It happens usually gradually. Whilst still hand feeding, we also put a dish with various food items and a shallow water dish into the enclosure. Jackdaws are curious and will start exploring everything, including the food dish. To draw the attention, we hand feed by taking the food items we feed from that dish, so that the bird can watch where the food comes from. If interest is raised you can also slightly extent the time periods between feeds. When the bird gapes and expects to be fed, simply touch the beak with the food item and put it back down into the food dish placed in front of the bird. It might take a while to get the idea, so you have to continue to hand feed. Jackdaws might even beg and gape when they are self feeding, so you might want to watch from a hidden place and check if the bird is actually already eating independently. Check the amount of food taken from the dish and the droppings, to make sure the bird is feeding sufficiently before stopping to hand feed.

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