Did you know that Psychologist B.F. Skinner trained pigeons to perform complex behaviors using reinforcement methods?
Clicker training is one of the most effective ways to train your pet. First of all, it operates on science-backed positive reinforcement. (BirdSupplies.com - the home of Science-backed Parrot Wellness). Every time that your bird hears the unique click sound from the clicker, it gets excited because it knows it's going to be rewarded.
The click sound actually marks the exact behavior that you want to see more of in real time. The click communicates to your bird, “Good job! You're going to get a treat for that behavior in just a minute.”
Just imagine how much quicker bird training will progress when your bird looks forward to training sessions and you're communicating effectively with it.
A bird clicker it's a small handheld device that makes a distinctive clicking noise when you press the button. Most clickers are simply the clicking device, however you can buy them with a target stick attached to it. The target stick allows you to point to what you want your bird to touch. So now, instead of waiting for your bird to correctly guess what you want it to do you're able to show it instead, and on top of that when you click the clicker you've communicated to your bird, “hey you got it right!”
Parrots are very intelligent and they learn quickly. As flock members, they want to fit in. When you train with a clicker and your bird understands what you want quickly and it feels like it fits in with your little flock! There is no room for negativity in clicker training.
Your job as the trainer is to notice the desired behavior, click as quickly as possible, and administer the reward. As the new Behavior becomes more ingrained you'll want to match it up with a “cue.” This could be a label or word for the behavior, like ” Step Up!” it could also be a hand gesture such as sticking your index finger out parallel to your bird by.
You'll find yourself enjoying the training sessions as much as your bird does because your mind is focused on what your bird is doing well and on progress rather than becoming frustrated when your bird can't figure out what you want it to do.
Whether your clicker training a parakeet or a macaw oh, the strategies are the same.
So, getting back to stepping up, you might start off with your bird picking up one foot. Next, progress to your bird putting one foot on your finger. and, ultimately putting both feet on your finger which is the act of stepping up.
You can start clicker training as soon as your bird is weaned. At this age your bird is feeling a little more independent and is ready to learn. Clicker training is so effective that you'll find yourself using it even as your bird gets older.
Anytime that you want your bird to repeat a behavior, find ways to reinforce the behavior. Clicker training maintains a healthy, positive relationship between you and your bird.
In this section of the article, we’ll go over the ten steps you need to follow to train your bird using a clicker!
It isn’t as complicated as you might think!
First of all, you need to prepare yourself to use the clicker. You need to work on your timing because timing is crucial when it comes to clicker training.
First, you’ll need to perfect when you click. Imagine that you’re trying to teach your bird to wave hello and you click when your bird is putting its foot down. Your bird is going to think that the behavior that it's being rewarded for is putting its foot down.
You’ll also want to deliver the treat reward in a timely manner, especially in the early phases of training. Start off by delivering the treat within one or two seconds and then increase the treat wait time slowly once the bird
You can practice clicker timing by playing a simple game! Watch your favorite TV show and press the clicker whenever someone says the word “Yes.” Make sure you press the clicker at the precise moment someone says yes.
Now, you need to figure out the right reward for your bird. Most birds are motivated by food, however, some birds are motivated by toys or affection and praise. You need to choose what works best for your feathered friend.
I recommend buying a premium parrot treat mix like Goldenfeast blends. These blends contain numerous dried fruits, grains, and nuts that parrots love. Grab a stainless steel measuring cup and fill it with several treats. Then, show your bird the filled cup and allow it to choose a treat. Usually, the bird will pick one of its favorite treats. Try this several times and choose about 3 treats that your pet really goes for.
You’ve got to teach your bird what the clicker is. We call this “charging the clicker.” Here’s how to do it.
And, that’s how you associate the clicker with a positive reward!
Now that your bird knows that a reward follows the clicker's sound, you need to get down to business!
You can train your bird tricks or you can train your bird for new manners. If you're not sure where to start, get the Clicker Training For Birds Book. It describes exactly how to train some pretty awesome bird manners for a life long companion.
Any training is a step in a positive direction in that your bird receives socialization, intellectual stimulation, and it is learning new replacement behaviors for problem behaviors.
Fun tricks include basketball, putting coins in a bank, waving, making sounds or words, puzzles, and more.
Essential bird manners include:
It’s time to start shaping behavior. Shaping is a force-free method of training in which you wait for your bird to perform a behavior and then click and treat.Force-free training uses humane methods to teach positive, new behaviors.
Rather than forcing a behavior, or intimidating and punishing the bird when it doesn’t perform as expected, you literally wait and watch to “catch your bird being good.” Then, make a big deal out of it.
Imagine what that does for the relationship! Your bird learns to trust you and actually desires to please you.
Let’s take an example. Say that you want to teach your bird to stay in an assigned area, an important skill to develop. It could be a new cage, a play stand, etc. When your bird knows how to stay put, it is much safer.
I just got a new baby Green Cheek Conure and I’ve got pet dogs, so this is right up my alley.
My dogs have been trained to “leave it,” but a fluttering tiny bird still seems like a toy, so Kiwi really needs to know how to stay put.
I could force her to stay put by grabbing her up and placing her back on her play stand every time she gets off. That just turns into a battle of the wills which never turns out well.
Instead, I decided tomotivate her to want to stay on her play stand.
I’ve had Kiwi long enough that I know what motivates her.
So, here is how I “force-free” trained Kiwi to stay put. I started out on what we call a “fixed schedule.” This is where we temporarily schedule to reward the behavior that we want to see more of a lot.
Clicker training sounds simple and easy, but it is a lot of work. First, you’ve got to plan your strategy, then you’ve got to commit to observing for the behavior that you want to reward, and do it consistently.
You’re doing a good job! Take frequent breaks between training sessions and reward yourself with your favorite TV show or a cup of coffee.
In this step, we’re making it harder for your bird to get rewarded. This is where you’re more precisely shaping the behavior that you want to see more of. So, once the desired behavior is established, we change our schedule of reinforcement to be more random in nature.
So, you don’t immediately reward your bird for taking a step in the right direction. You wait until the bird has performed the desired behavior twice, and then increase it to four times before treating, then six before clicking and treating.
You intermittently reward the behavior, so that when the bird does get a reward its like a big surprise
And, you reward it only if it goes to the right spot.
It’s kind of like hitting the jackpot! And, it’s an incredibly motivating strategy.
Once your bird knows that it’ll be rewarded if it is at a particular spot, change the starting point! Move further away from the bird’s assigned are and reward your bird if stays in the assigned spot.
Soon, your bird will independently monitor itself to stay in its assigned spot.
It’s time to name the behavior!
You can use a word or a phrase. Here, we’ll use the phrase, “spot” or “stay”
Now your bird knows to go to its spot on cue!
It isn’t going to be practical to reward your bird every time you use the cue.
So, what do you do?
You use a variable reinforcement schedule. This keeps your bird motivated to go to the spot every time you use the cue without you having to give out a reward all the time. We recommend using a variable ratio schedule.
You reward your bird after a certain average number of responses. So, you reward your bird every 4-6th time it has gone to the assigned spot after hearing the cue.
Why a variable ratio schedule?
It is the hardest to extinct. Your bird will not un-learn the behavior learned easily. If you don’t use a variable reinforcement schedule, then the minute you stop treating your bird for performing the desired behavior, the just gives up trying.
Make sure your bird knows to follow the cue under all circumstances! Try it when you have people over or when the television is playing on the background, etc. Make sure your feathered friend repeats the behavior at all times.
And that’s all you need to know! Wasn’t too difficult, right? Conclusion: Clicker Training for Birds
Did we help you out?
Clicker training uses the concept of Operant or Instrumental conditioning. So, the reward you present to your bird increases its likelihood of performing the behavior rewarded.
Clicker training can be used with other animals like dogs, cats, rabbits, etc.
If you have any questions or concerns, leave them in the comments, and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.
Choosing Parrot Training Supplies
Diane Burroughs, LCSW is a licensed psychotherapist trained in ABA therapy techniques. She specializes in avian anxiety disorders and is certified in Nutrition For Mental Health. Diane has written a number of bird behavior books and she offers behavior consultations. She's developed a range of UnRuffledRx Science-backed Parrot Wellness Supplies.
Diane's products have been featured in the Journal of Avian Medicine and Surgery and at Exoticscon, a conference for exotic pet veterinarians. Her bird collars & supplements are stocked in avian vet clinics and bird stores throughout the US. With over 30 years in the field of behavior, Diane has created thousands of successful individualized behavior plans that help pets thrive.
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