More importantly having a personal connectionwith in-
dividual parrots has helped me become aware and con- cerned for parrot species in the wild. As technology takes over andmore people become disconnected fromnature, pets may be the only animals future generations experi- ence. By fostering a connection and giving caregivers the tools to live successfully with parrots we are doing so muchmore thanmaking great pets.We are creating deep bonds that can benefit individual birds and their wild counterparts.
ARE PARROTS DIFFICULT PETS? In my experience parrots are neither inherently good
companion animals nor inherently bad companion ani- mals. The behaviors parrots choose to exhibit are the re- sult of what earns them reinforcers or what will cause an aversive stimulus to go away. In other words parrot be- havior is the result of our behavior. If we choose to rein- force behaviors we like, we will see those behaviors exhibited more often. If we try to control parrots through unpleasant experiences we are likely to create aggressive behavior or fear responses.
determine the outcome, not the genetics of the parrot. I have been fortunate to see successful parrot and caregiver relationships over and over again inmy travels.Thosewho succeed have embraced the positive reinforcement ap- proach to parrot behavior.
Parrots are learning machines from a very young age Photo credit: Barbara Heidenreich
A SUCCESSFUL START Parrots are learning machines from a very young age. If
The methods we choose to influence parrot behavior determine the outcome, not the genetics of the parrot. Photo credit: Barbara Heidenreich
The bottomline is parrot caregiverswho are armedwith
tools and information on training their parrots with posi- tive reinforcement are likely to have great success with a parrot in their home.Those who rely on coercion are sure to encounter problems and sadly miss out on the incred- ible relationship based on trust one can have with a par- rot. The methods we choose to influence parrot behavior
10 Good Bird Magazine
you are planning on acquiring a parrot from a breeder I recommend choosing one that trains with positive rein- forcement. This is because the moment a baby parrot can move (make choices) to gain reinforcers learning is oc- curring. (It is certainly occurring before that, but for train- ing purposes amobile participant is helpful)Thismeans a training savvy breederwill train young birds to walk or fly to the hand at feeding time. Pushing a baby bird onto a hand or grabbing it even at this young age has serious repercussions. I have met many recently weaned babies who are already afraid of hands due to forceful interac- tions with hands. It is critical to give birds, even a young one the choice to step towards or onto a hand to gain re- inforcers. Baby parrots are not inherently afraid or ag- gressive towards hands. This is learned behavior. This means problems with hands are totally avoidable. In fact using positive reinforcement breeders can teach young birds that hands are the most fabulous place in the world
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