During a family gathering, Flo learned to perch on my grandson. Photo credit: Dorothy Schwarz


Despite her injury Flo learned to recall! Photo credit: Dorothy Schwarz


TRAINING PROGRESSES One week later, my grown up kids and their children


arrived for a family visit. Could she cope all weekend? She accepted extra noise and commotion easily. Flew to a picture rail in the sitting roomand observed. Eachmorn- ing at eight AM, I’d let her out of the cage and she’dmake several loops around the sitting roombefore settling down to a session of recalls. Soon the grandchildren joined in the training sessions and she perchedwillingly on the chil- dren’s hands. After that, back in the conservatory she ac- cepted my son Ben taking pictures.


I insisted that only positive reinforcement techniques must be used in every interaction with me or someone


Her curiosity and sense of fun increased each day. Photo credit: Dorothy Schwarz


else. This strategy paid off. If Little Flo flew off someone’s hand and the person waited a little while and asked her back she would invariably comply. Her curiosity and sense of fun increased each day.


I was perhaps foolhardy expecting her to learn about


windows before her flight grewfast enough for her to hurt herself. She banged into a few windows but never the same one twice.


Good Bird Magazine 43


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