October is usually our busiest offsite program month. Be it the spooky season, and people can’t get enough of our owls or school programming getting into the swing of the year. That means our birds are on the move. Our staff shifts our training goals...
At a recent Heroes 4 Wildlife conference, I shared insights about a training approach that's transformed how we work with our education ambassadors—particularly those "legacy birds" who came to us with compliance-based histories rather than choice-based foundations. Recognizing the Gaps We've all seen it. The bird who...
American kestrels are disappearing from North American grasslands, and we're running out of time to understand why. That's why Goldie matters. As our newest kestrel ambassador~~,~~ is helping us build the connection between people and her species that drives real conservation action. Right now, as she...
If you've been working with birds of prey for any length of time, you've encountered it: the bird that won't step up, the eagle that lunges, the hawk that retreats to the back of the mew. And if you're like most trainers, you've probably approached...
At some point, every trainer runs into it: the bird that suddenly won’t step up, ignores food it used to love, or bates when asked to do something routine. We’re quick to call this a “loss of motivation.” But motivation doesn’t just vanish. What’s really...
f you’ve ever watched a carcass feeding, you know it’s not a free-for-all. It looks chaotic from a distance, but up close there’s a very clear structure — a distinct role and order of feeding for each species. And if you’re a condor or another...
In 2013, we started Avian Behavior International as a mission-driven LLC. Our goal was simple: foster inspiration and connection between humans and birds for a better future for all. Over the years, our birds have flown thousands of demonstrations, raised awareness on five continents, and...
Feather destructive behavior is one of the most difficult challenges we face as bird trainers and caretakers. It’s frustrating, heartbreaking, and complex. And if you’ve been there, you know there’s rarely a quick fix. At Avian Behavior , we’ve been living this reality with Rio, our...
If you’ve ever joined us for a program at Avian Behavior Conservancy, you might have met Nigel, our Eastern Screech Owl. With his soft green eyes and perfectly camouflaged feathers, Nigel often steals the show. But what most people don’t realize is that Nigel represents a...
People often tell us about the pet hawks, falcons, or ravens they had growing up — wild nestlings they found, raised for a while, and later “released.” The hard truth is that those birds rarely survive. Once a young bird imprints on humans, it learns that...