“How do I stop my parrot from biting my fingers and hands?” Heard this before? As parrot behavior consultants and animal training professionals, we have heard that many times. It’s no secret that parrots can deliver a pretty powerful bite. With a bill that is designed...
A question I get asked many times in parrot behavior consulting sessions and our on social media is how to train a parrot with food treats and positive reinforcement if it isn't motivated. How does one commence training if they can’t even get their parrot...
When you get a hawk like Casino, you have a feeling that he is going to be a bit of a risk. He’s an uncommon hawk to be finding himself for sale at two years old at a neighboring falconry facility. And yet, when I...
When we are out in the world with our conservation ambassadors, it’s common for raptors like Guinness the Eurasian Eagle Owl and Halley the Saker Falcon to get a big reaction. Birds of prey, especially owls, captivate us on many different levels and have done so...
I was sipping coffee and reading the newspaper at my breakfast table before work only to be surprised by the soft, familiar click-clack of vulture talons coming down the hallway. A a fuzzy baby vulture face peered around the corner at me. It was Huxley,...
I wrote an article about the many risks facing companion parrot owners that were considering training their birds for free flight in 2014, and my conclusion was essentially “Please don’t.” The stipulation to that is that in-person guided mentorship is a critical component that is most...
This article is a reprint from our 2014 learningparrots.com article. This paper went on to be translated in to seven different languages, and I presented it in front of audiences in three different countries. On a given week, I find about three or four emails in...
Barn Owls in Mythology and Pop Culture At our first ever Family Farm Day at Avian Behavior International on June 2, 2018, we learned how virtually anyone could set up a barn owl nest box in their yard and enjoy not only the thrill of watching...
In the spring and summer, we often get calls from members of our community about what to do when someone comes across a wild baby bird on the ground that fell or flew out of the nest. This is a really common problem, as accidents...
In this age of the ever-expanding human population, we see so many headlines of people doing horrible things and animals bear the brunt of our callousness towards each other. The story of Plucker, my red tailed hawk that I hunt with for falconry here in...