Well the truth is that most behaviors are a matter of consequences. And since we are the ones providing the consequences for our captive companion parrots, they learn from us how to behave. By accepting this one fact, we can now set a new course to be responsible for our parrot's behaviors and for helping them learn new positively reinforced behaviors. All we have to do is become better teachers.
We all know that parrots are intelligent. They have highly evolved senses, and they have the ability to remember the smallest details including place and time. Your companion parrot constantly scans the environment trying to read the signs, i.e. cues, to decide how to behave depending on past consequences. And with the ability to detect the smallest details and then remember them, your parrot is being taught new lessons all the time.
Here is where we come into the picture. We have to become teachers for our parrots. We have to setup the environment and the consequences to help them succeed in our homes. They want to learn, and we need to learn the skills that will make us effective teachers using the most ethical positively reinforcing techniques.
This is where Applied Behavior Analysis and professional training techniques come into play. By learning more about these, you will be embarking upon a new journey to become a positively reinforcing teacher for your feathered friend.
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I was wondering what behaviors you consider the most important to teach when you first get a bird.