01 Oct Nuanced Approaches to Bird of Prey Training: Insights from the ABI Fall 2024 Bird of Prey Workshop
The focus of our Bird of Prey Workshops is to blend practical tips and philosophies that challenge traditional training methods. These workshops are kept small to allow abundant hands on training time as well as maximize the in-between moments, those critical conversations that happen between sessions or after presentations as we allow our brains to process something new. This is perhaps one of the most important concepts we have learned since Covid and have shrunk the size of our workshops and led to richer experiences for all.
This fall, we had some incredible themes revisited time and time again with our guests. We discussed nuanced views on fear and aggression in raptors, as well as progressive weight management strategies that support the bird’s well-being. We watched the light bulb go off several times, as we got in repetition after repetition of negative reinforcement sessions and capturing sessions with different species, using space as a reinforcer and practicing timing. Seeing the guests realize what a reinforceable behavior is and experiment with it is truly enriching!
Prioritizing Initial Behaviors: The Role of Crating and Weighing
When starting with a high-stress, free-lofted bird, one of the first questions is whether to focus on crating or weight management. After addressing the bird’s initial fear of people, the trainer shared the importance of building the behavior of stepping on a scale. This is not only useful for tracking weight but also as an essential skill for reinforcing comfort with small, controlled spaces. By practicing weight measurements early, the trainer gains insight into the bird’s health and condition when free-lofting, providing a benchmark, even if the bird’s precise body condition remains unknown.
Training the bird to step onto the scale offers more than just physical data—it introduces the bird to a controlled interaction with an object they might otherwise avoid. Whether using luring, targeting, or capturing behaviors, this act serves as a communication tool between bird and trainer. For example, with the ornate hawk eagle, the trainer allowed the bird to approach the scale at their own pace, using food as reinforcement without forcing interaction. This patient approach builds trust and familiarity, which ultimately makes future training easier.
Crating as a Challenging but Necessary Skill
Crating can be one of the most unnatural tasks for a bird, making it a challenging behavior to train. Unlike perching on a scale, crating requires the bird to enter a confined space, something it may instinctively resist. The workshop discussed various techniques for easing this transition, such as leaving the crate partially open to make the experience less intimidating or moving the crate into the bird’s space without creating stress. Crating is often a gradual process, but it’s crucial to prioritize calm, controlled experiences to avoid reinforcing fear.
Understanding Fear and Aggression in Raptors
One of the most nuanced topics covered was how to handle fear and aggression in raptors. These birds can exhibit a wide range of behaviors when they feel threatened, including defensive posturing, stomping, and grabbing at wires, as in the case of vultures. While fear and aggression are natural, it’s essential not to focus on these behaviors as the main training criterion when using the constructional approach. This takes practice and critical environmental set up to avoid sensitization.
The strategy shared during the workshop is to set up the bird’s environment in a way that minimizes fear-triggering situations. For instance, the trainer avoids reinforcing problematic behaviors like biting or aggressive displays by not directly addressing them in the moment. Instead, they build up the bird’s skills with other behaviors, creating a strong foundation for trust and cooperation. In this way, even if fear-based reactions happen, they become irrelevant over time as the bird learns more productive behaviors.
Progressive Weight Management for Birds of Prey
Weight management in birds of prey is often used to control motivation for training, but progressive approaches go beyond the numbers on the scale. The workshop host demonstrated how fitness plays an essential role, especially when working with birds that cannot fly or have physical limitations. For example, a golden eagle with a wing injury had developed a history of sitting passively during events. To motivate the bird without relying on weight loss, the trainer introduced predictable cues for stepping up. By tapping the eagle’s feet to encourage movement after it refused to step up the first time, the trainer reduced the bird’s baiting (attempts to escape) and made the experience more predictable. This approach reduced stress and improved the eagle’s willingness to cooperate without compromising its health.
Building Trust Through Communication
The underlying theme throughout the workshop was finding ways to provide consistent communication, building more reinforceble behaviors, and increasing degrees of freedom to enhance training programs and welfare. Whether it’s introducing a bird to new objects, encouraging calm behavior, or managing fear and aggression, making decisions before the sessions started helped us out tremendously.
This workshop shed light on the progressive methods that prioritize the bird’s emotional and physical well-being, offering a thoughtful alternative to traditional weight management and fear-based responses.
You can find out more information about our bi-annual Bird Of Prey Workshop here.