Do you have a parrot that does not stop screaming and you don’t know why? Or has your bird suddenly refused to step up any more and you can’t figure it out? In an educational program at your zoo, does your bird prefer to sit...
Does My Pet Parrot Understand the Word No? When you say “No” to your pet parrot, dog, or cat, does he know what you mean? This is a common question we get asked when we are consulting with our clients with regard to problem behavior, and...
In the preceding article about parrot biting, we focused on how to stop bites before they even start. This means having a good understanding of positive reinforcement, learning theory, as well as ethology. It also means shedding the stronghold that myths can have in companion animal...
“How do I stop my parrot from biting my fingers and hands?” Heard this before? As parrot behavior consultants and animal training professionals, we have heard that many times. It’s no secret that parrots can deliver a pretty powerful bite. With a bill that is designed...
A question I get asked many times in parrot behavior consulting sessions and our on social media is how to train a parrot with food treats and positive reinforcement if it isn't motivated. How does one commence training if they can’t even get their parrot...
When you get a hawk like Casino, you have a feeling that he is going to be a bit of a risk. He’s an uncommon hawk to be finding himself for sale at two years old at a neighboring falconry facility. And yet, when I...
I was sipping coffee and reading the newspaper at my breakfast table before work only to be surprised by the soft, familiar click-clack of vulture talons coming down the hallway. A a fuzzy baby vulture face peered around the corner at me. It was Huxley,...
I wrote an article about the many risks facing companion parrot owners that were considering training their birds for free flight in 2014, and my conclusion was essentially “Please don’t.” The stipulation to that is that in-person guided mentorship is a critical component that is most...
This article is a reprint from our 2014 learningparrots.com article. This paper went on to be translated in to seven different languages, and I presented it in front of audiences in three different countries. On a given week, I find about three or four emails in...
In this age of the ever-expanding human population, we see so many headlines of people doing horrible things and animals bear the brunt of our callousness towards each other. The story of Plucker, my red tailed hawk that I hunt with for falconry here in...