AVIAN TRAINING WORKSHOP

Have you ever wanted to increase your knowledge of raptors and bird training—how to place anklets on raptors, how to imp and how to train birds?  It's not too late to sign up.

Classes include theory and actual "hands-on" learning sessions 

If you are a novice or are already experienced with birds of prey and training, but want to learn more, you should attend our “Avian Training Workshop” this November.  

The workshop is an intensive 4-day long experience where you will learn from the senior staff at World Bird Sanctuary.  Part of the workshop is classroom lecture style, and part of it will be hands-on working with equipment and the birds themselves.  

Students get a look at the actual internal organs of a bird 

Some of the topics we will cover include:

·      Different species of birds utilized for education programs, which ones work best, and comparing hawks, falcons, owls, eagles, pelicans, horn bills, crows, ravens, parrots and other bird species.

·      Information about how to develop your own raptor center, the permits and necessary experience needed, insurance, etc.

·      How to best house raptors and other birds– perches, mews, jump boxes and other caging.  How best to protect weathering and exhibited raptors and other birds from potential predators, weather, etc.

·      How to present education programs – dress code, scripts, voice protection exercises, audience participation and much more.

·      Transportation of birds – driving, flying, shipping – how best to keep them safe and comfortable.

·      Bird diets – what to feed, how to get and store the food, vitamins, etc.

·      How to train your birds– what is a base weight, what is a target weight, creance line, flyer food, positive and negative reinforcement, and we train a White-necked Raven to perform a new behavior throughout the workshop!

·      Hands-on making of jesses, anklets and leashes.  Learning how to imp feathers on a bird.

·      Flying a bird!  A chance to fly a Harris’ Hawk or a Barn Owl and learn the correct techniques for free flying.

 Hands on training in flying a bird

The registration fee includes your workshop guide. This guide contains a wealth of information, most of which is covered during the workshop, as well as additional information.  The class is small; we take a minimum of 10 people and a maximum of 20 people.  But that also means that if you don’t act, the spaces could be filled.  Enroll today to insure your place in this unique and highly informative class, now in its 15^th year!!

 

The workshop runs from Thursday, Nov. 3^rd through Sunday, Nov. 6^th and the cost for the 4-day event is $650 per person (this includes lunch each day).  In order to register, we require a $100 non-refundable deposit by October 1^st, after that date the price will increase to $750 per person.

If you would like to learn more, or register for the workshop, please contact Laura MacLeod at lmacleod@worldbirdsanctuary.org or call 636-225-4390 ext 0.

Submitted by Laura MacLeod, World Bird Sanctuary Education Coordinator