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 of the year. Beyond providing the bare necessities like food and water, it is important for all of our team members to build relationships with the birds and be able to ask them for simple behaviors.
After mastering the basics of caring for the birds, Office Manager Hayley started to take on training with Carson the Red-tailed Hawk. Starting with behaviors that Carson already knows, like targeting, means that they can score easy trust points and it lets Hayley focus on the multitasking required for a training session. It can be difficult to coordinate presenting the target stick and delivering the food smoothly, all while remembering to bridge at the precise moment Carson touches the target.
After a few practice sessions, they both grew in confidence with the behavior. Hayley's cues were clear and food delivery quick. Carson responded by practically galloping to the target stick, excited to earn a treat for this fun behavior.
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