Feather destructive behavior is one of the most difficult challenges we face as bird trainers and caretakers. It’s frustrating, heartbreaking, and complex. And if you’ve been there, you know there’s rarely a quick fix. At Avian Behavior , we’ve been living this reality with Rio, our...
When training feels stuck, it’s easy to zero in on the behavior itself — reinforcing more, adjusting criteria, or shifting mechanics. But often the real breakthrough doesn’t come from tweaking the behavior at all. It comes from stepping back and looking at the bigger picture:...
In the Avian Behavior Lab, we talk a lot about trust. Not the fluffy, motivational kind — the kind you build, step by step, when a bird that once hissed at your presence eventually chooses to lean toward your glove. This free loft training series focuses...
If you’ve ever looked at a tough behavior case and thought, “Where do I even begin?”—you’re not alone. I’ve been there, too. And not just with one species. I’m talking about cockatoos that scream sunrise to sunset. African greys with surgical bite precision. Raptors that...
If you’ve ever heard the words “just fly the bird on creance a few times and then you’re done,” I want to gently throw a creance line across the table and say, “Let’s unpack that.” The truth is, creance flying isn’t a one-size-fits-all stepping stone to...
Birds help us track environmental change, understand animal behavior, and even spark innovation in how we design and solve problems. Whether we’re talking about conservation, climate, or cognition, birds are at the center of some of the most important questions we can ask about the...
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...
Have you ever seen someone run at a flock of pigeons to make them fly or nudge their dog to move? It’s a pretty natural response. As humans, we often feel the need to prompt animals into action. But here at Avian Behavior International, we take...
We're starting a new segment for our weekly newsletters called "Trainers Corner". We will be highlighting key lessons from my consultations. Learning through others' experiences is a powerful way to grow as a trainer or bird owner because it allows us to see different approaches to...