By: Nora Caterino
When training you parrot, the "Up" command is the very first behavior you should train your bird. Whether you have a tame parrot that is just weaned or have an older, untamed parrot, the process is still important. It's a question of good manners to teach this parrot training method!
The process for training your parrot behaviors is much easier when training a hand-fed parrot than training a parrot that is not tame. When you work with an untamed parrot, you'll find it works best to use a spare perch or untreated wooden dowel which is rather long. This will allow the parrot training session to begin without the parrot being asked to step onto your hand at first.
The first step is choosing location. I like to see people training their parrots outside the cage. Sometimes that just can't be arranged. You can work on training your parrot while the parrot inside the cage. This is easy if you have a large opening as the door. Any cages have very large secondary doors with smaller openings for inserting food and water dishes, making it easy to train inside this type of cage. Choose a dowel or perch appropriate for the type parrot species you own so your parrot will be able to stand comfortably on the perch.
In the first session of parrot training, you should position the dowel or perch above the parrot's feet but also below the breast. At the same time, say "Up" clearly. Don't shout or be loud, simply say the word 'Up'. As you speak, slide the dowel slowly toward the bird and it will naturally place a foot on the dowel or perch.
Once your parrot has successfully stepped onto the perch, or even placed one foot on the perch at first, offer praise. Let your parrot know how pleased you are with love and treats. These steps should be repeated for approximately 10 minutes per session you spend training your bird. If possible, 2 parrot training sessions every day are best. It is not effective to hold one long session. If you can only train your parrot once per day, limit the session to 10 minutes.
Training your bird requires consistency in order to be successful. Once your bird has performed the Up command, do not allow it to refuse to respond on cue, yet do not punish it. Simply push the perch toward it a bit more. Your parrot must understand something is expected when you ask it to step up.
When training your parrot let your bird know that you will provide treats, love and attention when the bird steps up. Each time the parrot does the behavior, let it know you are pleased. Treats can be used, but never rely entirely on treats; praise is the greatest reward, especially for tame parrots.
Once training your parrot as progress to the point that your bird is comfortable stepping onto a dowel or stick, shorten the distance on the dowel from your hand to the bird. This parrot training strategy, if the bird is not tame, works best if you only shorten the perch once a week. More frequent changes in the training can stress the bird and cause it to lose trust in you.
As training your bird progresses, a point will be reached where the distance from the parrot to you hand is quite small. Then next step is to ask the parrot to step directly onto your hand or arm. This parrot training step is a big move for your bird, so be patient and loving.
Parrot training in manners-type commands can progress quickly or slowly. A lot depends on you, your consistency and your parrot. If the parrot has been over-stressed or made fearful through abuse or trauma, it can take a longer time. If your parrot is only learning to trust you, the process can occur quite quickly. If your parrot is a tame, hand-fed baby, the process can happen in only a few days.
When training your parrot that was hand-fed, you can count on the entire process being quick and easy. You may even begin with the final step and simply speak the command while asking the parrot to step onto your hand.
You can learn a lot about your bird's level of trust by watching the bird's body language training your bird includes learning to read its communications about comfort levels shown via posture, stance, and other body language elements. Parrot training is much easier if you pay attention to these clues.
Article Source: http://www.superfeature.com
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Sunday, July 29, 2007
Friday, July 27, 2007
Do Wild Birds Become Dependent On Feeders?
By: Mike Kershaw
Many people argue that if you feed your birds, it could be a bad thing! They claim that the birds will start to depend on your food and lose the ability to find their own.
There are many that think birds will become dependent on the feed you provide resulting in a diminished ability for the birds to find their own food. Others feel that birds will adapt to any situation and will find their own food if a food source fails to provide sufficient food for them and their family.
As reported in Bird Watcher's Digest, researchers Margaret Brittingham and Stanley Temple found that black-capped chickadees take, on average, only 20-25% of their winter food requirements from feeders. But, they also demonstrated a significant correlation between an individual bird's ability to survive the winter and the use of bird feeders.
Evidence shows that aves that eat food provided by humans through feeders had an annual (not just winter) survival rate that is 8% higher (up to 95% from 87%) than those birds that don't eat food provided by humans. For winter (as opposed to month-to-month), 69% of the feeder using birds survived the winter where only 37% of wild non-feeder using birds survived the winter.
If more wild birds survive the winter when we feed them, what are the implications? In simple terms, it means that without our help, a higher number of birds fail to survive the winter. If we help, more birds will survive. Curiously, even though our food supply will decrease the winter death rate, our avian friends will not completely rely on us. If your bird feeders are consistently empty, these amazing animals will almost always take flight to find another source of food on their own. You will also notice that in the spring, when food abounds, the birds are not as active at the feeders as they are in the winter when food is harder to find.
We can only suspect that different birds, like people, have different levels of dependence. But, the bottom line is that birds will adapt. If one fails to continue a consistent feeding program, the birds will adapt and search for food.
I recommend that if you start a bird feeding program, stay consistent. It is best if you fill the feeders at the same time every day or whatever interval you need and ensure that the feeders do not stay empty for extended periods. For really great public information about bird feeding, go to http://www.americanbirding.org/
Also, if you plan to go on vacation or holiday, plan for your absence. In your short-term (1-4 days) absence from home, a good practice is to completely stock your feeder and also place some on the earth and around vegetation in the general area of your feeding stations. If you are going to be gone for an extended time, ask your friends, neighbors, or relatives to check and fill your feeders on a consistent basis.
As for winter feeding, it is more serious. Some bird populations may not migrate to areas of higher food availability if there is a reliable source near their summer habitats. Thus, if you feed birds on a consistent basis over the spring and summer, it is important that you are extremely consistent in the winter, when some species may rely on your food to survive.
To make a long story short, it is better for survival rates if you feed wild birds in your yard. But if you decide to feed them, it is ideal if you are consistent in your feeding.
Many people argue that if you feed your birds, it could be a bad thing! They claim that the birds will start to depend on your food and lose the ability to find their own.
There are many that think birds will become dependent on the feed you provide resulting in a diminished ability for the birds to find their own food. Others feel that birds will adapt to any situation and will find their own food if a food source fails to provide sufficient food for them and their family.
As reported in Bird Watcher's Digest, researchers Margaret Brittingham and Stanley Temple found that black-capped chickadees take, on average, only 20-25% of their winter food requirements from feeders. But, they also demonstrated a significant correlation between an individual bird's ability to survive the winter and the use of bird feeders.
Evidence shows that aves that eat food provided by humans through feeders had an annual (not just winter) survival rate that is 8% higher (up to 95% from 87%) than those birds that don't eat food provided by humans. For winter (as opposed to month-to-month), 69% of the feeder using birds survived the winter where only 37% of wild non-feeder using birds survived the winter.
If more wild birds survive the winter when we feed them, what are the implications? In simple terms, it means that without our help, a higher number of birds fail to survive the winter. If we help, more birds will survive. Curiously, even though our food supply will decrease the winter death rate, our avian friends will not completely rely on us. If your bird feeders are consistently empty, these amazing animals will almost always take flight to find another source of food on their own. You will also notice that in the spring, when food abounds, the birds are not as active at the feeders as they are in the winter when food is harder to find.
We can only suspect that different birds, like people, have different levels of dependence. But, the bottom line is that birds will adapt. If one fails to continue a consistent feeding program, the birds will adapt and search for food.
I recommend that if you start a bird feeding program, stay consistent. It is best if you fill the feeders at the same time every day or whatever interval you need and ensure that the feeders do not stay empty for extended periods. For really great public information about bird feeding, go to http://www.americanbirding.org/
Also, if you plan to go on vacation or holiday, plan for your absence. In your short-term (1-4 days) absence from home, a good practice is to completely stock your feeder and also place some on the earth and around vegetation in the general area of your feeding stations. If you are going to be gone for an extended time, ask your friends, neighbors, or relatives to check and fill your feeders on a consistent basis.
As for winter feeding, it is more serious. Some bird populations may not migrate to areas of higher food availability if there is a reliable source near their summer habitats. Thus, if you feed birds on a consistent basis over the spring and summer, it is important that you are extremely consistent in the winter, when some species may rely on your food to survive.
To make a long story short, it is better for survival rates if you feed wild birds in your yard. But if you decide to feed them, it is ideal if you are consistent in your feeding.
Article Source: http://www.superfeature.com
Mike Kershaw has a graduate degree in biological sciences and is an expert in attracting and retaining wild birds to your backyard. Mike is a wild bird enthusiast and owner/operator of the online wild bird supplies superstore The Bird Warehouse.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
BIRD PICTURE BOOKS
Are You My Mother? by P. D. Eastman. Pre-K. This classic story about the little bird who goes looking for his mother has lots of repetition and is terrific for storytime.
The Baby Beebee Bird by Diane Redfield Massie. Illustrated by Steven Kellogg. HarperCollins, 2000. 0060280832. 32 p. Pre-K. The baby bird keeps all the other animals awake with his “bee-bee-bobbi-bobbi” singing. Finally the animals think of a solution—they keep him awake during the day. Wonderful for storytime.
The Brave Little Parrot by Rafe Martin. Illustrated by Susan Gaber. Penguin Group (USA) (Putnam), 1998. 9780399228254. 32 p. K-3. As a reward for trying to put out a forest fire, a little parrot is given colored plumage in this Indian jataka tale.
The Day of the Blackbird: A Tale of Northern Italy by Tomie de Paola. Penguin Group (USA) (Putnam), 1997. 0399229299. 32 p. K-3. In this Italian tale, a faithful white dove stays through the winter to sing for an ailing duke.
Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems. Hyperion, 2003. 078681988X.
36 p. K-3. This very funny book is about a pigeon who is absolutely determined to drive the bus while the driver is away.
The Horrendous Hullabaloo by Margaret Mahy. K-3. Miffed that her pirate nephew never invites her to the parties he attends, an old woman throws a wonderfully horrendous hullabaloo for herself and his parrot.
Martha by Gennady Spirin. Penguin Group (USA) (Philomel), 2005. 0399239804. 32p. K-3. The author relates how he and his Moscow family rescued Martha, a crow with a broken wing, and how she joined their household.
Princess Penelope’s Parrot by Helen Lester. Walter Lorraine, 1996. 0395783208. 32p. K-3. A spoiled princess’s chances with a handsome prince are ruined when her browbeaten parrot repeats to him all the rude comments the princess has made.
Rosa’s Parrot by Jan Wahl. Illustrated by Kim Howard. Charlesbridge Publishing, 1999. 1580890113. K-3. Rosa is hard of hearing, and she relies on her parrot, Pico, to repeat things loudly for her, but sometimes Pico takes advantage of Rosa to create mischief.
To Sophie’s Window by Holly Keller. Greenwillow, 2005. 006056282. 32 p. K-3. When Caruso, a little bird who is afraid to fly, is blown out of his home one windy night, he must rely on a new friend, a dog named Sophie, to take him back to his parents.
Top Banana by Cari Best. Illustrated by Erika Oller. Orchard, 1997. 0531330095. 32 p.
K-3. Benny the parrot, an amazing bird with the ability to read, has everything a bird could want until he has to share his owner’s attention with a rare flower.
Tough Boris by Mem Fox. Illustrated by Kathryn Brown. Harcourt, 1994. 0152896120. 32p. Pre-K. Boris is a rough and tough pirate, but when his parrot dies, he cries.
Tree of Birds by Susan Meddaugh. Walter Lorraine, 1990. 0395531470. 32 p. K-3. When Harry nurses Sally, an injured bird, back to health, her friends arrive to make sure Harry doesn’t keep her as a pet.
A Visit to the Country by Herchel Johnson. Illustrated by Romare Bearden. HarperCollins, 1989. 0060228490. 32 p. K-3. Mike nurses an injured cardinal back to health but knows he must return it to the wild.
What Is a Wise Bird Like You Doing in a Silly Tale Like This? by Uri Shulevitz. Farar, Straus & Giroux, 2000. 0374383006. 40 p. K-3 or older. This peculiar story elates the doings of the Emperor of Pickleberry and his ingenious talking bird Lou.
From : www.state.lib.la.us
The Baby Beebee Bird by Diane Redfield Massie. Illustrated by Steven Kellogg. HarperCollins, 2000. 0060280832. 32 p. Pre-K. The baby bird keeps all the other animals awake with his “bee-bee-bobbi-bobbi” singing. Finally the animals think of a solution—they keep him awake during the day. Wonderful for storytime.
The Brave Little Parrot by Rafe Martin. Illustrated by Susan Gaber. Penguin Group (USA) (Putnam), 1998. 9780399228254. 32 p. K-3. As a reward for trying to put out a forest fire, a little parrot is given colored plumage in this Indian jataka tale.
The Day of the Blackbird: A Tale of Northern Italy by Tomie de Paola. Penguin Group (USA) (Putnam), 1997. 0399229299. 32 p. K-3. In this Italian tale, a faithful white dove stays through the winter to sing for an ailing duke.
Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems. Hyperion, 2003. 078681988X.
36 p. K-3. This very funny book is about a pigeon who is absolutely determined to drive the bus while the driver is away.
The Horrendous Hullabaloo by Margaret Mahy. K-3. Miffed that her pirate nephew never invites her to the parties he attends, an old woman throws a wonderfully horrendous hullabaloo for herself and his parrot.
Martha by Gennady Spirin. Penguin Group (USA) (Philomel), 2005. 0399239804. 32p. K-3. The author relates how he and his Moscow family rescued Martha, a crow with a broken wing, and how she joined their household.
Princess Penelope’s Parrot by Helen Lester. Walter Lorraine, 1996. 0395783208. 32p. K-3. A spoiled princess’s chances with a handsome prince are ruined when her browbeaten parrot repeats to him all the rude comments the princess has made.
Rosa’s Parrot by Jan Wahl. Illustrated by Kim Howard. Charlesbridge Publishing, 1999. 1580890113. K-3. Rosa is hard of hearing, and she relies on her parrot, Pico, to repeat things loudly for her, but sometimes Pico takes advantage of Rosa to create mischief.
To Sophie’s Window by Holly Keller. Greenwillow, 2005. 006056282. 32 p. K-3. When Caruso, a little bird who is afraid to fly, is blown out of his home one windy night, he must rely on a new friend, a dog named Sophie, to take him back to his parents.
Top Banana by Cari Best. Illustrated by Erika Oller. Orchard, 1997. 0531330095. 32 p.
K-3. Benny the parrot, an amazing bird with the ability to read, has everything a bird could want until he has to share his owner’s attention with a rare flower.
Tough Boris by Mem Fox. Illustrated by Kathryn Brown. Harcourt, 1994. 0152896120. 32p. Pre-K. Boris is a rough and tough pirate, but when his parrot dies, he cries.
Tree of Birds by Susan Meddaugh. Walter Lorraine, 1990. 0395531470. 32 p. K-3. When Harry nurses Sally, an injured bird, back to health, her friends arrive to make sure Harry doesn’t keep her as a pet.
A Visit to the Country by Herchel Johnson. Illustrated by Romare Bearden. HarperCollins, 1989. 0060228490. 32 p. K-3. Mike nurses an injured cardinal back to health but knows he must return it to the wild.
What Is a Wise Bird Like You Doing in a Silly Tale Like This? by Uri Shulevitz. Farar, Straus & Giroux, 2000. 0374383006. 40 p. K-3 or older. This peculiar story elates the doings of the Emperor of Pickleberry and his ingenious talking bird Lou.
From : www.state.lib.la.us
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