28 Sep TRAINERS CORNER – How to Use Negative Reinforcement in Building Trust with an Imprinted Bird
We’re starting a new segment for our weekly newsletters called “Trainers Corner”. We will be highlighting key lessons from my consultations.
Learning through others’ experiences is a powerful way to grow as a trainer or bird owner because it allows us to see different approaches to solving challenges that we might face ourselves. By understanding the unique situations others encounter, we can better anticipate and address similar behaviors in our own birds. Plus, these real-world examples help to reinforce concepts like reinforcement, timing, and behavior modification in a tangible and practical way.
In this consultation, I worked with a client who had an imprinted bird of prey that was displaying territorial behaviors, particularly hissing and avoiding handlers. This behavior had worsened due to environmental factors, such as exposure to construction noise and inconsistent handling practices. Here’s what we discussed and how we approached retraining.
Understanding the Bird’s Behavior
The bird had started to associate hissing with getting space from people, as some handlers began to throw food without interacting. The high perch and lack of positive reinforcement further ingrained this behavior. With an imprinted bird, it’s essential to consider how early interactions and environment shape their responses to humans.
Step 1: Back to Basics
We decided to go back to basics with simple, low-pressure training. This meant lowering the perch to eliminate the bird’s ability to hiss from an advantage point and working on building positive associations with coming to the station.
Step 2: Applying Negative Reinforcement Thoughtfully
One key strategy was using negative reinforcement—removing pressure or offering space when the bird exhibited the desired behavior, such as looking at the handler or moving toward the station. This approach lets the bird know it can control its environment and avoid unwanted interactions through calm behavior. When the bird made eye contact or showed engagement, the handler would back away, reinforcing the bird’s decision to approach.
Step 3: Small Wins with Space and Trust
We started with small, consistent steps: approaching the bird, waiting for it to look at the handler or station, and then backing away as a reward. This careful use of space helped reduce the bird’s anxiety and territorial behavior. The handler used space as a form of reinforcement, and the bird gradually learned that it could trust the handler’s movements.
Step 4: Introducing New Trainers
The next step was transferring these skills to other handlers. As the bird grew more comfortable with its primary trainer, we began to introduce a secondary trainer, using the same low-pressure techniques. Over time, the bird’s confidence and willingness to interact positively increased.
Key Takeaways:
- Negative reinforcement can be a powerful tool when used correctly, offering the bird control over its environment.
- Building trust takes time, and small, consistent actions lead to long-term behavior change.
- Environmental factors, such as perch placement or noise, can significantly impact behavior.
This case highlights how tailored training and thoughtful negative reinforcement can help retrain imprinted or territorial birds. We dive deeper into this topic in our courses Working with an Imprint Hawk, Using Non-Coercive Negative Reinforcement, and our newest course Free Loft Training inside the Avian Behavior Lab! You can watch them now by joining the Lab – FREE for 2 weeks! Come explore our hundreds of hours of courses, live trainings, and experience our supportive community!
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