A new location

Hello everyone. I have been very busy designing a new blog which is located at: http://larajoseph.wordpress.com/

I designed a new blog because I needed one which would allow me new features, and this new one does. I can post videos everywhere, create all sorts of links to share, and much more user friendly.

There are so many categories including behavior, enrichment, and training, and species specific information. 

I've recently posted two new blog entries. The first is a review of the first annual Parrot Lover's Cruise, and the second is a story of a bird that was very close to my heart.

There is a subscription link to the blog in the upper right. Please feel free to join. I'd love to have you over there and would love to hear your comments.

Sincerely,

Lara Joseph

Training.... it is more than just tricks

I never gave much thought to training and the effects it has on our birds. I never gave it much thought until I began to really understand it. "Training" is a loaded term and this blog entry could now split into several different directions and then split in several more from there. The importance in this entry is to explain the strength in training and what I learn, observe, and continue with "positive reinforcement" training.

Whether one knows it or not, with each interaction or encounter we have with our bird, we are training it. Parrots in particular are extremely observant and equal to if not more intelligent than the raven. That is what was quoted on the PBS documentary "Ravens". A parrot's intelligence is the reason I became fascinated with them. The difference in behaviors between parrots and raptors is what drew my attention to bir

ds of prey. Learning what I didn't know about birds of prey is what opened my eyes to everything avian. The unknown about them is one of the main draws that keeps me digging and searching to learn all that my mind can possibly hold about these fascinating and most unique creatures.

With each interaction I have with one of my own birds I'm training, someone else's bi

rd, or the ones I train at the wildlife rehabilitation center I want my every encounter with them to be a positive and pleasant to them as possible. I want them to enjoy their time with me, not cower in the corner of their cages or mews in fear of my intent. They show fear, I back off. They show me signs of them not being interested, then I come back later. You may then wonder how I get any training done.

By paying close attention to the details and showing respect to the animal is how I get a lot of training done. Not just training...... it is powerful, trust-building, bond strengthening training. It is the type of training I use that gets a once extremely fearful red-tailed hawk to fly to my glove when requested. It is the type

of training that I use that gets a very hand shy barn owl to fly to the front of it's enclosure looking for me when he hears the keys jingling from my pocket when I get out of the car. It is the type of training that I use that gets a once aggressive turkey vulture to fly to the front perch waiting for her turn to go for a walk. It is the type of training that I use that gets an abandoned excessive screaming Moluccan Cockatoo choose to whistle tunes in vibrato when he hears me walk in the house.

The really, really cool thing about this type of training is to see how strong the consequences. I see the birds wanting to be with me. I see the birds showing signs of excitement when I'm present. Even more rewarding for me is when I see their trust in me and their comfort in me being with them.

On a cautionary note, be very, very careful with whom and where you seek this type of training. Positive reinforcement training is very strong, very relationship building between the trainer and the animal. There are many people out there who will claim they can teach it and I've watched a lot of these self-proclaimed trainers and I find this very scary. Very scary for the innocent trainer who wants to learn and very scary for the animal in which they will be training. I was and will continue to seek the best professional animal trainers in which to learn under. If you have any questions, please feel free to e-mail me at aviansanta@gmail.com and if I cannot answer your questio

ns, I will point you in the right direction. Know your trainer well and better yet, know their credentials. Two very well respected positive reinforcement trainers in which I studied under and continue to are Barbara Heidenreich (goodbirdinc.com) and Steve Martin (naturalencounters.com). There are others in which I know or know of that I am looking forward to learning more through courses I have scheduled. I train on a daily basis and numerous times throughout the day, but I never stop looking to increase my knowledge and learning potential. Please, please be very careful and do your research on the people in whom you look to for advice and teaching.

So how is it that I interact with the birds and have them want to be with me? There are many things I do but one very important one is by finding their reinforcers and using them humanely and effectively. As seen in this photo, the bird has the choice to move away from the towel if he desires, yet look where he is. In as many instances as possible, the bird always has the power of choice.

Defined by Paul Chance a reinforcer is "an event that, when made contingent on a behavior, increases or maintains the frequency of that behavior."1 Reinforcers are objects or events that are used to increase the likelihood of that behavior occurring again. He defines reinforcement as "the procedure of providing consequences for a behavior that increases or maintains the frequency of that behavior." Positive reinforcement training is when something is added to the animal's environment contingent upon a behavior that is likely to maintain or increase the frequency of that behavior. It is the trainer's request and it is the animal's choice. There is no force involved. I once read an article by Steve Martin called "The Art of Training" which can be found on his website (naturalencounters.com). Art couldn't be a better term for effective, positive reinforcement training. It truly is an art. I see it and practice it on a daily basis. It constantly and consistently invades my mind and my way of thinking. I practice daily quickly deciding which brush to pull from my pocket as the environment changes. I quickly decide which hue of color best matches the changing behavior evolving by the second in front of my eyes. When I do all of these effectively I see a masterpiece built on fluency, passion, and trust building upon itself quicker than I can put into words. I see small holes that can be filled. I see brush strokes filling in these holes that put the final touch on a vision created by three things: the bird, myself, and the environment. All three of these things effectively and humanely build a bond and a trust between the bird and myself.

The first time you play the above video, you may not think there is much going on. When I view this video I see a lot of behaviors, mine and the barn owl's. I see environmental set up ready for success. I see many consequences of my every move. I see a consequence I didn't want to happen but I also see a decision I quickly made as to not reinforce a consequence I didn't want happening again.

When watching this video, keep in mind that my intention is to have the bird remain calm and where it is as I move in the way that I do to get closer to it. This bird used to sit on top of the nest box and then fly back and forth and back and forth over and over again when entering its enclosure. What you'll see in this video is the bird allowing me to be at the distance in which I am from it. You will also see all of the room I am intentionally leaving to my left to give the bird the opportunity to escape and fly toward the camera and away from me at any time. I want to give it that choice, but I don't want to push the bird that far that it will chose to do that. You will see me getting closer and closer to the bird all the while giving the bird the choice to fly away from me if it wants. The owl makes the final decision to move toward me to take the mouse. In reviewing this I see things I could and should have done different, but in reviewing it I learn. The owl takes the mouse and flies away from me. There was plenty of time for me to have quickly removed myself after he took the mouse and that is what I should have done. Instead I stayed and I don't remember why. You'll see that when the owl flew, I tried to stay as still as possible to not scare him and cause more behaviors I didn't want to reinforce. One really cool thing in watching this is that I notice what the owl didn't do. He didn't fly back to the top of his nest box. THAT is fantastic. To the top of the nest box is where I didn't want him to go. I consider this a very successful training session and am very pleased. This was a very small snip of my patience in training this owl that eventually got me to the point I desired..... the bird flying to my glove at his choice.

Each day I walk into the bird room or into the enclosures of the birds of prey. Each day I see the trust build, change, tweak, move. Each day I learn something new from the bird and from the environment. It is with this that I use as tools to build my blueprint for the next interaction. Training is a form of communication. It is a language that is unique to each bird in which I work and I use it as just that, our own form of language. The video above is me training a Moluccan Cockatoo which is now mine, the power of choice. The power is within him and each choice he makes in interacting with my hands shows positive consequences. This being a bird I could once not hold or touch, his final choice in this video is one in which he learned and chose the outcome through his training experiences with me.

Positive reinforcement training is a language that is well accepted and welcomed by each of the bird's in which I have interaction. It is our unique language and it is with this language in which the bird and I develop a relationship built on trust and respect. Respect of their space, their body language, and their environment. When used to it's fullest potential, this type of training is very strong. The proof of the strength is in the relationship between the bird and myself.

In each bird that I train that I see come and I see go, it tugs on my heart strings a bit. Sometimes a lot. Because I've trained that bird, I've formed a relationship with that bird. I've formed a language in which the bird and I could clearly communicate with each other and when I see that bird leave or know I won't work with it again, you bet I'll miss it because we had a level of trust or communication unique to us that I have been honored to experience and honored because it was the bird's decision. Even when it's sad, it is a learning experience. Training is one of my strongest teachers. I learn with each interaction. I learn from each bird.

Positive reinforcement training puts the bird's choice back into the equation of behavior modification. That is the tag line I use in my signature on my e-mails in hopes that it will or may make a difference in many animal's lives somewhere, somehow. I know it's made a world of difference in mine and the animal's in which I interact.

Dear Willy....

I've been out of town and before I

left I had been working pretty

diligently on a

project. Working this hard and

intently

too takes me away

from a few birds of prey (11 to be exact) that I hold very dear to my heart. Well, here it is a few days after I've returned from being gone and couldn't wait to get out and see

these guys. I went running to each mew and said my individual greeting that I do to each one to make sure they know it is me. Then I saw my dear Willy.....

Willoughby is the most beautiful of the amazing wonder world of Turkey Vultures. I saw her perched there in all her glory and pointed right at her and said "How's my dear Willy?" as a tear of excitement welled in the corners of my eyes. I can't help it. Few things move me to tears of excitement and the birds do this and very well.

So in to her enclosure I went. She so looks forward to her training time. She gets so excited and is so eager to perform. She loves the interaction. I haven't been there in two weeks and this girl didn't miss a beat. I opened her door and out went her wings. Something I started training her a few weeks ago. I would love to put that on cue to "So Willy, how big was that fish I caught?" and have her do her full extended wing stance. We're almost there.

I cued her to the glove. Bam, she was on it. I cued her back to her perch. Bam, she was on it! I walked faster while cueing her to the glove. Bam, no surprise she was on it. I lowered her in front of her scale perch. Bam, on it like I never left. I stood up and cued her at a sharp upward incline to my glove. Bam, she was on it and even waiting in anticipation of my next move. She was ready before I was. She stood on the wrist of my glove as I raised her above my head and asked her to wait. She did. She looked at me as I asked her to wait a little more. She did it like

the pro she is.

I said "Good" and cued her to her perch. Bam, she was on it and I was right in front of her delivering her food the way she likes it, deep inside my glove. I'm just totally amazed by the intelligence and beauty of everyone of these amazing creatures in which I work. Tears came back to my eyes as she foraged through my glove and the smile was so big on my face I was having a hard time seeing over my cheeks. "I sure did miss you my dear Willy!"

Our intentional training session was over, but the fun was just beginning. I decided to

pull some weeds and she decided to watch. Actually she came down and inspected what I was doing. She tugged at the few of the roots as I pulled them. I put all the weeds into a pile and she then decided to take on the task of making a mess of the pile. How very Turkey Vulture of her. I put the weeds back into a pile and she pulled everything out of the pile once again. She does this when we clean her mew too. She's not one for having everything in organized piles. The items, even the rotting ones have their special places and those place are not in a pile! How I will never make that mistake again.

I needed to gather this mess back into a pile and get rid of it. I wondered how I was going to get away with this. I then cued her to the top of her carrier, of which she was once horrified. Boy if the sunshine wasn't on my side today. Anyone who knows Turkey Vultures will understand exactly what happened next. I cued her and she flew to the top of the carrier and at the top of the carrier was a lovely ray of sunshine. Willy struck a pose! Boom, sunshine and the wings

went out. Like a vampire wilts in the sunshine, a Turkey Vulture beams in rays of sunshine. Stopped her dead in her tracks it did and out the door I snuck with a pile of weeds. That one wasn't even planned, but it was noted.

I walked back into her mew to find her waiting for me and in anticipation of our next adventure. Off to the other side of her carrier it was to pull more weeds. She hopped down looking for another pile to root through. Wasn't long and she had my pile all over the place. Hey, she enjoys it so more piles I'll make for her. All of a sudden something moved in front of me. She saw it too! She jumped and looked up at me almost as if to see if it was safe to stay. "Willy look!" I said as I pointed to a small toad that was hiding in the grass. I pointed to it and she came over in curiosity. She's so hilarious with new things because she so afraid of everything. She came in closer for another look but very cautious

at the same time. All of a sudden another one jumped from behind the other pile of weeds. Willy must have jumped a mile high! She wapped me right in the head with one of her wings and she began hopping about is if not knowing what to do. I started laughing and telling her it was alright while trying to focus on not licking my lips because her wing feathers brushed right across my lips. I all of a sudden had this urge to lick my lips and couldn't get it out of my head. Why does that always happen?

Anyway, back to Willy. She brought her wings back in and her hop now reduced to "the cautious Turkey Vulture stance". Sorry, I didn't get a photo of this one but will. I was chuckling under my breath as she walked closer and closer ever so carefully of the almighty and ferocious 1" toad. Oh I'm sorry, I forgot. There were two of them and I think they were attempting to gang up on her. Still chuckling I took the end of my gloved index finger and pushed behind one of the toad. It hopped and so did Willy. She glanced back up at me and I

said "Your such a good girl for being so brave." She came closer. I moved my glove toward the toad again. I saw the intensity in her focusing on the toad so I pulled my hand back and said "Good girl Willy." Now she walked closer with more bravado. I give her credit. She got right in front of it. You see the wings in position to

go out just incase the toad decides to bear its fangs. She investigated about a whole 10 seconds before something entered my head. I thought, "If that toad jumps I can just imagine the vision of the exorcist with a spinning head and a projectile vomiting Turkey Vulture 2 feet in front of my face." I slowly stood up and told her what a good girl she was as I tapped the ground beside me for her to back up. She actually looked quite relieved. She had a "I told that toad" stance to her once she increased the distance from it to about 5 feet. She managed to then attack and kill the glove. "Yea, there ya go Willy! Kill that glove! You sure

showed it. Good thing that toad decided to run, huh?"

We played with the weed piles for about 5 more minutes before Willy had decided that was enough nonsense. Afterall, Turkey Vultures have things of more importance that need tended to, like striking a pose, and off she went.

It's good to be back. It's good to be with and training the birds again. When the training is associated with positive consequences, their body language tells you "Welcome back".

If you want it bad enough, you'll find a way to make it work!

I remember asking my mother when I was in high school, "Mom, do you think I have what it takes to be a biologist?" Her response to me was "If you want it bad enough, you'll find a way to make it work." Well, I never became a biologist but am following the same path now that I knew I had deep in my heart 20 years ago and I wish I would have stayed on that path. I am very grateful to have found it again which leads me to this entry.

Maybe I'm my own worst enemy, but I'll tell you what, my birds definately benefit from it. I can never find an area or enclosure big enought for my birds. My friends have made fun of me over the past several years due to the amount of bird cages I have breezed through. Each time I think I'm buying a huge bird cage, it is only a matter of months before I envision something larger. Well, last year I just couldn't imagine an area large enough for my birds. I wanted them to be able to fly if they wanted. I wanted Rocky, my Moluccan Cockatoo to be able to run as fast as he could if he wanted to. I wanted Rico, my Umbrella Cockatoo to be able to stretch his wings and fly as hard and as fast as he wanted. I wanted to be able to view him enjoying flight while looking around to make sure I was watching him show off. I wanted Murray, my Greenwing Macaw to be able to soar. We're still working on that one. I wanted an area for my Little Miss Molly Jo to be able to pick her perch and perch for as long as her heart desired while she soaked up the rays.

I envisioned something. This is usually where my husband starts getting a little nervous and wondering what path we are heading next. A friend of mine told me years ago, if you want your birds to fly, you'll find a way to make it work. You know who you are. I've hung on those words for years before I finally started seeing ways to make it work. This post is not about flight though, it's about wanting something bad enough for our birds and making that vision a reality. It's about wanting something bad enough in the bird's best interest and realizing the sky is the limit.

I envisioned an enclosure as large as I could possibly imagine for the small city lot in which we live. I woke my husband up in the middle of the night and told him "We need to enclose the backyard!" He said "Ok" and rolled back over and went to sleep. When he woke up the next morning, there I sat in bed next to him all bright eyed and bushy tailed and said "Do you remember what you agreed to last night?"

So there our venture began and oh what a ride it has been. I e-mailed Steve Martin of Natural Encounters (http://www.naturalencounters.com/) because I remembered seeing and noting the netting he had in one of his flights. I asked him where he purchased the netting and he directed me to a company that makes different types of netting. http://www.jacissel.net/ I contacted J A Cissel and ordered samples. I ended up purchasing the right size and strength for my size birds and for my climate. I have large birds and in the winter here in Ohio, we can get a lot of snow and ice. I ended up on the phone numerous times and asked for durability and samples. We ended up settling on what we thought was best for our area of the U.S. We ordered a roll that was 25' x 100'. Our backyard is 35' wide by 44' long. We decided we would splice it together somehow. We ordered a spool of their polywire in which to secure and hang the netting (See video below).

We ordered polywire through the same company. The polywire is strung around the perimiter of the backyard. We have an almost square backyard so one side in which we strung the polywire was against the house. The second wall is our 6' tall wooden fence. The third wall is our garage and the fourth wall, was open yard in which we shared with the neighbors. We secured in the ground 4 4"x4"x10' wooden beams which made up our fourth wall. In order to string the polywire, we had to screw in numerous eye screws around the perimiter. Within those eyehooks is what we threaded in the cable, or polywire. To that cable is what we attached the netting with plastic, electrical zip ties.

Over the past year we have had the opportunity to see the aviary exist in the changing of the four seasons. One thing I would like to make very clear is the location of the polywire through the center and the open edge of the aviary for support. There are two areas through the center of the aviary that stretch from the garage, through the center support beams, and attach to the house. This was major support for the netting during heavy thunderstorms, wet leaves, and ice! Without proper placement of these support cables, the aviary would have crashed under the ice for sure.

So, now to see the aviary in motion and duration of the seasons. We were told it probably would not last through our first winter. I'm smiling from ear to ear right now because we made it. This past winter was our first and wouldn't you know it.....we got slammed with ice and snow moreso than in years past. I woke up the morning after an ice storm and the sight was beautiful. Our aviary was absolutely caked in ice. It was absolutely beautiful and the sound of ice clinking in the aviary It was pretty, but my heart was teatering on the future outdoor enrichment vision of my birds in the aviary. I remember staring out my kitchen window just waiting for it to slam to the ground. I envisioned eyehooks popping out one by one around the perimeter of the aviary.

I walked out back and took our shovel and slammed it as hard as I could into the netting assuming it would all come crashing down. Quite the contrary. I hit it with the shovel and the netting barely moved. It moved in the slightest bit of a wave like jumping into the middle of the ocean. I thought "Oh dear, this isn't good." I hit it again. Same slight wave so I put the shovel away and waited for rising temps. I'm not going to lie and say I didn't think about going out there with a blow drier. If you take a look at the netting closest to the camera in the previous photo you will see the thickness of the icicles hanging. Notice how the netting is severely bowing down toward the ground in weight.

So, we went through numerous ice storms in the winter of 2008. Whew! On we moved anticipating the spring of 2009. At times we, the birds and I, could not wait. If they showed the interest, I gave them the opportunity to interact with their environment. What a ride, joy, and learning experience that was.

In an aviary built from the netting in which mine is, the birds should not be left outside unsupervised. Last year I found something had chewed through the netting at ground level. I believe it was a raccoon. I have also seen a ferral cat caught up in the netting. He found his way in but could not figure how to get out. I've seen animals get trapped in the aviary, including birds and when they realize they are enclosed they tend to get extremely nervous and scared.

I've seen hawks come too close for comfort, especially when I have a bird hanging from the top of the aviary. When the birds are out in the aviary, so am I. We are out and we are loud and we can be very active. I also love to sit at the patio table and work on projects on my computer while my birds run, fly, perch, and play around me. It really is my favorite place to be. Nothing like having a cup of coffee in the morning while reading a book and watching a beautiful Green-winged Macaw preening in the warmth of the morning sunshine and knowing it can be done safely. Murray, my Green-winged Macaw is my bird that does not fly...at least not yet, but the added comfort and security in the aviary netting provides is indescribable.

I've been asked many times if the birds will chew their way out. What is so exciting about aviary netting, I thought. My response is if the enrichment contained inside the netting exceeds that of the netting itself, it shouldn't be a problem. Rico flies to the netting all the time and never chews on it. He flies to the side of the netting in which are closest to the neighbors grilling out and he hangs on the side and watches. He flies to the netting above the door to the fence. There he hangs on the side and watches the neighbors having their cookouts or watches the cars coming down the street. Never have I had an issue with the birds trying to chew their way though. Rocky my Moluccan Cockatoo likes chewing on the netting so I provide small pieces of netting that hang throughout the aviary and on the backs of the chairs so he knows where to go to chew while I make the areas in which the netting hangs very convenient for him to perch and chew.

With the space the aviary provides I encourage many natural behaviors such as foraging, flying, and training. Watching these behaviors in a large area like this is really fascinating to watch. It also allows the birds the opportunity to interact and respond to the environment outside of the netting. In this particular video, I edited out the 5 minutes prior that Rico, my Umbrella Cockatoo spent manipulating the acrylic treasure chest in order to retrieve the almond that you will see him extract in the video. After he extracts the almond he looks for a place to perch in order to eat the almond. You'll see the extended flight he takes in order to find a comfortable place to perch which ends up being on me. I love this video because I can see how intent Rico is on getting this almond and how hard he works for it. The almond is a reward large enough to encourage and maintain the length of foraging in order to retrieve it.

If you wonder what the neighbors think, I have never received a complaint from the sight of the aviary. Most people say they don't even realize it is there. It also give a really neat feeling sitting inside the aviary and I don't know how to describe it. It feels like your are outside but almost feels like a huge atrium. In order to help you, the viewer be able to visualize what this may look like from a neighbors point of view, I went to the neighbor's back yard and took these photos. My neighbors enjoy sitting in their back yards and watching the birds fly and run around on the ground.

Rocky, my Moluccan Cockatoo knows how to fly but prefers to run. I remember telling my husband once "If would love to have an area in which Rocky could run to his hearts content." He absolutely loves to run. If you want it bad enough, you'll figure out a way to make it work, and that we did and you'll see it in the video. I also sit in the back yard at the patio table and toss a ball to the middle of the yard while my husband sit and laugh watching Rocky chasing and retreiving it. Rocky has a lot of energy and needs a way to burn it off. I couldn't ask for a more area to provide him.

Rocky is my bird that likes to chew on the netting. Did you see what he did in the video above? He stopped to chew on it but then found the enrichment provided inside the netting more enriching than the netting itself.

I will continue to add my ventures and changes I've made to the aviary here. I will always come back and add the different opportunities I provide to the birds. Those of you that know me know that my camera is always attached to me somewhere and that is because I love to share my experiences and ideas with other bird lovers. My husband and I are already working on a new idea for the birds. This one will blow the aviary out of the water. Enjoy and feel free to contact me with questions.

Do you see the two cockatoos in the photo to the right?

Tears from the Aviary

I'm working on developing my blog and am getting there slowly but surely. There is a section I want to start called "Thoughts from the Aviary". I want to start this section because in my bird's aviary is where I do a lot of my reading, writing, thinking and observing of my own bird's behavior, the wild birds around us, and the ones I'm getting ready to see. I've found myself to be a passionate person in regards to avian welfare, and well, this is where my story begins.

I am sitting out here in my aviary today, which happens to be my whole netting enclosed backyard. I am sitting here enjoying the morning sun with my favorite magazine in hand and my Umbrella Cockatoo soaking up the rays on my knee. My hair is done nicely and my make up in fine tuned condition for tonight's presentation. Tonight I am presenting a workshop on modifying parrot behavior through positive reinforcement techniques. This is the second series I am presenting here locally and am pretty excited about it because I have tons of videos showing how it works and proving how strong it is increasing the trust between the trainer and the bird. Anyway, there's a reason I just mentioned all of that. You'll see. On with the story.

I am reading Barbara Heidenreich's Spring 2009 issue of Good Bird Magazine. I decided to flip open to the article written by Shauna Roberts called "Mackie the Miracle Umbrella Cockatoo". The sight of cockatoos makes my heart skip a beat, plus I've seen Mackie's photo on her husband's Gabriel Foundation card. I met Shauna and Allen last year at Chris Shank's FlyAbout in Oregon. I've heard bit's and pieces of the story of the history of Mackie the Umbrella Cockatoo but never heard the whole story. So time to put on my big girl britches and dig in to the story.

I started reading. I read of Mackie's past and how he was loved by his first owner and how that quickly changed when a boyfriend came into the picture. As I continued reading I kept in the back of my mind what must be going through this bird's head during this drastic transition from the cage to the basement bathtub. I read on and the tears began flowing by the time I flipped the first page of the article, as they do once again as I sit here and type this.

So why do I cry so? I've been sitting here thinking about this over the past half hour since I first started reading this article. This is what I do in the aviary, ya know? I'll sit here for hours and just observe and think, it's one of my favorite things to do. I sat the article to my side and starred at the beautiful ball of feathers soaking the rays on my knee. His eyes are shut and his trust in me and the secure and positive environment I have provided to him all his life are a consistent reminder to me of my passion for all of avian welfare. I sat here and looked at my cockatoo, Rico sitting on my knee while trying to imagine Mackie's horror of cigarettes being put out on his body and bleached sprayed into his wounds to prevent infection. I sat and imagined the life and the love this bird once knew and then the horror he then went through. The tears flooded my vision as hard as I tried forcing myself to stop crying, the more more my bottom lip started to quiver. So much for the great make up job for tonight's presentation. I will mention this story at tonight's presentation. I can't not do it. I'll do it in honor of Mackie and I'll do it in honor of Mackie's fantastic and dedicated current owners, Shauna and Allen Roberts.

So back to the tears. I just got off the phone with my husband telling him of this story of Mackie's history. Unfathomable is the only word I can continually come up with on mine and my husband's reaction. I can't even imagine what could bring someone to do this, but I know it does happen.

I believe this story is too close to my heart through a bird that now resides with me. I won't go into the full story of Rocky my Moluccan Cockatoo, but he was supposed to be put down due to his plethora of negative behavioral issues he exhibited when I met him. Barbara Heidenreich and Susan Friedman don't even know his story but they are the ones whom helped me so drastically turn Rocky's behaviors into ejoyable encounters. Through all of their writings I was on the other end of their pen put to paper begging them for all the help I could get and for Rocky's future. I remember the tears, the heartache and pleading on a daily basis.

So, this is a long overdue thank you to Barbara and Susan. The outlet you provide to the avian community is one I can't even put into words. The next time your on a plane heading to another seminar, may a thank you from Rocky cross your thoughts.

I will give extreme amounts of credit to Rocky also. He has been one of my best teachers in behavior and behavior modification. I sit here now with him behind me enjoying a toy from atop his 9' playsystem. He's quiet. He's content. He's well loved with a home I hope I can provide to him unti the end of his days. A bird that has been misunderstood for many years and he has since allowed my husband and I to enter his heart. A bird who's future was very grim two and a half years ago now has the ability to fly throughout the aviary, hop through the grass, and climb up our legs to our chest where he knows is always a tender hand eager to provide him comfort.

To all the Mackie's and the Rocky's.....thank you for teaching us.

A bit about my background

I find it so absolutely important to know about the person of whom one is reading, especially if they are seeking advice and information from which to learn. It is for this reason that I am wanting to share my information to you, the reader.



Seven years ago I bought my first bird and had absolutely no clue what I was doing or what I may be getting myself into. Since that first day with my Umbrella Cockatoo, I have continued daily learning and searching for information in regards to avian behavior and welfare.



I began traveling and attending numerous workshops, lectures, and seminars of Barbara Heidenreich's and Dr. Susan Friedman's over a couple of years and still do. I then moved on and completed Susan Friedman's LLP and a year later completed her 16 hour LLP TELE course for Veterinarians & Professionals focused on Applied Behavior Analysis.



In the meantime I was reading the writings of Sid Price and Steve Martin, which lead me to signing up and completing two consecutive years of workshops through Steve Martin's Natural Encounters. I have one workshop left to take in finishing the series of three. Through these workshops and Barbara's lectures, I have found active training to be one of the most important forms of enrichment in which we can offer to our companion parrots. The third workshop will be the Trainer Emersion which will hopefully be behind the scenes active training at the San Diego Zoo.



Observing birds in flight, especially companion parrots, one can see the effects the empowerment over their environment gives to them. It exudes in their self confidence, security, and decline in negative behavioral issues. This caused me to enclose my entire backyard in aviary netting and actively train my parrots for flight, agility, and skill through the technique and fluency of positive reinforcement training. I then went in search of education and experience of free flying of parrots. It also reinforced me in sharing my observations on their behavior with others.







The positive effects I saw in flight training took me to Chris Shank's FlyAbout 2008 at Cockatoo Downs in Dallas, Oregon. There I spent three days submerged in training and education of teaching and learning free flight. I had the opportunity to work and train one of her parent raised, red vented cockatoos that had a history of no physical human contact. Three fantastic speakers Chris Shank, Dr. Susan Orosz, PhD, DVM, Dipl ABVP& Dipl ECAMS, and Barbara Heidenreich all spoke and taught about training, health through flight, and technique in free flying. Free flying is the act of flying birds outdoors with no restraint. A detailed review of the FlyAbout 2008 can be read in a review I had written in the Fall 2008 issue of IAATE's (The International Association of Avian Trainers and Educators) newsletter called The Flyer. http://iaate.org/


I began hiring out my training services with my first per diem project of training two Blue and Gold Macaws for an opening exhibit at The Franklin Park Conservatory in Columbus, Ohio. That is when I was officially bit by the training bug hook, line, and sinker. I will never stop training using positive reinforcement training because of the enrichment it offers and the relationship it creates built through trust between the bird and the trainer. The reinforcement I get through training a bird to behave through positive reinforcement training is simply priceless let alone ethical with all or most choice left up to the bird. It's the bird's reaction and willingness to be trained that reinforces me coming back.


I presented my first research at the 29th Annual Association of Avian Veterinarians Conference and Expo in Savannah, Georgia. My research was on enrichment and how lack of it increases abnormal repetitive behaviors in captive animals with the focus on companion parrots and my observations from a clinical setting in performing behavioral consultations. This is a true fascination of mine in which I continue my research and application to companion parrot behavior and captive animal behavior. I have just completed my second year of presenting my research at the 30th Annual AAV Conference and Expo in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in August 2009. The first topic I was extremely excited to present was Contrafreeloading & Its Effects on Avian Behavior. The second I was excited to share my work and experience in training parrots and raptors on the topic of Empowerment & Its Effects on Avian Behavior. I have been asked to share in presenting a master class at the 31st Annual AAV Conference and Expo in San Diego but haven't yet decided if I will. Next August may also take me on two new ventures in which I'm greatly looking forward.

I currently travel and speak on companion parrot behavior, training, and enrichment and now that spectrum is flowing over into my work with raptors. I present workshops and also workshops as fundraisers for numerous organizations. These I love because I love helping in raising money for good causes. I spoke at the annual Parrot Palooza at Bird Paradise in Burlington, New Jersey in which I was invited to come back and speak again this October of 2009. I also write the newsletters for Bird Paradise which can be found at http://bird-paradise.biz/ and click on "Newsletter".


I also currently design a line of enrichment and foraging toys for companion parrots. I've been desinging and expanding my line of toys for six years now. This is another area in which I truely enjoy because I design them to aid in modifying or preventing negative behavioral issues in companion parrots and the cool thing is, I get to see and hear from others how they work. My line of foraging toys was also presented in Scott Echols' foraging lab at the 30th Annual AAV Conference and Expo in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I have just recently started selling my toys to the public and it has been a great success. To see the line, feel free to e-mail me at aviansanta@gmail.com.






I am the director of training and enrichment for the birds of prey at a wildlife rehabilitation center near where I live. http://www.natures-nursery.org/ I started training their birds of prey because I wanted to fine tune my training technique. I started working here with the intention to learn through what the raptors could teach me and staying for about six months and then leaving. Well, here I am over a year later and have no intention of ever leaving. I am hooked and I love working with these birds. I've had the honor of living with a Great Horned Owl for a few months and still share my residence with other occasional feathered visitors. I get to see first hand how training behaviors through positive reinforcement techniques truely enriches their lives. I am here to stay and love the care and concern the facility promotes through education and conservation. I have since spoke with the director in my long term goals of training and attempting to begin a new program through the raptor division. I also focus heavily on alternate ways in enriching the lives of those that remain in captivity due to imprinting or injury.



I am a member of several very worthy organizations dedicated to the education in aviculture. These I really want to list because I believe in their causes are so profound for the future of education, conservation and welfare. I am a professional member of and sit on two committees for The International Association of Avian Trainers and Educators. I am an active member of The Animal Behavior Management Alliance. I am a dedicated member of and support The World Parrot Trust http://www.parrots.org/, a passionate supporter of The Indonesian Parrot Project http://www.indonesian-parrot-project.org/, and a supporter of The American Federation of Aviculture http://www.afabirds.org/.



I am one of four administrators for an online community dedicated to the welfare and education of the companion parrot society called AvianNation http://aviannation.com/. I have been a member here for about three years but have known many of the members for seven years and we have all grown in our passion for the welfare of parrots together. It is a place I call home with members I consider family and visit and interact numerous times throughout the day.

I have just returned from being asked to speak at The Philadelphia Zoo at the annual Docent Council dinner. What a fascinating and educating experience this was for me. The Docent Council of The Philadelphia Zoo provides a strong foundation of education and conservation of all the species at their zoo. I was given several guided and personalized tours including a behind the scenes tour of their new McNeil Avian Center. My eyes were opened to the serious dedication to the survival, protection, and education of all species and I had the opportunity to see how serious the Council is in attaining further education for the benefit of the animals. I just can't say enough in regards to how impressed I was. Dave and Sandy Schaefer were very cordial in offering me accommodations while I was there. What a fantastic and couple who provided me with laughs and continual education during my stay. Thank you. Happy birthday to the new baby orangutan that was born there the day I left. How happy the parents Tua & Sugie must be. Happy 150th anniversary to The Philadelphia Zoo! http://www.philadelphiazoo.org/



A few things I am currently pursuing and working on consist of going back to college to more aggressively pursue my interest and fascination in behavior. Major progression is being made at the wildlife rehabilitation center in which I work. I am very excited for some of these upcoming changes and will post about them as they evolve. I am also very excited to have begun my education and initiative in attaining my falconer's license. I have thought about pursuing a license in falconry for well over two years now and am driven to continue due to the education and the success it has on the well being and future of the raptor itself. I am also pleased to have been asked to speak on the first annual parrot lovers cruise to Costa Rica, Panama, and Mexico. http://www.parrotloverscruise.com/home I will be complimented by standing next to two very well respected speakers dedicated to the well being and education in aviculture. Well of course I will go. ;)
To reach me privately, feel free to e-mail me at aviansanta@gmail.com.

Welcome!

It's been suggested to me numerous times that I should start my own blog. It has taken me the past four or five years to do so.

I am fascinated with behavior, behavior modification, the study of abnormal repetitive behavior of captive animals, and the behavior of parrots and birds of prey in particular. I've fallen into the great sea of behavior when I had acquired my first parrot, Rico, my Umbrella Cockatoo over six years ago. I found his behaviors, or my lack of knowledge in the reasoning behind his behaviors to be nothing short of absolutely fascinating. This caused me to dig and dig and dig even further into all I could to better understand my parrot, what he was trying to tell me, and the many signs and signals I wasn't understanding. Three additional parrots and six years later, here I am still absolutely fascinated with their exquisite and unique minds, functions, anatomy, intelligence, and communication.

I continue on my path of learning all my mind can possibly absorb in the way of behavior and modification for the best interest in the relationship I have with my own parrots, other parrots in which I come in contact, and the birds of prey that I train. I want them to be birds and be the unique individuals nature and evolution has created them to be. I want them to be the happiest and most healthy they can be while increasing or maintianing the bond in which I have and share with them. Having an undomesticated animal in my house is not a natural way of life for myself and my husband or for the four parrots in which reside with us. It is not natural, so it is my intention to make it as healthy and enjoyable for all and I intend to do this through continuing my education in the behavior of these spectacular creatures. In having these feathered pieces of brilliance in my house, it is my responsibility to take the best care of them that I can, and in no way am I saying I can provide them with the benefits of their natural habitats, but I can and will do my best, I owe it to them.

Owning a parrot or numerous parrots can be very difficult, expensive, and time consuming. I know because I experience all of this first hand and on a daily basis. I have found enriching the lives of companion parrots and trying my best to interpret their behaviors as my true passion.

The world is our oyster and we have the ability to make most of our decisions for ourselves. In the life many companion parrots live they have only a fraction of the opportunity to make their own decisions or on a much lesser scale. If their lives have to be captive, my goal is to increase to the best of my ability, the scale of their decision making processes. Parrots develop through learning. Increasing their learning opportunities makes and proves for their better welfare. Time for me to open and cultivate that oyster.

My intentions in starting this blog is to share what I learn, my thoughts along the way, and those I come in contact with through my journies. I love to write about things in which I'm passionate and I have found over the past six years of my life, my passion is birds and anyone who knows me knows this. I also surround myself with those whom share the same passion. So, I hope you enjoy the readings you will find here on many aspects of avian behavior, training, and experiences.