A confident ambassador owl isn’t just calm on the glove. They’re responsive, adaptable, and capable of engaging in public programs without signs of chronic stress. But getting there takes more than just “good handling.” It requires an intentional, behavior-first approach—one rooted in ethology, positive reinforcement,...
[fusebox_track_player url="https://traffic.libsyn.com/avianbehavior/78_Levi.mp3" ] In this heartfelt and insight-packed episode, Hillary Hankey sits down with winter intern Levi Soucek, a wildlife rehabilitator, educator, and outreach coordinator at the Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center. Levi reflects on her transformative 12-week internship at the Avian Behavior Ranch, sharing how hands-on...
Parrot adoptions are failing at alarming rates, and it’s not just because of biting and screaming. The real issue? We aren’t assessing compatibility in a meaningful way before a bird goes into a new home. Instead of relying on experience level, species preference, or the...
One of the most common questions we get at Avian Behavior Conservancy is whether our small owls—Tina, the burrowing owl, and Nigel, the screech owl—are babies. It’s an understandable assumption; after all, they’re small, fluffy-looking, and have that wide-eyed, inquisitive expression that makes them seem...
When you think of a vulture, you might picture a hunched scavenger circling ominously overhead or lurking by a roadside carcass. Maybe you’ve even heard the myth that vultures are dirty, dangerous, or waiting for something to die. But at Avian Behavior International, we’re on...
When we talk about giving effective feedback, what we’re really talking about is how we communicate as trainers, mentors, and leaders in the animal training space. What does it look like when we’re working together as a team, making sure we’re heading in the right...
If you've spent any time in the world of animal training, you've probably heard a lot about operant conditioning—reinforce what you want, ignore or replace what you don’t. But what if there’s a better way? A way that doesn’t just focus on controlling behavior, but...
As the weather warms up, the battle against bugs begins. Mosquitoes buzzing around your head, beetles in the garden, caterpillars munching on your plants—it’s easy to see them as nothing more than pests. But before you reach for the spray or swat that bug away, consider...
Weighing birds is one of those things we do every day, but it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking the number on the scale is the ultimate measure of whether a bird is ready to work. In reality, weight is just data—it tells...
[fusebox_track_player url="https://traffic.libsyn.com/avianbehavior/77_parrot_recall.mp3" ] This is an excerpt from our live parrot recall training, focusing on the pitfalls of over-training and the importance of recall in various scenarios. We share examples of a black palm cockatoo named Jupiter, whose wings were rehabilitated using falconry techniques, and a...