The Rookie Files: Crate Training 101:

Or How I learned to love restricted space

One of the easiest ways to transport birds from one location to another, be it cross country or between WBS buildings, is a crate. During initial training, or when they learn how to sit on the glove or become used to people, they learn how to go into a crate. All of our birds crate, from kestrels all the way to Dorothy our Andean Condor. Of course they all have different sized crates.

Crates come in all different sizes

Some birds, like Barn Owls and American Kestrels that nest in cavities and therefore are used to small, enclosed areas, are usually no problem to train to go into a crate.  With some birds, like hawks, eagles and ravens, crates could look rather frightening. It is our job as trainers to turn entering a crate into a positive experience.  We do this by using the great motivator--food! First we remove the door from the crate so that the bird does not feel trapped, then we place food just inside the lip of the crate. 

A White Naped Raven approaching the "food box"

In order to eat that piece of food, the bird has to begin to step into the crate, and once it does, it is rewarded with that piece of food. Gradually the piece of food is moved further back until it is all the way in the back of the crate, causing the bird to step all of the way inside the crate. Once the bird is comfortable going all of the way into the crate the door is put back on the crate and phase two begins.

It has food in it--it must be good!

Phase Two is all about increasing the amount of time a bird can spend in the crate. Now when the bird steps all of the way into the crate we very briefly shut the door, usually for only a few seconds at a time. As the bird becomes more relaxed in the crate it can be left in the crate for longer durations of time. In order to reinforce staying in the crate for longer periods of time, similar to the length of a program, we feed the bird small tidbits of food through the crate window to help keep the experience a positive one. Some birds become so relaxed in the crate that they rush into the crate the first chance they get. Riley the Barn Owl loves his crate so much that we sometimes have trouble getting him to come back out, and Mesquite dives headfirst into his. Buddy the Double Yellow Headed Amazon thinks his crate is the best place ever to nest and babble.

Now that the bird is OK with being in the crate it is time for phase three. Key to transporting a bird in a crate is moving that crate while they are in it. This is easier said than done, since birds usually move under their own power, they decide when to fly or walk. It can be frightening to them to be moving without it being their decision. In order to make this transition more comfortable we place carpets in the crate to prevent the bird from sliding around. Just like in the previous phases we start small and work up to moving the crates long distances, rewarding the bird as we go. In the beginning the crate is lifted only a few inches off the ground, keeping it as level as possible and then it is placed back on the ground. Gradually we increase the distance until the crate can be lifted onto shelves. Then we walk with the crate, a few feet at first, and then all around a building. Eventually the bird feels safe enough in the crate that we can begin taking it on field trips around the site.

Crating is beneficial not only for transporting birds, but for keeping them safe during shows and programs. Sometimes we need to stash birds during shows or programs where they will be safe from each other and curious people. During the flood in 2008 we had to keep several birds in crates after evacuating the ETC. Crates also make perfect “nests” for owl chicks. The small space imitates the nest cavity of many species of owls, so it is a safe place to keep them when they outgrow their brooders.

A "birds eye view" of a crate

Crates come in all shapes and sizes, from the small wooden box crates we use for kestrels to the XXL crate we use for Dorothy, our Andean Condor. Some crates have perches to protect a bird’s tail; some have cutouts in the back for depositing treats, a crate has to be big enough for the bird to stand up comfortably, but small enough to easily transport and stack in small spaces, like the backs of vans. Regardless of shape or size, crate training is perhaps the most important part of a bird’s training. The more positive a crate is to a bird, the easier it is on the bird to be transported, or stored in case of emergency. This is why we make every effort to turn what could be a negative experience to the happy, fun, “box of food”.

Submitted by Lean Tyndall, World Bird Sanctuary Naturalist