Hands

I've had my tiel for a week and a half now. He loves people -- was literally hanging out on my head and shoulders almost immediately -- but is scared of hands. Funny thing is, he'll let me give him scratches all day long, but forget stepping up. You can see his little mind working whenever a hand comes close, trying to decide whether to lower his head for scritches or get defensive and shuffle away. I don't know his age or history, so he very well could have had a traumatic (or at least unpleasant) experience with hands at some point. If anyone has any tips for me on how to help him get over his fear, it would be much appreciated!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XfBmCR7zJ0

You can try it,but I dont know if it'll work.
I'm sure someone with experience can help.

Thanks! I have tried a little bit with the perch but he seems just as wary of it as he does of my finger. Almost seems pointless to bother with it. He will take millet right out of my fingers, even of it's just a tiny little nub. And he will sometimes step up for a few seconds if he intends to then hop to my shoulder or something.

The answer I'm seeking is probably just "time" or "patience"! haha. Still, I would love to hear from others who have been in similar situations with their birds.

I have totally been there. Just keep on treating him! Pretty soon he will learn that your hand is safe. He is probably just getting used to you and learning.

There's a few training methods you can try. One is stick training him. You teach him to step on a stick for a treat and once he's used to the stick, start having him step up on it closer and closer to your hand until he is stepping up on your hand instead of the stick. Another is target training. Get a thin stick or even a perch and hold it near him. Gently tap his beak with it and then praise him and reward him with a treat. Soon he will start touching the stick on his own to get a treat. You can try putting the stick out of reach so he will have to move around to go reach it. Eventually you can hold the target over your hand and he will hop on to touch it. It's a fun game for both of you and is great for bonding as well as step up training. Hope I helped! If you have any more questions just ask.