So, you’ve found yourself with a feathery friend in the blocky world of Minecraft and are wondering, “Can I even train this bird?” While Minecraft doesn’t feature traditional ‘training’ for birds in the same way you might train a dog or cat in real life, there are certainly ways to interact with, influence, and essentially ‘train’ them to stick around and be part of your Minecraft adventure. This guide will dive into what you can do with birds, how to keep them close, and how to make them a valuable, albeit non-traditional, companion.
Understanding Birds in Minecraft
Birds in Minecraft, specifically parrots, are a relatively new addition and offer a unique interactive element. They aren’t pets you can command with a click, but rather creatures that can mimic sounds, follow you, and add a vibrant touch to your world. Understanding their behavior is the first step to making them feel like they’re ‘trained’ to be with you.
Where to Find Parrots
Parrots spawn in jungle biomes. If you’re looking to find one, your best bet is to explore these lush, green areas. They can be a bit elusive, often flying high in the canopy, so keep an eye out. Once spotted, you’ll need to approach them carefully.
Taming Parrots
The process of ‘taming’ a parrot in Minecraft is quite simple, but it requires a specific item: seeds. You can use any type of seed: wheat seeds or pumpkin seeds. When you approach a parrot with seeds in hand, you’ll see an option to feed it.
alt-text=Player taming a parrot in Minecraft with seeds, making it sit on their shoulder.
Feeding a parrot seeds is how you tame it.
Upon feeding the parrot, it will become tamed and will either sit on your shoulder or fly around you. This is the closest equivalent to ‘training’ in the traditional sense – you’ve made the bird friendly and willing to associate with you.
Making Your Parrot Stay Close: The Art of ‘Training’
Since parrots don’t have commands like “sit” or “stay,” keeping them with you requires understanding their AI and providing them with incentives.
The Shoulder Perch: A Parrot’s Favorite Spot
When tamed, parrots will often attempt to land on your shoulder. This is a fantastic way to keep them with you as you explore. They’ll fly off if you take damage or jump into water, but they’ll usually return once the situation is resolved.
Following Behavior
Parrots will generally follow their tamer, especially if you are moving through the world. However, they can get distracted or fly off if you move too quickly or enter certain environments like water. If your parrot flies away, simply find it and feed it seeds again; it should re-tame and stick closer.
Preventing Loss: Practical Tips
- Avoid Combat: Parrots are fragile. Any damage you take will startle them, and they might fly away. Try to engage in combat only when your parrot is not on your shoulder or safely at your base.
- Water Woes: Parrots cannot swim and will fly off if you enter water. If you need to cross a river or go underwater, it’s best to leave your parrot in a safe, enclosed area.
- Build a Perch: For a more permanent solution, you can build a small structure or a dedicated perch for your parrot at your base. This gives them a place to ‘stay’ when you’re not actively exploring.
Beyond Taming: Interactive Features
While you can’t teach a parrot to fetch or perform tricks, they have a unique ability that adds to their charm: mimicry.
Mimicking Sounds
Tamed parrots will mimic the sounds of nearby mobs. This can be both amusing and useful. They might squawk like a creeper, moo like a cow, or even howl like a wolf. This can serve as an early warning system for dangerous mobs approaching your base.
Parrots can mimic the sounds of other mobs.
Breeding Parrots
While you can’t ‘train’ them to breed, you can encourage parrot reproduction by feeding them seeds. If two parrots are near each other and fed seeds, they might spawn a baby parrot. This is a fun way to increase your flock if you find multiple parrots.
Conclusion: Enjoying Your Avian Companions
In Minecraft, ‘training’ a bird is less about command-and-control and more about building a relationship. By taming parrots with seeds, you make them allies. Keeping them close involves understanding their behaviors and providing a safe environment. Their ability to mimic sounds adds a unique interactive layer, turning them into more than just decorative mobs. So, head to the jungle, gather those seeds, and enjoy the companionship of your very own Minecraft parrots – your feathered friends in a world of blocks.
