My 11-year-old son is about to embark on a science project in which he will attempt to train a young, newly purchased parakeet to distinguish between visual stimuli - either color patches or shapes. I am looking for any background or advice that would help. For instance, is the concept reasonable? Is a parakeet capable of this sort of training via standard rewards for "correct" choices? Can this sort of training be accomplished on a relatively short time scale (weeks) or are we embarking on something that may take months?

-- Stuart Scott, sscott48@yahoo.com

WHAT A GREAT idea for a science project! First off, a bit of advice: like you and me, every bird is different. Some will be able to learn much more complex behaviors than others, just as some parrots mimic human speech and others don’t. That being said, I think that what your son wants to accomplish is possible within a relatively short time frame.

The first thing he needs to do is figure out what the bird finds reinforcing, or rewarding. Is it going to be a scratch on the head, a treat, or something else entirely? Food rewards can be a little tricky with budgies because they typically end up on a millet-based diet. Their food is millet, their treats are millet, and, unless they have a motivated human parent, many of them refuse to eat anything else! However, with a little perseverance you should be able to discover something that your little bird will want to work for.

Training can be pretty straightforward. As with all animals (including human ones), positive reinforcement is the route to take. Start by desensitizing the bird to the new objects. Once you are sure he is comfortable with them, it’s time to get started.

Begin by working with one object, whether it is a wood block, a square piece of paper or whatever it is you wind up choosing. If I am imagining the project correctly, the bird will select the correct object based on a cue given by your son. Let's say we want the bird to discriminate shape, starting with a square. Begin by teaching the bird to tap the square with his beak. Initially, you may need to touch the bird’s beak with the square; as soon as contact is made, use a verbal "bridge," such as the word "good," and immediately give him his reward.

A bridge, in case you're unfamiliar with the term, is a sound or action that tells the animal he has just done what you want and that his reward is on its way. Frequently, the bridge itself becomes reinforcing because it is always paired with the reward (the treat or scratch on the head). But eventually he’ll learn that if he touches the object, he’ll get a reward.

At the same time, be working on establishing your cue. For instance, if the cue is to be verbal, your son will say "square" as the bird touches the square. The bird will begin to pair the word square with the object. Eventually, instead of you moving the block to the bird, the bird will move toward the block in order to earn the reinforcement.

Once the bird is solidly performing the first task, it’s time to start step two. Set the square aside and begin working on training him on a separate object; for instance, a circle. Once he has learned the circle, slowly start giving him the options. The first time you offer him two objects and give the cue, if he touches the correct one he wins his reward. If he chooses incorrectly, you simply ignore it and try again.

Once he has learned to choose the correct object consistently, try three objects, then four. I think that you’ll all have a lot of fun working on this project!

ParrotChronicles.com

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