Galah

Sometimes folks shoot me emails and ask me questions about behavior or a specific problem they are having with their parrots. I always ask if I might save the question and answer it on my blog. I haven’t always been very good about it, but I try.

Honestly, my time is very limited. I have a full time + job that is extremely important to me (fundraising to conserve waterfowl and wetlands), writing projects on the side and then there is all the parrot and falconry fun.

I wish I had time to write lengthy responses to everyone who shoots me an email or spend an hour on the phone with a parrot friend looking for a few thoughts.  I just don’t, but I love getting emails. I can’t promise I’ll always answer them at length, but I would rather spend my time writing behavior and training posts that I think people would find valuable. Maybe one of my articles in Bird Talk left you with a few questions or your read a Parrot for Life and there was something you wanted to know that was missing. So send my your questions. Please. 

©2012 Heckled By Parrots. All Rights Reserved.

Attention Please

I do hope everyone is enjoying my more fanciful “Tuesdays with Ty” posts, but I realize I have been neglecting what was initially the core of this blog–   training and behavior advice. I need to get back at that as well.

I love writing the little essays for Tuesday, pondering what it is that the parrots remind me every week about what it means to be human. I’m lucky to be so easily inspired by my avian friends. Just don’t think for a minute that I think my parrots are little people or a magical mystery. What the birds do in my home, they do because I asked for it.  Every behavior my parrots repeat is a product of the consequences of that action.

Speculate, imagine, engage and have fun with your parrots! Just don’t ever forget the every behavior that repeats itself has been rewarded (likely by you). If you enjoy something your parrot does–  stop a minute and pay attention, give him a treat or a scratch on the head. If your parrot does something you don’t like, ignore it and do your best not to reward it. (ie– asking for a peanut while you’re working like Ty has been doing for the last ten minutes. Don’t turn and look at him, don’t talk to him and for goodness sake, don’t give in and get him a peanut. He’ll never never never stop asking for one. And you’ll never get to finish the article your writing.)

Behavior is simple and you are always shaping it. This is the key to animal training. If you ask me, it’s the crux of every rewarding relationship. What are you rewarding?

©2012 Heckled By Parrots. All Rights Reserved.

Angry Dil by Windelbo on Flickr

Someone asked me the other day, “Do parrots have feelings?” She apologized in case it was a dumb question, but she was curious to know. This makes a difference doesn’t it? Or does it?

Of course parrots have feelings. I imagine that all animals have feelings. I simply don’t know what those feelings are at any given time. Think you can tell what a parrot is feeling? You are going to have a hard time convincing me of that. We like to think we know, but really, we’re guessing. Hell, we don’t even know what our spouses are feeling most of the time. How many times have you told your husband that you’re not upset even though if it were legal you would likely be strangling him. And he believed you when you said you were fine, didn’t he?  How many times has a colleague not even noticed that what she said just infuriated you? Lot of good feelings do us in managing behavior.

Happy, sad, glad, mad, jealous, angry and grumpy. You parrot may be any or several of these things at any given time, but you’ll never know for sure. He won’t tell you. Even if he did tell you, how would you know he was telling the truth? If you want to have a bird who is well-behaved, lives nicely within the expectations of your household and never takes a chunk out of you, then you cannot depend or even lean on the “feelings” guessing game.

When you interact with a parrot you should base what you do on what is quantifiable – behavior. What a parrot does tells a story that can be changed and shaped. What he’s thinking is not for you to know or manage. Not unlike the people around you. Don’t guess if your parrot is “grumpy”. Instead break down the behavior that you can see. If when you approach the cage he steps to the back, he probably does not want to be picked up. That is quantifiable. If you go to pick him up, he may bite you. You can’t do a whole lot about what he’s feeling, but you can certainly avoid the behavior of biting.

So it was a great question! Sure, parrots have feelings, but if you don’t want your own feelings and fingers to get hurt, keep them out of your training!

©2012 Heckled By Parrots. All Rights Reserved.

Check out Rebecca's article!

Every year Bowtie comes out with a BirdsUSA annual. There’s always good stuff in it! Including the occasional contribution by yours truly. This year I had an article in about what you should think about training a new bird and a few things your really ought to avoid training a new bird.

From the opening of the article:

There are hundreds of things you might teach a parrot to prepare him for the future and you have many years to help him with the tools and the skills that he needs. You can train specific things such as to go into a crate or to wave on cue. There are several specific behaviors that you should work on right away. Overall however, training is every interaction you have with your parrot.

Your most important task as a parrot owner is to learn to be mindful when you interact with your parrot. Every time you give your parrot attention or a treat you are saying to your bird, “I like it when you do that. When you do that I will come pay attention to you or give you something you like.” This is probably what gets parrot owners into the most trouble. Who hasn’t walked up to a screaming parrot and said, “hush”? It’s natural. However, all your parrot has to go on is your actions. Your actions are far clearer than your words to a parrot. When you say, “hush” all you parrot understands is that the screaming got you to come pay attention to him.

Shaping good behavior is just as easy as shaping bad behavior and an incredibly important skill to learn. It is not about controlling your parrot, but rather, giving your parrot clear communication about the behavior you do or not appreciate. If you can clearly communicate to your bird what you appreciate the most, he has an opportunity to control his world with behaviors you like. Everybody wins and your relationship stays positive. So what should you start by encouraging?

Next time you’re in PetSmart, PetCo or your favorite local bird store. (Mine is this one. I just saw BirdsUSA there last week) Be sure to grab a copy. It’ll be worth the read!

©2012 Heckled By Parrots. All Rights Reserved.

An easy thing to train your bird which can keep him out of all kinds of mischief is “stationing.” Training animals to station is a common husbandry technique in zoos. If you need to work with an animal that is dangerous or uncomfortable being touched, teaching him to go to a particular place for a reward can help you get close enough to examine him or move him to a secure place away from the zookeeper. You can use this same technique to send your lory someplace safe if there is trouble, or if you just want to keep him out of mischief.

Uploaded on November 17, 2005 by Vanessa Pike-Russell Courtesy of Creatives Commons Licensing

Stationing can be very helpful to keep parrots off the floor and stop them from attacking feet. First you have to choose a spot for your bird to station and stay for a reward. The top of a play stand or cage can be great for this. Mark the spot with a nontoxic marker or a piece of nontoxic tape. Choose a word for the cue to this behavior like “station” or something else short and easy. Then begin training.

Place your parrot next to the spot, first making sure he is not nervous of the modifications you’ve made. If he is comfortable say, “station” and hold a treat just far enough away from the spot that he has to step on it in order to get the treat. As soon as he steps on it say, “good” and let him have the reward. He will likely move away from it again to finish he treat. Once he’s finished try to get him to station again. After you’ve done this a few times, you’ll see him “get” it.

When he starts deliberately stepping on the station, you can ask him to step up, move him a little further away from it and then ask him to “station” again. Make sure you train in small increments to ensure that he understands and does not get frustrated. Once you have him trained to station though, you should be able to get him to climb up the cage and walk over to his spot when you give him the cue. You will also find that he spontaneously stations, hoping for treat. As long as you often reward him with attention or treats when you see him on his station spot, he will continue to offer this behavior. Training your parrot to find his way to safe spot to get what he wants can save you a lot of headaches and maybe even your parrot’s life.

©2012 Heckled By Parrots. All Rights Reserved.

Riamfada's first shower by Shan Lung courtesy of Creative Commons Licensing on Flicker

Several days of thunderstorms have caused my bird’s waterbowls to be suspiciously empty the last few days. I suspect there’s been massive bathing parties while I’m at work, so I’ve left bathpans at the bottoms of their cages…not that they’re being used…  Apparently, there’s something irresistable about bathing in the drinking water.

Even the grey, shunner of unwanted water loves to get down in his water bowl. He also enjoys sitting in the shower and getting the occasional spritz, but mostly he likes to choose his own bathing moments. The Senegal and red-bellied are more likely to go for a good soaking, but Ty has his doubts about the necessity of bathing.

Every parrot is different though. Take for example this little guy here, with his head upright, neck stretches, eyes not quite completely round, he looks pretty okay about his shower. I’ve heard many grey owners, however complain that this is never the case with their own birds.

So should you make a bird who won’t bathe wash off the dust? Do birds need baths or not?

There’s no doubt that the bathing is a healthy habit. Feathers have a lot of detritus lurking in their layers and a good bathing washes the unwanted and unhealthy away. Rainforest parrots, who would be subject to frequent soakings in the wild whether they were willing or not, seem to be the most amenable and even joyful about a bath. Perhaps greys, who frequent a dryer habitat just don’t embrace a cloudburst in quite the same way. And on top of this, every parrot is an individual and the sum of their experiences. Some birds don’t find bathing a joyful experience and it only takes one bad experience with a misting or in the shower to shift this attitude toward pure hatred. All the same, baths are good. Should you make your bird bathe though? Absolutely NOT. The good news is that you CAN train you bird to happily take a shower.

How to Train Bathing

Start with a spray bottle set on a fine mist and introduce bathing slowly. Mist away from your bird, if he sits calmly and unconcerned, say “good” and reward with a treat. Mist a little closer and do the same. Continue until you are gradually rewarding your bird to sit calmly as the spray get closer. If at any time your bird looks uncomfortable or leans away from the water, back off and start from the last position he was comfortable in. You want your bird to learn that water is a positive and that sitting calmly gets him a reward.

Once you are right next to your bird with the sprayer, continue spraying and hold a treat where he can only get to it by getting into the mist just a tiny bit. When he leans in say “good” and let him have the treat. Make sure the “good” coincides with leaning into the water. This is the behavior you are rewarding. Then gradually ask him to go a bit further every time. Once he seems comfortable stepping into the spray and then getting a treat, stop holding the treat out. You want him to understand that the cue for stepping into the water is you spraying. You can show him the treat, but see if he will step in without being led. (You can always go back a few steps and lead him in if he doesn’t get it or forgets.) When he does step into the spray on his own, praise and reward.

From here you can approximate by lengthening the time in the spray and the number of times you spray in similar small steps until you’ve trained your bird to bathe. This may take one session or several months, but it’s worth the effort. Because he has made the decision on his own to walk into the spray for treats and because bathing has been paired with positives, a treat, or even just your praise and excitement if he isn’t interested in food, bathing itself will be a positive and welcome experience.

Good luck with your bathing beauty!

©2012 Heckled By Parrots. All Rights Reserved.

I wish Maggie and her little feathered King all the best! I’ll admit, I actually enjoy the demands for pizza in my home, this is, after all Heckled By Parrots! All the same, I am so thrilled to see folks using their training skills to make the world a better place for companion parrots. Keep at it you guys!

©2012 Heckled By Parrots. All Rights Reserved.

Progress by Dude Crush on Flickr click for his Flickr Stream

One of the most common problems with parrots that come from previous homes is a fear of hands. I don’t have any studies to verify this, but it has been suggested that the old idea that “all parrot MUST step up” has done much to create a whole generation of captive bred parrots that are skittish of hands. It isn’t that they’ve been horribly abused, but never being given an option or a reason to do something you are forced to do can definitely have reprecussions. Break down the psychology and you are looking at learned helplessness. (No matter what, she is going to MAKE me step up. So I must. I give up.) 

So what do you do if you have a parrot that is terrified of your hands or anything else that resembles a perch?

BE PATIENT.

You’ll get there if you go slowly. It may take weeks or months. If there’s an emergency, you’re going to grab the bird and run, so don’t buy into the idea that the step up is life or death. If the bird is already afraid of hands, you are looking at potentially ruining your relationship if you rush it. Train the trust back into your bird.

From an upcoming article in Bird Talk (May)

If you have a bird that is nervous when your hand comes near him, go slowly. Watch for a bird that moves away, leans away flapping his wings, slicks down his feathers or begins to lunge. These are all signs of discomfort. Get your hand as close as you can to your bird without him showing any signs of discomfort and then say “good”, marking the event you are rewarding and give him a treat.

Gradually get your hand closer to the bird, watching him closely to make sure he is comfortable. Once you can get your bird close to your hand or finger, encourage him to come closer for a treat. Show him your treat hand over your perch hand and when he steps closer, mark the event with “good” and give him a treat. (You can also replace the word good with a clicker.)

The goal is to train the step up with small steps and gradually get the bird to approach closer and closer to your hand again marking the event and rewarding it with a treat. Then you are looking for the bird to put one foot on your hand, put weight on that foot and then put both feet on your hand. The will happen one slow training step at time.

 

Be sure to pick up this issue of Bird Talk and check out the whole article, or read the section in A Parrot for Life on stepping up. There is also great advice on the step up with video to help you visualize in Good Bird Inc.’s great first video.

It’s worth the work and it is even sweeter if it takes time to build your relationship. Those of you who have taken parrots through this hurtle, I commend you! Keep doing great work and learning about your bird.

Have you succeeded in gaining the trust of a difficult parrot? Share your story and encourage others!

©2012 Heckled By Parrots. All Rights Reserved.

Body language is the key to not getting bit, but lets be honest here. We all suck at reading bird body language. It doesn’t really make a whole lot of sense, those fluffing feathers and inscrutible eyes. Sometimes fluffy feathers mean watch out for the beak and sometimes they mean give me a scratch behind the head. It takes a lot of practice to read a bird. It simply isn’t an automatic, so if you’re struggling to read your bird, you’re not alone. I’ve been training animals professionally for fifteen years and every once in a while I still get bit, my falcon still flies away and my dogs still dig out under the fence. These things are always my fault, my mistake, but also the challenge that keeps working with animals consistently interesting. Keep at it!

So while you’re learning, back off your parrot. Standing in front of the cage getting a new parrot “used” to you, is a bad idea. If you can’t read him yet, you don’t know if he’s telling you to get out of his space. If he is, you’re just compounding a negative relationship. At some point, your parrot is going to realize the only thing that you’ll listen to is a bite. Instead drop a treat in his bowl and keep on going. When your parrot moves to the front of the cage, hoping your appearance means a treat, then try to get him to take it from your hand and then slowly work on training a step up.

Keep the relationship building and positive. Listen for a whistle and answer with a whistle back. Your bird will learn to ask for you to interact with him. You can also work on training some things from the outside of the cage, like targeting to build up confidence. Some of this training is discussed in my book “A Parrot for Life”

One more tip… if you have a bird that’s a talker, when your bird takes a swing at you, say the same thing. Over time, you may find that your bird will announce his mood and make things easier for you. I turn tail and run everytime I hear my African grey parrot, Ty say “Why are you so grumpy?”

©2012 Heckled By Parrots. All Rights Reserved.

Credit: roydanielle Flickr.com with Creative Commons permission

In our overly medicated society, when does it make sense for a veterinarian to prescribe a parrot drugs and when does it make far more sense to work closely on a behavior plan? A vet in the UK felt that an Amazon parrot’s aggression, displaced and otherwise, merited a prescription for Parrot Prozac.  The thought is that the parrot is suffering from depression because he is in “love” with the wife and is suffering because of her real attachment to her husband and not the unrequited parrot.

In fairness, the media often gets these stories wrong. It sounds much more intriguing to say that the parrot is pining for unrequited love than to state the biological. The parrot has severe territorial agression which has likely been reinforced. It is possible that the people and their consultant have discussed all of the possibilities for altering behavior in the household and deemed Haloperido a component of a behavior modification program. This is not of course what the press says…

My guess is that the parrot is territorial and bonded to the wife. The combination of bonding and territorial behavior making the husband a frustrating presence. The parrot cannot get to him to drive him away and the the plucking of feathers become a behavior reflecting displaced agression. (Like punching a wall when you cannot punch the person who just infuriated you.) This is behavior and behavior can be addressed and modified. The wife should spend less time, especially any time that involves serious petting with the parrot until this bought of hormones passes. The husband should only interact with the bird to give him something that he wants. The Amazon parrot should not be allowed into areas that emulate a nesting hollow. The cage should be moved to a new location for a fresh start in new territory. And every interaction with the Amazon parrot should be engaged in thoughtfully with an eye to actions that preceed and follow agressive behavior. Change what comes before and after and you can mold and change behavior. It happens slowly, but it can be done — usually without drugs.

That said, there are cases of severe mutilation that are difficult and even impossible webs of behavior. Sometimes drugs may be good choice. I wonder what I would say if a client told me, it was a choice between giving up the parrot or putting it on drugs. Nothing is ever black and white. All the same I’m glad no one put me on Prozac when I was a teenager. My displaced aggression, a result of my angst over the unreciprocated love for a boy named Barry was simply ignored. My hours of writing stories and pouring my heart into my journal was encouraged. My grandparents were smart people.

Is it possible that the parrot really IS is love with the woman and really IS depressed? Perhaps. I have no problem with people believing this. But have you ever tried to “treat” a case of unrequited love in yourself or worse, in a teenager? You can’t, because we cannot change or train feelings. Influence them perhaps, but no one can ever really be certain what is happening in an animal’s mind or even your husband’s mind for that matter. What we can manage is behavior. We can discourage the behavior of plucking, lunging and biting and encourage behaviors that are more acceptable. Let’s get the parrot off the psychologist’s couch and into a training “conversation” that he can understand.

©2012 Heckled By Parrots. All Rights Reserved.