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Seeing Is Believing
By: Rena Fox
Birds of a Feather Avicultural Society
I admit I was skeptical. I had
recently volunteered to co-chair a special event committee for a local bird club
that I belong to. I searched the web and other clubs’ events and found
someone calling himself a “Bird Whisperer”. My first thought was “ya
sure”, but that inner voice was telling me that Ken Globus was who to have at
our event. How could anyone resist coming to see a man that could
tame birds in a matter of minutes? Many of us have a bird or
two that we have serious issues with, and this was a subject many would have in
common. I know that there are birds in shelters that few people, if any,
interact with, could this perhaps help them?
Still I continued to worry that none would show up and if this “Bird Whisperer”
guy was really for real.
My fears and worries were
ungrounded. The free demonstration was packed and the workshops were
booked. There was a minor miracle or two at the Manchester, NH Holiday
Inn-Center of New Hampshire on Sunday, April 13, 2003. One woman had a
bird she had not been able to touch for more than 2 years, an Australian Crimson
Wing. That bird left the workshop that day on her hand. She
had tears of joy in her eyes, I think we all had tears in our eyes. I
witnessed several birds become more handle-able that day: a Blue and Gold Macaw,
a Cockatiel, 2 Budgies, a Goffins cockatoo, an African Grey, several Amazons,
and the Crimson Wing. Feedback from those attending was overwhelmingly
positive.
Ken’s approach is a bit unorthodox,
but neither magic nor inhumane. He does not intimidate the birds
with banging, hitting, loud noise, throwing them on the floor, yelling at them,
or hurting them. It is Ken that gets hurt; anyone in attendance that day
will attest to the amount of blood he shed. Ken LETS the bird bite him,
showing the bird that this is not going to scare him away and that he is not
going to hurt the bird. His method is basically one of confronting the
bird with its fears, along with some tried and true handling techniques; once
the bird realizes their fears are groundless they quickly become friendlier and
easier to handle. Some birds were more difficult than others and the
results were not all as dramatic, but all the birds in attendance that day made
progress. Ken approaches each bird with a sense of calm, understanding and
love. The birds that he works with are all better for having met him, as
are the people who own them. He brings many years of experience with him
and an understanding of the animals we all so dearly love. I hope I
get the chance to meet him again and I am hoping the club will allow me to have
him back.
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