The Training Game
Training animals would be much easier if we shared a common language and I could simply explain what I wanted them to do. Though we don't...
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Haley Selen
Feb 3, 20213 min read
Learning to Ignore It
I was perusing an old file buried deep in my office desk this week when I found a New York Times article with the humorous title, "What...
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Haley Selen
Jan 24, 20211 min read
Weighing an Owl
What is the best way to weigh an owl? With lots of tasty rat tidbits! Otto the Great Horned Owl is not picky when it comes to food, but...
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Haley Selen
Nov 1, 20202 min read
Taking Emotion Too Far (Animal Emotions Part 3 of 3)
I recently brought Carson outside to sit on a perch in the Museum's backyard for a training session. After a frustrating fifteen minutes,...
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Haley Selen
Oct 31, 20201 min read
Training a New Behavior
When we train a new behavior with our education animals, it takes time for them to learn what we are asking them to do. In this video,...
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Haley Selen
Oct 13, 20202 min read
Emotions Revisited (Animal Emotions Part 2 of 3)
I hesitated to use this photo in my article last week about animal emotions because out of context, even an experienced bird trainer...
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Haley Selen
Oct 6, 20204 min read
How to Make Your Animals Happy (Animal Emotions Part 1 of 3)
When I started watching a video series titled "How to Make Your Animals Happy," I was a little skeptical. The instructor's emphasis on...
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Haley Selen
Sep 11, 20201 min read
Not Interested
Otto the Great Horned Owl is starting to get used to the scale, but he doesn’t seem very interested in it! Ignoring it is a good sign...
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Haley Selen
Aug 19, 20202 min read
Inside a Training Session: First Signs of Trust
"Hey Otto," I say as I stand outside the Great Horned Owl's mew, just to let him know I'm there. I turn the key in the padlock and the...
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Haley Selen
Aug 10, 20201 min read
Training the Trainers
Live animals don't take weekends or holidays, so it takes a team to make sure our birds and herps are receiving the best care every day...
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Haley Selen
Jul 25, 20203 min read
Body Language
When I first started working with owls, I was surprised that they reminded me more of a prey species than a ferocious predator. They...
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Haley Selen
Nov 8, 20191 min read
Comfort Zone
With a hearty appetite this fall, Carson the Red-tailed Hawk will do just about anything to earn her food. Entering the office on my...
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Haley Selen
Oct 9, 20191 min read
Body Language
Wednesday was a picturesque, sunny day and I asked Aldo the American Kestrel to step on my glove. He readily hopped on and we circled the...
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Haley Selen
Oct 2, 20191 min read
Fall Hunger Pangs
With the leaves changing and the sun setting earlier, it is obviously fall. The birds know it, too, as they feel the urge to prepare for...
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Haley Selen
Jul 10, 20192 min read
Inside a training session: Weighing Carson
Carson the Red-tailed Hawk stands at her window and watches me unlock the mew door. Her head tips sideways as I juggle the lock, my keys,...
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Haley Selen
Apr 18, 20192 min read
Habits
On a spring morning two years ago, I rounded the corner on County Highway M in my little blue car. I lifted my foot off the gas pedal as...
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Haley Selen
Feb 21, 20192 min read
Science of Behavior Change: Positive Punishment
If I touch a hot stove and feel a painful burn, that's positive punishment. What may sound like an oxymoron is yet another way we learn....
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Haley Selen
Nov 7, 20182 min read
Science of Behavior Change: Negative Reinforcement
Last week I wrote about positive reinforcement, giving a reward to increase a behavior, as the most important tool in training our...
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Haley Selen
Nov 1, 20182 min read
Science of Behavior Change: Positive Reinforcement
Stepping onto a human’s hand, coming out of a crate, perching calmly while 50 sets of human eyes stare at him. These are not behaviors...
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Haley Selen
Sep 26, 20182 min read
Mixing it up
Last spring, I was still trying to convince Carson the Red-tailed Hawk that my glove was a safe place to be. She was doing well, often...
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