds will most likely perform the target behavior naturally. This exercise forces us to become more cognizant of our bird's body language. At the same time, the process of training allows us to build a common language that our birds can understand. Training not only enhances the human-bird communication spectrum- it makes it possible.