What's in a name?

Naming animals is one of my favorite things!  Whether it is a bird, a new dog, a friend's show dog, whatever, I am all about choosing the perfect name for every animal in my life.  That is why it is a bit of a criteria shift for me to be working with animals that have no names.

The organization where I volunteer and am lucky enough to handle raptors is Native Bird Connections.  When the organization was founded the decision was made not to name the animals. There are a few reasons for this thoughtful decision.  First, they didn't want the public to view our program animals as "pets".  It is difficult for people to see an amazing wild animal like a hawk or an owl and not say, "I want one!"  As humans when we see an animal that we view as cute, beautiful or appealing in some way, we want to touch it, connect with it and even own it.  This may be fine for a domestic dog or a cat, but it isn't so wild animals, particularly non social animals.

People sometimes seemed stunned that we don't pet them or touch them, other than to handle them on the glove, but the reason that we do this is because it is what is best for the animal.  Unlike dogs or parrots or some other animals, these animals are not social.  Most are not social even with their own species, so humans "petting" them is not something that would be welcomed.  Our goal is to handle and treat them with respect which brings us back to the naming of our program birds.

Some organizations that have non-releasable program animals do choose to name them and this is okay, it is an decision that each organization needs to make for itself.  When Native Bird Connections was formed in 2000, the decision was made not to name them.  Another reason that they decided not to name them is that they didn't feel like these animals are "theirs".  The philosophy is that we are lucky that these wild animals that can no longer survive on their own, in the wild are willing to accept a life in captivity and that they are willing to give us the best that they can which is a working relationship based on trust, cooperation and negotiation.  We don't ask them to perform or do things or tricks or behaviors other than coming to programs, remaining on a perch, standing on our gloves, being moved from carrier to enclosure to perch and allowing us to interact with them cooperatively. We also don't feel that we "own" them or that they are "ours".  Yes, we are responsible for them, but they are not "ours" and never will be.

When I first started working with them and met the birds I was told it was okay if I gave them nicknames or called them what I wanted.  I honestly thought that this whole idea of them not having names would be difficult for me.  I am all about names!  But honestly, it doesn't bother me at all. There is something very organic, natural and good about just saying, "Good morning Red Tail!" or "You want a shower, Roughie?"  I have come to enjoy calling them by who they are.  Just another shift in thinking and learning a new way to live with and interact with a different type of animal.

I just call her Eagle

Oh so different

I have lived with birds for a really long time.  When I was a kid I had budgies and once I became an adult, I have lived with a variety of different birds including many Cockatiels, Budgies, Lovebirds, Linnies, Conures, a Pionus, an African Grey, a Regent Parrot and a couple of Amazons.  I love birds and have had relationships with them where I believe that they loved me, or at least have affection for me back.  A relationship with a bird is a wonderfully rewarding experience.  Even my non-bird-person husband has fallen in love with Charlie, our Amazon because Charlie chose him and he kind of had no choice.  These relationships seem to be mutually rewarding and enjoying.

The relationships that I have and have had with my birds is very different than what I am experiencing with the raptors that I am having the amazing opportunity to work with.  Parrots and dogs are social animals.  This means that they interact and live with other individuals, usually of their own species.  The social nature of humans and dogs and birds helps to foster a relationship because the animals are hard wired to belong to a group.  Of course, there are exceptions to the rule in dogs or birds or even humans that are not interested in being around others, but they still remain a social animal.  Not so for most of the raptors.

What NOT to do with a raptor!

The raptors that I work with are non-releasable wild animals that are in some way physically impaired making them unable to survive in the world on their own.  So, they are provided a home where they are well cared for, but they must be able to work with people and become an educational program animal.  This means that they go to do programs at different events to teach people about their species.

I will be honest and say that before I had ever handled a raptor I wondered if I would feel an urge to pet it or scritch it as I might do with a dog or a parrot.  Interestingly, the moment I held a raptor, a Great Horned Owl, for the first time, that thought did not come into my mind and it never has with any raptors I have held. I knew, instinctively, that to try to touch him would be incredibly aversive to him, not to mention extremely disrespectful.  He is a wild animal, he is not a pet, he is not interesting in cuddling or being touched and he is being patient and tolerant enough to allow me the privilege of holding him on my fist.  It isn't only that they are wild and wouldn't want to be touched, they aren't really interested in me at all, let alone a relationship with me.  For the most part, they really aren't interested in a relationship with their own species, let alone a human. There are some raptors that are more social, for instance Turkey Vultures.  Harris Hawks are also known to be somewhat social as well.  But, the raptors I work with are not social and frankly and they don't have an innate desire to "be with me" or "connect with me".

No snuggling with this guy!

This is a huge shift in thinking and learning for me.  When working with them, the idea is to develop a relationship with them based on trust and respect.  The birds I work with are really trained just to be handled, not to do things or to perform.  I have realized early on that if I need or want them to "love" or even "like" me, I am likely to have my heart broken because it just isn't who they are.  Asking any animal to be someone he isn't or isn't capable of being is not fair and it is likely going to create a lot of frustration for both the animal and the human.  It doesn't mean that they are mean, ornery, stubborn or nasty, they are simply solitary and part of being good with them and for them is to accept that and accept them for who they are.  And to appreciate what they can offer me and what they are willing to offer me which is a mutually cooperative partnership.  I am more than happy to accept them just the way they are and grateful for the opportunity to be this close to them.

A New Journey

In early April I began volunteering with a wildlife educational program that specializes in raptors called Native Bird Connections.  I have wanted to work with raptors for a long time and was very lucky to have been introduced to Jenny Papka, a founder of the organization who allowed me to come on board as a volunteer for Native Bird Connections.  To be honest, I have been wanting to write about it for a while, but it is still so fresh, overwhelming (in a good way) and frankly, mind blowing to me and I just haven't even been able to find the words.  But, I think it's time to share this exciting adventure.

I met Jenny through a student of mine who came though my classes with her puppy.  One day she came to class wearing a shirt with a raptor, I think an eagle on it and I commented that I loved raptors.  It turns out that she is a longtime volunteer and put me in contact with Jenny.  It can be hard to get into a position of being able to actually interact with and handle the birds.  I was very lucky and it isn't something that I take for granted.

Currently, I go to where the birds are housed and I help feed, clean and do whatever is necessary to care for the birds.  Additionally, I attend programs where the birds are taken to different events for audiences to see them and learn about them.  The work is not easy and it can be very "icky", sometimes even a little unpleasant when it comes to fighting with the wasps who want the food, cleaning up the leftovers and hosing off poop.  But, hey, it all goes with the territory!

Most of these animals are not social animals, unlike dogs and parrots.  Because my experience and expertise is with social animals, I had to switch gears and begin looking at things in a different way and use different strategies to interact with them.  Building trust and a cooperative relationship is crucial.  I am excited with this new challenge and the opportunity to stretch myself and gain insight and new information.  I feel strongly that any training, behavior work or even simply interacting and observing other species can only enhance our training and observation skills.

I find the work extremely rewarding for a few reasons.  First, these animals have all suffered some time of injury impairing them in a way that makes them non-releasable.  They wouldn't survive in the wild, at least not for long.  So, they allow themselves to be kept in captivity for our programs which allows us to share them and information about these species with others.  Helping to make sure that they are fed, comfortable, clean and well looked after feels good.

As I go travel through this journey I will be sharing experiences here.

Vicki with Rough Legged Hawk

Stick Training Charlie

Charlie is my 20 year old White Fronted Amazon. When I adopted Charlie a few months ago, he was very fearful of the stick. He would sometimes step onto a stick for someone, but only after he felt he had no choice. This is using negative reinforcement, which means that something aversive goes away, in this case, the stick stops chasing you, when you do the behavior...stepping onto the stick. As you can imagine, it can be relationship damaging but it can also make the stick a scary thing. Also Charlie is more comfortable with men than women and part of what I am trying to do is make him more comfortable with me.  Doing something frightening, like chasing him with a stick, would not be helping to further our relationship and take it in the direction I want to go. I want Charlie to feel comfortable and safe around the stick and around me.

I set out to stick train Charlie using positive reinforcement and by shaping the behavior. Shaping means that you slowly build the behavior and reinforce all approximations towards the complete behavior.  Essentially, I started out by reinforcing Charlie for looking at the stick, then moving towards it, for staying near it, for putting a foot on it, then two feet one it, etc. 

The process can vary in how long it takes to get to the goal behavior. It depends on many things including the animals learning history, their individual personality and temperament, the skill level of the trainer, how often training is done, past life experiences for the animal and so much more. It probably took a couple of weeks of my working on this sporadically for us to get to where we are. Had I worked on it more often, we would have gotten to our end goal much faster.

The most important thing with this training is that you take your time and allow the animal to take their time. Do not push or force or pressure the animal. Instead, take what the animal can give you and reinforce that.

In this video I am usually using pieces of cashew, sometimes a safflower seed and on a few occasions a sunflower seed to reinforce Charlie's behavior.