How to Find a Parrot or Bird Trainer You Can Trust

To find a good parrot or bird trainer, look for someone who uses positive reinforcement and holds a credential you can check, such as the IAABC's Certified Parrot Behavior Consultant. A good trainer can also explain exactly how they'll teach your bird. If the problem is new or sudden, book an avian vet visit first. Then compare trainers in our parrot and bird trainer directory, where every listing shows its source.

Start with an avian vet when the behavior is new or sudden

A behavior problem in a bird can have a medical cause. The Merck Veterinary Manual's guide for bird owners, written by avian veterinarian Laurie Hess, DVM, DABVP, explains that birds in nature hide their sickness so they don't appear weak. The signs it lists include a bird that is less active and sleeps more, or one that eats and drinks differently. If you see signs like these, the guide says to take your bird to the vet.

Avian vets say the same about specific problems. Writing for Lafeber's veterinary site, Yvonne van Zeeland, DVM, PhD, notes that sudden changes in behavior should raise suspicion of a medical issue. She explains that pain or itching can lead to feather destructive behavior. A bird may also become aggressive because of a medical problem. A feather picking handout made by veterinary students through the UC Davis Clinical Animal Behavior Service says your avian vet will want to do a full physical exam or run lab tests to rule out medical causes.

The Association of Avian Veterinarians (AAV) recommends annual or more frequent wellness visits for birds. It also notes that avian medicine is a distinct, specialized field and that most local emergency clinics don't treat birds. You can search for an avian vet with the AAV's find a vet tool. The AAV doesn't give medical advice to the public, so your own vet is the person to ask about your bird.

The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) agrees. Its guide to choosing a behavior professional says a physical exam and a talk with your pet's veterinarian is the first step for any behavior problem.

The order matters for trainers too. The humane hierarchy, a step by step guide to behavior change that the IAABC's LIMA statement points to, lists health first. Its first step is to make sure a licensed veterinarian has addressed any possible medical or nutritional factors. A good trainer will ask whether your bird has seen a vet recently. Best Friends Animal Society's bird training guide adds that your avian vet may be able to refer you to a behavior consultant.

Which kind of bird professional you need

The right person depends on the problem. The IAABC splits its credentials into two groups. Accreditations are for trainers who teach manners and life skills. Certifications are for behavior consultants who work on complex cases such as fear and aggression.

For everyday manners and life skills, a trainer who uses positive reinforcement may be all you need. For fear or aggression, such as biting that has gone on a long time, look for a consultant at the IAABC's certified level, which is built for complex cases. If your bird may need medication, you need a veterinarian. AVSAB says veterinarians are the only behavior consultants legally able to diagnose behavior problems and prescribe medication for them.

What positive reinforcement and force free mean for birds

The humane hierarchy defines positive reinforcement as giving a consequence right after a behavior so that the behavior is more likely to happen again. In plain terms, your bird does what you asked and then gets something it wants. Best Friends describes positive reinforcement training as a form of applied behavior analysis. The focus is on showing the bird what to do instead of only stopping what you don't want. It also suggests describing the behavior plainly, such as "When I put my hand near the bird, the bird bites it," instead of calling the bird mean.

How the IAABC describes it

The IAABC's statement on LIMA, which stands for "least intrusive, minimally aversive," says positive reinforcement should be the first option a trainer considers. It says only the learner decides what counts as a reward, so a good trainer finds out what your bird likes instead of guessing. The statement applies to any species and says LIMA never justifies punishment in place of other effective methods.

The steps a LIMA trainer follows

The humane hierarchy lays out the order a trainer should try things, from least to most intrusive:

1. Health and nutrition, checked by a licensed veterinarian.
2. Changes to the setting, such as what happens right before the problem behavior.
3. Positive reinforcement for the behavior you want.
4. Rewarding a better replacement behavior while removing the reward for the problem one.
5. Taking away a reward, removing something unpleasant, or ending the reward that keeps the problem going. The hierarchy lists these in no order of preference.
6. Adding an unpleasant consequence, as the very last step.

A trainer who starts at step 6 has the order backward. Ask any trainer where most of their work with birds happens on this list.

What "force free" rules out

The Pet Professional Guild (PPG) uses the term "force free." Its members follow a strict code: "No shock, No prong, No choke and No Pain, No fear, No Force" in the training or care of any pet. PPG defines physical force as "any intentional physical act against a pet that causes psychological or physical pain, harm or damage to the pet." When a bird trainer calls themselves force free, those are the rules they're signing up to.

Best Friends says methods that use force or punishment might work, but they aren't ethical. It also describes good training as a conversation that goes both ways and depends on reading your bird's body language. Look for a trainer who talks about watching your bird's body language during every session.

Credentials that apply to bird trainers

A title alone doesn't prove training. AVSAB notes that "behavior consultant" is not a protected term, and that "behaviorist" means no specific qualification unless it comes after "veterinary" or "applied animal." That's why a checkable credential helps. This table compares the ones that apply to birds.

| Credential | Who grants it | What it takes | What it tells you |
|-|-|-|-|
| Certified Parrot Behavior Consultant (CPBC) | IAABC | IAABC suggests at least four years and 500 hours of consulting, plus 400 hours of education. Applicants need three references, one of them from a veterinarian, and must pass case studies and an exam. | Built for consultants who work on complex cases such as fear, anxiety and aggression. |
| Fear Free certification | Fear Free | The Animal Trainer program is open to training professionals who meet its prerequisites and has six modules taken in order. Fear Free also runs an avian course built around the vet clinic. | The person has studied how to reduce fear, anxiety and stress around vet visits. The trainer course page names dogs and cats. |
| Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist (CAAB) | Animal Behavior Society | A doctoral degree plus five years of professional experience. The associate level (ACAAB) needs a master's degree plus two years. | Advanced academic training in behavior of wild or domestic animals. |
| Veterinary behaviorist (DACVB) | American College of Veterinary Behaviorists | A veterinarian who completed a two to three year residency, per AVSAB. | Can diagnose behavior problems and, if appropriate, prescribe medication. |

A few details worth knowing

The IAABC lists its CPBC credential under certifications, the level for complex behavior cases. Its accreditations for trainers who teach manners and life skills don't include birds, so the parrot credential exists at the certified level only. IAABC certified members must earn 36 continuing education units every three years.

Fear Free's avian program is called the Veterinary Certification Program, Avian. Its modules are built around the vet clinic and cover handling birds and training them to cooperate in medical care. A trainer with a Fear Free trainer certificate has studied fear reduction, but Fear Free's trainer program page talks about dogs and cats, so ask how they apply it to parrots.

The Animal Behavior Society says its certification shows that someone meets its minimum standards. It also states that certification is not a guarantee of competence. That's true of every credential here, which is why the questions below matter.

Questions to ask a parrot or bird trainer

AVSAB's guide to choosing a behavior professional lists six questions to ask. We've adapted four of them for bird owners:

• What is your philosophy on behavior problems and how to change them?
• How will you teach my bird new behaviors, and how do you handle unwanted ones?
• What credentials or certifications do you hold, and where can I verify them?
• Who do you refer to if a case is outside your expertise or isn't improving?

Add a few bird specific questions:

• Do you ask whether my bird has had a recent avian vet exam?
• What will you use as a reward for my bird, and how do you find out what it likes?
• What do you do when my bird bites or backs away during a session?
• Do you follow the PPG force free rules or the IAABC's LIMA approach?

A good trainer answers these plainly.

Warning signs to watch for

AVSAB lists several "stop signs" when choosing someone to help with behavior. The guide covers pets in general, so these apply to bird trainers too:

• They won't say what techniques they'll use.
• They guarantee they can fix any behavior problem.
• They focus on you being dominant or the "leader" over your animal.
• They use punitive or aversive methods.

AVSAB also notes that IAABC members follow a code of ethics, yet some may still use aversive techniques. Ask about methods directly, even when a trainer holds a credential.

How to use our directory

Our parrot and bird trainer listings come from public professional directories and trainers' own websites. Every listing shows where it came from, so you can check a credential at its source. You can also browse by state, such as Florida. If your bird is a hawk or owl, see our birds of prey listings instead.

Featured listings appear first and are always labeled as paid placement, and you can read how results are sorted. Contact details come with an Unlimited Access plan. Before you book, run through the questions above and confirm your bird has seen an avian vet if the problem is new.

If you're a bird trainer and find your listing, you can claim your profile for free.