inthisissue PP..EE..TT PagesPages Does your PsittaScene's PET Pages help you have a account? provide the very best for your bird Trust by focusing on Parrot behaviour, Enrichment and Training. By STEVE MARTIN, Natural Encounters, Inc. Why are so many people so unhappy with their companion parrot? How can these Trust deposits beautiful, intelligent and entertaining The best relationships are the ones built on creatures cause so much anxiety and a solid foundation of trust. Most often, this frustration? After all, we paid a small trust is built slowly, over weeks or even fortune to have them in our homes and months with some birds. Each time we to care for them properly. Why don't they interact with our birds in a positive way we recognise how much we love them and how make a deposit into our "Trust Account" at much time, effort and money we spend on the Bank of Relationships. As our account them? They cuddle with us, close their eyes grows, our birds become more and more and moan approvingly when we scratch confident in us and more willing to be with This issue's contributor, Steve Martin, their heads. They seem to look forward to has been a professional bird trainer being with us and can't wait for us to come for over 30 years. He is President of home. But, then they go and scream at the Natural Encounters, Inc., a company top of their lungs … loud enough to rattle of over 20 professional animal trainers the windows… at the neighbour's house. If who produce educational, free-flight that's not enough, when we finally go to let bird shows at zoological facilities the bird out of the cage it bites us! How did around the world. Steve is a Trustee that cute, cuddly, intelligent little angel turn with the World Parrot Trust. into a screaming, violent, foreign being? These questions and more are asked every day in the companion parrot community. There is no panacea, no quick fixes, no solution that works exactly the same for every bird and every owner. Part of the attraction and majesty of is in their individuality. Each and every bird is wonderfully unique. Its behaviour is shaped and influenced by natural tendencies combined with environmental conditions and experiences. As parrot owners, our us. Positive reinforcement is perhaps the actions are just part of the many ingredients most valuable experience we can provide added to the primordial soup that determines how our parrots will behave. our birds because of its effect on There are countless other influences on strengthening behaviour. By definition, behaviour that help to determine how a positive reinforcement is a process where bird behaves in certain situations and something is provided to an animal that environments. However, our actions are increases or maintains a behaviour. The among the most important of these factors reinforcer can be anything a parrot likes, because they form the base for our such as a scratch on the head, verbal praise, relationships with our birds. That companionship, treats, etc. Each occurrence relationship is the focus of this article. of positive reinforcement is a deposit that

eu trade ban milestones 2001 Aug Oct WPT Trade Ban Proposal WPT launches Trade Ban encouraged to end RSPCA invited to co-fund PsittaScene sent to key published online & in petition wild bird imports campaign IUCN meeting PsittaScene Inspires the participation Cristiana Senni, WPT-Italy Mike Reynolds request WPT sends 50 copies of Formally launched the of the general public, proposes ban on imports helps start discussions PsittaScene with the ban World Parrot Trust increases awareness of of wild birds to the and rekindles RSPCA proposal to the IUCN campaign to stop all the problem, and helps Italian Minister of the interest in the campaign hoping the co-publishers imports of wild birds to WPT better understand Environment. This gives which had been idle for of the Parrot Action Plan the EU, detailing the various sources of support the Italian government eight years. might prove to be a problems caused by and opposition. Translated a clear statement of the powerful ally. Not so, as it trade and the value of into most major languages. problem and a turned out. ending it permanently. straightforward solution.

6 PsittaScene February 2007 PsittaScene Volume 19, No 1, February 2007 n 3 feeds our trust account and strengthens our NEI Photo: relationship portfolio. Avoiding withdrawals Conversely, each time we use aversives, or do something the bird dislikes, we make a withdrawal from our trust account. Unfortunately, it is very easy to make withdrawals when working with companion parrots. For example, a common strategy for taking a parrot out of the cage is to chase it around the cage until you finally block its escape and force it to get on your hand. Likewise, to get it back into its cage simply move quickly and block its escape with your body. Because these strategies can work most people don't see the problem with them. They get the bird in and out of If your parrot jumps to the door when you approach, try training a more desirable the cage. In fact, there are many people behaviour instead. Consistently reinforcing your bird for going to the perch to be who readily encourage this type of training. picked up can effectively eliminate the door clinging behaviour. They say things like "Make sure the bird knows you are the flock leader" and "Don't bankrupting the account. Some people let him get away with making independent choose to blame the bird by labelling it Positive reinforcement decisions." I have also seen people as phobic, hormonal, aggressive, jealous, The most enduring and rewarding advocate repeated step-ups, or laddering abused, etc. These labels do little more than relationships are built on a solid foundation exercises to encourage compliance with the relieve the owner of responsibility for their of positive reinforcement. When a bird does step-up command. They don't realise that bird's poor behaviour and take away the something good, it receives a reward which every time you force a bird to comply with person's motivation to deal with the increases the likelihood the behaviour will commands like this you make a withdrawal behavioural issue. Once the parrot takes occur again. Even a scratch on the head, from the trust account. If you make too the blame for the bloodied hands being verbal praise or a bit of attention can be many withdrawals, you will find yourself in thrown up in defeat, the bird is likely enough to encourage a behaviour to be the relationship poorhouse. When this headed to a new home, sanctuary or repeated in the future. Positive happens many people end up blaming the rescue organization. reinforcement is a tool that can solve even bird instead of accepting responsibility for the most stubborn behavioural problems. Aggression is not the only problem Let me give you an example. associated with using aversives with animals. According to Dr. Susan Friedman, Many parrots jump on the door in a leading authority on the science of parrot anticipation of the owner opening the behaviour, the scientific community has cage. Most people are frustrated with this described certain detrimental side effects behaviour and want it to stop. Rather than associated with forcing animals to perform using punishment to stop the door-clinging behaviours. They have shown with behaviour a parrot owner should think of hundreds of species from cockroaches to how to teach the bird to do a more whales that the use of aversives (things an desirable behaviour instead, like sitting on animal dislikes or wants to avoid), might the perch when they open the door. If you produce one or more of the following side reinforce the bird's behaviour of sitting on effects: increased aggression, the perch when you approach the cage, the escape/avoidance behaviour, generalised bird will soon learn to go to the perch fear of the environment, and apathy or anytime you come near. generalized reduction in behaviour. These side effects are standing by - ready to A parrot's biting or screaming behaviours, eat up the trust you have worked so hard or just about any other undesirable to build - any time you force a parrot to behaviour, can often be eliminated with do anything it does not want to do. positive reinforcement. Instead of thinking

eu trade ban milestones Nov Dec UK bird breeder rep says IUCN publishes report on WPT initiates in-person EU whistle-stop tour WPT supports trade work a ban is impossible African Greys in Nigeria Meetings in the UK, NGO’s calling for a in Indonesia This was the first of Research by Phil and permanent ban on wild Indonesian NGO Profauna many statements to this McGowan (action plan co- with RSPB, Birdlife bird imports. RSPB works on domestic and effect; some pro-trade author) reports high levels International, TRAFFIC, pledges to do a similar international bird trade conservation of mortality in recently Friends of the Earth, study of parrot trade in the which leads to the zeroing organisations still maintain captured birds and the Eurogroup for Animal "Old World", see Jan 2006. out of Indonesia’s wild bird this viewpoint. fact that export quotas Welfare, RSPCA, WSPA, export quotas. are unsubstantiated. BirdsFirst and others laid the groundwork for the developing coalition of

PsittaScene February 2007 7 or more of the detrimental side effects Conclusion mentioned above. The parrot might turn

Photo: NEI around and bite when it is being chased or Fighting the urge to use aversives when even later, when it is sitting comfortably working with parrots can be challenging. with the owner. It might try to avoid the Many people grew up in an environment person in the future or become nervous or where negative experiences played a frightened of the person or the significant role in shaping their behaviour. environment. Lastly, the parrot might This cultural tendency to influence become less active in the person's presence behaviour negatively is evident in a myriad or in general. All of these side effects are of sources in our lives. Parents, teachers, likely to be the result of what many people siblings, schoolmates, etc. all use a variety believe, or have been told, is the proper of negative strategies to force people to way to handle parrots. comply with commands and rules. They The relationship a person has with their also punish people when they do not follow companion parrot is strongly influenced by the rules or live up to certain expectations. their day-to-day interactions with the bird. With this in mind, it is easy to see why To create the best relationship possible with some people are inclined to try to dominate a companion parrot focus on creating and control parrots and other animals with positive experiences and avoid negative negative strategies. experiences whenever possible. The more Through repetition and proper What most people fail to understand is how deposits, small and large, you have in your reinforcement a parrot can be trained to their use of force with their parrots may trust account, the more your account can calmly return to the cage. have a negative effect on their relationship withstand an occasional or accidental with the bird. If the parrot's wings are withdrawal. This strategy will build the about how you can stop the behaviour, clipped it is easy to get it to step on the trust account and create a relationship that picture the behaviour you want to see hand by chasing it around. What is less is more rewarding and fulfilling than in place of the undesirable behaviour evident is that this chasing may cause one many people thought possible. and reinforce any small step toward JanLandisPhotographyPhoto: that behaviour. For instance, if your parrot bites you when you put it back into the cage, you can reinforce the bird with a treat as you approach the cage, before he starts to think about biting you. After you give the bird the treat, back up and start again without actually putting the bird in the cage. After a few repetitions of being reinforced for sitting calmly on the hand as you approach the cage, the parrot will usually let you carry him or her into the cage to receive a treat. At this point, it is best to take the bird out of the cage and repeat the behaviour of putting the bird in the cage to earn a treat. Repetition builds confidence. Soon the bird will understand that going in the cage means getting a treat and not being locked inside. After the bird is comfortable going in and out of the cage for treats, you can give it a special treat or a large number of treats to reinforce the behaviour Even a scratch on the head (if your bird likes it), a kind word or a bit of interaction of you shutting the door. can be powerful reinforcers for good behaviour.

eu trade ban milestones 2002 Jan Feb Jul Oct WPT produces "Where WWF publishes "Traded Switzerland proposes WPT and Defenders the Wild Greys are" to Extinction" CITES parrot exemptions support proposals to add 3 Brings attention to the Massive legal trade in World Zoo Ass’n (WAZA) and parrots to Appx I of CITES Grey Parrot’s plight with African Greys overwhelms others support removal of Current data on threats and stunning footage of the authors who state that, " many parrots, especially need for added protection wild birds living and being it is impossible to believe colour morphs, from CITES. convinces CITES delegates trapped in . Raises that this incredible IUCN asks WPT for views: to uplist the Yellow-naped awareness about trade escalation in supply - to WPT joins others in strongly and Yellow-headed Amazon and support for protection meet a substantial level of opposing the weakening of and Blue-headed Macaw, (via antipoaching guards). demand in the EU - can CITES regs: proposal does protecting them from possibly be sustainable." not pass. legal trade.

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