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 ..read more

Today we are going to share some invaluable insights we uncover as case studies from our consultations, diving into the intricate world of complex parrot behavior scenarios. These discussions have been enlightening, offering practical strategies and highlighting the importance of addressing biases while understanding the role of our own self-care throughout the process. This is not something many people address when it comes to how intrusive parrot behavior issues can be, but it’s an essential ingredient for success. One of the foundational aspects we’ve explored is the critical understanding ..read more

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 t ..read more

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 tra ..read more

  What did we learn about birds in 2023? What was the big bird news of the year? 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, and the many many threats that face birds globally past and present. B ..read more

In this day and age, finding examples of cross-disciplinary collaboration to reach a mutual goal is not as easy as you would think. As much as we love to share our passions, a quick scan of social media comments will reveal that often we are divided even in the pursuit of how we need to achieve a common goal. Fortunately, there are some cases where leaders of their field have shown that this is not going to be the case in something that truly matters on a global scale. Such is the case with a team that is working to save the Southern ground hornbill from extinction. In August 2023, Avian Behav ..read more

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 ..read more

      If you are looking for something for the bird OR bird lover in your life and you are scratching your head about how to show them that you know what’s up, we have a list for you! We put together a thoughtfully curated list of our favorite bird and animal-related things. Each of these products are products that we love and believe in. * Some of the links may be affiliate links that we earn a commission off of. Bird Enrichment ParrotsRUs always has some great toys, and some food of course! Shop their subscription bundles And don’t forget, if you are an Avian Behavior Lab mem ..read more

  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 o ..read more

What would you do with four to five hours each day to train your birds and problem solve? This is the question our workshop guests get to answer, and answer, they did! After ten years of hosting workshops and clinics on the Avian Behavior Ranch, we love that each experience brings fresh ideas and problem solving challenges. And for us as teachers, there are still topics that fire us up and bring forth robust and lively discussion. A sold out ABI workshop is still small and offers a lot of latitude to explore different ideas and discuss the science and the process with your training guide and y ..read more