Get That Parrot Playing!

Get That Parrot Playing!
A Phoenix Landing Presentation
By
Laura Ford

“Play” is a group of activities
that our Companion Parrots
do in our homes that replace
the natural activities that
would occupy the day of wild
parrots. These activities are
not frivolous, optional
things, but are critical to the
mental, emotional and even
physical health of our
companion parrots.
What Is Play?

Life of Parrots in the Wild
Search for Food & Water
Evading Predators
Bathing and Preening
Social Interaction with
the Flock
Choosing a Mate
Finding nesting sites
Raising Chicks
Flying, Flying, Flying

Certainly we do not want to recreate for our companion parrots all of
the activities of wild parrots, such as the need to evade predators, or
mating, nesting & raising chicks.
What we do want to
encourage are the
natural activities that are
often called play;
preening, snuggling or
battling toys, exploring,
manipulating, chewing,
foraging,
socializing with the flock
(avian & human).
Why is Play Important?

Play require parrots to be
active, to use their bodies and
their minds, which helps keep
parrots physically and
intellectually healthy.
Physical and mental activity
stimulate the release of
endorphins, which help keep
parrots happy.

Temple Grandin, Ph.D.
Animals Make Us Human…Creating the Best Life for Animals
“A good life requires 3 things, Health, Freedom
from pain and negative emotions, Lots of
activities that turn on PLAY and SEEKING”
Dr. Grandin explains how Seeking is a core emotion for animals (and
people) and defines it as the basic impulse to search, investigate, and
make sense of the environment.

Although, through this presentation we are using the word “play”, in my
home, we call these activities “work”, it is our parrots’ job chew-up /
interact with their “toys”.
Toy are really the tools for a parrot to do their job. It is our responsibility to
provide our parrots the tools and the skills they need to do their jobs.
The Job of Play

Play Styles
A Practical Parrot Guide Parrot-Toys & Play Areas:
How to Put Some Fun Into your Parrot’s Life
by Carol S. D’Arezzo and Lauren Shannon-Nunn
High Energy
Parrots that are always on the move
May or may not be serious chewers
Tend to be rambunctious and sometimes mischievous
They like to do battle with their toys

Play Styles
Low energy
These are the parrots
that are perch potatoes
Peaceful and sedate
Tend to be more detail-oriented
Some are heavy chewers, many are not
Prefer to have toys within easy reach, and
may not go out of their way to
reach a distant toy
They often prefer toys to preen and weave,
puzzles that require
concentration, softer destructible toys
and toys with multiple textures

Play Styles
Manipulators
Parrots that loves to take things apart
Disassemble their toys, their cages and
gyms
Accomplished escape artists
Satisfaction from unscrewing the quick
link that holds up a toy and
watching the toy fall to the
bottom of the cage with a satisfying
crash

Play Styles
Buzz Saws
Parrots that need wood and plenty of it
Beak-oriented and need a constant supply
of things to chew
Will often destroy their perches
Destructive nature can be challenging
Larger buzz saws enjoy the challenge of
hard wood toys

Play Styles
Weavers
Artistic types
Can spend hours weaving things in and out of plastic chain links or through cage
bars
They like to stuff things into tiny holes in other toys
Strands of sea grass, palm fronds, raffia, ribbon, leather or jute provide endless fun
for weaving and preening

Play Styles
Gatherers
This type of parrot likes to collect
things like: Bits of toys,
foot toys, food
Some pile up their collection and
some hide their treasures inside
other things in their cage

Play Styles
Acrobats
These are the clowns of
parrots
Enjoy hanging by a toenail
than standing on two feet
Like lying on their backs or even standing on their
heads
Swings, hanging rope or
chain, and
bungees/boings
are favorites
for these guys

Play Styles
Hide and Seekers
Parrot that peers out at you
from their secret spot
Like their own private hideaway
like huts and tubes

Play Styles
Companions
Parrots that substitute toys for a
cage-mate rather than something
to chew up/destroy
Rarely destroy their toys, but
snuggles next to them

Toy Categories
Destructible toys provide your parrot with:
An outlet to express the natural urge to
chew
Encourages and teaches your parrot to
chew on acceptable items, saves
household items
Destructible toys can be:
Wooden, Shreddable, Plastic, Baskets, P
aper, or Cardboard

Toy Categories
Comfort toys provide your parrot with:
A sense of security
A safe place to hide and sleep
Comfort toys can be:
Tents, Rings, Swings
Comfort toys can be soft, furry pieces of
material that your parrots can cuddle
and preen

Toy Categories
If your parrot likes to undo
locks and escape from it’s
cage, you should try some
Interactive toys
Stainless steel nuts and bolts are great and simple
Manipulative toys
A lot of interactive toys for human babies/small
children have sound – parrots love sound
These could be any baby type toys
Different type parrot safe puzzles

Toy Categories
Foraging means to search for some
desirable item, usually for food.
There are many commercially made
foraging toys available to buy.
When making your own foraging
toys, incorporate food items, such as
pasta, ice cream cones, or rounds of melba
toast, dehydrated fruits or vegetables, and
bird muffins, as toy parts.
Or include containers, such as
cups, bowls, baskets or buckets in the
construction of the toy, which treats can

Toy Categories
A Foot Toy is any toy or toy part that can
be picked up and held in the foot.
Many toys will fall into more than one
category.

Safety Considerations
No toy is 100% safe!
Some birds may ingest wood or plastic or fabric
Some birds like to wrap toys around their necks, make sure any ropes
or chains are short enough they can not strangle themselves.
Check to make sure there are no parts that your bird could become
entangled in, chains or rings that are either too small for a
foot or head, or well large enough to not get stuck in.
Trim any frayed strings that could get wrapped around a toe.
Make sure quick links are closed.

Location Matters
Some toys are not safe to leave your bird
alone with, but are fine when you are close
by and can supervise.
Safety Considerations

Why Make Your Own Toys?
Commercially available
toys that are affordable
are usually very low
quality, and good toys tend
to be expensive.
When you make your own
toys, you can make safe
high quality toys at a
reasonable price. This
saves money, which means
you can make more
toys, for your birds, to give
to friends’ birds, or donate
to parrot rescue groups.

You can customize toys for your bird. Start
with materials they already like and add new
varieties of material, texture, color and
shape. Pairing familiar material with novel
ones allows even birds who are fearful of
new things to slowly learn to enjoy exploring
new items.

Allowing your bird to watch you
while you build a toy for
them, watch you handle and play
with the parts so they see that
there is no danger, watch you
threading, tying, constructing parts
may peek their curiosity and
encourage them to try and
deconstruct the toy, or at least
touch it, which is a good start.

Getting Started Making Toys
To start you really only need to be able to use
scissors, tweezers, thread things on rope, and tie knots. As
you gain more confidence you will probably want to learn to
use power tools, like saws and drills. If you ask around you will
probably find
someone, spouse, sibling, parent, friend, neighbor, or co-
worker who has some tool experience and would be willing to
help, or if not, most larger stores that sell tools will have
someone on staff to show you how to use them, and may
even have classes you can take.
Choose a small box to keep all your toys
making tools together.
Start with scissors, needle nose pliers
and/or tweezers.
Add wire cutters, blunt pliers, leather
punch, hand held drill or Drimmel

Creativity Can Be Borrowed!
I have taken much inspiration over
the years from Kris Porter and her
Parrot Enrichment website, free
books, and now blog and facebook
page.
Share toy making ideas with friends
Join online groups such as
The Parrot’s Workshop

Creativity Can Be Borrowed!
When I see a cool toy at an event or on a website, I will often buy
one and use it as a template, to see how it’s constructed, for
making something similar myself. (As I am not selling these toys or trying to pass
them off as originals, I don’t think I’m in violation of any copyrights laws.)
The more toys you make, the more you will find yourself thinking of
substitute parts, how to recombine elements, until you are coming
up with your own unique ideas.

Rebuilding Toys
Quite often a parrot will become bored with a toy long before it has been
completely destroyed.
Even more importantly, a toy may become dangerous as parts have been
chewed away, leaving ropes or chains that can be an entanglement hazard.
When this happens, remove the toy from the cage. Remove and discard
any dangerous parts, discard or clean any soiled parts.
Remaining parts can be used for re building or building a new toy.

Make Multiples
Henry Ford taught the world that the key to productivity is an assembly
line. This is as true for bird toys as it is for cars. When I make toy I rarely
make just one of anything. I usually make between 6 to 20 of a given toy at
a time, depending on the quantity of materials I have on hand. Repeating
each step with each toy, one at a time, so all toys are at the same stage at
any given time. This way the movements become more automatic, with
less thought and concentration required, so it goes pretty fast.

Make Multiples
For those birds who find comfort in the familiar, this can be very helpful if
you have made multiples of a toy (which will all have minor differences, which we may not
see, but the bird will) it will be easy for you to replace them when needed, and
this teaches your bird to be comfortable minor variances.

Multi Textural Toys
If you are unsure of what kind of materials your bird may prefer, try making some
multi- textural toys.
You can combine a variety of ropes & leather, different types of woods, wicker, papers
or other types of shreddables, plastics, beads, metal, and fabric. And watch what your
bird chooses to interact with first.
These are great toys for teaching your parrot to interact with new materials
too, mixing new items with things you already know are your bird’s favorites.

Just Add Food
Adding food and foraging into toys is one of the simplest
ways to get your bird to engage with a toy. Allow your bird
to watch your place favorite treats into a toy.

Introducing Toys
Some parrots may need to watch a toy for a while to be sure its safe before
interacting with it. For those birds place new toys across the room from their
cage, gradually moving it closer as the bird becomes comfortable, then hang on
the outside of the cage, before moving it into the cage.
I have a friend who has built a toy display/storage
rack in their bird room, where new toys are kept
within sight until needed.

Training to Play
(The Power of Positive Reinforcement)
Positive Reinforcement Training, sometimes also known as Clicker
Training, can be used to teach any behavior, including Play.
“Shaping” is a series of small behavior changes. Start with rewarding a
parrot for looking at a toy, leaning toward a toy, moving toward a toy,
touching a toy, and finally playing with a toy.
“Targeting” can also used, have the bird touch the end of a target for a
reward, and follow the target to the toy and touch and play with the
toy.

Training AS Play
The act of training itself can become play. It gives you and your bird the opportunity to have
positive social interactions and build a healthy relationship. Anyone who has ever trained even
the simplest behavior to a bird will tell you the joy and excitement that a bird displays once a
task is mastered.
“It gives all the control to the bird. They get to choose what they want to do. We don’t force
anything. We don’t insist on anything. It is all up to the bird. It is totally his choice whether or
not he does a behavior. He discovers he controls you, the very dependable click and treat
machine. The realization that he is in control of all good things that flow gives a bird confidence.
Shy birds get bolder and try new ways to make the click and treat happen. It becomes a game
the bird really enjoys and you are his partner in training. I never tame a bird, I just teach him
Stupid Parlor Tricks and very shortly he is tame.” Message posted on Bird-Click Yahoo group, Wendy Jeffries.

Resources
Download the activity books at:
http://parrotenrichment.com
Previous Phoenix Landing Classes:
Clicker Training for Parrots Workshop, by Melanie Phung
http://bestinflock.wordpress.com/2011/11/17/clicker-training-for-birds-workshop/
Toy Making Made Easy, by Laura Ford
http://abirdsbestlife.wordpress.com/2012/12/21/toy-making-made-easy-a-phoenix-
landing-class/
Fun With Foraging, by Laura Ford
http://abirdsbestlife.wordpress.com/2013/02/11/fun-with-foraging/
Toy Making Directions:
http://abirdsbestlife.wordpress.com/2012/05/30/peat-pot-foraging-shreddding-toy/
http://abirdsbestlife.wordpress.com/2012/07/29/whats-in-the-box/
http://abirdsbestlife.wordpress.com/2011/10/08/judys-halloween-toy/
http://abirdsbestlife.wordpress.com/2012/04/04/baskets-for-easter-and-beyond/
http://abirdsbestlife.wordpress.com/2011/12/20/a-christmas-tree-for-the-birds-parrots-that-is/
http://abirdsbestlife.wordpress.com/2012/05/14/some-thoughts-from-the-workshop/
About Training, Foraging & Playing:
http://larajoseph.wordpress.com/2011/05/18/that-is-music-to-my-ears/

Resources
Parrot Enrichment Vol. 1 & 2 by Kris Porter http://parrotenrichment.com
Parrot Enrichment Blog http://parrotenrichment.com/blog/
Parrot Enrichment FaceBook page http://www.facebook.com/parrotenrichment
The Parrot’s Workshop FaceBook group
http://www.facebook.com/groups/TheParrotsWorkshop/
Yahoo Group BirdClick
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/Bird-Click/?yguid=295463844
Training Classes:
Phoenix Landing’s intensive training workshop http://www.phoenixlanding.org/stepup.html
Susan Friedman’s Living & Learning With Parrots online course
http://behaviorworks.org/htm/comp_professional_overview.html
Books:
A Practical Parrot Guide Parrot-Toys & Play Areas: How to Put Some Fun Into your Parrot’s
Life , by Carol S. D’Arezzo and Lauren Shannon-Nunn
Animals Make Us Human…Creating the Best Life for Animals, by Temple Grandin, Ph.D.
Getting Started Clicker Training for Birds, by Melinda Johnson
Don’t Shoot the Dog, and Reaching The Animal Mind, by Karen Pryor

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