The Biggest Myth

By Ken Globus

You hear it over and over again. You read it in magazine articles and books by virtually all of the popular behaviorists. It’s repeated in Internet chat rooms, on message boards, and email rings and is echoed at bird club meetings everywhere: “Never use gloves. Birds are afraid of gloves.”

Oh, yeah, that’s right. Birds ARE afraid of gloves. But then, birds are afraid of lots of things. In fact, they’re afraid of anything new. And yet nearly all the well-known, influential bird experts staunchly forbid the use of gloves. So, what’s the result of their sage advice? When birds bite, their owners feel frightened and helpless and back off.

What’s the result? Your bird bites. Ouch. You back off. When you approach it again, it is with some hesitation. Your movements are tentative and jerky. This makes the bird more nervous, so it bites with more conviction. “After all,” he’s thinking, “if that bite got him to go away, I’ll do it again.” Now you’re even more hesitant to get close to your bird. So, you back off. The bird is rewarded with exactly what it wanted - to get you to go away. The next time, it bites harder. In other words YOU’RE TRAINING YOUR BIRD TO BITE.

I contend that the no-glove rule does more harm to people/bird relationships than any other misinformation. And it is promoted by virtually all the experts. With something as important as this, wouldn’t you think that those pushing this theory might have taken the trouble to find out if the rule actually holds up under scrutiny? Well, I did. And it doesn’t.

Want to stick a bare finger in here?

Birth of a Legend

So, where did this pervasive concept, that birds are afraid of gloves, come from? In the days when I first started working with birds they were mostly wild-caught adults. People believed that because the imported birds had been roughly handled with gloves during capture, transit and quarantine, birds built up a negative association with the bulky hand gear. It seemed to make sense, since birds recoiled at the sight of them. But birds aren’t wild-caught today and they still recoil from gloves. Even birds that are hand raised babies. Why?

Anyone who spends a lot of time around birds soon realizes that birds are afraid of ANYTHING new. You can change your hair color, put on a hat, new nail polish, introduce a new toy to its cage, and your bird might wig out. So, rather than there being a negative association with gloves, it’s the fact that gloves are something new that scares birds.

Get Over It

If using a glove is the only thing that will keep you from being hesitant or backing off, my advice is, use gloves. Birds soon become accustomed to them and in a very short time the gloves can be abandoned.

What if you were Superman? What if you were invulnerable? Impervious to pain and injury? You could tame any bird in the world. So why do people let fear of pain keep them from taming their birds? Remove fear from the equation and you’re on your way to a tame bird. Want to be less vulnerable, less frightened? Wear gloves. And hold the kryptonite, please.

When I work with a new bird, the first thing I do is test to see how committed it is to biting. Only then, if necessary, do I put on gloves for the first minutes of a session. The bird soon realizes that biting is not effective and it stops. At that time I slip off one glove and continue with one gloved hand and one bare hand. Then the second glove comes off and the bird hardly notices the difference.

Another “F” word

Another benefit of the gloves is to help lower your fear level so you can remain calm enough to keep your energy low and move your hands in a slow, smooth, fluid way. Birds don’t perceive fear as much as they perceive what makes them fearful. And it is almost totally visual. The way you move your hands makes all the difference. So, it doesn’t matter how afraid you are; I can have sweat running down my spine, but as long as I’m able to control my energy and movements and project a sense of calmness, the birds respond well.

So Much Malarkey

So, what would it take to convince you that the glove thing is a myth? Here’s what got me. Like the majority of my most important realizations about working with birds - and the glove issue is a major one - it is the birds that taught me how to work with them. And this one came about totally unexpectedly. I was working with a very aggressive bird, a passionate biter. I had to wear gloves or I would have been shredded. I had worked a few minutes on the biting behavior, getting it to stop biting, then do step ups, etc. Then I slipped off one of the gloves. What happened next really surprised me and it was as clear as a bolt from the blue. The bird recoiled at the sight of my bare hand! So, now do we have to say, “Birds are afraid of bare hands!?” Of course not. The bird had gotten used to being touched by my gloved hand, but not the bare hand. It was that something new was added to the mix. And that same thing has been repeated with many other birds; not every time, but often enough to clearly indicate that birds are afraid of change, not gloves. Once again, I want to emphasize: The glove thing is nothing but a myth!

Here’s another compelling piece of evidence: In a bird club program in Salt Lake City I worked with a wild caught adult Orange Wing Amazon. It apparently had negative experiences with gloves and was more than a little afraid of them. I didn’t need to work with gloves with the bird because it was not biting very hard, but I decided to demonstrate something for the audience to illustrate my point. When I went near the bird with gloves it squawked and recoiled. Then I handled the bird with gloves, exposing it to what it was afraid of. In a few minutes, I handled the bird with one bare hand and one gloved had and it accepted either hand equally as well. Again and again the birds teach us.

Empower Yourself

Get gloves that reduce collateral damage, but are supple; you need to feel what you’re doing. You’ll find that what gloves do for your confidence is invaluable. And having confidence is a big part of being able to lower your energy and help your bird become more comfortable with you. That’s anything but a myth.

Glove Me Do

Here’s a photo showing Arlene, a Redondo Beach workshop participant , with her African Grey. Arlene had lived with this bird for years without ever being able to touch him. After Ken got the bird accepting his touch, he blended Arlene into the process. Because she was fearful, Ken had her start with gloves. After a couple minutes she gained the confidence to remove one glove. At this point the Grey related the same to the gloved hand and the bare hand. And, for the first time, Arlene was touching her bird.

Many photos on this web site show Ken and others working in various combinations, with gloves, with one gloved hand and one bare hand or with both hands bare. When you get past the bird’s aggressive stage you can blend in the bare hand. I do this as quickly as possible.

All You Need is Glove

You can find gloves at your local hardware store. Ideally, you would want them snug fitting; the more slack, the easier it is for a bird to get a hold of soft tissue. They should be thick enough to provide protection yet supple enough for you to feel the pressures of your touch on the bird. No welder’s gloves or oven mitts. A cowhide work glove will do just fine. Lamb is better. Goat is the strongest for the thickness. Deerskin is my favorite. It’s very flexible and supple, but also a bit expensive.

When I do workshops, knowing that I may have to handle as many as twenty birds in a weekend, I usually put self-adhesive bandage (also known as vet wrap) on my index fingers. Great protection.

Also, when dealing with a bird that repeatedly takes chunks out of my forearms, like the large macaws, I wrap them in Ace bandage (the forearms, not the birds).

A World of Gratitude

By Ken Globus

Dear Friends,

Lots has happened in the few years since I went public with my more than 25 years of bird taming experience. The reception has far exceeded my expectations and has been nothing short of phenomenal. (as has the controversy)

The reason it took me so long to come out with my techniques is that I didn’t realize that what I was doing was anything special. I assumed that anyone who had worked extensively with birds would’ve figured out the things that became obvious to me. Like, how birds are wired. How they are driven by their instinctive fears. How they seek the place with the least amount of stress or pressure. How to use that instinct with a “Pressure On, Pressure Off” approach, getting to move toward peace.

This concept led me to many important realizations, like how to use those same instincts to modify their behavior and build trust. And how birds respond to certain touches and movements. AndI learned by following their lead every step of the way.

So, it wasn’t until I got some pretty compelling feedback and support from a few key people that I started to realize that what I was doing might be of value to birds and people. To those individuals, I owe a huge thanks. It change the course of my life.

That I’ve been able to help so many frustrated bird owners get close to birds they were ready to give up on is both rewarding and humbling.

So, how do you express your gratitude for all this? It’s not easy. I can say that I’m grateful for the support I’ve received. For the places I’ve been able to travel. For the people I’ve met. For their trust. For their smiles and their tears. And their fears. And for sharing their love of their birds with me. But most of all I’m grateful to the birds. They’re the ones that taught me what I do. And they continue to teach me every day. There is nothing more rewarding than helping a troubled bird find a way to a more peaceful, happy life.

I never imagined I’d be doing anything like this. And that it could be so interesting and rewarding on so many levels. I am extremely lucky and take none of it for granted. Thank you.

Ken Globus
July, 2004

Lost Bird

by Ken Globus

Angelo was a nervous bird – a rescued eleven year old Timneh African Grey that startled easily. His wings were kept lightly trimmed - about an inch off the tips of the last few flight feathers - just enough to allow him to do what he loved most, swoop across the room and land on Karen Walker’s shoulder. Yes, coincidentally, this is the same woman who wrote about her phobic Orange Wing, Ed. It was a blustery, Midwestern, October day when Karen was about to take out the trash. She had no reason to imagine that anything unusual would happen.

As Karen opened the door, Angelo took off and flew across the room heading for Karen’s shoulder. But Angelo overshot his mark, sailed right past her and out the door. The startled bird suddenly found himself being lifted upward by a strong gust of wind.

Terrified

The air current carried the terrified, screeching Angelo higher, up over the house and out of sight. When Karen ran around to the front of the house Angelo was nowhere in sight; and she could hear his frightened screams fading beyond the distant trees. Karen was frantic. She raced up and down the block, knocking on doors, asking the neighbors for help. They all pitched in. Sharon Wendt, a knowledgeable bird person and friend of Karen’s, drove over to join the search. They combed the area, calling Angelo’s name over and over. They were very aware that the longer a bird is missing the less likely it is to recover him. Along with that, the nights were getting cold and some red tail hawks had taken residence in the neighborhood. As Wednesday afternoon moved into night there was still no sign of Angelo.

On the second day Karen and Sharon trekked the neighborhood, posting signs and talking with everyone they could find. They showed photos of Angelo and implored people to keep an eye out for him.

At about 9 PM of day two they came across a woman who told them, “I saw a funny looking gray bird about six blocks away.” Karen and Sharon drove to the area and searched and searched, calling out Angelo’s name. But there was no response. As it became dark, they decided to resume the search the following day.

Late that night, Karen and Sharon were discussing their search efforts, trying to figure out if there was anything they overlooked. They realized that Karen had been repeatedly calling Angelo’s name to find him. Then it finally occurred to her that she had taught Angelo a “contact” call. To get her attention, Angelo used to make make unpleasant squawks, so she worked to change the behavior by teaching him to substitute the squawking with the more pleasant contact calls. She taught Angelo to call, “Yooooo hoooo,” whenever he wanted her attention. This is a very useful technique used to change screaming behaviors.

Calling Angelo

Early the next morning Karen returned to the area and started calling, “Yoooo hoooo. Yooo hoooo.” After a moment, there was a faint, distant peep. Again, she called out, “Yooooo hooooo.” This time she heard it, in a voice similar to her own, “Yooo hoooooo.” It was Angelo. Karen scurried toward the sound and called again. Angelo responded even louder. “Yooo hooo.” Each call brought Karen closer and closer until she spotted Angelo high in a tree, terrified and shivering. When the Timneh saw her, he tried to scramble down but couldn’t manage it. Karen kept calling, “Yooo hooo,” urging Angelo on, until he finally mustered the courage and flew down and landed in a nearby shrub. Karen scurried over, reached out her hand and Angelo stepped right up. She had recovered her beloved bird.

That night when Karen got Angelo home he was clearly shaken. Karen called her vet, who told her to bring him right in. After a thorough exam Angelo got a clean bill of health. Although quite traumatized by the experience Angelo has since bounced back and become his self old again. In the end, it was teaching Angelo that contact call that saved his life.

Taming Older Birds

By Ken Globus

Here’s another popular myth perpetuated by conventional bird experts that no one seems to challenge: “If you don’t get a hand-fed baby, you’ll never have a truly loving pet.” Well, in the interest of truth, and older birds that are shunned, I have to go on record as saying older birds can make absolutely wonderful pets.

Many birds with tremendous potential are being avoided, ignored and even neglected because people are either afraid of them, or don’t know how to deal with their behavior issues. With the right techniques, older birds, even abused birds, can become loving pets.

A Trip to the ER

A veterinarian referred a family to me. Here’s what I found out. Their double yellow head, named Nigel, was at least 25 plus years old. The couple had inherited Nigel from the wife’s mother, who had died. She had lived with Nigel more than 25 years without ever once having been able to touch him. Every time she tried, he tried to bite her. During the year the couple had Nigel, try as they might, they couldn’t even get close to him. Nigel snapped, bit, attacked, squawked and totally terrified them. When the sister bird-sat she had to wrap her hands with towels in order to change Nigel’s food cups; that’s how aggressively he would go after her. On one occasion, he gave poor Sis a gash so serious she had to go to the ER and get stitches.

I started Nigel’s session with the usual preliminary handling where I determine how frightened and/or aggressive a bird is. At first Nigel was extremely wild, attacking, screaming and thrashing around. But within 20 or so minutes Nigel not only stopped biting, but began to allow me to touch his head.

Exorcising Demons

Suddenly, as if a dark veil had been lifted, you could see the expression on Nigel’s face change from terror/hate into one of trust & absolute love. It was so apparent that the people, seeing that Nigel was suddenly very affectionate toward me, in an utterly unselfish act offered, “Take him. He’ll be happier with you.” Of course, I refused - acquiring birds is not my goal - and urged them not to give up so soon. I assured them that if we continued working we would get them to be able to get close to Nigel. In another 35 or 45 minutes, Nigel started looking at the husband with the same loving eyes he had cast upon me. The change was dramatic. The couple was practically moved to tears.

Tears & Fears

In a matter of minutes we completely turned around their relationship. Nigel became a happy bird - after he had lived in fear for more than 25 years. It’s important to understand that Nigel is not the only example of this, just one that’s on the more dramatic end of the scale.

I have worked with many older birds - even older, abused or neglected birds — and found them to be very responsive to this taming approach. It usually takes a few days after a session of good follow-through to get the bird well on its way to being a happy companion. Nigel proved one very important thing: even when a bird is no spring chicken, trust can be built in a very short time

The Little Ringneck

By: Ken Globus

I think both the saddest and happiest moments of the workshops in Anchorage, Alaska were provided by the same bird: a very troubled little, female Indian Ringneck. This was a very sad case. The Ringneck was believed to have had a history of abuse and neglect. One thing of which the owner was sure was that the bird lived in a state of extreme agitation and constant, intense fear.

Every time the woman, or anyone, even approached the Ringneck’s cage, she would explode with fear and thrash around, banging her wings on the sides of the cage. No matter what the woman tried to do with patience and love, she was unable to calm that poor bird. Its wings were beat up; some wounds were scabbed over and were repeatedly re-injured. You could even see her injured blood feathers that had been repeatedly injured, broken or chewed and never been allowed to fully grow in.

What to do? Even bringing her to the workshop was risky. When the woman showed up, before even handling her, the little Ringneck had already thrashed around and re-opened a wound on her wing caused by a broken blood feather. Fortunately, there was a vet on hand to observe the workshop and he sutured the wound.

Last Chance To Save a Broken Spirit

But I was left with a difficult decision: should I work with the Little Ringneck and risk re-opening the wound or should I just leave her alone? First, I decided to leave her, but then it started eating at me. How could I give up without trying? That bird was headed downhill and I really believed this might be its last chance to turn around its life. So, I decided to at least take the first steps and find out how she would respond to some hands on. If there were any signs of problems, I could back off.

I used some direct touching techniques and she responded immediately. I worked with her for all of about fifteen minutes. That’s all it took. In minutes I had that bird sitting calmly on my hand, doing step-ups and allowing scratches. It was incredible.

In the end, I was able to tug at its neck feathers with my lips and kiss its head. People were in tears. So was I. When we put her back in the cage, it was like a different bird, sitting calmly and preening as people approached her. No more thrashing around at the sight of humans. Of all the birds in the workshop, in many workshops, this Little Ringneck was the most moving and I’ll never forget it.

Land of the Giants

By Ken Globus

Imagine that you live with giants - 50 to 100 times your size - in a land full of giants. Yet, they’re all afraid of you. They let you make all the decisions. And they answer to your every whim.

Sound like a horror fantasy? It’s not. Without realizing it many bird owners unwittingly put their birds in this position of power. But along with all that power comes pressure.

Whether you have an extremely unmanageable bird or one that’s as gentle as a lamb, unless you control the dynamics of the relationship your bird is probably not as secure as it might be.

Bird Logic

Many of you may not even be aware that your bird (let’s call him “Bob”) is probably the top bird in your flock. When it comes to humans handling birds that’s more typical than not. And conventional bird wisdom supports that by telling you to let your bird do anything it wants to do; you let it come out of the cage on its own, decide what, where, when and why.

Birds consistently teach me that, when living in a human flock, they are much happier and more secure when the owner is the “top bird.” Let’s apply some bird logic here: Bob sees you, some fifty to a hundred times his size and figures, “If I’m in charge, we’re in trouble.” In many cases where Bob is in charge, he will become leery of visitors, bond with one member of the family or become aggressive. A bird that controls the dynamics of its human family lives in much more stress than one that doesn’t. Again, Bob’s thinking is that because he’s in charge, it’s up to him to decide who is friend or foe, who to flee from, who to bite, who to trust. When you are the dominant one in the relationship, Bob defers to your judgment, is relieved of the responsibility and lives a much less stressful life.

Now this brings to mind one fundamental question: why, in your own house, where you pay the rent or mortgage, the utilities, buy the groceries, vacuum, dust, do the laundry and dishes, why aren’t you the top bird in your house? Is Bob bigger than you? Stronger? Smarter? I’m guessing he’s not. And yet you have willingly, if unwittingly, relinquished the top spot in your house to a creature much smaller than you. And it’s due to a uniquely human attribute: compassion.

Simple Desires

Birds are creatures of habit. They find comfort in repetition. They love doing the same things over and over in the same way. Their desires are simple; eat, sleep, play, preen and procreate in the safest, most stress-free environment possible. Change equals stress. If you always hold your bird on your left shoulder, that will become its preferred spot. It will not feel comfortable on the right shoulder. If you always take your bird out of its cage using a stick, it will soon refuse to come out any other way. If you let your bird run up your arm to your shoulder, that is what it tends to always want to do. It will develop hand-shyness and will eventually avoid staying on your hand entirely.

In a two person household, if the bird prefers one of you even a tiny bit over the other, it will keep moving closer to the one if prefers, reinforcing that “habit” and moving further and further away from the other person. That’s why it is so common to hear the complaint, “Our bird loves me, but hates my husband.” Aside from the bonding issue, the bird has chosen the less stressful option of the two and been allowed to dominate by deciding who would hold it. This is typical of bird behavior problems. It’s also common that a bird that’s allowed to spend time on top of its cage and, by doing so, is able to avoid being picked up, will develop a tendency to become hand shy and territorial regarding the cage. In face, I’ve seen this territorial tendency evolve into a very aggressive behavior in which the bird will actually lunge to bite the owner when he or she even walks by the cage. Then, a slight tendency grows into a strong preference, which in turn becomes an obsession. And what follows is the creation of behavior problems like biting, fleeing, hand-shyness, bonding with one family member and sometimes even self-mutilation. When the habits that lead to these behaviors are recognized early on and nipped in the bud they are easier to turn around.

Safe Place

In order to change these things, you must take charge of your relationship. I have a few basic “rules” for birds that, if followed, help your bird be calm and trusting. You owe your bird that much. And when you take control, you will become your bird’s “safe place.” It will feel calmer and more secure in the fact that as long as it is with you it will be safe.

Many bird owners project human values onto their pets. It’s understandable, even admirable, that you would want to be as kind to your feathered chums as possible. After all, they’re your pets, your receptacles of love and affection. My belief, after observing hundreds of birds and humans interacting, is that a bird that is allowed to dominate its human owner is simply not as happy and secure as when the owner is in charge. The kindest thing you can do for your bird is to become the top bird in your flock. If you do, you will be rewarded with a happier, more secure bird.

Hands On Techniques

By Ken Globus

For years I’ve used the term, “hands-on,” to describe my approach to bird taming. It’s a pro-active approach used to desensitize birds to the things they are avoiding. On the other side of the coin are the “patience” people, who believe that you must wait for a bird to do everything on its own terms, and “come around” in its own time. What if “in its own time” turns out to be never? Sometimes waiting, being too sensitive and passive can make your bird more fragile and actually increase its sensitivity. When patience is getting you nowhere it’s time to take action with a hands-on approach.

Keep in mind that this method is not aimed at teaching “tricks” to birds that are already tame. Or taming birds that are only slightly wild. The birds I’m talking about are biting, fleeing and avoiding contact. In other words, they’re living in constant fear of humans. And their owners have been unable to make progress with them with all the “patience” in the world.

In some cases the birds had never been tamed. In others, they were once hand-fed babies that, because of improper handling and the owner’s lack of techniques, pulled away from their human companions and gradually became more fearful and aggressive. This unfortunate pattern repeats many, many times.

Every time I do a program around the country I ask the audience for a show of hands of who had a tame bird that they now can’t handle. The majority of them raise their hands, which illustrates how common this problem is.

Progressive Desensitization

In order to tame a bird, you first have to get it out of the cage. The Patience People are against taking even this step, which renders the owners helpless. I do this by gently maneuvering the bird out even if it doesn’t want to come out. This enables me to expose it to the situations it is avoiding (coming out of its cage, perching on my hand, doing step-ups, being touched, etc.) long enough to realize that those situations are not dangerous. In other words, through a process of progressive, systematic desensitization you can help birds become comfortable with the very things they have been avoiding. The bird’s afraid of hands? I gently expose it to my touch and very quickly it discovers that my hands won’t hurt it. Aside from being direct, the approach has to be gentle and calm. Never get excited, move quickly or raise your voice no matter how wild, aggressive or noisy a bird gets.

“Seeing is Believing”

Here’s a good example of how progressive desensitization works. Ken helps this Macaw move from biting and hand-shy to calmly enjoying touch in just a few minutes. Photos by David Howell from a Tri-State Avian Society workshop in Tallahassee, FL You can read David’s article, “Seeing Is Believing” Read Article

Downward Spiral

Don’t forget that birds occasionally bite. If it happens to you, don’t be insulted; it’s nothing personal. And don’t feel like a failure. Even tame birds occasionally bite. We frequently see birds nip at each other. That’s how they communicate things like, “This is my perch,” or “Let’s get outa here!”

So, here’s the all too familiar chain of events where normal bird behavior develops into problem behavior and the relationship between bird and owner spirals downward. At a given moment for a reason not always obvious, your bird bites you. Ouch. This makes you wary. You now move your hands more tentatively. Trying to avoid your bird’s beak, you might offer your finger (or hand) a bit lower down for the bird to step-up on, perhaps near its feet. The bird doesn’t feel secure stepping onto that lower perch. Birds don’t like to step down. Or, it feels that your finger is attacking its feet. So, it “beaks” your finger either to test it as a perch before stepping up, or stop it and push it away. Or it outright bites. But now you’re afraid of the bite, so your finger wavers, or jerks away, making an even more precarious perch, which causes the bird to trust it/you less. So, the bird tests that weak perch even more emphatically by biting harder. Now you jerk your hand away. Normal human reflex. And you’re even more nervous. Your hand movements become more erratic, which, to the bird, appears very threatening. So, you offer your hand even lower and more hesitantly. Or you’re afraid to offer it at all. And so on. And so on.

This is how the fear level between bird and owner typically escalates. It turns what was once a warm and friendly relationship into one of mutual fear and mistrust. Your bird is now on its way to becoming hand-shy and aggressive and you’re on your way to becoming bird-shy.

Winging It

My handling approach was developed through dealing with birds during the days when they were mostly wild-caught adults, and extremely aggressive. These were birds that were terrified of humans. If you got near their cage they would throw themselves on their backs, squawking, flapping, screaming, ready to fight for their lives. I tried leaving them alone and found that that did nothing to calm them. Every time you got close to them the pattern of fear would be repeated.

Because my techniques were developed in a vacuum I had no preconceptions. I had never seen anyone tame a bird. But sometimes, ignorance can be the mother of invention. I was forced to be creative, to figure out on my own, a way to get these birds to calm down. I glanced at some of the books on taming, but none of what they described seemed to make sense when working with the wild-caughts. Patience just wasn’t going to get anywhere. And the only teachers I had were the birds themselves. By observing how they reacted to the things I did, I learned what was effective. And they let me know every step of the way.

The Light Comes On

The biggest breakthrough came the first time I got three larger birds at the same time - three wild-caught, adult Umbrella Cockatoos. After I got them back from the quarantine station, I would take the first Cockatoo out to trim its nails and clip the wings. During this grooming the bird would be fighting and screaming bloody murder. Remember, these birds are convinced that I’m out to destroy them. After the grooming, I put the first bird back in the cage with its other, un-groomed pals. Later, I noticed something very interesting: when I approached the cage the other birds were much more afraid of me than the one I had groomed. Even though I had just subjected the bird to the rough handling of a grooming it was now less afraid of me than the ones I hadn’t yet touched.

So, what did I conclude from that? That because the bird had been exposed to a vulnerable situation and survived it unharmed, it began to realize that I wasn’t going to kill it as it had thought. The others, which had not yet had that experience, were still much more afraid of me. This was the key that began to unlock my thinking about assertive handling techniques: expose the birds to what they’re avoiding and they become less afraid of them.

Easy Way Out

Many of the birds I deal with today are nowhere as difficult as those wild-caught adults. It seems to me that most cases now have to do with a bird’s normal tendency to seek what they perceive to be the “easy way out,” and develop some bad habits that cause them to pull away from their owner. Or, it’s a case of miscommunication between owners and birds, with the result being a gradual pulling away and the increase in the mutual fear level.

Many people consider a hands-on approach to be controversial. They believe that anything that exposes birds to an increased amount of stress should be rejected; no matter how little the stress and how short the duration. My approach does expose birds to a temporary increase in their stress level, but so does a visit to the veterinarian or a grooming. Yet we consider those things to be necessary evils, for which it is worth exposing birds to stress. Why isn’t helping a bird come out of its fearful state considered as important as a grooming? I think it is. In fact, I think it’s vital.

The short-term stress of this pro-active approach is much kinder than the long-term stress experienced by birds and owners who live together for years in mutual fear. Imagine being in an environment where you live in constant fear that your captor, some 50 to 100 times your size, may at any moment kill you.

Lifetime of Stress

In another article (”Taming Older Birds”) I relate the story of Nigel, the 25 year-old (at least) Double Yellow headed Amazon that had lived his entire life in fear of his owners. How stressful is that? Nigel felt like a prisoner in his own house, always on the alert, always frightened, backing away, growling, threatening, biting, when anyone came near him. In Nigel’s mind he was certain that his demise could take place at any moment. And this went on for 25 years! Is this a way for a bird and human to live together? I think it’s cruel. When I worked with Nigel, he went through a half hour of stress until he reached a point where he realized I wasn’t really a threat. It was as if a switch flipped in his brain and he suddenly became relaxed, trusting and wanting human contact. The stress he had lived with all his life, more than 25 years, was gone and a new relationship had begun.

If I had waited for Nigel to volunteer to come out of the cage in his own time, on his terms, another quarter century might have passed. Yet, using progressive techniques of systematic desensitization, I exposed Nigel to the things he was terrified of, and now he’s living without fear and aggression.

The Magic Touch

By Ken Globus

One of my objectives in a taming session is to get a bird to accept touch. Since most of the birds I work with are from moderately to extremely hand-shy this is a worthy goal that, once achieved, is a clear sign that a degree of trust has been attained. In some cases this is accomplished in just a few minutes.

Those who observe this are quite shocked that touching can be accomplished so quickly. Especially, in cases where it’s their own bird - one they haven’t been able to get close to for a long time, even several years. Although it may seem like something magical is taking place, it is all based on real, clear techniques of progressive desensitization using a unique way of touching that birds respond to.

Good Vibrations

After a brief initial handling period during which I get the bird through its first level of fear, I work to get a hand to the bird’s head or back. First, I try to just touch it there, then I try to get more of the hand in contact with it. The object is to at first touch in a way that the bird almost doesn’t notice. The pressures are unthreatening. As I progress, I touch, pat and gently vibrate until the bird lets me rest my hand gently on its back.

People who have watched me say that I look like a magician, conjuring up a magic spell. I assume that’s because I concentrate so hard while looking away from the bird. I don’t look at the bird because so much of the technique depends on touch, that looking merely distracts me from concentrating on the touch. Apparently it makes a pretty unusual picture. I need to concentrate because I am always dancing on the edge between building more trust and getting bitten. Once the touch begins, we’re on the way. Then we move quickly from touching to vibrating, patting, tt scratching, to nuzzling, to kissing.

What AM I Saying?

I’m not even sure exactly these touching techniques evolved, but more and more it becomes a fundamental part of my taming process. That, along with the “bubble of fear” visualization I use, influences all of my techniques. I never really thought to analyze it, but ever since someone who was watching a demonstration of mine asked “What are you saying to the bird?” (I clearly wasn’t speaking at the time), I had to ask myself that same question.

Without delving into the metaphysical, you may, if you like) what my touch, and some powerfully focused intentions, are communicating, is simply this: “I’m not going to hurt you. I love you.” Along with this intense and sensitive touching process, this is the message my intentions are pouring into the birds. And you know what? They get it.

Seeing is Believing

By David Howell
former President, Tri-State Avian Society
reprinted with permission

Ken’s philosophy is pretty simple: take the bites, endure the pain, show the bird that you’re not going to give up, back off or throw in the (bloodstained) towel.

Ken can take charge of a room quite easily. He’s got that kind of personality. When he talks, people lean forward to listen and you can see the respect build in people’s eyes as his sessions go on. When he approaches a bird, however, he is all calmness, peace, and as he puts it, “all about lowering energy.”

Now…Ken’s not normally a “low energy” person. Quick to smile, easily banters, good humor and devilishly sly wit are ways I’d describe his personality. But, when he approaches a bird that has not been touched…literally NOT TOUCHED…in years, he’s all business.

First thing that happened at our demonstration was a massive bite from a large macaw! Right on the forearm and the upper and lower mandibles met in the middle! That’s GOTTA hurt. It didn’t bleed much, but it sure did bruise and swell immediately. This happened while we were still setting up and it wasn’t even while he was actually trying to work with the bird. It was just a “Hey, how are you” kind of gesture, but quick like snake, the macaw nailed him. Ken took the bite, did NOT pull back. Good thing, that. I think he’d have lost a substantial chunk of flesh had he jerked his arm back, as I almost certainly would have done. I do NOT know how the man endures bites from macaws, cockatoos, amazons, greys and all the other HARD biters.

In fact, on Friday night, at our little dinner reception for him, I made a point of examining his hands. At first, I did it surreptitiously, looking for signs of damage to his digits…or if he was missing one or two. They were all there, but you CAN see some of the lingering marks of encounters past. I finally asked him how his hands were bearing up after so many sessions, so many bites. He showed me some scars and he can tell you the different styles of biting that are associated with a bird.

Oh…this is a good time to dispel some myths about Ken. He gets a lot of bad press from some highly respected, but sadly misguided professionals, in the bird world. I’ve seen the man up close and personal twice now and I can tell you from first hand observation what’s what with how he handles birds.

There is NO cruelty. NO big gloves. NO “flooding,” as some psychologists call it. That’s overloading on something that causes problems until the fear goes away. Imagine being in a room full of spiders if you have arachnophobia. You stay there till you’re on a first name basis with the little eight-legged critters. That’s flooding. Ken does NOT flood.

His gloves have been called by some, “welder’s gloves.” NOT so. They’re doe skin, soft and thin. I’ve seen thicker gardening gloves. Hardly a deterrent at all from a bite and he ONLY wears them with the most difficult birds. Ninety percent of the time, he’s bare-handed. If I were up there, the percentages would be exactly reversed, I’m sure.

So, to those critics of Ken Globus…I say this…come and talk to ME! Talk to ANYONE who’s actually seen the miracles he performs. Stop making prejudicial and ridiculous judgments based on hearsay, second hand and inaccurate information and suppositions. Talk to the people who are able to handle their birds for the first time in years after a few minutes with Ken. Talk to attendees of his seminars who cry, because they are able to actually touch their previously untouchable bird. Talk to someone who has SEEN Ken in action. Then form your opinion of his methods and means. I’ll stand by this opinion: “Ken Globus is the premier bird behavior modification specialist in the country today.” That’s MY story and I’m stickin’ to it!

The simple and effective methods Ken uses make intuitive sense to me, but they run counter to just about everything I read, found, studied and believed from the so-called “experts” in bird behavior.

I was told it could take months or even years to gain a high degree of trust with my bird. Now, I know that was not only poorly considered advice, but that it was just plain WRONG!

Ken demonstrates that gaining the confidence of a bird can take only minutes. Yes…MINUTES! Here are some photos I took during a ten minute session with a very big and very angry macaw. I turned them into a collage that shows the very obvious anger of the bird first, then Ken’s efforts to come into the bird’s “bubble of fear.”

Then, using that “low energy” I mentioned earlier, Ken proceeds to gently touch the bird, backs off when it gets irate, lowers the energy level and comes back to the bird again. At the end of ten minutes, he’s holding the bird close to his body and he freely touches the bird’s head and back. No screaming, no biting, no flying away…no struggling of any kind. The bird accepts Ken’s closeness and touching as though he’d known Ken for years.

Now…the best part. When he teaches the owners how to do this, they touch a much-loved bird for the first time in a loooong time! Tears were shed. Tears of happiness and relief, not pain or anguish. Touching a bird that has been untouchable can do that to someone who truly cares about birds. I’ve seen it and I can tell you that Ken CARES about every bird he encounters.

Finally, I’d like to encourage you to visit Ken’s web site if you have a bird with behavior problems. There are some tips and techniques that he freely shares with everyone that you could apply to your own situation with a difficult bird. I feel that with Caribe and Augustus, our magnificent African Grey…we don’t necessarily NEED professional help. But, I found tricks there to help me with Caribe and Susan found info she’s using with Augustus. Both our birds are better for it and it has improved the degree and depth of our relationships with our birds. And, in the final analysis…that’s what it’s all about.

Unconventional Wisdom

By Ken Globus

Based on conventional bird wisdom it’s easy to understand that my hands-on approach to bird taming is controversial.

What’s also clear is that because of that same conventional wisdom, bird owners who have fearful or aggressive birds have been made to feel helpless to do anything about it. While the experts in the bird world contribute greatly to our knowledge of bird care and behavior, many of them have inadvertently paralyzed bird owners. They espouse “rules” like, “Never take a bird out of its cage until it chooses to come out.” Or, “Never use gloves.” (more on this in the article, ‘The Biggest Myth’) Or, “Never make a bird do ANYTHING it doesn’t want to do.” And people listen.

The biggest problem with these rules is that they reflect an idealistic approach to working with birds that, in many cases, just isn’t effective. Once bird owners have tried everything they know in the realm of patience, and still haven’t made any significant progress, they are lost. Their bird doesn’t improve, yet guilt and political correctness prevent them from doing anything that they’re told might upset their feathered friends. So, bird owners sadly, patiently and helplessly wait for their frightened birds to decide to trust them.

Sad Facts

The sad fact is that a great number of these birds do not come around. Ever. The experts know this. Bird owners around the world know this. Bird Sanctuaries, Adoption & Rescue Centers know this. Yet, other than setting up adoptions and housing unwanted birds, no one is giving owners any clear, practical solutions.

Every day I get emails from people all over the world, tormented by their inability to get close to their birds. They write things like, “Help! I can’t get my Amazon to stop biting me.” Or, “I try to get close to my African Grey, but he’s terrified of my hands.” Or, “I’ve been trying to get my parakeet to sit on my finger for seven months and he won’t. Please help me.” Seven months of patience and no progress? Yet the experts insist that theirs is the only approach. So, where does that leave people and their terrified birds? Nowhere.

Many birds are ignored, abandoned, neglected, or shuttled from place to place simply because their owners don’t have any effective tools to get beyond the fear and aggression. But the tools DO exist. I use them all the time and they’re not that difficult to learn. I demonstrate them in private sessions, programs and workshops around the country. In virtually every case, my hands-on techniques achieve clear, positive results.

Wild to Mild

In a bird club program in Salt Lake City, one of the birds they brought for me to work with was an adult, wild-caught Orange Wing Amazon brought in by a local bird rescue center. The Orange Wing had been around for many years (someone said it was 25 years) They said that it was a wild caught adult and had never been tamed. Had never perched on a hand.

After about 20 minutes of handling not only did I get that Orange Wing to perch nicely on my hand and teach it to do step-ups, I was also able to nuzzle my face in its neck and pet it all over. Everyone present could see the light go on in that bird’s eyes as it realized that the contact it had been avoiding all those years was actually unthreatening, even pleasurable. This is a bird that had been branded un-handle-able. If I had listened to conventional wisdom and followed the accepted “rules” of bird taming, I wouldn’t have even taken that bird out of the cage. And its life would have continued as a “rescue bird.” In a mere half hour that bird was liberated from its prison. I have since heard that it was placed in a happy home the next day.

Permission

As feedback to that program several audience members emailed me, thanking me for “giving them permission” (that’s how powerful a grip conventional wisdom has on people) to do something about their birds. Without exception, everyone who had seen the program and tried this new approach with their birds saw immediate, improvements in their relationships with their birds. With the right handling not only can you change a bird’s behavior in a very short time, you can open the door to an entirely new relationship. There are clear, simple techniques to help frightened birds learn to trust.

So, when I hear people moaning about not being able to touch their nippy budgie I become exasperated. That kind of behavior can be improved in a few minutes. And many other such behaviors, as well. With the right techniques, in a very short time, birds and owners that have spent years living in mutual fear can learn to live happily together. What an unconventional concept.

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