Carly Lu’s Flight Blog

I had an unexpected breakthrough tonight with Piper on the harness. If you’ve been following the blog you know that Piper developed a dislike of his previous harness which had an over-the-head loop. So we stopped using it and have been training a new design (shown here). It’s been slow going, but we were to the point where he would walk up to the end of his perch, have me put the strap around his neck and fasten it, and put the belly strap under one wing and through the back strap. We’ve been doing this for awhile, and whenever he showed any sign of wanting it off, off it came. So tonight, after a very lazy day, I went to do our usual short session before our dinner time recall training, and we got to the usual point. He seemed very keen on his sprouted sunflower seed treats, and not paying much attention to the harness, so I decided to take it a step further and go for the strap under his other wing. That went fine. So I gave him big bonuses — handful of sprouted seeds, and he still was fine. So then I fastened the belly strap also, and gave him another handful of sprouts. Still fine! I kept feeding him his sprouts for several minutes, while carrying him around on his harness.

This surprised me but it shows how you just have to go with the flow of what the bird is presenting you. If an opportunity shows itself, take it. And if you are making big breakthroughs, give big bonuses! (Heck, even on little breakthroughs I give big bonuses.) But tonight I gave him almost his whole dinner while on the harness. My plan is to keep doing this for the next week or so: harness training combined with his whole dinner.

Here he is while eating dinner out of my hand (sorry for the blur — trying to work iPhone with one hand while feeding!)

This comes at a very good time, because he has become very interested in exploring the outdoors now (trying to follow me out the front door) and getting quite relaxed walking at the beach. So I was planning to start working A-B recalls on the harness at the beach this week.

So of course this warranted a celebration. Witness the fate of probably the last surviving blood orange of the season in southern California:

Training note: Piper is being trained at at-lib weight. His indoor recall is excellent, more reliable even than Carly’s. He is just over one year old, and it is not recommended to restrict weight on parrots less than a year old. His weight range now is only slightly higher than when he arrived at 4 months old, and he is in good condition from flying a lot indoors, so this is a good range to work with. His response to training does not warrant any change. Acclimation to the outdoor environment is something that can be done without weight reduction, as it is an entirely separate issue than food motivation. Comfort with the environment is one of the major elements in the list of factors that should be considered when training a new behavior, and it is far up the list from weight reduction.

My position with regards to outdoor training is that you go at the pace the bird himself sets, whether that is a matter of flight skills, recall response, comfort with the environment, or eagerness to fly in the first place. I am doing this for the enrichment and benefit of Piper. I’m sure Carly would love to have him as a flying companion, but first and foremost, they enjoy each other as indoor companions, which is where they spend the vast majority of their time. I feel no need at all to push the pace of training. African Greys can live to be 40-70 years old. Piper is 16 months!

Complete Harness Training Series.

NEI’s new show at the San Diego Zoo, SOAR: A Symphony in Flight, is in the last few days of training before the opening Saturday night.

I’m glad I watched the training last Saturday as well (blog post About to SOAR). There were far fewer opportunities to learn from birds who were giving them training challenges with new behaviors, in a new environment, at night. Everyone’s getting their part down. The teamwork of the trainers and staff is equally impressive. There are a lot of birds in this show, and almost all are cued off stage for behaviors they perform on the set or in the amphitheater. Right now there are no mechanized release cages, so all the entries and exits involve trainers as well.

One thing that struck me, which may seem trivial on its face, is how readily the birds enter their carriers. They are never shooed in, never forced in; it’s always a choice to walk in on their own. Clearly lots and lots of positive reinforcement there on a regular basis. Cool to see with such a tightly orchestrated show.

The other thing that’s very noticeable is how little voracity the birds show for their food rewards. With everything synced to music, video, sound and lighting effects, there isn’t much leeway for birds being reluctant to perform or wandering off script. Their diets are carefully designed to keep their weight in a good range for health and training, but when you see the birds working they don’t go after the food rewards all that rapidly when they’re offered, and their attention is definitely not focused on looking for it from the trainers. Many of them seem almost nonchalant about it. Also very cool to see in a show that demands such precise timing and which is on such a tight schedule for the opening. (Some of these birds only arrived from NEI’s Florida base two weeks ago.) It’s a wonderful demonstration of how weight is just one factor, and hunger doesn’t need to be very strong when there is a trusting relationship based on choice and not force.

The Green Winged Macaw at one of his stations on the set:


Pair of macaw butts stretching for treats:


Worker bees swarming the set:


Pair of very tired trainers waiting for Eurasian Eagle Owl to get set up.
[Hillary (standing) and Cari (collapsing).]

Many more photos in the Facebook album.

UPDATE: Show performance

I finally got over to see the show a week after its opening. It went very well and the audience loved it. They are combining parts of the planned night show (SOAR) and using parts of the day show in sections where the birds are still in training for the full SOAR program. It works seamlessly though, and if you didn’t know before hand which was which it would be very hard to tell.

After the show they let people stay if they want to watch them train, which is good for them (birds get more practice doing their routine in front of an audience) and pretty educational for the audience too. He explains what they’re doing as they train, and really stresses that they never make a bird do anything it doesn’t want to do, all R+. I wish more parrot owners could see that in action!

Sometime last year, I was concerned about times when Carly would fly so fast down the beach that she’d be out of hearing distance before I could call her back. Barbara Heidenreich suggested training an emergency recall. Zoos use this with some animals in case there is an incident with a trainer or an animal has to be moved quickly to another location. The idea is that the cue is different than a normal recall, and the reward is a huge jackpot, so there is a much higher probability of a response, even in the face of external distractions or competing reinforcers. It’s also a very useful behavior to have trained in case of an accidental escape outdoors.

I practice this once daily at home with both Carly and Piper to keep it fresh, using a referee’s whistle as the cue and usually a whole almond in the shell as their jackpot (highly, highly desired by my guys, as both toys and food). I use it at the beach when Carly is getting too far away, but not every time we go. Typically her flights are large loops, but within visual and hearing range. I am careful not to overuse it, otherwise the jackpot isn’t a jackpot any longer, and the emergency recall loses its extra incentive.

Jackpot!

Today I had the first opportunity to test it with Piper. He is about 15 months old, and has never been especially keen on going outdoors. He simply hasn’t shown the curiosity or ease with things and events outdoors that Carly did, even when very young. When he’s outside I try to take it very easy, going to familiar places routinely, doing a little training there, providing lots of opportunity for calm behavior and lots of reinforcement. We use a harness outside because I want to see far fewer startle responses before free-flying. Today he surprised me by flying out to me as I walked out the front door, then landing on the roof next to the entry. He sat there and looked around, and I wondered how this would play out. I called him a couple times and he stayed where he was, looking at the trees around us. Then I remembered the whistle on my key chain. Gave the double-toot that’s our cue and he looked back at me for a second, then flew right down. I took him inside and got an almond pronto! (Carly got one too, for not flying out the door. )

To get started training the emergency recall I shortened our daily recall training sessions a bit, and switched to the ref’s whistle at the end. At first they had no idea what I was asking for (and were a little startled by the loud sound) so I followed the whistle with our usual recall cue. When they came they got the big jackpot. I did this at the end of every recall session for a few days. Next I moved to different positions in the house, while still in sight, before giving the cue, and then out of sight in a different room. When that was working well, I stopped doing it at the end of our usual training sessions and started those steps over (whistle cue close by, then further away, then from another room) at random times. This is how I keep it in practice now. It’s quite funny to see them come racing in from wherever they are to get their jackpot.

The first time I tested it outside with Carly at the beach, I did it when she was not too far away. I had no idea if she’d respond out there. She turned around so quickly it was as if she skidded and made a u-turn in mid air.

It is not a 100% solution by itself. I still have to keep up all the regular training and practice routines or both kinds of recall get unreliable. In environments where there are a multitude of competing reinforcers (seagulls, people, trees, etc) the regular practice is especially important, so that the whistle works even when other reinforcers are present.

I was very pleased with the response from Piper today on his first escape outside ever. And also pleased that he was eager to go outside to begin with. We took a nice walk outside later so he could explore more, and did our usual training out by the pool.

Next up: competing reinforcers!

For more information, Barbara Heidenreich describes training an emergency recall in Good Bird Magazine

Carly Lu’s Flight Blog
http://likambo.com/flyblog

Sheira is 1 year old today (give or take a few days — her previous owner, who she is named after, did not know the exact day).

She was clipped from wingtip to “armpit” when I brought her home, and yet she was a fearless skydiver. She is all grown in now and flies around the house like a flutterbee (butterfly x bumblebee!)

Steve Martin’s Natural Encounters Inc (NEI) is creating a beautiful new nighttime bird show for the San Diego Zoo, with an environmental theme set to music and visuals. The set with full sound and lighting is spectacular (got a brief view during some testing). Here’s a peak at some of the birds being trained for the night show.

Me and my friend-in-forgetfulness Hillary (aka Tex, and NEI’s newest full-time trainer) both managed to forget our good cameras, so only the bigger birds and the ones trained before my iPhone ran out of juice made it in here. Over a very long evening, they also worked with several Eurasian Eagle Owls, two Keas, Blue Headed Macaws, a troop of rats, a pot-bellied pig, a 40-year-old American Fish Eagle, African White-necked Ravens, a flock of chickens, a rooster, and a pair of gorgeous Toucans. These show Steve training the Andean Condor (above) and the Maribou Stork with Wouter Stellard.

Steve and the senior trainers — Cari Clements, Dillon Holger, Lindsey Morse, Wouter — plus the other staff, certainly had their hands full. Some birds worked better than others, and usually the trainers were aware of potential problems before they happened. The level of difficulty and length of the training session appeared to be monitored very, very carefully, and no one was pushed even remotely near the danger zone. (Remember, this is training in a brand new environment, outdoors, at night, in the middle of a large city.) One of the important lessons I’ve learned for flying Carly in an urban area has been to be careful to never, ever knowingly push the safety zone. Knowing when NOT to go flying, or when to call it a day, is a crucial part of good training. So I found watching the training of the more challenging birds of the evening especially interesting. Not recognizing the limits essentially trains the bird for bad behavior by allowing an opportunity for competing reinforcers. (Once a bird settles in a nice tree there are no “do-overs.”)

Observing good trainers can be an education in itself: the ideas for solving problems, teamwork, different personal styles. But what I find most interesting is the clarity of the human-bird interaction when trainers are very focused and experienced in applying scientific training principles. Great opportunity to learn by example. Especially impressive when the trainers still have that focus after the fatigue of an already long day’s work and several intense weeks of preparation.

More fun pictures here. Hopefully some soon with a proper camera!

For more information about the show, see the San Diego Zoo site. There are also two daytime shows, at 2pm and 4pm. Opening is next weekend, June 27th (26th for zoo members).

For more information about NEI, see Natural Encounters, Inc. The “Press Room” area has some excellent articles on training and behavior, by the NEI staff and others. NEI also does week-long intensive training workshops for companion parrot owners once or twice per year.

And all are fine. When I start getting mail of the postal kind from people wondering if the the birds and I are OK, I know it’s time to update! May was a very busy month at work and at home so I haven’t been able to write blog posts, which I usually spend a bit of time with.

However, I do have a Facebook account now that I update regularly with tidbits and photos that are often about the birds.

You can find us by clicking on the Facebook profile on the right sidebar —>

Here are a few highlights from the last month.

Hanging out on roof racks (our new wheels!)

hangin on the patio:

hangin at the pub with Henry & Hill:

hangin at the pool, checkin out guys’ butts:

meetin’n'greetin at Starbucks:

helping:

and just being pretty:

I’ve been asked a lot about using harnesses: how I use them, what kind I use, how to train a bird to wear one, etc.

I find they’re a great way to allow our birds to go on outings with us, become acclimated to the outdoors, get some fresh air and sunshine, and generally improve their quality of life in captivity. I do not in general use harnesses for flying, except for a limited period when I’m practicing controlled A-B outdoor flights with a newly trained bird. The information here is intended for using harnesses as an alternative to carriers, or for short, controlled flights, not as an alternative for free-flight training.

Piper’s first walk to the beach, Fall 2008.

Training

Training a bird to use a harness involves more than just training to allow it to be put on. Another important component is making sure the bird is trained to remain calm when walking with you on your hand or shoulder, training to come when called, and getting acclimated to the outdoors.

For training to wear a harness, there is a good article by Barbara Heidenreich featuring Stephanie Ernst’s African Grey Dexter. Harness Training Your Bird. Before starting your bird should be hand tame and accepting of having his wings and head touched.

Before or during harness training, you can train your bird to walk around with you calmly and stay on your hand, if he doesn’t already, and also train recall. (See the Parrot Recall Training page for more info.) These are very important skills to have in place before going outside on a leash. If a bird startles outdoors and tries to fly on the harness, he will begin to dislike it and all your hard work training will go back to square one. Training recall is important in order to deal with a startle flight if it does occur, and also for safety in case of an accidental escape. These should be practiced regularly so the bird gains confidence.

Before going outside, you should test the harness indoors and practice there if needed, doing routine things around the house. When going outdoors for the first time, if your bird is not already used to it, it’s a good idea to take it slowly and not bombard him with too much at once. A short walk around the garden, or just sitting quietly with you may be enough for the first few days. Introduce new things at a pace he can handle, and always give lots of reinforcement. Pay attention to your bird’s body language for signs of stress, and call it a day or go to a more familiar location if he seems to be getting uneasy. You want to keep this a positive experience for the bird, since that’s the whole purpose!

What kind of harness is best?

I have used the Aviator, Feather Tether and Kaylor Collar (Fredbird). Each has its advantages and disadvantages, and these will also depend on the preferences of you and your bird. The general consensus about the Aviator and Kaylor Collar is that they are easy to handle and very lightweight, but the head loop is difficult for some birds to accept. Some like the more open buckle style of the Feather Tether, but some find it’s complicated to put on and somewhat bulky. Another product that often comes up in harness discussions is the Flight Suit/Bird Diaper. These are not intended to be used as an outdoor leash system, and I would not trust them to restrain birds larger than a small cockatiel. Even though they sell leashes for them, their main function is as a poop suit for indoor use.

Features that you’ll want to consider when making a choice are

• whether or not there is a loop you have to put over the head (as opposed to buckling it around their neck) and if your bird will allow it
• how heavy the harness is (Aviator and Kaylor are very light and have only one buckle; the Feather Tether is a bit bulkier).
• what style of buckle it uses. Some have metal slide buckles (A, KC) while some have clips (FT)The consideration here is whether your bird can unbuckle or unclip it, as well as how easy it is to put on.
• how the wings fit through it. Some require the wings to be pulled through a loop (KC, A) and some have straps that buckle around the wings (FT).
• what kind of leash is used. Most have nylon web leashes like a small dog leash (FT, KC) which are quite sturdy. The Aviator has a built in elastic leash which is nice in case of a startle flight, but I’d test out it’s sturdiness with larger parrots.
• how the leash is attached. Some parrots are very quick to unclip a dog-leash style clip if it’s nearby. A pear clip is more difficult to undo, though it can be done with a lot of fiddling. With any clip, keep a watch on what your bird is doing with it. Carly never touches any kind of clip, and Piper tries to undo everything.

. . .
Homemade Harnesses

Because I use these so much, and no one harness has all the features I want, I make my own using 3/8″ nylon webbing, D-rings and buckles that can be purchased online. The source I use is Creative Design Works (http://www.cdwplus.com/). They have a wide variety of buckles, clips, and webbing colors to choose from.

This is the design I’m currently using, which has a slide buckle on both the chest strap and neck strap, so there is no loop that goes over the head, and you don’t have to pull the wings through a loop either. But it is still relatively lightweight and not bulky.

A full set of photos showing how it is put on are here.

The harnesses are constructed using superglue and/or sewing machine stitching. The ends can be cut and singed with a match to prevent unraveling, and adding a bit of superglue on the end makes it even sturdier.

If you’re using metal slide buckles, they can be secured better by tying a knot in the end of the strap but you have to plan for an extra long waist strap (see photographs).

Safety Precautions

• Always link the leash to your body (or some other secure object like a chair if you’re staying put.) There are many types of clips that can be used for this (trigger hooks, snap hooks, caribiners). Creative Design Works has a wide variety, and you can find some at local marine supply or hardware stores. Do not rely on a leash loop held in your hand or around your wrist unless it can be tightened enough that it won’t come off without direct effort.
• It takes training to keep the harness experience a positive one. A harness is not a substitute for training. The best way to ensure the harness doesn’t become an aversive, holding the bird back if it tries to fly, is to prevent startle flights as much as possible. This includes training your bird to ride calmly on your hand in a variety of indoor environments; training a reliable recall so the bird is familiar with flying on cue, and can be retrieved more easily if there is an accidental escape; and acclimating gradually to the outdoors. As with any training, repetition and practice create confidence, so the more this is part of your regular routine the better.
• Be aware of your environment. Just as with outdoor free-flying, having a bird outdoors on a harness involves paying very close attention to your surroundings. Keep an eye open for things that might startle your bird, as well as physical dangers such as hawks or unruly dogs. Also, since you’re the anchor, be aware of things that might startle you.
• Use a short leash for the most control. If it is not used for flying, a leash doesn’t need to be any longer than a couple feet. Keeping it short gives you more control if the bird becomes agitated or startles, and prevents a severe jerk if it suddenly flies. I have also put extra loops or hooks on my leashes about a foot from the bird where I can hold on or attach it to me if I think it’s necessary.

. . .
Using harnesses for freeflight training

Although I don’t fly my birds on a harness for recreation, I do use it when introducing a bird to outdoor flight. I like it for acclimating a bird to the outdoors without the barrier of a cage. Also, before free-flying, we do practice sessions of short A-B recalls on on a harness with a 10-15 foot retractable leash. This allows me to test the bird’s focus outdoors without the risk of a fly-off. Once a bird is free-flying, I use it at the very beginning of each session for a week or two to make sure all systems are go (focused, motivated, relaxed). Again, it’s not a substitute for training; it’s just an extra precaution for those first few days when everything is very new to the bird.
. . .
Piper busy acclimating in Balboa Park,



and readying for take-off during some practice at home.


. . .

Some people also do short A-B recalls for fun and exercise when they have their bird on outings. As a final shot, here is Barb Saunders’ Ducorp Cockatoo, Daphne, on vacation in Lake Tahoe (sporting a turquoise blue Aviator). It’s hard not to think that’s a look of joy.

Harness links:

Aviator Harness
Feather Tether (many online and local vendors)
Kaylor Collar
Flight Suits (outdoors for tiny birds only)

Note: Freeflight Warning

Complete Harness Training Series.

thank you very much.

Now leave me alone so I can nap.

[Piper @ San Diego Museum of Art, Balboa Park]

We have been doing a lot of outings over the holidays to help acclimate Piper to the Big Wide World, and also to give Carly more opportunities for socializing outside of our flying time when it can be a dangerous distraction if she sees someone interesting just out of my sight. We used to do a lot of this kind of thing before she started free flying, so it’s no wonder she tries to find opportunities to visit people. Another “Doh!” moment for me.

Since our retraining efforts began last month, she has gotten much better about staying within a safe range at the beach, but still gets distracted by socializing in the park where the flying itself is less interesting, there are no gulls to play with, etc. So we are going to train very hard at the beach with the aim of “super-duper generalizing” of the recall behavior (as Barbara H deems it). This is a perfect time for it since the number of people is very low there right now, and will be increasing over the coming months as the weather warms. Automatic incrementing of level of distractions.

At Seaport Village at San Diego harbor yesterday Carly had a Red-Headed bonanza. She got to be held by a RH guy, a little RH girl, and an older RH lady. And then there were ducks.

More pics here: Social Outings

It’s been raining most of the day so we’ve been indoors except for a short jaunt between showers.

Which for some of us gets booorrringgg after awhile ….

Best wishes for a great 2009 everyone!

She came out of her egg 4 years ago, at Majestic Wings aviary in Brenham, Texas.

Here she is just under 2 months old in February 2005, the week we met, at the bird store.

On the agenda today: a little flying, scrambled eggs, and trying out her new battery powered car speakers for my iPhone tunes. (Car radio speakers fatally ill and inoperable; earbuds unacceptable to bird who wants to sing along.)