There are countless sources of information about parrots online.  There are online forums and web pages that are dedicated solely to the specific bird you are looking for.  There are sites for conures, macaws,  cockatoos, eclectus, you name it.  Within each group you can learn the habits of the individual species.

The behavior differences between a macaw and a cockatoo are enormous, but even within a family of birds, different species behave differently.  For instance, the goffins cockatoo species is entirely different from the umbrella cockatoo.  Then when you throw in the independent personalities of each bird, there’s a lot to consider before you buy.  If you do your homework by looking into the natural inclinations and behaviors of a species that you are interested in, you are less likely to have a parrot that doesn’t fit in your household.

Ask yourself these question.  Within each question are more question to break it down further.  I will use a “typical” african grey as an example of how this species might or might not work in different households:

1.  Which parrot will fit with my my lifestyle?

• Do you live in a noisy, chaotic home that is filled with children and other pets? This may not be the best environment for the typical african grey, which has a tendency towards fearfulness.  A calm home that is not full of surprises is a better match.
• Do you live in an apartment or have neighbors in nearby? Since they are not considered to be loud parrots, african greys are great apartment birds.  This is not to say that they can’t raise the roof, it’s that they generally don’t choose to.  Be prepared for morning and evening vocalizations with whatever species you select.
• Do you work out of your home? This is the ideal situation for an african grey.  Since they are quiet(ish) as parrots go, you can go about your paperwork and phone calls without much interruption.  And your bird will get to have you around all day!

2.  What kind of owner am I going to be?

• Are you looking for a bird that might talk? Needless to say, the african grey is at the head of the classwith its ability to talk and comprehend.  Know, however, that yours may not.  Some prefer to imitate sounds  like the telephone, car alarms, kitchen timers, dripping faucets, and the alien spacecraft that apparently landed in your backyard recently.  (Half the fun in this is trying to identify the sounds and figure out where he picked them up.)
• Do you want a bird that enjoys being handled? Not all greys like to be handled. While there are some snugglers out there, this is not a typical trait.  Some prefer to watch from a distance.
• Will you make time to devote to a pet that requires a lot of care and interaction in order to thrive? The african grey is very intelligent and perceptive, perhaps even hyper-aware of its environment.  It requires a lot of interaction and needs to be included in the life and energy of its owner.
• Can you bring up a parrot the right way? African greys are are no different than other species in their need to be well-adjusted.  How your bird behaves in general depends on being taught him how to play independently to occupy his time on his own.  A parrot that feels bonded to its people, and has a sense of security, will find no need to play attention getting games.

There are many more questions to ask with regards to your environment and level of care you are willing to give.  There are some situations that are preferred for this particular species, but it will vary from bird to bird.  I know greys that are quite outgoing and love a house filled with craziness.  I know one that has never uttered a word or imitated a sound.  Some prefer multi-bird homes, others prefer to be the only child.  Your birds personality plays a big role in how well it will adapt, but knowing the probabilities will help you make the right selection.

After you’ve done all your research and found a great species match and your cockatoo turns out not to be a snuggler, or your cockatiel  prefers to hang out in its cage instead of in the family room, will you be accepting of that?

If your parrot is scared of the clicker I’ve got a few solutions for you! With all of our parrot training courses, we include a clicker to help in training your parrot.

However, some parrots might be scared of the sound the clicker makes which can really work against you in training. I recently worked with Patty’s goffin cockatoo Theo who had never been introduced to training before and had no idea what a clicker was. The first time we clicked it near her, her crest shot up and she was very alarmed by the sudden sound. After that, I figured out we had to find a way to make the clicker quieter so not to scare her.

Here is what we did!

Here are a couple other ways you can desensitize your bird to the sound of the clicker:

1. Have someone else click the clicker from another room; the bird should still be able to hear it but it won’t be so close and threatening. Slowly have that person work their way closer and closer until they are eventually right next to the bird clicking the clicker.
2. Put a towel or some other material over the clicker when you click it to help muffle the sound.

After using these techniques with Theo, the goffins cockatoo, here is the progress I made which was my ending goal (to be able to use the clicker without any muffling going on at all) check it out at the video below:

As many of you know, Dave Womach (stage name David DaVinci) has been performing magic his entire life from the age of 4 years old when he discovered his first magic kit (or I should say… Chet’s magic kit he never put to use!)

Ever since the age of 13, Dave has been hired to perform his magic tricks for audiences and it became a career very early on for him. He used doves at first, like every magician used to, until he and Chet began training their childhood parrots for Taming Training and Tricks and discovered how beneficial it would be to implement the birds into the magic show, too. From that point on, bird training and magic shows merged into one.

When adding parrots to the magic show, we try to work within what they already like to make the transition as easy as possible for the birds.

Starting this circus contract with Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus, we had never used Comet or Tusa our Camelot Macaws in the show before. They’ve been primarily outdoor freeflyers.

We really wanted to use them in the show as flight behaviors were a big thing for the circus. They don’t use any de-clawed animals and to add to that, they also wanted to show off birds in flight rather than your average clipped parrot. Quality of life and the animal-person bond is of huge importance here and we really strive to get those things across to the audience.

To get Comet and Tusa used to a “show” environment, we had to do things in steps. For some “behind the scenes” photos of our training with the macaws, check them out here on our flickr.

Here are the steps we took, and keep in mind they happened pretty fast for us as our birds are used to flight recall already and have the experience of flying outside and being introduced to new things daily:

1. Our first goal was to get them used to the size of the arena. Our birds have been in theaters as well as outside in many different locations, but never in a giant sized arena which feels much different than a large theater. This took about 4-5 days of flying them in the open lighting and letting them check it all out. Because so many acts are in the show, there’s a lot more hung up on the ceiling than our birds are used to in any other theater.
2. Next, we got them used to the show lighting. This was actually easier because everything is pretty much dark except the stage area which makes it a lot more likely they will do the behavior we want and stay within the ring. It also helps the entire time that we are there to offer comfort to them as they trust us.
3. Once they were performing their recall in show lighting on the stage which took about 1-2 days, we added show music. The music in the circus is all played LIVE by the band so this was a new element for them. It took only one day. Once the birds conquered one step, we kept it there so for example, once they were used to lighting, we always used lighting then when they got used to music; we always used lighting AND music before implementing the next thing. So everything built on itself.
4. Next was cast. A lot of the dancer movements were similar to our flight cues which really confused the parrots about who to fly to. It took them one day to get used to the cast and for the cast to be able to do all their choreography.

So far, the macaws are doing great! We are to the point of running through large sections of the show now and using the birds within it. There are lions, elephants, horses, ponies, dogs and birds in the show and it’s a very animal-based show. Luckily, the birds don’t have interaction moments with any of the animals except the elephants.

They have been getting extra time in the arena in the comfort of travel cages to be able to watch and hear everything going on so to get them used to the setting. They’ve shown no signs of stress about the other animals being around nor have they cared much about the magic props we’re using in the show. These are great things as they mean less work for everyone and easier implementation. They’ve been pretty accustomed to magic props since even when our birds aren’t in our magic shows, we still bring them to the theaters and get them used to the environment so we can easily add them when a routine comes up that will come easily to one in particular. We always treat every bird as if it will go into the show in a matter of time, making it easier in the long run.

I’m excited to keep you all posted with more progress as there are many more steps left for us to take before the rehearsal process is complete and much to learn!

When Jamie first told me that she and Dave were signing a two year contract with the circus, I have to admit I had some serious misgivings.  The first thing that came to mind was the duration of the contract.  Two years is a long time on the road with an itinerary, and a very long time to be away from the comforts of home.  I worked in the music business for a long time and know how grueling every aspect of a road tour can be.  Add to that scenario the hoard of birds that would be accompanying them as part of the act, and the very idea seemed crazy to me.  Would the birds even be able to handle an outing like this?

My second thoughts were about the circus and their reputation for the mistreatment of their animals.  I know Jamie and Dave love animals and I couldn’t imagine either of them condoning abuse, let alone standing by and watching it happen.

Jamie patiently heard me out while I ranted about how horrible life on the road is,  and the how the circus is famous for its horrible conditions for the animals, and how will the birds adjust to this kind of schedule?  It speaks highly of Jamie that she was still on the other end of the line when I got done.  She and Dave had already contemplated those same questions, done their research and found answers and solutions to potential problems.

My experience touring with a rock band has you playing a city one night and rushing on to the next city.  All you see is the inside of a hotel, the inside of a venue and the stretch of road in between.  The first thing that crosses your mind when you wake up every morning is:  “Where am I?”  The second thing:  “When is this going to be over?”

The circus tour is designed to be far less arduous.  There is a week long stay in each location and the travel times between locations amount to four or five hours.  Jamie and Dave’s birds are well accustomed to travel.  They often make the trip from Florida to Moab, Utah to freefly their birds in a safer environment than Florida offers.  They have a trailer that has been modified to comfortably haul their parrots and accessories.  Further, they have designed an portable outdoor aviary for them to hang out in during their free time.  Performance for the birds is not stressful.  It is fun interaction between the parrots and their owners, the difference being that a crowd of people are watching. For the parrot that loves to be the center attention, this is heaven.

On the touchier subject of the circus and their treatment of the animals, I did research and found that there are stories of abuse that are very concerning.  There is one about the death of a lion that died a heat-related death in a boxcar in transit through the Mojave.  Another is  video footage of the mishandling of elephants during training.  That footage would be much more disturbing had it not been put together by PETA, who unashamedly doctor the audio portions of their videos and use editing to increase visual shock value to further their cause. The further I dug, I found PETA to be the source of just about every piece of bad press.

I worked with PETA in the 1980’s, back when they were a group of young idealist kids like myself.  Their values seemed sound to me then and they appeared to be heading in the right direction.  Over the years, they have mutated into a group that will stop at nothing to achieve their goals.  The word “ethical” should be removed entirely from their name, but PTA is taken.  DO YOUR RESEARCH before you support this group in any way.  They are NOT friends to animals. They routinely euthanize their “rescues” without any attempt to rehab or rehome them.  It is their goal, in fact, to eliminate pets from our homes altogether so there can be no abuse.  In doing this, aside from the heartbreak to we animal lovers, they would certainly guarantee the extinction of many species that only can survive in our homes because of their breeding (dogs), or those species that will soon be extinct in the wild (parrots).  While I abhor violence towards animals, PETA’s involvement in this crusade against the circus leaves me uncertain.

There are several pages to the Ringling Contracts that specify the importance of respect and proper treatment of the animals; including how animals receive the right of way backstage. Ringling also has the most qualified vets on site 24/7 that tour along with them specifically for the care and health of the animals in the show.

Trainers are also given the utmost respect with their animals as all performers have “backstage conduct” of never approaching an animal without a trainer asking them to. Respect and care for the circus animals goes far beyond the stage, behind the stage, or on the road… it never stops.

Positive reinforcement (the animal doing a behavior for a treat or other positive reward it wants) as well as basic touch training and stationing is used in the training methods of the trainers from horses, to lions to the parrots now featured in the show Illuscination.

These are all very positive signs that Ringling is concerned for their animal’s welfare, but I think the best proof of all will be Dave and Jamie’s experiences with the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey circus.  Stay tuned for many updates from them right here on the blog!

For more information on the care of animals please visit the following webpages:

• Animal Care by Ringling Bros
• FAQ
• Specifically Elephants by Ringling Bros

Parrot Training Myth #1: It takes a long time to train a parrot.

Almost every parrot I’ve personally worked with that belong to our clients and customers, have been able to show improvement, progress and success immediately within beginning training.

Most parrots show positive results from training within their very first training session! And most basic behaviors can be taught within a couple days to a bird. I’ve been able to teach the “wave” to a bird in less than two minutes! Success happens fast with parrots and they love training once they’re opened up to the world of it.

It’s best to keep training sessions SHORT and end the session before the bird does. This will leave you both wanting more! Most training sessions are only a few minutes long, and shouldn’t exceed 15 minutes.

Parrot Training Myth #2: You can’t train a bird without getting bit.

Super basic training techniques like “touch training” and the “power pause” are techniques you can use and never have to worry about being bitten by your bird.

These are techniques you can use with your bird still INSIDE their cage, and yet see positive results within minutes. The Power Pause literally takes 15 minutes with most birds while touch training happens even faster.

Parrot Training Myth #3: Some birds are just too old to train.

A bird is NEVER too old to start training, and neither are you! So don’t let your bird’s age stand in the way of its success. A client of BirdTricks.com taught her 87 year old macaw to be quiet on cue and it had never learned anything before. Anything is possible, no matter what your bird’s age is.

I taught a 35+ year old blue fronted amazon how to freefly outside safely. You can watch a fun video of him here, he’s famous for being the “Interrupting Parrot”.

When it comes to parrot training, age doesn’t matter.

Parrot Training Myth #4: I can’t get near my bird, therefore I can’t start training it.

If your bird has an issue with you getting close to it, we have techniques you can use. We focus on all areas of fear with birds, as well as aggression. We even worked out these strategies LIVE at our Seminar in Florida and talk about the “3 Phases of Fear and Mistrust” and how to find out which phase you’re at, so you can have success with your bird.

A very common phase is the “Getting Closer Phase” where you can’t even get NEAR your bird without it lunging, attacking, screaming or running away. Both fear and aggression play a role in this phase and it’s something you really CAN work through.

Parrot Training Myth #5: Training parrots is hard.

It’s doesn’t take a rocket scientist to be able to train your parrot. Techniques are easy for you to understand and apply and we make it as easy as possible for you apply the techniques you learn to your bird for the ultimate success.

There’s no fancy lingo that you can’t understand, we put it very basic so you aren’t overwhelmed (and neither is your bird) instead training is made fun and interactive for you and your bird and you don’t have to spend all day working on it, either!

A few minutes a day is all your parrot will want to train anyway, so you can still maintain a social life. Though whether or not you choose to after discovering the fun filled world of parrot training… is up to you.

The hardest part? Getting started. For a variety of training tools and fun bond building games to get you started, check out the parrot training store.

My friend Patty (who also blogs here) has been very eager to handle my macaws because she has always been surrounded with cockatoos and would love to get some one on one experience with them. So the other day I brought out my blue throated macaw and set him on her hand.

Like any bird lover would want to do, Patty really wanted to be able to pet Jinx. What happened was Patty put her hand directly above Jinx’s head and he didn’t understand what she was about to do and got tense. She could tell he wasn’t going to be okay with what she wanted to do so she backed off. I then told her about our “signal” we give to our birds to let them know our intentions. I showed her the signal (shown in the video above) and she was able to pet Jinx.

This is a great thing to do with your bird for social situations as well as for yourself so you and your bird some a better form of communication… allowing you to get bit accidentally a lot less often!