My official title is Curator of Bird Training at Avian Behavior International. I’ve been working with raptors since 2011.

When I was little, I wanted to be a paleontologist just like Dr. Alan Grant in Jurassic Park. Once I was older, I began volunteering and interning with different facilities to get experience with all types of animals. Mammals, reptiles, songbirds, etc. I found my love for birds of prey very quickly and pursued a career working with raptors. When I began working with raptors, it was all wildlife rehabilitation. It wasn’t until later that I found a passion for animal behavior and training. So my career was quite unexpected! In the end, I do work with dinosaurs just like I wanted to as a child.

My favorite part of my job is working with a team of people who share my goals, visions, and ideals. I am so thankful to work with such an amazing and supportive team. My least favorite part of my job is when animals pass away. Birds can be extremely sensitive, and many species don’t live long. It’s always hard to say goodbye to an animal you love.

My primary responsibilities include preparing diets, weighing birds, training, and working on courses for the website with my team.

In a typical day, there is always lots of cleaning and food prep to do. Some days we work on training new behaviors, other days we are booked with guest experiences, so it changes a lot. A big part of the job is writing and filming courses for the website and helping website members with their training questions. Creating new content is a lot of fun!

With birds, anything that can go wrong will go wrong. Staying on top of potential problems before they arise is key. This means constantly observing bird behavior, ensuring enclosures are all safe and kept up with maintenance, preparing for inclement weather, and more. When free flying birds, almost anything can happen. The bird could fly miles away, fight with wild birds, anything. I think one of the most important skills to have when flying birds is the ability to act quickly and make on the spot decisions.

Animal training has a huge role in many fields, including both education and conservation of wildlife. By utilizing the safest and most effective training techniques, facilities can care for their animals with much less stress. From shifting animals in a zoo from one area to another to voluntary medical procedures to educational programs that help show people why our wildlife is important, training has so many uses and benefits. This is a big reason we have the Avian Behavior Lab website, to help other bird trainers improve their skills and give the birds the best life possible. There are many other career paths within the field though such as wildlife rehabilitation, field studies, education program presenters, zookeepers, and more.

Working with animals can mean that you don't often get holidays off, and work schedules can be less flexible. Animals don't take days off, so they will always need to be cared for. It can be challenging at times to travel or be offsite for days at a time. I think it is important to try to find a balance between work and a personal life, but often that is a blurred line for me. There will be plenty of times you have to work early, stay late, or help in emergency situations.

There are so many rewarding careers in the animal field. I highly recommend getting hands on experience at different facilities through volunteering or interning to see what you like best. Some related fields include field research, veterinary care, rehabilitation, zookeeping, propagation, and speaking educational programs to the public. Each role is important, but they are all very different lines of work! While one person may love the medical aspect of animal care, another person may have a passion for speaking to the public.

While I knew I wanted to work with animals as a child, I didn't have a concrete plan of what I wanted to be. After getting hands on experience with many types of wildlife, I knew right away I had a love for raptors. I got a job with the World Bird Sanctuary after I graduated from college and completed an internship there, and I began by speaking educational programs with free flight birds. From there I really took an interest in improving my training techniques, and eventually I was promoted to oversee all bird training. I think most people get into the field through volunteering and internships, and many get hired that way too! Entry level jobs often require a lot of cleaning and food prep, but no matter how high up the ladder you go, if you work with animals cleaning will always be part of the job. I don't think there will ever come a day when I am not preparing meat diets or cleaning up bird poop. And that's ok with me!

Many facilities give preference to a biology or related degree, but it isn't always a requirement. I know some amazing trainers who have no degree or even an unrelated degree such as business. It will definitely give you an edge over the competition though. My degree is Wildlife and Fisheries Science. I definitely learned a lot, especially about wildlife conservation and management, with my degree, but the animal training skills I have learned were all learned on my own. I try to continue learning throughout my life as best I can. I don't only value knowledge that comes from a degree.

To succeed in this field, the most important thing to me is having an open mind to learn. There will always be new and improved methods each year, no matter your exact field. Thinking you already know everything is a dangerous path. It is also important to be patient, perseverant, and observant to detail.

From an animal standpoint, my favorite part of my job is flying falcons. But even more important than that to me is working with an amazing team of people who believe in me, and I in them. You can have the best job in the world but be miserable with a team of people that just don't work well with you. I am beyond thankful for my coworkers and their vision for the future. The highlight of my career so far was the first time I caught game with my first falconry bird. While falconry is not part of my actual job, the training that goes into it and the lessons it has taught me are invaluable to my professional life. I had always wanted to be a falconer, and I will never forget my first successful hunt with my red-tailed hawk.

I definitely never expected to be a bird trainer, but I can't imagine doing anything else now that I am! When I started working with raptors, I only did wildlife rehabilitation. Administering treatments and medications, tube feeding sick patients, etc. It was by chance that I was hired as a program speaker with free flying birds that I found an interest in training and behavior. It was simply the position available at the facility I was interested in. I always say to myself, all of the hardships, tough times, and struggles shaped me into the exact person I am in this moment. It was all necessary to be who I am today. I wouldn't trade my life experiences for anything, even though there have been some difficult times. Without the tough times, we would all be very different people.

My biggest advice is simply to get hands on experience to see if you enjoy the work. So many people think they want to work with animals, and then they are disappointed to find out that it is a lot of food prep and cleaning. It's not just playing with birds all day. Getting hands on experience will help you decide if this line of work is for you.

A lot of facilities will hire from within their group of interns and volunteers. In fact, I was hired twice after being an intern at different facilities. Hiring staff are given the benefit of seeing how you work in person, and they will value good work efforts in potential hiring situations. I also recommend joining organizations related to your field. For example, if you want to work in wildlife rehabilitation, join the NWRA and attend some conferences. If you want to be a falconer, become a member of NAFA or join your state falconry club. These types of memberships will help you to make connections with others in your field and gain experience as well. The Avian Behavior Lab is a great resource for bird trainers to learn, make connections, and share their training with others too!

Salary really depends on where you live and what your position is. Entry level positions in the animal care field are not often high paying and may even be at or near minimum wage at times. I always tell people that we aren't in it for the money. I certainly wouldn't expect to be making 6 figures working with birds. But there are opportunities to make decent money depending on your position and the facility you work for. Especially if you are promoted later.

One of the things I have learned this past year is to take a chance. If your dream seems difficult to reach or impossible, just give it your best try and see what happens. I recently left everything behind in my life to move across the country and start over new. A new state, new job, new friends...it was scary and difficult. But I am so glad I took a leap of faith and gave everything a shot. Life is too short to stay where you're comfortable and never take chances. I say, go for your dreams!