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What should you do when a bird of prey avoids the trainer, flushes during an approach, or will not step onto the glove? Where do you even start with a bird of prey? Before focusing on the step-up, take a closer look at the environment. Housing, perch placement, privacy, approach paths, and opportunities to move away can all affect whether a bird is able to learn and participate. In this lesson, I use the early training of an African Fish Eagle to explore: • How to assess a bird's environment, temperament, and learning history • Why immobility is not always calm behavior • How inappropriate housing can increase avoidance • How space can function as a reinforcer • Why trainers should build movement and husbandry skills before prioritizing the step-up • How a broader behavioral repertoire gives a bird more ways to succeed Although this lesson features an African Fish Eagle, these principles apply broadly to hawks, falcons, eagles, owls, vultures, and other ambassador birds that are difficult to approach or reluctant to engage. We rely on principles based on the constructional approach and using space as a reinforcer, starting off by rating birds on an avoidance scale from 1-5 that helps us formulate a starting point. This podcast episode is adapted from Building Confidence with Birds of Prey, a course in the Avian Behavior Lab. Download our free Environmental Learning-Support Workbook here This video is adapted from Building Confidence with Birds of Prey, a course in the Avian Behavior Lab. You can get your free 14 day trial with the code AVIAN

This is an excerpt from our Masterclass on How to Raise an Ambassador Owl. We added this lesson after fielding many questions about quarantine procedures, and wanted to ensure that an ambassador owl would still have a viable start to their career in conservation education. Here we cover specific signs of illness, potential practices that can lead to stress, and what to do if your facility puts your new ambassador under strict quarantine protocols. For visuals, you can check out our video.    For the full Masterclass, check out https://avianbehavior.thinkific.com/courses/owl-ambassador For more classes in our subscription based online learning program, use the code AVIAN for a free 14 day trial https://avianbehaviorlab.com For free resources, including our podcast, blog, and best practice guidelines, check out https://avian-behavior.org

What does it mean to be an expert, and what happens when expertise becomes a shield from scrutiny rather than a commitment to precision? In this episode, Hillary examines the role of authority, rhetoric, and responsibility in professional animal training spaces, especially as conference season brings new ideas, disagreements, and uncomfortable conversations to the surface. Prompted by recent concerns from trainers who felt confused or unsettled by remarks at a professional conference, this episode draws a careful line between scientific discourse and rhetorical labeling. Here we ask broader questions about what our community should expect from its leaders. How do we assess skill without moral ranking? How do we talk about positive and negative reinforcement without turning functional processes into ethical identities? And how do we create professional spaces where newer trainers, women, consultants, employees, and others with less social power can ask questions without fear? Hillary discusses the problems with vague categories like "grade school" trainers, and why labels like these do not tell us anything meaningful about fluency, judgment, safety, or the animal's learning. She also revisits the constructional approach, clarifying that it is not about "replacing" behavior or choosing one type of reinforcement over another, but about building repertoires, identifying functional contingencies, and expanding degrees of freedom. The episode then pivots toward stronger models of skill assessment, including the Dreyfus model, as a more useful way to evaluate trainer development through observable criteria, contextual judgment, autonomy, adaptability, and standard of work. At its heart, this episode is a call for more rigorous, compassionate, and accountable leadership in the animal training field. Expertise should make us more precise, more open to revision, and safer to learn from — not harder to question.

This episode is a conversation between friends Simone Lupson-Cook, Lauren McGough, PhD, and Hillary Hankey about what mentorship means to them, growth through falconry over the years, and how to navigate complex relationships. Set on a sunny outdoor deck while casually bird-watching and enjoying morning coffee on a warm winter morning in Southern California, this long conversation invites the listener  to celebrate curiosity with bird behavior and learning. Come learn with us in the Avian Behavior Lab. Guided courses, private forum, and live trainings with dozens of bird species. Free 14 day trial with the coupon code AVIAN.

Explore the transition from traditional to choice-based training for ambassador raptors with Hillary Hankey. This professional discussion is a presentation from the 2026 NWRA conference that looks into evolving welfare standards, the science of behavior, and the distinction between coercion and choice. Learn about the benefits of choice-based methods, including reduced stress and improved feather condition, and understand the strategic steps for successful implementation in avian programs. For a free 14 day trial of the Avian Behavior Lab, use the code AVIAN

In this heartfelt and insight-packed episode, Hillary Hankey sits down with winter intern Levi Soucek, a wildlife rehabilitator, educator, and outreach coordinator at the Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center. Levi reflects on her transformative 12-week internship at the Avian Behavior Ranch, sharing how hands-on progressive training experiences reshaped not only her approach to ambassador bird care—but also reignited her passion for the work. We explore: What it means to truly train with positive reinforcement (beyond the buzzwords) The power of choice-based training and offering degrees of freedom Levi's "aha" moments while working with challenging birds like a Great Horned Owl and Andean Condor How foundational concepts finally clicked in real time Practical takeaways she's bringing back to her rehab center—from training strategy to team communication This episode is also a reflection on team dynamics, mentorship, emotional labor in animal care, and what it means to feel valued and connected in your work. Whether you're a rehabber, falconer, educator, or companion parrot trainer, Levi's story will leave you inspired, informed, and energized to take your own training to the next level. You, too, can become a member of the Avian Behavior Lab. Start off with a free 14 day trial with coupon code AVIAN

This is an excerpt from our live parrot recall training, focusing on the pitfalls of over-training and the importance of recall in various scenarios. We share examples of a black palm cockatoo named Jupiter, whose wings were rehabilitated using falconry techniques, and a 24-year-old cockatoo named Henry, who was initially clipped. Hillary emphasized the need for systematic and methodical training, avoiding forceful interactions, and using neutral or positive reinforcers. She highlighted the importance of generalizing recall to different environments and surfaces, and the potential issues of circular reinforcement. She also addressed specific questions about training a blue and gold Macaw, stressing the need for space and appropriate training methods. Come join us in the Avian Behavior Lab with a free 14 day trial using the coupon code AVIAN

Traveling long distances with your parrot doesn't have to be stressful. We have moved cross country with our bird family many times. What happens if your bird hates the dark, like one of our palm cockatoos did? What about hotel stays or what supplies to bring while traveling with your parrot? What crate do you travel in? We have you covered with this guide, plus the bird food pumpkin pie story that Hillary's family still tells over 20 years later. Try out the Avian Behavior Lab with a free 14 day trial with the code AVIAN Check out our YouTube Channel for more info

Our Fall 2024 Bird of Prey Workshop focused on key topics such as managing fear and aggression in raptors using the constructional approach and non-coercive negative reinforcement and using progressive weight management techniques.  Handling fear-based reactions, like those seen in a juvenile bald eagle, requires careful arrangement of the environment and building skills with your bird to have more reinforceable behaviors. The workshop also highlighted the importance of fitness and motivation over strict weight control, ensuring the bird's health and well-being remain a priority. Get on our email list for more news, behavior tips and announcements. Join the Avian Behavior Lab with a free 14 day trial using the code AVIAN

Training your bird for transportation isn't just an important part of education programming, it's a good life skill to have. For wildlife rehabilitation organizations, nature centers, and other small bird of prey centers, this is an essential skill that trainers rely on. For companion parrot people, this is an important behavior to trainer before it is needed in case of emergencies. This episode is an excerpt from our roadmap on Your Bird's First Education Program inside the Avian Behavior Lab. It's full of tactical advice on how to shape calm behavior for riding comfortably in a crate in a vehicle. We talk about what to do about tidbitting, why we don't use food very much to shape this behavior, and what we use to reinforce with instead. We discuss challenges with equipment and how to use context to shape the behavior. Support courses in the Avian Behavior Lab include our latest updated version of Crate Training, the roadmap, Creating a Training Program, and How to use context to shape a behavior.

Looking to the wild for answers is a common refrain among bird people when it comes to care advice, particularly nutrition. And while this concept seems well grounded in science, the actual practice is much more complex and nuanced. For parrots, we don't always know what, how, or why the eat what the eat. And when we do know, replicated the conditions and food stuffs can be impossible for those of us who have parrots in our care. We sit down with fellow science communicator Dr. Stephanie Rosenbloom who not only has a PhD in chemistry, but a keen interest in parrot nutrition. We tease apart the idea of the appeal to nature fallacy, that occurs when a person assumes that what is natural is good and true, without considering the effects of their actions on the environment. We discuss a recent post that went viral on social media about parrots eating meat and other topics about diet and further into philosophy. For more of Stephanie's talks, you can check out https://avianbehavior.thinkific.com/courses/avocet-2024

"If you are looking for guarantees with free flight training in birds, you are in the wrong place." In this episode, Avian Behavior International founder Hillary Hankey and ABI Animal Training Lead Katie Pnewski talk about how developing skills for birds and training staff around fly offs has been instrumental in their practice as team leaders. A practice of safety and growth doesn't come from expecting mistakes not to happen, it comes from preparing for them to happen and getting the most out of the experience when you are working through a solution. In free flight, you learn that true growth comes from being in uncomfortable situations.  Our Handling a Fly Off course is dropping in the Avian Behavior Lab. Sign up for a free 14 day trial with the code AVIAN.  Check out our registration for  fall 2024 Bird of Prey workshop in September and Advanced Workshop in November

Owls make remarkable ambassadors to highlight conservation work, but they can also make for challenging training subjects and divisive ideas in the training community. We have remade our entire Owl Ambassador Masterclass to reflect the nuances among species differences and address some of the challenging conversations around parent raised owls, rehab vs captive bred ambassadors and even falconry equipment.  To access the Raising an Owl Masterclass, check it out here: https://avianbehaviorlab.com/masterclass-owl-sales/ For a 14 day free trial of the Avian Behavior Lab, use the code AVIAN  https://avianbehaviorlab.com

Having a parrot with extremely complicated screaming, attacking, pair-bonded behavior that won't let you out of their sight without an intrusive cascade of undesirable behaviors can be a problem for the entire household. It also means layers of stress when you are torn between appeasing your parrot and your family. This excerpt from our deep dive masterclass series for members of the Avian Behavior Lab helps us look at the angles of this complex issue and how we tease apart which challenge we take on first from a science-based perspective. This series was extremely enriching, and we know you will glean some actionable details from the science here. Sign up for our newsletter for your latest bird nerd information! For more information on how we avoid using restrictiveness and intrusiveness as metrics, check out Episode 58 For AvOCET 2024 information, check out our registration page. Stay up to date on our workshop schedule here.

This interview with Gail Buhl from the Minnesota Raptor Center and Partners for Wildlife is a thoughtful journey filled with raptor behavior tidbits, the evolution of operant conditioning in bird behavior management, raptor rehabilitation, imprinting and so much more. We talk about how working with rehabilitated birds of prey provides such a unique tapestry that has informed our progression as trainers to humane methods of choice based training, and Gail's owl mentors in her work with small owls. We go into depth about how providing these crucial contingencies gives our birds a language that they learn to rely on. For information about AvOCET, of which Gail is a speaker, check out our events page. The University of Minnesota Raptor Center Raptor Academy Care and Management Workshop registration is here. The How to Raise and Owl Ambassador Masterclass is here. Join the Avian Behavior Lab for a free 14 day trial with the code AVIAN to try out all of the features essential for your growth as an avian care provider.