This episode discusses real life situations in which the very environmental variables I discuss had actual impacts on our birds' levels of motivation, like when Halley the Saker Falcon flew in colder weather. Even a bird designed for the steppes of Eastern Asia and Mongolia...
To say motivation is a broad topic is an understatement. But it can be confusing. We call unmotivated parrots insecure, unconfident, phobic, territorial...
Larue the crested caracara has taught us a lot of things, we wanted to zoom in the focus on three things here that are not only common issues as trainers, but are relatable no matter if you are working with a caracara, a hornbill, or...
Cockatoos can be really challenging and take a special home to keep them happy. When done right, they can be resilient and independent. Doesn't that sound odd? Independent? It's true, and cockatoo aviculturist Katy McElroy has spent decades working with them, observing them, breeding them, and...
If you have ever wondered about the right way to feed your parrot, how nutrition and exercise impacts an animal’s health-span, and how important foraging activities are for all kinds of birds, this is the conversation for you. Dr. Scott Echols has done extensive research...
Reprinted from our sister site, The Avian Behavior Lab If you have ever seen a bird of prey hooded sitting calmly, you might have wondered how a falconry hood works. Is the raptor calm because he is hooded or is he petrified in fear? Does it...
A human shoulder is a naturally wonderful place for a parrot to perch. She has everything she needs right there. A good view, good company, and the opportunity to go wherever her flock goes and see what her flock sees. For many parrot owners, shoulder...
As we progress in our animal training technology, there are many practices that we are re-evaluating and refining, and with good reason. As we have discussed in our blog, podcasts, and from Day One of our online membership, the extensive and pervasive use of weight...
If you have ever brought a new parrot home and asked the social media hive mind how to get your nervous new friend used to you, chances are good that someone has told you to pull up a chair and calmly talk, sing, or a...
Abbi is a thirty year old blue and gold macaw that has one eye and a fused wing after being attacked by a pitbull and never having proper veterinary care. He also did not like women and clearly had a preference for men. When the...