Clicker training for parrots

November-December 2004, Issue 19

Clicking with your bird. Clicker training, the concept of using a small plastic device - or your voice - to teach an animal to perform tricks, can help you develop a great relationship with your parrot.

Call of Guyana. Nancy Cullity fell in love with Guyana and its wild parrots. Now her husband and Boston bird sanctuary Foster Parrots hope to honor her memory by protecting the country's endangered birds.

Stop picking at that! If he just can't keep his beak off those stitches, your bird may need one: the dreaded lampshade. Here's what to look for in a good Elizabethan collar.

Product review: My Weigh i2500 and Sterling Professional Avian Scale Kit. Weighing your bird is a vital part of keeping him healthy. You can make this chore easier by investing in a high-quality scale.

A Bird in the Hand. Parrots do more than give you a taste of nature right in your own home. They open the door to all sorts of other kinds of wildlife.

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WHAT'S the first thing that pops into your head when you hear the word "training"? Parrots riding bicycles, playing basketball, or singing songs? You can train your bird to do all of those things, but training is so much more than cute tricks. Training is really a synonym for teaching. Believe it or not, we are all trainers. Our companion parrots are learning from us all the time. It's just that we usually are not conscious of how much we are influencing their behavior. Training also is a form of communication. It serves as a language we can use to tell an animal what it is we want.

step up training
Teach your bird what the cue, "Step up!", means by luring him with a favorite treat, such as sunflower seed.

It pays to learn the basics of training. Once you know how it works, you can apply its principles to better control your bird's behavior and create a happier and more harmonious parrot household. You can train him to perform practical behaviors such as stepping up, or fun behaviors such as "waving" or "talking" on cue. You can teach him to interact with other people, go into travel containers, step on a scale, go back into enclosures and give up objects in his beak. You can even use training to solve behavioral problems, such as screaming or biting.

Training by any other name
Animal training goes by many names. In the scientific community it is called operant conditioning. Another name you've probably heard is clicker training. Both are based on the principle that performance of a behavior is increased or decreased depending on what happens after the behavior. For example, if a child receives a $20 bill after cleaning his room, he may clean a lot more often!

Clicker training gets its name from the click sound - also called a marker or bridge - used to tell an animal it has done something correct and soon will be rewarded with something it likes. The device used to make the clicking sound is usually a small plastic box that fits easily in the hand. Inside the box is a strip of metal which, when pressed with your thumb, produces the sound. Clickers can be found in most pet stores, usually in the dog training department. They are also available at online stores such as Animal Management Resources, Inc..

Some trainers prefer using a clicker because it produces the same sound every time. This can be helpful if another person also will be training the same bird. We all communicate slightly differently; using a clicker can keep communication consistent and avoid confusing the bird. In addition, some research suggests that the clicker stimulates a certain part of the brain, which could lead to faster learning.

clicker
A clicker is a small plastic box with a piece of metal inside (photo courtesy of Animal Management Resources, Inc.).

Other trainers find clickers challenging to use. One problem is that it can be difficult to hold a bird on one hand and a clicker and treats in the other. Another drawback is that you may not have a clicker handy when you need it. Your voice, on the other hand, is always with you. That is why many trainers like to use a word, such as "good" or "yes," to mark the moment when an animal has done something correctly.

Choosing to use a clicker, a word or a whistle for training is a personal decision. Many different types of markers have been used quite successfully to bridge behaviors. The more important thing is to learn how to use a marker correctly.

Whether you use a clicker or not, call it operant conditioning, behavior modification or simply training, the same principles are at work. Understanding and applying these concepts can open the door to a fascinating world of influencing your parrot's behavior for the better.

Basic training tools
Training is not difficult, but it helps to learn the lingo before getting started.

Cue. A signal that tells the animal what you want it to do. Many trainers use verbal cues, hand cues or a combination of the two.

Bridge or bridging stimulus. The marker or signal that immediately tells an animal it has done something correct. It bridges the gap in time between when the animal did something correct and when it will receive positive reinforcement. Some examples of bridges are clickers, whistles, the word "good" or a touch.

Positive reinforcement. Anything the animal likes and will work to gain. Positive reinforcement occurs after the performance of the behavior and increases the likelihood the behavior will be repeated. For companion parrots, positive reinforcement can be a food treat, head scratch or any other form of welcome attention. The key is to be sure to use something that your bird perceives as positively reinforcing.

Approximations. When the trick is complicated, you may want to break down the training into small steps called approximations. Your bird learns each approximation before moving on to the next one. Eventually, all the steps together lead up to the final desired behavior. Training with approximations is like a dance between you and your bird. You may take a few steps forward, and if your bird is unsure, you may end up taking a step back. You may remain at this step for a little while and then you try to progress again. There is a constant shifting and adjusting to meet the capabilities of your bird, but eventually you make more steps forward then you do backward and your bird learns what you are trying to teach. It is an intricate dance and one that makes training such an interesting activity. It challenges your skills and always keeps you thinking. Very rarely does training become boring. Each species, each individual, each behavior brings a new set of criteria to the table.

head scratch
Some birds, like this blue-and-gold macaw, will perform in exchange for a head scratch.

Capturing a behavior. This strategy involves catching your bird in the act of behaving as you want, as opposed to shaping his behavior with training. Capturing is usually used to train a bird to "talk".

Training a behavior
Now let's use the tools described above to train a behavior. The first step is to identify what you would like to train. If you plan on using approximations, it is a good idea to describe in writing what each step will be. This helps you visualize the process. You will also want to identify a cue for the behavior, a bridge and type of positive reinforcement.

Here in a nutshell is the sequence of training steps:

Trainer gives cue.

Bird performs desired behavior or approximation toward desired behavior.

Trainer gives bridge for correct performance of behavior or approximation.

Trainer gives positive reinforcement.

Trainer repeats steps for each approximation until bird performs final, goal behavior.

Note: At first, your bird will not understand the cue. Therefore, the first step is to try to create a situation in which the bird will begin to perform a small part of the behavior. For example, to teach your bird to step up on the hand, you can use sunflower seeds (or another favorite treat) to lure him toward your hand. If he takes a step toward your hand, offer a seed as encouragement and give him the cue you've chosen, such as the words, "step up". This will help him associate the cue with the action of moving toward the hand. Over time the bird will make the connection that the verbal cue �step up� means to go to the hand. Eventually, you can phase out the sunflower seed and just offer the cue.

Once a bird has gone through the approximations and clearly understands that the cue means to perform a particular behavior, you can phase out use of the bridge, too. If the bird has problems with the behavior or is learning a new behavior, you can always reintroduce the bridge.

I don't recommend phasing out positive reinforcement. If you do, over time the bird will lose its motivation to perform the behavior. Remember, rewards increase the likelihood your bird will perform a behavior; negative or no consequences will decrease that likelihood.

Teaching your bird to retrieve an object
Stepping up is a very practical trick and a wonderful way to build a good relationship with your bird. However, we also know that training can just be fun! Parrots are some of the most intelligent animals on earth. Learning new behaviors and exercising their brain power is mentally and physically stimulating for them.

The following steps outline a simple retrieve. This is a great first trick for training novices and a fun exercise for your bird.

You can get rid of the bridge, but I don't recommend phasing out the reward. Over time your bird will lose motivation.

Step 1: Set the bird on a small perch approximately one foot long. (This will limit where he might choose to go.)

Step 2: Offer from your hand a small washer or other small but heavy object. Usually birds will pick it up with their beaks out of curiosity. If the bird will not pick it up, try hiding a piece of food behind the washer so the bird must touch the washer with its beak. In this training scenario, the presentation of the washer may act as a visual cue, but you can also use a verbal cue such as "pick it up". (This could come in handy later if you want the bird to retrieve other objects.) Whenever the bird touches the washer with its beak, bridge him and reward him. The bridge can be clicking the clicker one time or saying the word "good". After bridging him, offer him the positive reinforcement you have chosen. It can be a sunflower seed or other food treat. Other forms of positive reinforcement such a head scratch can be offered. Just be sure the bird finds these things positively reinforcing. Continue until the bird picks up the washer.

Step 3: Hold a small bowl under the bird and eventually the bird will tire of the washer and drop it. Catch the washer in the bowl. Bridge and reinforce when the washer hits the bottom of the bowl.

Step 4. Repeat steps two and three several times.

Step 5. After several repetitions, move the bowl slightly over to the side. The bird will probably not drop the washer in the bowl. If this happens, do not bridge or reinforce. Offer the washer again. Allow the bird to miss and not get reinforced once or twice.

Step 6:. Go back to trying to catch the washer in the bowl. Bridge and reinforce.

Step 7:. Try moving the bowl to the side again. If the bird drops the washer in the bowl, offer a large reinforcement. If he misses, go back to step 3 and work up to step 5 again. Keep repeating this process until the bird understands the washer must go into the bowl in order to get the reinforcement.

Step 8:. Once the bird gets the concept of the washer going into the bowl, start moving the bowl a little farther away. You will find you may have to go through steps 3-7 again. But eventually, you will be able to hold the washer on one end of the perch and the bowl on the other.

Step 9: Once your bird understands the concept, you can try other objects. When you do this, go back to holding the bowl under the bird and catching the object. Gradually move the bowl farther away. This should go quickly this time. Next, try placing the bird and bowl on another surface such as a table. Again, you may need to repeat steps 3-7 to get on track. But eventually the bird will learn to generalize and perform the behavior in different environments and with different objects.

Barbara and scarlet
Training based on positive reinforcement can improve the relationship you have with your bird.

Training vocal behaviors
All parrots are capable of copying sounds, but not all of them are talkers. Repeating words or sounds in front of your bird might help him learn to copy you. Rewarding him for his efforts might speed things along. But there is no training strategy that will guarantee a bird will talk. It is far more important to love your parrot whether he chooses to mimic or not.

If your bird already mimics sounds, teaching him to talk on cue is quite easy. All you have to do is "capture" the sound you want him to make. Here's how you catch him in the act:

Step 1: Listen for your bird to make a sound you want to put on cue. (To avoid confusion, focus on capturing only one sound at time. Once the bird has learned one sound on cue, then try teaching a second.)

Step 2: The exact moment you hear the sound you want, use a bridge to tell your bird this is what you want. Remember, the bridge sound bridges the gap in time between when the bird did the behavior correctly and when he receives his positive reinforcement. This can come in very handy when teaching your bird to talk because it gives you time to walk from wherever you are to your bird to reward him. You can train your bird even if you are far away.

Step 3: Offer a treat or other positive reinforcement following the bridge.

Step 4: Repeat steps one through three until your bird is offering the sound often.

Step 5: Pick a cue to use to signal the bird to make the sound.

Step 6: Once your bird begins making the sound regularly, you should be able to start slipping in the cue right before the sound. Offer lots of positive reinforcement when the bird makes the sound right after the cue.

Step 7: Phase out reinforcing the bird for offering the sound and only reinforce the bird when it makes the sound after the cue.

Path of discovery
The good news about training is that it is not that hard to do. Understanding a few simple concepts can get companion parrot owners started on a path of discovery.

Not only can training provide entertaining diversions, but it also can create well-behaved parrots and foster an amazing bond between bird and human. It is my hope that everyone discovers the many benefits of training companion parrots with positive reinforcement. Give it a try!

Barbara Heidenreich is the author of Good Bird! A Guide to Solving Behavior Problems in Companion Parrots and has been training birds for free flight presentations in zoos for 14 years. She offers animal training consulting services to zoos, nature centers and the companion parrot community. Visit her Web site at www.goodbirdconsult.com.

ParrotChronicles.com

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