This past month, we had a webinar on how to build motivation in birds of prey and published our article that outlines our weight management philosophies (or lack thereof, as it is in some cases!). Often we think of training birds of prey as fairly...
Do you have a parrot that does not stop screaming and you don’t know why? Or has your bird suddenly refused to step up any more and you can’t figure it out? In an educational program at your zoo, does your bird prefer to sit...
When I first started flying my parrots with my mentor Dean in the year 2000, I had never heard of weight management. Our version of creating motivation was flying before meal times and perhaps keeping a light dinner prior the parrot’s first flight and training...
Sundays! Aren’t they the best? Long lazy mornings in bed, sleeping while deeply nestled in your pillow long after the sun rises, and slowly opening your eyes to see the world already percolating around you? Not if you have a parrot, I bet you’ve been...
What do feeding ducks bread at the pond and our caracara, Larue have in common? Well, that's actually a trick question. You might have heard that feeding bread gives waterfowl a deformity called angel wing. The epidemiology is not exactly clear. But what we do...
What happens when we are excited to start training our parrots with positive reinforcement but they don't really seem to be motivated to do anything for food? How does one commence training if they can’t even get their parrot to make a move toward the...
In the preceding article about parrot biting, we focused on how to stop bites before they even start. This means having a good understanding of positive reinforcement, learning theory, as well as ethology. It also means shedding the stronghold that myths can have in companion animal...
“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...
I found a baby wild animal all by itself, what do I do? Would you believe me if I told you we see this question everywhere, and it breaks my heart when babies are “saved” unnecessarily. Now for a bold statement: if we love wildlife...
Does My Pet Parrot Understand the Word No? When you say “No” to your pet parrot, dog, or cat, does he know what you mean? This is a common question we get asked when we are consulting with our clients with regard to problem behavior, and...