Behavior Recordings from Previous Online Events
Missed an online event that was recorded? Or, perhaps you attended, but would like to watch it again! When recording is permissible by our speakers, we like to make them available to anyone interested.
Our monthly educational programs are free and open to anyone. If this information is worth $5, $10, $25 or more to you, please consider making a donation to help us continuing providing online educational programming!
Our monthly educational programs are free and open to anyone. If this information is worth $5, $10, $25 or more to you, please consider making a donation to help us continuing providing online educational programming!
September 14, 2024: "Shaping Our Bird's Behavior" with with Wouter Stellaard, CPBC and CPBT-KA
Communicating with our birds requires us to be clear about what we are asking them to do and how we want them to behave. Most behaviors are not accomplished immediately, we need to break down a target behavior into smaller increments, it is a set-by-step process. Rewards along the way for each step help to build and strengthen the desired behavior. It’s always recommended that we teach our birds what TO DO, instead of trying to change what we don’t like. This is a more positive and lasting approach. Who better to talk about this topic with us than Wouter Stellaard, CPBC and CPBT-KA. He has been in the animal field for over 30 years, starting in the Netherlands. Formerly a senior trainer at Natural Encounters in FL where he worked with zoos and birds shows nationwide. He was also the Training Director at the Columbus, OH Zoo. Currently he’s the owner of Behavior 360, which focuses on Training the Trainers. He is also a founding member of the KUZO Group, which seeks to advance the connections and care for animals through innovative teaching. IAABC CEUs approved.
August 10, 2024: "Decreasing Screaming Behaviors, Cracking the Code" with Melanie Canatella, B.S., CPBT-KA
All parrots are loud, but there is a difference between natural vocalizations and unnatural ones. By understanding the reasons and factors that contribute to screaming behaviors, we are able to make modifications to our care, the environment, their diet, and how we interact with our birds to decrease screaming behaviors. Learn more about managing vocalizations and a method to better communicate with our parrot, and them with us. IAABC CEUs approved.
March 16, 2024: "Understanding Parrots, Cues from Nature" with Rosemary Low
Understanding a parrot's wild nature can make all the difference in their quality-of-life in our homes. Rosemary has 50 plus years of experience with intense observations of more than 200 parrot species, and she is the world's most prolific author on parrots. Many people throughout the world keep parrots in their homes, yet they know little about their wild relatives. She says "I want them to know, and care what is happening to them" because birds are sentient and highly intelligent creatures whose psychological needs are often neglected. During this talk, and in Rosemary's corresponding book (NOW available through our helpingparrots.com store!, click here), she weaves together the details of a parrot's life in the wild and relates those to what they need when kept in our homes. Approved for IAABC CEUs.
January 20, 2024: "Parrot Cognition and Behavior" with Gabriella E. Smith and Leigh Ann Hartsfield
Gabriella discusses her research work with African greys, keas, Goffin's cockatoos, and other animal species. We know that parrots are intelligent, curious, and benefit from lots of mental and physical enrichment. Scientific studies, like the ones Gabriella is conducting continue to validate these parrot attributes. We hope this talk will inspire you to further acknowledge your bird's cognitive skills and provide them with more opportunities to learn and thrive. Gabriella studied contra-freeloading in African grey parrots and kea parrots while working on her masters degree with Dr. Irene Pepperberg. She is currently a PhD student at VetMedUni in Vienna, Austria and is studying the concept of curiosity in kea and Goffin’s cockatoos. VetMedUni is a leading European university in the fields of life sciences and animal health, offering various research and animal hospital programs to graduate students. Leigh Ann Hartsfield, author of Birds Beyond Words and co-author of several research papers with Dr. Pepperberg, joined us for the Q&A. We had a hearty discussion about some ongoing studies and our parrot's smart bird brains!This event approved for IAABC CEUs.
December 16, 2023: "Normal Avian Behavior with Leslie Sinn, CPDT-KA, DVM, Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Behaviorists (ACVB)
Dr. Sinn is a board-certified veterinary behaviorist as well as a certified professional trainer. With a veterinary practice limited to behavior, she specializes in finding solutions for all types of behavioral issues and concerns in a variety of species. Understanding what is normal and abnormal behavior in our parrots can be very helpful in maintaining a healthy and positive relationship. Living in captivity can be a special challenge for some of our bird’s more instinctive drives. Dr. Sinn talked with us about abnormal behavior in 2021, and we are so pleased she joined us again to talk about normal parrot behavior! This event approved for IAABC CEUs.
May 20, 2023: "Bird Behavior and Training: It's Not Magic, It's Science! with Adam Patterson CPBT-KA
Adam is the Wild Encounters Lead Keeper at Zoo Knoxville. He will talk about modifying behavior, taking the science and putting it into layman's terms so it's more digestible. He will use some examples of behavior problems that they deal with at Zoo Knoxville and how that relates to parrots in our homes. He knows how to make science fun and interesting, while we talk and learn more about behavior - which is often the key to success in all our relationships. This event approved for IAABC CEUs.
December 10, 2022: "Raised Right and Flight For Life" with Chris Shank
What does it take for birds to have the best life possible in captivity? It starts when the egg is laid and the benefits for chicks raised naturally by their parents. Then, giving them the opportunity to fledge and learn flight at an early age provides long-term mental and physical benefits. And lastly, when possible, maintaining their feathers without clipping and even allowing safe flight. Exercise is a key to cardiovascular health for everyone, especially birds built for flying on a regular basis. Unfortunately, heart disease is now one of the most common reasons for death in captive parrots. So Chris will also discuss flight training tips for those who already have flighted birds or those who want to teach a new flyer!
May 14, 2022: "Progressive Parrot Keeping" with Pamela Clark, CPBC
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A look at social media will convince you that behavior problems in parrots are both inevitable and typical. If you’re not convinced by that, spend a day with me consulting with clients. Why in the world should this be true? Because the information upon which we are basing our caregiving practices is outdated. It’s a mishmash of information published 20 years ago, information dispensed through the advertising of products, Inaccurate behavior and care information from veterinarians, and the twist that social media has put on things over the years. To care for parrots in the most effective of ways, so that they have the very highest quality of life possible, we must accept the limiting factors that living with these creatures imposes. It is possible to create a life for parrots that prevents behavior problems from developing.
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January 19, 2022: "Preparing Parrots for Multiple Homes and Parrot Problems Are Parrot Opportunities" with Ari Bailey and Ann Brooks
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This talk was presented by Natural Encounters as part of their NEI Tech Talks. Parrots are long-lived, and they are also adaptable and resilient. Adoption is essential for almost all birds, parakeets to macaws. So here are some ideas about how to help birds successfully transition to new situations, and just some general tips about behavior by Ari Bailey from NEI.
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November 13, 2021: "Abnormal Avian Behavior" with Leslie Sinn, DVM, DACVB
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Dr. Sinn is a veterinarian and an animal lover as well as a certified professional trainer. With a veterinary practice limited to behavior, she specializes in finding solutions for all types of behavioral issues and concerns. Understanding what is normal and abnormal behavior in our parrots can be very helpful in maintaining a healthy and positive relationship.
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January 24, 2021: "The ABCs of Behavior"
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Ann Brooks, Phoenix Landing Foundation
Many times we think we know why a bird has done something, but usually we are just guessing, and often we are wrong. Let's talk about the principles of behavior; how to increase the behaviors we want and decrease the ones we don't; and work through a series of common scenario examples together.
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