Hillary Hankey

Hillary Hankey found her fascination for birds at a very early age. Having worked for veterinary clinics, avian breeding centers, and sanctuaries, she finally found her true passion for the science of behavior, and pursued a career in animal training. As a professional trainer, she has had the opportunity to learn from some of the best minds in the field.

Located in Southern California, Hillary developed Learning Parrots (http://www.learningparrots.com) as a resource for companion parrot owners to understand the power of positive reinforcement, effective alternatives to forceful handling techniques, and sustainable relationship-building solutions to individual behavior challenges. Through Learning Parrots, Hillary has been able to provide in-home consultations, workshops, and seminars, helping many parrots keep their homes by teaching caregivers how to build mutually beneficial behaviors to replace undesirable avian activities. Hillary has also contributed articles to GoodBird Magazine, trains her flock of free-flying birds, and volunteers her skills at exotic animal sanctuary Wild Wonders, consulting and training animals for conservation presentations.

A strong advocate for encouraging flight and natural behaviors in companion parrots, her enthusiasm for avian behavior facilitates an extraordinary hobby of observing wild parrots in their natural habitat. As a direct result, Hillary champions the emotional connection our captive companions offer us to the natural world and the information wild psittacines provide us to keep our pets behaviorally healthy.