The Avian Behavior Podcast: Recent Episodes
Hillary Hankey
If you are into animal behavior and positive reinforcement training, you're in the right spot. World renown animal behavior consultant, falconer, and educator Hillary Hankey dives deep with conversations and case studies on parrots, birds of prey as well as horses, dogs and all kinds of animals on topics of behavior as well as nutrition, ethology, and problem solving.
What should you do when a bird of prey avoids the trainer, flushes during an approach, or will not step onto the glove? Where do you even start with a bird of prey?
Before focusing on the step-up, take a closer look at the environment. Housing, perch placement, privacy, approach paths, and opportunities to move away can all affect whether a bird is able to learn and participate.
In this lesson, I use the early training of an African Fish Eagle to explore:
• How to assess a bird's environment, temperament, and learning history • Why immobility is not always calm behavior • How inappropriate housing can increase avoidance • How space can function as a reinforcer • Why trainers should build movement and husbandry skills before prioritizing the step-up • How a broader behavioral repertoire gives a bird more ways to succeed
Although this lesson features an African Fish Eagle, these principles apply broadly to hawks, falcons, eagles, owls, vultures, and other ambassador birds that are difficult to approach or reluctant to engage. We rely on principles based on the constructional approach and using space as a reinforcer, starting off by rating birds on an avoidance scale from 1-5 that helps us formulate a starting point.
This podcast episode is adapted from Building Confidence with Birds of Prey, a course in the Avian Behavior Lab.
Download our free Environmental Learning-Support Workbook here
This video is adapted from Building Confidence with Birds of Prey, a course in the Avian Behavior Lab. You can get your free 14 day trial with the code AVIAN
This is an excerpt from our Masterclass on How to Raise an Ambassador Owl. We added this lesson after fielding many questions about quarantine procedures, and wanted to ensure that an ambassador owl would still have a viable start to their career in conservation education. Here we cover specific signs of illness, potential practices that can lead to stress, and what to do if your facility puts your new ambassador under strict quarantine protocols. For visuals, you can check out our video.
For the full Masterclass, check out https://avianbehavior.thinkific.com/courses/owl-ambassador
For more classes in our subscription based online learning program, use the code AVIAN for a free 14 day trial https://avianbehaviorlab.com
For free resources, including our podcast, blog, and best practice guidelines, check out https://avian-behavior.org
What does it mean to be an expert, and what happens when expertise becomes a shield from scrutiny rather than a commitment to precision?
In this episode, Hillary examines the role of authority, rhetoric, and responsibility in professional animal training spaces, especially as conference season brings new ideas, disagreements, and uncomfortable conversations to the surface. Prompted by recent concerns from trainers who felt confused or unsettled by remarks at a professional conference, this episode draws a careful line between scientific discourse and rhetorical labeling.
Here we ask broader questions about what our community should expect from its leaders. How do we assess skill without moral ranking? How do we talk about positive and negative reinforcement without turning functional processes into ethical identities? And how do we create professional spaces where newer trainers, women, consultants, employees, and others with less social power can ask questions without fear?
Hillary discusses the problems with vague categories like "grade school" trainers, and why labels like these do not tell us anything meaningful about fluency, judgment, safety, or the animal's learning. She also revisits the constructional approach, clarifying that it is not about "replacing" behavior or choosing one type of reinforcement over another, but about building repertoires, identifying functional contingencies, and expanding degrees of freedom.
The episode then pivots toward stronger models of skill assessment, including the Dreyfus model, as a more useful way to evaluate trainer development through observable criteria, contextual judgment, autonomy, adaptability, and standard of work.
At its heart, this episode is a call for more rigorous, compassionate, and accountable leadership in the animal training field. Expertise should make us more precise, more open to revision, and safer to learn from — not harder to question.
This episode is a conversation between friends Simone Lupson-Cook, Lauren McGough, PhD, and Hillary Hankey about what mentorship means to them, growth through falconry over the years, and how to navigate complex relationships. Set on a sunny outdoor deck while casually bird-watching and enjoying morning coffee on a warm winter morning in Southern California, this long conversation invites the listener to celebrate curiosity with bird behavior and learning.
Come learn with us in the Avian Behavior Lab. Guided courses, private forum, and live trainings with dozens of bird species. Free 14 day trial with the coupon code AVIAN.
Explore the transition from traditional to choice-based training for ambassador raptors with Hillary Hankey. This professional discussion is a presentation from the 2026 NWRA conference that looks into evolving welfare standards, the science of behavior, and the distinction between coercion and choice. Learn about the benefits of choice-based methods, including reduced stress and improved feather condition, and understand the strategic steps for successful implementation in avian programs.
For a free 14 day trial of the Avian Behavior Lab, use the code AVIAN
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 progressive training experiences reshaped not only her approach to ambassador bird care—but also reignited her passion for the work.
We explore:
- What it means to truly train with positive reinforcement (beyond the buzzwords)
- The power of choice-based training and offering degrees of freedom
- Levi’s “aha” moments while working with challenging birds like a Great Horned Owl and Andean Condor
- How foundational concepts finally clicked in real time
- Practical takeaways she’s bringing back to her rehab center—from training strategy to team communication
This episode is also a reflection on team dynamics, mentorship, emotional labor in animal care, and what it means to feel valued and connected in your work. Whether you're a rehabber, falconer, educator, or companion parrot trainer, Levi’s story will leave you inspired, informed, and energized to take your own training to the next level.
You, too, can become a member of the Avian Behavior Lab. Start off with a free 14 day trial with coupon code AVIAN
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 24-year-old cockatoo named Henry, who was initially clipped. Hillary emphasized the need for systematic and methodical training, avoiding forceful interactions, and using neutral or positive reinforcers. She highlighted the importance of generalizing recall to different environments and surfaces, and the potential issues of circular reinforcement. She also addressed specific questions about training a blue and gold Macaw, stressing the need for space and appropriate training methods.
Come join us in the Avian Behavior Lab with a free 14 day trial using the coupon code AVIAN
Traveling long distances with your parrot doesn't have to be stressful. We have moved cross country with our bird family many times. What happens if your bird hates the dark, like one of our palm cockatoos did? What about hotel stays or what supplies to bring while traveling with your parrot? What crate do you travel in? We have you covered with this guide, plus the bird food pumpkin pie story that Hillary's family still tells over 20 years later.
Try out the Avian Behavior Lab with a free 14 day trial with the code AVIAN
Check out our YouTube Channel for more info
Our Fall 2024 Bird of Prey Workshop focused on key topics such as managing fear and aggression in raptors using the constructional approach and non-coercive negative reinforcement and using progressive weight management techniques. Handling fear-based reactions, like those seen in a juvenile bald eagle, requires careful arrangement of the environment and building skills with your bird to have more reinforceable behaviors. The workshop also highlighted the importance of fitness and motivation over strict weight control, ensuring the bird's health and well-being remain a priority.
Get on our email list for more news, behavior tips and announcements.
Join the Avian Behavior Lab with a free 14 day trial using the code AVIAN
Training your bird for transportation isn't just an important part of education programming, it's a good life skill to have. For wildlife rehabilitation organizations, nature centers, and other small bird of prey centers, this is an essential skill that trainers rely on. For companion parrot people, this is an important behavior to trainer before it is needed in case of emergencies. This episode is an excerpt from our roadmap on Your Bird's First Education Program inside the Avian Behavior Lab. It's full of tactical advice on how to shape calm behavior for riding comfortably in a crate in a vehicle. We talk about what to do about tidbitting, why we don't use food very much to shape this behavior, and what we use to reinforce with instead. We discuss challenges with equipment and how to use context to shape the behavior.
Support courses in the Avian Behavior Lab include our latest updated version of Crate Training, the roadmap, Creating a Training Program, and How to use context to shape a behavior.
Looking to the wild for answers is a common refrain among bird people when it comes to care advice, particularly nutrition. And while this concept seems well grounded in science, the actual practice is much more complex and nuanced. For parrots, we don't always know what, how, or why the eat what the eat. And when we do know, replicated the conditions and food stuffs can be impossible for those of us who have parrots in our care.
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 that what is natural is good and true, without considering the effects of their actions on the environment. We discuss a recent post that went viral on social media about parrots eating meat and other topics about diet and further into philosophy.
For more of Stephanie's talks, you can check out https://avianbehavior.thinkific.com/courses/avocet-2024
"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 staff around fly offs has been instrumental in their practice as team leaders. A practice of safety and growth doesn't come from expecting mistakes not to happen, it comes from preparing for them to happen and getting the most out of the experience when you are working through a solution. In free flight, you learn that true growth comes from being in uncomfortable situations.
Our Handling a Fly Off course is dropping in the Avian Behavior Lab. Sign up for a free 14 day trial with the code AVIAN.
Owls make remarkable ambassadors to highlight conservation work, but they can also make for challenging training subjects and divisive ideas in the training community. We have remade our entire Owl Ambassador Masterclass to reflect the nuances among species differences and address some of the challenging conversations around parent raised owls, rehab vs captive bred ambassadors and even falconry equipment.
To access the Raising an Owl Masterclass, check it out here: https://avianbehaviorlab.com/masterclass-owl-sales/
For a 14 day free trial of the Avian Behavior Lab, use the code AVIAN https://avianbehaviorlab.com
Having a parrot with extremely complicated screaming, attacking, pair-bonded behavior that won’t let you out of their sight without an intrusive cascade of undesirable behaviors can be a problem for the entire household. It also means layers of stress when you are torn between appeasing your parrot and your family. This excerpt from our deep dive masterclass series for members of the Avian Behavior Lab helps us look at the angles of this complex issue and how we tease apart which challenge we take on first from a science-based perspective. This series was extremely enriching, and we know you will glean some actionable details from the science here.
Sign up for our newsletter for your latest bird nerd information!
For more information on how we avoid using restrictiveness and intrusiveness as metrics, check out Episode 58
For AvOCET 2024 information, check out our registration page.
Stay up to date on our workshop schedule here.
This interview with Gail Buhl from the Minnesota Raptor Center and Partners for Wildlife is a thoughtful journey filled with raptor behavior tidbits, the evolution of operant conditioning in bird behavior management, raptor rehabilitation, imprinting and so much more.
We talk about how working with rehabilitated birds of prey provides such a unique tapestry that has informed our progression as trainers to humane methods of choice based training, and Gail's owl mentors in her work with small owls. We go into depth about how providing these crucial contingencies gives our birds a language that they learn to rely on.
For information about AvOCET, of which Gail is a speaker, check out our events page.
The University of Minnesota Raptor Center Raptor Academy Care and Management Workshop registration is here.
The How to Raise and Owl Ambassador Masterclass is here.
Join the Avian Behavior Lab for a free 14 day trial with the code AVIAN to try out all of the features essential for your growth as an avian care provider.
We are going to talk about an old school term in weight management of free flying and ambassador birds, and that is ad lib weight. Another term might be trap weight or base weight. Reason why this is old school is that for some people implies your bird has this same reference weight throughout their lives, regardless of muscle tone, seasonality, and age and it can be downright dangerous. There are many issues with ad lib weights, such as how we figure it out without coercion or restraint, the assumption that all birds can achieve steady state, and that some birds come from a place of food trauma. Not to mention that use prescriptive numbers to assess health can be problematic. Let's level up!
We look at many different metrics that help us cross reference a dynamic set of reference weights across the seasons that help us identify healthy birds and high welfare.
If you know us, we are going to discuss with you actionable, practical science based training tips that help you level up your training program that you can put into place right away. This podcast is from our bonus class from our Avian Behavior Lab Masterclass on Progressive Weight Management that we did on a YouTube livestream. Be your best with birds, and join us for lively discussion on deep topics.
You can attend all of the masterclasses with a free 14 day trial of the Lab with the coupon code AVIAN.
Check out this entire class on Youtube
What did we learn about birds in 2023? What was the big bird news of the year? (or, Simone and Hillary talk about owls)
Hillary sits down with fellow falconer, bird lover, and owl enthusiast Simone Lupson-Cook to talk about our favorite facts about bird behavior, ethology, conservation, and more that we learned about birds this year. From birds in the news, our visit to the Raptor Research Foundation Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and reading books together, we share our favorite facts that we have come across, from snowy owl talons, barn owl math, Succession, and the many many threats that face birds globally past and present.
For links to relevant books and works cited, visit our full show notes page. To see how this work fits our behavior and training work, try out the Avian Behavior Lab for free for 14 days with the code AVIAN
Lead poisoning is a really big deal for wildlife, and Southern Ground Hornbills appear to be particularly sensitive to lead levels in the blood. In August, Avian Behavior International visited the Mabula Ground Hornbill Project in South Africa to identify some key behavior objectives to enhance the reintroduction strategy for the Southern ground hornbill. This bird has one complicated life strategy, punctuated by a long life and intricate social structure.
If you are interested in how ethology impacts your work with conservation ambassadors, check out the Avian Behavior Lab, where we discuss the science of behavior and how it impacts our reinforcement strategies. Use the code AVIAN for a free 14 day trial.
Notes and references for the just a small portion of Dr. Kemp's extensive hornbill work that also went into Hillary's report on the show's page
Dr. Kemp spoke at the first annual Avian Online Conference for Education and Training, AvOCET, hosted by Avian Behaivor International. The second conference is being held April 26-27, 2024 with amazing speakers as well!
We sat down with Paige Sutherland, Director of Wildlife Programs at Shavers Creek Environmental Center in Pennsylvania for a powerful discussion on wildlife training programs. This far ranging conversation stretched from challenges of family life in the animal care field to how to organize your time as a program leader. We have the pleasure of working with Paige more deeply through our Owl Ambassador programs and exclusive mentorship this past spring and our Advanced Animal Training and Behavior Workshop this November 2023. For more information on our programs for 2024, you can check out the 2024 workshops
Or our email list
Our How to Raise an Owl Ambassador Masterclass is extremely popular.
News flash, if your bird is attacking you, it probably doesn't mean that they hate you. What it does mean is that we have a lot in our relationship to unpack, from environmental conditions to expectations. When parrots in our homes come at us, either from the ground or on the wing, it can be really scary. Even cockatiels and small conures can pack a punch with those little beaks. Bird drama also can cause family drama, and no one wants to feel unsafe in their own home. We talk about behavior advice that belongs in the Dark Ages and why it is keeping you from success, we get real with how to realistically approach this problem, and we introduce our free challenge, Stop Attacking Me! Join us with the live version starting October 1 2023, or whenever you can!
As always, enjoy a free trial of the Avian Behavior Lab with the code AVIAN at https://avianbehaviorlab.com
Karla Bloem, Executive Director of the International Owl Center in Houston, Minnesota, and Hillary have a fascinating conversation about owl vocalizations and Karla's journey with Great Horned Owl behavior. They discuss owl behavior observation influences, species differences, reinforcement strategies and all things owl. This conversation will fascinate any professional or amateur owl enthusiast.
If you have yet to take one of our free challenges or just want awesome bird information, sign up for our newsletter.
For more information on ABI's Advanced Animal Behavior Workshop, check out our few spots left here.
For the International Owl Center Conference, you can get information here.
Sign up for their awesome newsletter here.
Hillary answers more questions from a workshop regarding how to prepare a bird for a program, are we friends with our birds, how to know when you are doing more harm than good and much more. We get philosophical on this one!
For more information on our upcoming Advanced Workshop in November 2023, check out this page for registration and details
Welcome to the Avian Behavior Podcast, where we bring innovative approaches to progressive animal training and behavior, wildlife conservation, bird nutrition, and all things avian. We appreciate all of the supporters who have helped us fund our collaboration in South Africa with the Mabula Ground Hornbill Project coming up in August.
You can still get your trouble-making hornbill merch and much more!
You can make the most impact with a small donation to GoFundMe
You can get your Hornbill swag here
Caracara shirts are one of the most popular
The full page is here.
Hillary answers questions from a workshop regarding do's and don'ts on building relationships with birds of prey, what to do about a kestrel that attacks the bait bag, weight managing owls, and more. For more information on our upcoming Advanced Workshop in November 2023, check out this page for registration and details
Welcome to the Avian Behavior Podcast, where we bring innovative approaches to progressive animal training and behavior, wildlife conservation, bird nutrition, and all things avian. We appreciate all of the supporters who have helped us fund our collaboration in South Africa with the Mabula Ground Hornbill Project coming up in August.
You can still get your trouble-making hornbill merch and much more!
You can make the most impact with a small donation to GoFundMe
You can get your Hornbill swag here
Caracara shirts are one of the most popular
The full page is here.
We sit down with good friend and well known aviculturist Dick Schroeder to talk about what we can learn about working with the Southern ground hornbill in a variety of different ways. Dick is a celebrated member of the avicultural community, he has raised numerous hornbill species, including over a dozen Southern Ground Hornbills (baby Kipling was his eighth!). He has boards seats, first time breeding awards, speakerships, and other accolades all over the world in aviculture. We talk about community and the importance of working together.
This conversation kicks off our fundraising campaign for our efforts to work with the Mabula Ground Hornbill Project this coming August. Help us reach our $4000 goal and enhance the release and monitoring program.
The website is https://avian-behavior.org/hornbill/
Our Patreon is https://Patreon.com/avianbehavior.
Our two favorite subjects, owls and raising ambassadors. Owls are considered flagship species, which means that while they may not necessarily be directly endangered, they are species chosen to raise support for biodiversity conservation in a given place or social context. This means that due to their widespread appeal, they have the capacity to draw in an audience to more complex issues related to their ecosystems and less charismatic components. What this also means is that they can act as flagship individuals for education programs. We often say people come for the owls and stay for the vultures.
But raising an owl for life as ambassador is challenging, even to be a glove bird. We want the bird's presence to reflect the care and expertise that the organization requires. In this episode we discuss what this looks like in the beginning stages and how the many mistakes we made led us to our mission of raising ambassadors over ten species of native and non-native owls.
You can sign up for the Masterclass of How to Raise an Ambassador Owl
and you can also find our exclusive, limited seats only 4 week live mentorship, Train with Me - Owl Ambassador Training and learn the ins and outs of this intricate and incredibly important process.
Join us with a free 14 day trial in the Avian Behavior Lab with the code AVIAN
We are going to be talking about how LIMA (least intrusive, minimally aversive) and the humane hierarchy structure stopped serving me in my animal behavior progress, what got me there, and how I help my clients instead. We take a HUGE look at how it's not uncommon in science for us to wittingly or unwittingly select the results that we want to move our hypothesis along, and this can have enormous results in health, nutrition, and yes, animal behavior.
To purchase the entire conference of AvOCET on demand: https://avianbehaviorlab.com/avocet-conference-recording/
The full video is here
► Having issues with your bird not stepping up on your glove or approaching you? Take the free 7 day fearful and aggressive Challenge https://avianbehaviorlab.com/fear-and-aggressive-behavior-challenge/
► Learn the Fundamentals Of Animal Training https://avian-behavior.org/39-2/
►Shop our Amazon Store for bird supplies https://bit.ly/3QWjjJR
► Join a community of passionate bird owners and learn from hundreds of hours of science and behavior based on demand courses and live trainings - FREE for 2 weeks!
Subscribe to Avian Behavior here: https://www.youtube.com/avianbehavior
Our mission at Avian Behavior is to strengthen the connection between animals and the humans that care for them with the most progressive and positive reinforcement techniques.
Sources
Scientific Method
Monsanto study with Stanford University
https://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/0518p38.shtml
P hacking:
Maintenance Phase School Lunches, P Hacking, and the Original "Pizzagate"
Buzzfeed News article
In this session of our Behavior Makeover Series, we work with a rehabilitated non-releasable raven that is showing a lot of avoidance behavior around his trainer. We create a behavior shaping plan using non-coercive negative reinforcement instead of counter conditioning or systematic desensitization to build the raven's trust. This works on all species, from parrots to eagles and mammals too. As always, follow your local and federal laws when working with native and exotic species and we do not condone rescuing wild birds without proper permits.
For more bird training and behavior tips:
► Having issues with your bird not stepping up on your glove or approaching you? Take the free 7 day fearful and aggressive Challenge https://avianbehaviorlab.com/fear-and-aggressive-behavior-challenge/
► Learn the Fundamentals Of Animal Training https://avian-behavior.org/39-2/
►Shop our Amazon Store for bird supplies https://bit.ly/3QWjjJR
► Join a community of passionate bird owners and learn from hundreds of hours of science and behavior based on demand courses and live trainings - FREE for 2 weeks! https://avianbehaviorlab.com
Connect with Hillary on Social Media Instagram: https://instagram.com/avianbehavior Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/avianbehavior Podcast: https://avian-behavior.org/podcast Subscribe to Avian Behavior here: https://www.youtube.com/avianbehavior Our mission at Avian Behavior is to strengthen the connection between animals and the humans that care for them with the most progressive and positive reinforcement techniques.
In this final part of our series with Dr. Scott Echols, board certified avian veterinarian, we cover A LOT of ground in terms of avian health and welfare. If you want the straight science about how to get your bird exercising, even in terms of rehabilitated wildlife, diet management, and osteoporosis, we talk about it all. Dr. Echols is as always, so generous with his time and information, and we are forever grateful.
To sign up for AvOCET 2023, the Avian Online Conference in Education and Training and learn more from Dr. Echols and other incredible minds in avian science, check out our conference page.
Join the Avian Behavior Lab with a Premium Membership with all of our features, including a bottomless library of courses, a private forum for expert feedback, and live classes with a free trial using the coupon code AVIAN.
If you want to discover more of our courses and challenges, you can find them here
Working with rehabilitated birds of prey as education ambassadors is rewarding work, but it can be fraught with challenges as well. From working with unruly (and opinionated!) audiences to dealing with heartbreaking avian losses and health issues, it can feel thankless at times. In this episode, we focus on two big issues: working with a volunteer staff and sensitive birds coming from a place of trauma. Volunteers are the backbone of many wildlife rehabilitation centers, and their work is crucial to the survival of so many birds. But managing a volunteer staff can have unique obstacles when it comes to working with sensitive education birds as well.
We still have spots in our Bird of Prey workshop at the beginning of March 2023
Our virtual conference AvOCET is at the end of March '23 and is filled with incredible speakers!
Join the Avian Behavior Lab with a free 14 day trial with the coupon code AVIAN
The Problem Solving Paradigm teaches you how to manage really complex and sometimes uncontrollable variables when trying to train your bird, so you actually can realize real change. Because let's just be honest here - trying to train new skills in a busy household or work environment is REALLY hard. Life happens! Uncontrollable variables like family members, other trainers, and outside influences - like the mailman, construction, random crows flying above - can get in the way of your progress. We go through three specific phases as well as how and when we apply them. Ready to solve your toughest bird behavior problems? Want a deeper dive? ►The course! For more bird training and behavior tips: ►Try out our free Bird Behavior Toolkit! Loads of videos for free! ► Take the free 5-day Go Home Challenge and teach your bird to go home voluntarily!
Board certified avian veterinarian Dr. Scott Echols discusses some pretty intense concepts in veterinary and wellness technology. He covers how new technology is discovering diseases we never even knew existed and how we are able to diagnose and treat them. We also talk about how CT scans are able to help us identify issues that blood screening and biopsies aren't catching, which for me is has come up when I take a bird to the vet because I know something is off but we can't find anything wrong.
We discuss feather destructive issues and avian bornavirus y'all, in ways that really help us understand what is an underlying issue and what is not.
If you are just not getting enough avian information in your ears, fear not! We have a virtual conference coming up! TheAvian Online Conference for Education and Training (AvOCET) is coming up in March 2023. You can submit a paper, discuss amongst peers and professionals, and network like a boss!
Don't forget, Lab Member, you get a discount! It's inside the Lab and in your weekly emails.
Bonus release from our earlier interview with Jon Rossi of the Rossifari Podcast. We talk free flight training and how it relates to our leadership philosophies, being a woman in leadership, bird nerdin' and so much more. You can check out our swapped episode on mentorship on Jon's Rossifari podcast page and so much more on zoos, conservation, and animals.
If you are loving our ethos on animal training, teaching and working with humans and non-humans, check out the Avian Behavior Lab and you can take advantage of our free trial for 14 days with the code AVIAN.
Using food as a contrived reinforcer to train our parrots is often fraught with emotions and tension. And not without good reason. But we can discuss the differences in contrived reinforcement and natural reinforcement and how both are important components in building strong relationships and decode our interactions with our birds. These concepts can uncover why our birds might stop doing what they used to do, what skills they need to build to be successful in our homes and lives and how we can become better buddies together. Show notes cite our references here.
As always, let us know what you think on our social media and in the Avian Behavior Lab community forum as a Premium Member.
Join the Avian Behavior Lab for a free 14 day trial with the code AVIAN
Check out our Patreon
Training free lofted birds of prey can be an incredibly enriching program for trainer and bird, but it can also lead to an unnecessarily protracted program that brings all parties a lot of stress. Bird of prey trainers that are interested in this type of training need to assess a number of environmental conditions, including their own skills and support system in their assessment prior to commencing a project such as this. This is because a lot of stress can be transmitted, either in over management of weight or in rehearsal of fear patterns while we plod on, footloose and fancy free of deadlines. We highlight two case studies of two very different birds we recently worked with free lofted, as well as discuss the costs and benefits of free loft training
It's MemberFest at the Avian Behavior Lab this week! We have our special for premium annual memberships, a limited release of our sold-out mentorship program, behavior makeovers, and much more!
Our 2022 workshops are also completely full and we will be announcing our 2023 workshops this month.
Why does science in animal care matter? My bestie Barbara Heidenreich and I sit down - this time in person - for a conversation about what it actually means to be scientific in animal care and behavior. And why that's important. We talk about natural behavior, species differences, the constructional approach, and so much more.
Resources for the Avian Behavior Lab (it's growing, people! We have big things on the horizon!) can be found on the link.
You can check out Barbara's Animal Training Fundamentals Program, of which I am a proud member and affiliate, also here.
ICYMI, petkeeper is a derogatory term in a niche community like falconry. This episode explores the roots of some falconry disagreements and why it's so important to find a supportive community that fosters curiosity and an ethical training paradigm that fits you and your bird's needs.
https://avianbehaviorlab.com
Our Patreon
The weekend effect in wildife
Decline in hunting is a crisis in wildlife conservation funding
Whoa baby, y'all, this is another incredible interview that gives you a whole 'nother paradigm to the think about in animal training. Let's blow the lid off of the way we think of operant conditioning and dive deep with Maasa Nishimuta and Sean Will of CAAWT, or the Constructional Approach to Animal Welfare and Training. This conversation will have you rethinking the four quadrants, what the consequence(s) of your animal's behavior might be, and how you think about problem behavior.
CAAWT website and membership
Donate to help more shelters learn the humane and effective constructional approach
The CAAWT Podcast
Register for the CAAWT Conference
Interested in some of the non-linear and constructional discussions we are having in the Lab? Try out a Premium Membership with the coupon code AVIAN for 14 days at the Avian Behavior Lab
Our second interview with Dr. Scott Echols, Diplomat- ABVP - Avian Specialty, nutrition expert, and, geez, there so many epithets we can tag on here. In this episode, we talk about avian dietary supplements, Omega-3 fatty acids, the ol' pellets versus raw diet debate, and a few other questions within this topic. You might want to bring a pen and paper to this one. Our Avian Behavior Lab members and Patreon patrons get to ask questions for our expert here, as well as binge on these multiple part interviews, which will cover many topics. The webinar we mentioned sponsored by Lafeber is right here
Join the Lab for a 14 day free trial with the coupon code AVIAN here!
Our September 2022 Bird of Prey workshop is open for registration.
The Advanced Animal Training and Behavior Workshop has a waitlist with registration opening in May of 2022
Support the podcast through Patreon for just a few dollars a month.
Owl ambassadors can be tough to train, but in our opinion, so worth it. They are powerful conservation ambassadors for myriad of topics. We topic about two key things that we look at when we set ourselves up to train an owl ambassador. Our Owl Ambassador Masterclass gets really deep on this subject, and you can purchase it on demand at the Avian Behavior Lab.
If you are looking to brush up your skills with your bird of prey educators, try out a Premium Membership at the Avian Behavior Lab for free for 14 days with the code AVIAN
Our Workshops for the fall of 2022:
The waitlist for the Advanced Animal Training and Behavior Workshop:
Registration for the Bird of Prey Workshop is open!
Screaming is a big deal when you live with parrots, and boy do we know it. We just dropped the final lessons of our Screaming Masterclass in the Avian Behavior Lab. Eleven meaty lessons and worksheets filled with in depth how-to's and comprehensive approaches to this issue. We get you started in the right direction with this episode.
Check out https://avianbehaviorlab.com with the coupon code AVIAN for a free trial. More free resources at https://avian-behavior.org/podcast
What do trials for human's capacity for G force have to do with animal training? Turns out, the alleged beginnings of Murphy's law at Edwards Air Force Base in California by Colonel Stapp's team had its beginnings not in pessimism but practicality. Our episode explores how we can use this mindset can turn our understanding of animal behavior into mastery. Tangents include integrity in the animal training world, popcorn, and cat purrs. Resources https://avianbehaviorlab.com
14 days free with code AVIAN
Fall 2022 Avian Behavior Advanced Training Workshop Curriculum and Waitlist
Decoder Ring Episode Murphy's law
In our interview with self-proclaimed bird nerd and parrot lover, Melanie Canatella, Founder of Fluff and Feathers, we chat about working with birds with special needs and creating a more harmonious environment and relationship with them. This is an in-depth conversation about how minimizing fear and stress responses can weave tight the fabric that connects us with the animals in our care. Melanie is a treasured member of the Avian Behavior Lab! Our Patreon is https://www.patreon.com/avianbehavior
Join the https://avianbehaviorlab.com for animal behavior and training expertise
Animal training mentors, role models, and teachers can be incredibly impactful for our growth. This was a concept I actively sought when I knew I wanted to learn as much as I possibly could about animal behavior.We talk about:
Is a mentor a necessity or a luxury?
What to look for in a mentor/role model
What bad relationships teach us
Why it's ok to eclipse your mentor's learning journey
What does your mentor want out of the relationship?
14 day free trial of our training and behavior membership with code AVIAN https://avianbehaviorlab.com
Go to our Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/avianbehavior
For show notes https://avian-behavior.org/41
How do you train your dragon? If you have been on the earth for a hot minute, you know that everyone has an opinion for how you need to train the bird of prey in your care. Let's go over the methods, well most of them. Or some of them. We analyze the environmental conditions that inform our decisions, jess free or no, free lofting, tethering, strobes and all kinds of tools we can choose (or opt out of). With minimal tangents this time (whew!) and only a few rants. Lucky you! Buzzwords include pride, stress, weight management and pluralism.
https://avianbehaviorlab.com
https://avian-behavior.org/event/animal-training-workshop/
In this episode, we talk about how our training ethos shapes every interaction we forge with the birds in our care. There are some great ways that we can build our foundation through a firm understanding of the animal training fundamentals, so let's get into it! How do you start training before you even start *training*??
On the show notes page, we have our Black Friday coupon codes for those that are listening upon release and the links for Patreon and our free workbook for the fundamentals course. Check out your free guide to where you are with your fundamentals
https://avianbehaviorlab.ck.page/fundamental
https://www.patreon.com/avianbehavior
In Part 2 of our live recording of our podcast from MemberFest 2021, we cover some serious ground! We talk about aspergillosis and the importance of force free veterinary training, field a few questions about training with negative reinforcement and the constructional approach, and end up with a bit of a sciency chat about spiders!
You can check out our newest courses up on the Avian Behavior Lab using the coupon code AVIAN for 14 days free with any membership!
It's our Avian Behavior Lab MemberFest 2021, celebrating the second anniversary of our online animal behavior and training membership platform. We did a live podcast with our members, telling training challenges and success stories, plus things we have learned, putting everything into question-answer format for our members to ask questions of their own.
Stories in this one include working with an intense and potentially dangerous Double Yellow Headed Amazon, a bald eagle that had a strong fear response.
You can’t tell anyone to be curious, you can show them, you can inspire them, and you can lead with humility and grace
That’s what Dani Poirier Larson of the Southwick Zoo shows, the spirit she embodies and shows her team. Dani’s words are so powerful and ring so true for a behavior enthusiast who wants to engage with the human and animal world around us as well as feel the fire of the enthusiasm of the team an audience around us.
We talk about some incredibly powerful concepts and the way that Dani has taken on some incredibly challenging animal behavior.
We talk macaw training, kookaburras, corvid challenges, and mental health. Tangents include nervous habits and the Nashville Zoo behavior team.
Animal behavior sure does love routine. But what happens when that routine changes and is beyond our control? What about those changes that affect our mental well-being and then transfer on the way we work with our animals and fellow animal lovers? We talk about the three different ways this impacted our work. We also discuss pandemic pets and what we can do when the goal posts change, routines change, and how to get through tough situations with animal care in mind.
Everyone has preferences, and our birds and other animals are no different. From African Greys to Turkey Vultures, the birds that we work with make no bones about it when they have chosen a favorite. Sometimes it is harmless and other times it can be downright dangerous. We talk about strategies and environmental management scenarios to help your bird work better with others, as well as how to prevent the problem with other future feathered friends!
Support us on Patreon http://patreon.com/avianbehavior
Join the Avian Behavior Lab https://avianbehaviorlab.com
We sit down with the Griz Kid! Wildlife biologist Wes Larson, bear expert, co host of the Tooth and Claw Podcast, and all around awesome person talked with us about his work with HawkWatch banding Golden Eagles. Wes and Hillary discuss what it means to get a job as a wildlife biologist and of course, all about the challenges facing golden eagles in the United States. A fascinating conversation about why longterm research is so necessary.
As a professional free flight bird trainer with high visibility, Hillary has heard from many different companion parrot free flyers of various experience levels. Here she examines several questions, including 1) What is parrot free flight and how does it work? 2) What are some ideal qualities in a parrot free flight trainer? 3) Can you learn to free fly your parrot from the internet? 4) What are some best practices in free flying and several more.
Hillary talks about her evolution on the principle of applying negative reinforcement with the help of other trainers in using space as a reinforcer to reinforce calm behavior in challenging birds to help the listener understand why this is such an incredible tool for our behavior change processes. She also uses her experience as a guest speaker at the ABMA 2021 conference to discuss the challenges of women in STEM and how we can disagree and still use science in our discussions rather than fear-based emotions.
Avian Behavior Lab members Harry and Hailey sit down with Hillary and talk about adopting Paulie the Quaker parakeet during the pandemic. Everything from the first meeting to socialization is different during quarantine in place orders. When everything is different and the only thing that stays the same is change, Harry and Hailey do an amazing job working with their new friend and building skills.
How does understanding the brain is wired for thought help the animals in our care as well as conservation? From concepts of how we handle behavior questions we don’t know the answer to all the way to consuming information on documentaries, we look at how asking questions and filling in the picture can help us understand how science works and how the natural world is still very much a part of who we still are, technology and all.
There are behavior challenges, and then there is what comes with adopting a male umbrella cockatoo. Avian Behavior Lab member Liv Morton talks to Hillary about the work that she has done adopting her Umbrella Cockatoo Scout and all of the ways that utilizing the science of behavior has led her to success.
Does falconry still have a place in the modern world? It’s an old heritage sport, and there are a lot of misconceptions about what it entails. In this episode, Hillary uses her experience and insights as a licensed American falconer to discuss what the commitments and responsibilities of a falconer are. This episode includes a very frank and candid discussion of hunting, so if that is not your thing, it’s recommended that you skip it!
What kind of jobs are there if you love birds and want to spend your life sharing your enthusiasm? It turns out, there are many types of jobs, and in this day and age, you can also make your own way.
In this episode, we talk about some of the useful strategies we have seen in the entry level animal trainers and other care givers we have worked with to get a toehold in the competitive field of the science of bird care. We even share some of our insights in to resumes and interviews, some of which may not be the most conventional, but we are here to help you stand apart and find your path!
Being intentional about your choices in animal training and behavior, the shortcuts you take or don’t take in your relationships with people and animals all make up a mosaic that is our behavioral repertoire and learning evolution. How much that we recognize how our actions impact future decisions for the individuals around us makes us better animal trainers and more cognizant, inspirational leaders. Trust comes with honesty, and honesty comes with introspection and self reflection. This podcast ties in thoughts on being a business owner during the pandemic as well as putting together actionable steps for a building trust in a relationship with your bird for a huge toolkit and incredible behaviors.
We are going all in on the behavior analysis term of extinction (not the existential crisis) and why ignoring problem behavior is problem behavior in and of itself. See what we did there?
We use loads of examples, from parrots to cranes, hornbills to vultures, to cover this topic. We talk about other fallout scenarios and drawbacks from using extinction procedures, like riding the extinction burst, fallout frustration and aggression and other scenarios.
What is a husbandry behavior and why train it? I think of it as the difference between fighting with your cohabitants over little behaviors and coming to an agreement over mutually beneficial behaviors. These behaviors are important whether we are talking to companion parrot lovers or professional animal caregivers. What's on your list of top five?
The concept of leaving your parrot flighted or clipping its wings is a huge topic with much debate. There are many opinions going both ways based on health, safety, welfare, and psychological benefits.
It shouldn’t be any surprise that here at Avian Behavior International, we are very much pro-flight when it comes to all birds. But our ethos is that of using science based methodologies to inform our decisions and suggestions. This means that rarely is there a one-size-fits-all solution or recommendation and that many variables impact the quality of choices that we make. So it may or may not be surprise that when it comes to being pro-flight or pro-clip, the answer from us is, “it depends.”
In this far ranging conversation with Paige Davis, curator of bird training from World Bird Sanctuary, we talk about many aspects of training birds of prey, as well as training in general. We touch back upon weight management, as well as going into our mutual love of falconry. We also go into social media, why the Avian Behavior Lab began, and what made each of us change our tactics when it comes to negativity in the comments section.
In part 2, we take on a few of the prevailing ideas in raptor training that either defy science or are contradictory. From early relationship building to raptor housing, let's take a look at how nuance is lost and we open the door for uninformed, outside criticism when we take an always or never approach to raptor training.
We take on some of the common and pervasive myths in companion parrot care, what makes them attractive, and why they are harmful. We are going to talk about dominance, heavy petting, wearing gloves, diet, exercise, and more. Why do we listen to these myths, what gives them staying power, and what do we do instead?
Why is that owl grumpy? Anthropomorphism means assigning human qualities to non human things, such as animals and even our computers. We do it all of the time. Where it becomes important to assess is how it influences our relationship with animals in our homes, conservation measures, and even environmental policy. We go broad, talking about our dogs faces all the way to the California Condor Recovery Project.
Losing an animal can be a horrific experience, and a lot of research has gone into understanding the human-animal connection as well as how we grieve over animal loss. In this episode, we speak frankly about death and loss. We also broaden the lens to look at how understanding emotional pain can help us be better in our professional, personal, and online lives.
Behavior management techniques are not all created equal. Some methods may look like they are working, but either have to be used over and over again or actually contribute to larger problems down the road. How do we know if behavior advice that we receive from other animal trainers, social media forums, and even veterinarians will help or hurt our relationship with the animal we are working with? Three important questions to ask in this podcast!
Owl conservation ambassadors can make a huge impact on an audience for wildlife educators. As iconic and instantly recognizable, they foster important connections with the natural world that have been ingrained in human culture for centuries. However, there are many reasons why an owl is a challenging training prospect and takes experience and keen observations. Here we explore some of these concepts.
From our Companion and Ambassador Parrot Webinar series at the beginning of the Coronavirus stay at home mandates, we hosted a 4 webinar series for parrots addressing a variety of topics. These questions stemmed directly from that, honing in on how to get through disruptions on routine. However, we also worked through some very serious issues of biting and trust building. Issues that could easily lead to adopting out a parrot, rehoming it, or at least, a stressful household. Join us in this densely packed episode for practical tips on how to stop a biting parrot.
A discussion about bird training and operant conditioning, raising owls, and our zoo free flight program ethos, this is from our raptor workshop that goes beyond just raptor training and behavior. It's a wonderfully deep dive and powerful conversation for animal trainers and caregivers.
Aggressive behavior in parrots looks like different things to each of us. While different terms like dominant, bold, or territorial are often used as explanatory variables, none of these describe in precise terms what the behavior actually is or under what conditions it occurs. Understanding this foundation is an important step to working through small and large challenges with our birds.
This Q&A tackles sensitive and challenging subjects: progressive weight management principles and working with birds with problem histories. It is part of larger conversation and is by no means all inclusive. The information in this podcast may not be suitable for all situations and is meant to be used in conjunction with tailored, individual help. Please understand that when working with your birds' weight and diets, you out always know the health and welfare of your bird. Avian Behavior International believes strongly in the practice of healthy flying, training, and relationships with food and the limited use of weight management, and only when needed. We have many other resources to be used in conjunction with this podcast.
Bonus Content! We discuss many variables that go into a serious decision about whether or not to add another parrot to your flock and how we can know whether the birds will get along. There are many things that we can take into account as to how the decision will impact our household long term.
This episode is inspired by a profound discussion from our Raptor Workshop earlier this year. We discuss some of the benefits and challenges of the different species with respect to hand raising versus parent raising, what it means to imprint and what it means to let grow up, how to ask the right questions, and what you can do if you aren't sure if acquiring an conservation ambassador owl is right for your organization
In this episode, we uncover three habits common in the companion parrot world that lead to continued parrot biting. Sometimes, the tactics we think are solving parrot biting are actually putting a temporary stop to it, rather than ending biting for good and providing an appropriate replacement solution.
In this powerful interview with animal training and beahvior expert Barbara Heidenreich, we talk about the qualities that make for animal training expertise, how animal keepers and companion parrot people can seek out and evaluate the best advice for animals in their care, and how to keep growing and evolving in one's quester animal behavior enlightenment.
Parrot screaming is an incredibly disruptive behavior for everyone. By looking at just one aspect of this couple problem, we can relieve some of the stress around this challenge and provide important skills for our companions to succeed.
Check out the show notes for our free download and more resources.
In the second episode of our podcasts on motivation, we look at how different factors in the environment and the way we train our birds of prey in education programs and falconry can impact motivation before we ever consider factors like managing diet.
What is motivation and how does it impact our relationships with our companion parrots? Do we want our birds to be robots, bending to our whims and wills in order to keep from getting bitten or yelled at all ay? We can have it all, and it takes understanding how to effectively communicate and harness the power of motivation to help our birds engage in mutually beneficial behaviors at the right part of the day to avoid destructive habits and vices for a happier healthier life for everyone!
Larue the crested caracara has taught us a lot of things, we wanted to zoom in the focus on three things here that are not only common issues as trainers, but are relatable no matter if you are working with a caracara, a hornbill, or a companion parrot.
Caracaras are intelligent like parrots and corvids, social, enjoy walks like hornbills, vultures, and other species, and ride around on the glove like raptors, although Larue doesn't have traditional falconry equipment like anklets and jesses.
In this episode, we discuss how
1) as a team, we worked through his wing bandaging maintaining a positive relationship
2) we give him tools to work through his fearful behavior
3) we use alternative motivational techniques so that we aren't relying on a heavy weight management practices.
https://avianbehaviorlab.com/podcast/03-avian-teachers-larue-the-crested-caracara-and-fearful-behavior/
Long time cockatoo expert and aviculturist Katy McElroy talks about what creates the best foundation for a resilient parrot and the unique ways she was inspired to tackle some interesting challenges. In between the lines of our conversation are the ways that we can look to each other, no matter how different we are to help animals. From wild birds offering us clues to help breeding conservation efforts to aviculturists using their wisdom to help parrots build more adaptable skills, we can all become students of each other.
Veterinarian and creator of the Grey Anatomy Project and the Captive Foraging DVD Dr. Scott Echols discusses avian nutrition and some common behavioral and physiological issues seen in companion parrots with improper diet. We discuss how we can combat these common challenges in our homes for longer, healthier lives with our birds.