thatpetblog
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Parrot Training Accidents – How Our Reactions May Confuse Parrots
Nov 10th
Hello, Frank Indiviglio here. Birds of all types are surprisingly skilled at reading human body language, and making the connection between their body parts and ours (i.e., identifying eyes, mouth, etc.). I’ve always been surprised by this, because we are such different beings than birds, and our facial features do not seem to line up well with theirs. Parrots, with their natural sociability and intelligence, are particularly skilled in this regard. Often this assists us in interacting with them, but it can also lead to unintended “misunderstandings”.
Recognizing Our Eyes
My first experience with the abilities of birds to read body language came while learning to hand feed cardinals, chickadees and other visitors to my bird feeder. Looking directly at these birds caused them to take flight immediately, even if I had not moved a muscle (please see my article Hand Feeding Wild Birds for more information on this enjoyable hobby).
Later, while working with birds at the Bronx Zoo, older keepers showed me how to get very close to birds in large exhibits by looking at them with a sideways glance. One could get quite close to many birds, especially while they were feeding, by seeming to “ignore” them…staring head on sent them into a panic.
A People-Feeding Owl
I’ve also found that some birds can recognize mouths as well. An imprinted, hand raised great horned owl under my care courted his favorite keepers by trying to stuff mice into their mouths – he never mistook an ear for a mouth when perched on one’s shoulder (I was apparently not an attractive prospect as a mate, and so was thankfully spared his nuptial gifts!).
Our Body Language
Many people use head and hand gesticulations when speaking, often without realizing just how dramatic those movements can be. My family, whose roots are largely in southern Italy, sometimes joked that my grandmother would be left unable to speak if her hands were tied together!
Parrots are very attuned to even small movements on our part. In some cases, our body language may affect out parrots in ways which we do not intend. Millions of years of evolution have left parrots with finely honed survival abilities. Even long term captives, remain instinctively attuned to signs of predators – wild hand or head movements may, therefore, frighten them. Depending upon the species and individual bird’s personality, a parrot may also react with aggression to movements that it perceives as threatening.
Some birds may react positively to our bobbing heads. There are no hard and fast rules…just bear in mind that your parrot is basing its reaction to you on what you do as well as say.
Mistaken Reinforcement
Reacting with laughter when a parrot does something that is “wrong but cute” will reinforce the bad behavior. Even if you follow up with a correction, the parrot has, in most cases, been given the reward it seeks – namely, being noticed. Even reacting with a sound when bitten can encourage the parrot to bite again.
If at all possible, get the parrot’s attention by making direct eye contact, put the bird down (if on you) or ignore it. Following desirable behavior with notice and praise, especially if such occurs right after bad behavior, will help keep your pet on the right track.
Further Reading
For further discussion of how human-parrot interactions can result in behavioral problems, please see my article Parrot Bonding as a Behavioral Problem.
Please write in with your questions and comments.
Thanks, until next time,
Frank Indiviglio
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Loading ...The Excitement of Training a Freeflight Parrot
Jul 9th
The following blog entry was done by a guest blogger and does not necessarily reflect the views of Frank Indiviglio or That Fish Place/That Pet Place. Please welcome Dave Womach, Professional Parrot Trainer at Birdtricks.com
When you first hear the term, “freeflight parrot” you might expect to see a parrot flying through hoops in bird show at a theme park, or perhaps doing some stunt in a washed up Vegas showroom in a dingy hotel located in the wrong part of town, just north of the famous strip. Very few people are fully aware of the “no-limits” potential of what I refer to as, Freestyle Flying™.
Imagine for a moment what it would be like, if you took your clipped parrot outside, let go of his feet and a 25 mph wind gust took him out of your hands never to see him again. For many, that is unfortunately a very common story.
Now imagine going to some exotic location after 90 days of formal training and intentionally letting go of your parrot. Nothing beats the rush of a gust of wind taking your parrot 50 feet up into the air, as you watch that bird maneuver on an invisible wave of wind, as if he were a surfer riding on the great waves of Hawaii. He skillfully hovers in one spot until he gets enough confidence to surf the air and coast back and forth, only to land on your hand a couple of minutes later.
Freestyle Flying™ isn’t for everyone, but it is for every bird. And if you’re the kind of person who is willing to put in a lot of time, energy, and research, this can be the best quality of life that you can offer your parrot.
Over the past year I have been fortunate enough to fly my flock at locations all across the U.S., and watch as they go from freshly weaned baby parrots, to fully skilled pro’s.
My favorite thing to watch them do, is a term called Jinking. (v. jinked, jink•ing, jinks
To make a quick, evasive turn) As your parrots become more and more confident and skilled, they’ll start to experiment with evasive maneuvers that they use in the wild to evade predators such as hawks and eagles. They’ll actually flip upside down, flap, turn right side up, upside down, etc until they have successfully evaded the predator. Although I have seen this used twice to actually evade a hawk (or flock of seagulls), they also love just practicing it on their own.
If you ever have the opportunity to experience the freedom of flight, through Freestyle Flying™, make sure that you don’t miss out on the opportunity.
To see a brief video that will wet your appetite, click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7CZsTiPiXw
(-1 rating, 3 votes) Loading ...Vitamin A Deficiency and Swollen Eyes in Parrots, Finches and other Cage Birds
Jun 26th
Hello, Frank Indiviglio here. Swollen eyes (Periorbital Abscess) are a frequently reported affliction of budgerigars, African gray, various Amazon and nearly all other parrots, but are also seen in canaries and other finches, mynas, toucans, bulbuls and a host of lesser-known pet species. In most cases, a Vitamin A deficiency is at the root of the problem. Less commonly, cysts, trapped foreign objects, trauma and bacterial infection may be implicated.
Initial Symptoms (Periobital Abscess)
Swellings usually develop slowly, beginning as puffy areas in front of and possibly above the eyes, and may be quite subtle. This underlies the importance of knowing your bird well, and of performing a close daily inspection – especially for those who keep smaller birds, or any bird in a large, outdoor aviary. Eventually, the swollen area will spread, encircling the eye and forcing it closed. Treatment may involve surgery and/or Vitamin A injections, followed by dietary changes.
Origin of Vitamin A Deficiencies
Vitamin A deficiencies are typical of parrots fed upon a seed-only diet, and are especially common in species and individuals that tend to feed upon 1-2 types of seed to the exclusion of all others. As always, sunflower seeds are the main culprit. Parrots are notoriously troublesome in this regard, but other groups have their share of offenders as well.
In softbills and other non-seed eaters, this or other deficiencies can arise in birds that feed upon a few favored food items, such as the Pekin robin that takes only mealworms or the toucan that fills up on the bananas in its salad.
Aviary and Group-Housing Concerns
While working in large, mixed-species zoo exhibits, I began to notice that the dominant birds in the exhibit were often the individuals most likely to develop vitamin/mineral deficiencies. While this at first did not make sense, upon reflection I came to realize that it is precisely these birds that arrived at the feeding stations first and filled up on crickets, grubs, blueberries, hard-boiled egg and other favorites.
Left with only prepared softbill diets and pellets upon which to subsist, the subordinate birds actually consumed a more healthful diet than did the exhibit tyrants. Those keeping groups of birds in outdoor aviaries would do well to remain aware of this phenomenon.
Balancing the Diet: Pellets and Prepared Foods
For parrot keepers, the answer lies in switching your birds to a pellet-based diet …a task much easier said than done where many are concerned. Lafeber Nutriberries can be an invaluable ally in your battle. Nutriberries present pellets in a very well-accepted form, mixing in seeds and tasty treats and greatly simplifying the ordeal.
Likewise, pellets can be put to good use in finch diets, and softbill pellets should form the basis of the food taken by toucans, barbets, mynas and similar birds.
Other Steps to Take
Please be sure also to take a look at our extensive selection of bird care books, as there are small details affecting the nutritional health of all species. A high quality vitamin/mineral supplement should also be used as part of a balanced diet for your pets.
Further Reading
For more information on the role of pellets in bird diets, please see my article Avian Nutrition: Pellet-Based Diets.
Please write in with your questions and comments. Thanks, until next time, Frank Indiviglio.
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Introducing the Turacos (Family Musophagidae), With Notes on an Unusual Individual
Aug 4th
Twenty two species of turaco inhabit central and southern Africa and, oddly for a continent with such a diversity of unique wildlife, they comprise the only family of birds limited in distribution to Africa. Many are spectacularly colored in glossy green, red and violet, and are lent some of these hues by pigments unknown in other birds. They bound from branch to branch, uttering odd, bark-like cries and flaring their characteristic head crests.
All turacos are largely frugivorous and, indeed, are one of the few birds known to feed fruit to their nestlings. The young are also unique in (along with the even stranger hoatzin) possessing claws at the wing joint that allow them to clamber about the branches.
The first turaco I had contact with was an Angolan Red-Crested (Tauraco erythrolophus), housed at the Bronx Zoo. As we know, hand-raised birds often imprint upon humans and mature into animals that, while good pets, behave somewhat abnormally. I have related previously the tale of a Great Horned Owl that attempted to “court” his keepers by attempting to stuff mice into our mouths. Zoos seeking to release hand-reared birds back to the wild, as has been done with California Condors, utilize hand puppets when feeding the nestlings to prevent imprinting.
Well, the turaco in question, christened “Bloody Mary” for the cuts she left about the head and ears of anyone entering her exhibit, took a differen
t view of “imprinting”. Even when tossed away (gently, of course!), she would fly back and attack, so much so that keepers took to wearing hard hats when feeding her. She was equally aggressive to other birds, forcing me to install an opaque barrier between her cage and her neighbors, in order to give them some peace. The accompanying photograph shows my friend not seeking a treat or a scratch on the head, but an opportunity to peck at whatever part of me presents itself!
Bloody Mary aside, turacos make spectacular additions to the collections of advanced hobbyists, but they do need a huge flight cage. I’ll write more about them in the future. Until then, please forward your questions and comments. Thanks, Frank.
You can read about the care of Red Crested Turacos at Cotswold Wildlife Park, and view photos, at:
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