Some of our birds are work horses—and some of them are WORK horses when it comes to conservation education. Oakley the Harris’s Hawk, for example, is endlessly versatile. She's a class favorite in our Hawk Walk Falconry Experience, and for good reason. You get to see...
If you've ever looked up into the Southern California sky and thought, “Is that an eagle? Or maybe something escaped from the zoo?”—you’re not alone. In San Diego County, we’re lucky to share our cities, canyons, and coastlines with a wide variety of native birds,...
Choice and control are really buzzy words in animal training. Here’s the thing about how we use them in animal training: it sounds really nice in a conference slide or an Instagram caption. But when you’re out there in the aviary or standing in front...
It’s that time of year when our skies are full of travelers—songbirds, shorebirds, waterfowl—millions of them flying under the cover of night as they migrate north for spring. And as magical as that sounds, there's a very real problem they face along the way: light...
It’s that time of year when people start making decisions about their next ambassador owl. Whether you’re raising a young bird or reassessing an existing one, the question always comes up: “Can this owl be trained?” I recently had a consult with a wildlife rehabber that zeroed...
There’s something that really stops you in your tracks when you meet Ripley, our spectacled owl. You might notice her soft, hoarse hoots or the calm way she just hangs out—but if you take a closer look, you’ll see tiny feathers around her beak. And...
You ever meet a parrot with so much energy it’s like they drank three espressos before breakfast? That’s Kingston, our blue-throated macaw. Gorgeous, smart, and fast. Real fast. One of the most important things I tell people when they meet a bird like Kingston—especially on their...
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...