There is no denying that we absolutely adore our Birds, we want to baby them, love & spoil them to ensure that their days are full of magic & wonder. But what if being treated like an eternal baby who can’t choose actually makes them anxious? This is something that ends up happening more than we think. In this article, we will cover ‘presuming competence’ & why it is so important for our Birds.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
This is a very important question for us to ask when it comes to our Birds. What can they genuinely not do? The answer for each Bird will differ, but we know about all domestic Birds that they are not wild. They, for example, don’t have the immune system, advanced foraging skills, stamina & survival skills to be released into the wild & survive. That is a real & valid situation that they can’t cope in. We do need to remember that their wild ancestors had a large amount of autonomy, this is something that our pet Birds also need. Before we do anything for our Bird, we need to think about weather it’s something they could actually do for themselves with some encouragement &/or accommodations.
CAN YOU CHOOSE?
Autonomy is all about choice. When we presume competence & introduce more autonomy, it is very important that we introduce as many choices into their day as possible. There are some things that we have to choose for them, like nutritious food & weather something is safe or dangerous for them, but there are plenty of choices we can provide. I try to give the flock plenty of chances to choose during the day, but each choosing session only has 2 options so as not to overwhelm them with too many options.
Sample choices- Offer 2 healthy treats (even 2 pieces of the same food) & ask “which one would you like?”, give them a choice of 2 songs to hear, allow them to choose weather to be in their cage or out for a play (don’t force it), give choices of 2 activities etc.
Although most choices are very simple, it is incredible to see just how much it can influence confidence, happiness & self expression. Each little choice is an opportunity, both for them to feel heard & valued & for them to have some control over their life. We often view control as a negative word with close connection to bad behavior, but that isn’t what control really means. Just think for a moment about the control you have in your life every day, from when you eat & where you go to how you spend your free time, these are choices that are stripped from most pet Birds.
They can’t just decide to go & visit their own kind, sit in the sunshine, exercise, have a bath, eat their favorite fruit, have some quiet time, when to go to sleep etc. They rely entirely on humans, who heavily control & micro- manage their day, rarely stopping to see weather their Bird actually wants what they are doing at all. This can lead Birds to feel incredibly frustrated, anxious & sometimes angry. Who can blame them? Imagine spending one day with no autonomy & a voice that isn’t heard. Giving healthy, reasonable choices to our Birds tells them that we not only recognize that they have their own feelings, but that we want to hear them too. Even Birds who can’t speak are quite able to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ with their body language!
WHAT IS ‘PRESUMING COMPETENCE?
Presuming competence is believing in the high level of intelligence, understanding & motivation of every single Bird, from Finch to Macaw. It is about believing in their enormous potential to shine. For example, most people think that Parrots just mimic, presuming competence is believing that they fully understand every word both they & the people around them say (because they do!) its about treating them with dignity & respect, honoring their intelligence instead of saying a single word in their face over & over again. It’s also about treating tiny Birds with the exact same importance as big Parrots, not believing that they are less intelligent or worthy because they don’t talk or scream.
I have found that the Birds in our care have the capacity to achieve & shine that we think they do. So, if a Bird lives in a home who views him as stupid, a simple mimic who can’t make their own choices & who isn’t intelligent enough to have opinions or flourish- that is what they will be. Their potential erodes when nobody can see it.
WHY DOES IT MATTER?
I think the best way to answer this is with a true story. Twister is a Budgie who hatched with no hip joints, meaning that her legs are slightly wobbly. She hatched with people who hated her for who she was, they said in front of her how useless she was & how she was less than enough. Twister laid on the floor & didn’t move, she was just able to lift her head enough to take small amounts of food & water from floor bowls. She believed she was nothing, because that’s all she was ever told….. then she came to me!
Twister looked up at me with a shaky head, no shine in the deep wells of her eyes. I laughed, not to be cruel, but because I believed in her & said this- “I don’t feel sorry for you! Look at yourself, you’re amazing! I’m not sad for you, you know why? Because you are going to go up there (on the perches & swings above her in the cage) & you are going to shine!” I kept saying things like this every time I saw her believing she was nothing. Twister started to shuffle around the floor instead of just lay there… then she started standing for short moments….. then she started to climb, then perch, then swing & play. She now runs everywhere & bounces her head with playful delight all day. She sings & sings & sings, Twister believed that her life was over because that’s what she was told.
Never for one moment forget the importance of presuming they can.