When we bring out our Saker falcon Halley for a lure flight for guests, she comes out with a hood that covers her eyes. Guests love to learn more about her hood and why she wears it. This brings us a great a opportunity to...
In episode 73, we sit down with fellow science communicator Dr. Stephanie Rosenbloom who not only has a PhD in chemistry, but a keen interest in parrot nutrition. We tease apart the idea of the appeal to nature fallacy, that occurs when a person assumes...
When it comes to understanding intelligence in the animal kingdom, birds present a fascinating challenge. The world of birds is incredibly diverse. Where there are 6000- 7000 species of mammals, there are over 10,000 species of birds, each with its own unique set of behaviors,...
When you are bringing home a new parrot, is training your new feathered buddy the first thing on your mind? Or are you in the same camp as one of my clients, Matthew, who emphatically explained to me: “when I think of training, I think...
Over the years, my team and I have learned that while fly offs can be daunting, they also offer unparalleled opportunities for growth and learning in bird training. Fly offs happen for many different reasons, and it’s important to assess what you can and can’t...
There is a very well known debate in psychology as to whether nature or nurture informs our behavior. It turns out, this debate is common among animal behavior scientists as well. It turns out, both nature and nurture, or ethology and learning history, inform the...
Have you ever found a large molted feather, wondered who it came from, picked it up and took it home? Did you know that all feathers from native birds are federally protected, dating back to the time when birds like egrets, herons and songbirds were...
[fusebox_track_player url="https://traffic.libsyn.com/avianbehavior/72_fly_off.mp3" ] "If you are looking for guarantees with free flight training in birds, you are in the wrong place." In this episode, Avian Behavior International founder Hillary Hankey and ABI Animal Training Lead Katie Pnewski talk about how developing skills for birds and training...
If you’ve ever wondered why your parrot screams or how to train them to be well-behaved, this guide is for you! Let's start by thinking about screaming. Imagine your bird starts screaming because crows flew over. The crows leave, and your bird stops screaming. Seems simple,...
Owls make remarkable ambassadors to highlight conservation work, but they can also make for challenging training subjects and divisive ideas in the training community....