

About Susan Friedman & LLP Course Graduates
Susan G. Friedman, Ph.D., is currently a faculty member in the Department of Psychology at Utah State University. A Behaviourist…
Browse by category: Parrot Care, Behaviour and Training, Conservation, Ethics and Welfare, Housing and Environmental Enrichment, General, Health and Nutrition
Answered by Susan Friedman & LLP Course Graduates:
Hello Jade, Thank you for sharing your question with us (in very fine English).filed under: Behaviour and Training
Answered by Susan Friedman & LLP Course Graduates:
What a great question Antonia. It's one that generated a good deal of discussion amongst out group of LLP graduates who have an interest in the behavior of parrots both free range and in the home. Rather than come up with suggestions as to the species that might co-existed best with your Ducorp's cockatoo, we felt that it might be more prudent to discuss whether or not another bird in the home was necessary.filed under: Behaviour and Training
Answered by Susan Friedman & LLP Course Graduates:
What an interesting question. If I understand you correctly, you are asking if parrots recognize their own species should a similarly colored species be nearby. Certainly they do. In much the same we way recognize immediate family members by size, height, skin color, hair color, specific possible idiosyncratic behaviors, how they talk, and the location in which we see them. We learn about family members via tiny observations that we are not aware of as well as making conscious observations. Moving onto birds in the wild, we find that ornithologists and bird watchers differentiate different species in a similar way using diagnostic field criteria. Observable factors such as size; color; identifying marks and color patterns on the head, body and wings of of the bird such as wing bars, eye stripes or spots; the bird's song or vocalization; the size and shape of the tail; the flight silhouette; it's feeding patterns; it's habitat and diet can all contribute to identification.filed under:
Answered by Susan Friedman & LLP Course Graduates:
Hi Lindsey, Your question fits right in with a discussion I was having just this morning with exotic pet veterinarian, Lore Haug. We were talking about the importance of distinguishing between behavior problems that are primarily the result of a disease process vs behavior problems that are primarily the result of a learning process. In the case of a disease process, behavior is considered a symptom and the medical model is appropriately implemented to investigate the underlying cause of the symptom and to determine a cure. The question,"Why does he do that?" is answered by determining the way in which an animal is sick.filed under: Behaviour and Training
Answered by Susan Friedman & LLP Course Graduates:
Hello Eva, Asking this question is like lighting fireworks: It produces a shower of bright lights about behavior! You asked if there is a way to discourage your parrot from climbing to the floor and walking around the living room. Further, you hypothesized that his motivation may be being with the dogs you are pet sitting. I see that you have a good nose for behavior by how naturally you assessed the probable function of this behavior and the events that set it into play:filed under: Behaviour and Training
Answered by Susan Friedman & LLP Course Graduates:
Dear Colin,filed under: Parrot Care
Answered by Susan Friedman & LLP Course Graduates:
Thanks for your warm hello, Janet! Sending a video link of Sydney's behavior is a great help. To catch everyone up with our previous correspondence, Sydney is being seen by a veterinarian and you are improving her nutrition and enriching her living environment. This trio is always the right first step.filed under: Behaviour and Training
Answered by Susan Friedman & LLP Course Graduates:
Thank you for your important question. The very first step to understanding behavior is to replace diagnostic labels with the observable behavior your bird *does* and the conditions in which he does the behavior. You've used two labels: Territorial and aggressive. Those labels are used to describe a wide variety of behaviors. What does you bird do, that can be observed, and what are the immediate conditions that predict when he will do them? We modify behavior by changing the conditions under which it occurs, one behavior at a time.filed under: Behaviour and Training
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