Most of us are taught to think about behavior in a straight line. Something happens, the bird does something, a consequence follows. Antecedent, behavior, consequence. It is a useful starting point. But it is also where a lot of trainers get stuck. When a bird starts...
When we talk about raising a well-socialized ambassador owl, we are not starting with training plans or behaviors. We are starting with the bird. That choice shapes everything that follows. Different species of owls come with different habits, preferences, needs, and motivation levels. The goal of...
I was so fortunate to have two animal loving grandmothers growing up. While it was hard to match what some might have called an animal obsession, their support has carried me well into adulthood. My dad’s mother had polio at age 26, confining her to...
This year, we were able to do something that fundamentally changes the trajectory of our work. In 2025, a single, transformative gift accelerated the Avian Behavior Conservancy’s research program by two full years—allowing us to establish a dedicated Conservation Biologist position far ahead of schedule. Today,...
Most people will never see a condor soaring over the Andes. Many will never stand on the cliffs of Big Sur and watch a California condor riding the ocean winds. Some will never even see the owl that quietly hunts over their neighborhood each night....
One of the core goals of ambassador training is deceptively simple: we want our owls to experience abnormal situations as normal parts of life. Over the years, we’ve learned that resilience doesn’t come from avoiding challenges—or from overwhelming birds with them. It comes from thoughtful exposure, timing, and...
Free flight is often talked about as a milestone. The epitome of trust and welfare when it comes to coexisting with birds. While this is not a framework we embrace, we do believe strongly in the benefits of free flight for the birds and people...
On Love Your Wetlands Day, our team had the opportunity to connect with the community around one of Southern California’s most important—and most overlooked—ecosystems: wetlands. Our birds Aldo the Great Horned Owl and Goldie the American kestrel went to the Love Your Wetlands event in...
When most people meet one of our conservation ambassador birds, they see an unforgettable educational experience. What many don’t realize is that those same birds have helped build the research foundation of Avian Behavior Conservancy over the last decade. Your support of our education programs has...
Most people think bird conservation happens in spring and summer, when birds are nesting, raising chicks, and filling our mornings with song. But some of the most critical conservation work happens in winter, when the landscape seems quiet and still. January might feel like the off-season,...