02 Apr Reading the Room: Why Energy Matching Matters with Parrots Like Kingston
You ever meet a parrot with so much energy it’s like they drank three espressos before breakfast? That’s Kingston, our blue-throated macaw. Gorgeous, smart, and fast. Real fast.
One of the most important things I tell people when they meet a bird like Kingston—especially on their first day—is this: your energy sets the tone for the whole interaction. If you come in hot, even with good intentions, Kingston will match that energy—and then some. And that can make things unpredictable real quick.
So we start slow. Like, molasses slow. Slower than you think, then slower than that. This isn’t about being robotic—it’s about helping the bird feel safe, regulated, and understood.
When we train Kingston, we start with target training, not step-up cues. Why? Because it lets us build trust, reinforce desirable behaviors at a distance, and set the pace. We ask for a simple touch of the target with the tongue—not a grab, not a lunge. And we reinforce smoothly with purpose. We don’t rush the food treat to his beak or we are likely to get bit. We always say approach slower than you think you need, and half as slow as that.
Here’s where it gets real: parrots like Kingston can have displaced excitement. They’re not necessarily aggressive, but they’re amped. If you move too fast, or if your timing’s off, that’s when mistakes happen—like a lunge, or a foot that gets where it shouldn’t. And then both bird and human walk away frustrated.
What we’re teaching the bird in those early reps isn’t just “touch the target.” We’re teaching: this is how we move around each other. This is what safety feels like. That’s foundational. Especially for birds who’ve had mixed experiences in the past.
Here’s the other thing: not all progress is linear. Sometimes you try a big leap—asking for a step-up, or a flight cue—and it doesn’t land. That’s okay. The bird’s crop is full, they’re over threshold, or they’re just not feelin’ it. We don’t force it. We just go, “Alright. Cool. Let’s regroup and try again tomorrow.”
At the end of the day, mechanics isn’t just about how you move around the bird. It’s about reading the room. Matching the bird’s energy. And reinforcing in a way that makes sense to them—not just to us.
Because when you meet a bird where they are? That’s where the real progress begins.
Want to learn more? Come train with us—live!
We host live training sessions three times a week inside the Avian Behavior Lab, where you can see exactly how we apply this work in real time. If you’re not already a member, you can join free for 2 weeks with the code AVIAN at checkout.
See the sessions, ask questions, and get the real-life context behind the techniques.
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