Trick Training is Important Too

Trick training! So much fun, so much importance!

I really like to specialize my work with clients primarily with behavioral modification because I have multiple degrees in it, close to a decade of experience doing it, working with thousands of birds and cases. On the other hand, simple trick training is so important to our parrots that need behavioral modification help or don’t!

Trick training gives amazing mental stimulation, and helps facilitate the bird’s desire to problem solve. Parrots are known as amazing problem solvers, often creating tools to aid them. Parrots need immense amount of mental stimulation and enrichment; training is enrichment that provides mental stimulation. On top of foraging, two 5 minute training sessions a day can do wonders on decreasing behavioral concerns, even just trick training!

I always like to bring controversy into my posts to get everyone thinking. We all hate exotic animals preforming for shows in captivity, like orcas, elephants, tigers, bears. I hate it; I do not think that it’s right and fair. But, usually, that’s the animals only form of enrichment and mental stimulation that they NEED to help them cope with captive care. That’s why so many zoos, aquariums, and facilities train tricks to their animals. Since they have learned these tricks, might as well get more money for the facility and put them on display preforming.

I still don’t support this because there are other ways to provide mental stimulation and enrichment, and better care and housing is also needed for a lot of places. Blah blah blah, y’all know me and my stances. But some people are die hard to stop this training, which in my mind I go “then what else will they do?” Literally. How else will they get this stimulation? If the facility was going to go the other routs, shows never would have happened.

Avian species actually thrive doing shows. I’ve helped train shows and animals for shows. They’re the one show I will support (of course depending on the company and ethics still).

It’s a good for thought beyond our parrots. Enrichment is needed for every animal species in captive care. There are hundreds of ways to provide it, like trick training.