RAPTOR TAXON ADVISORY GROUP
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Raptor Enrichment Ideas

Need some Enrichment inspiration? 
Easy paper balls.
PVC perch that a frozen water bottle can be inserted into for quick cooling!
Paper strips in a chain.
Stacking playing cards, separated with a bead.
Streamers or toilet paper for shredding.
Check out our Pintrest Enrichment Gallery and our Perching Gallery.
Online Resources

Online Resources

Raptor TAG Facebook Page
Follow us on Facebook! Every Saturday, we highlight enrichment or training under the hashtag #EnrichmentSaturday. 

Check out our page to search the hashtag and see lots of great photos and videos of people doing great things to enrich their raptors!
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Like the Facebook page by clicking below. 
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Foraging Enrichment Webinar
By: M. Scott Echols, DVM, DABVP (Avian Practice)
From: Lafeber Vet
Enrichment Scheduling and ASsessment

Enrichment Scheduling & Assessment

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Enrichment Scheduling from NRICH
Sample this enrichment calendar using five types of enrichment:
Environmental: changing or adding to the animal's habitat
Feeding: presenting food to an animal in different ways
Manipulation: providing items that can be manipulated by the animal
Puzzle: requiring an animal to solve simple problems to access food or other rewards
Sensory: stimulating animal's visual, olfactory, auditory, tactile, and taste senses
Social: providing the opportunity to interact with other animals, either conspecifics or interspecifics
Training: training animals with positive reinforcement or habituation

*We recommend printing it out and laminating it so it can be used with wet erase markers!*

Ethograms

From NRICH: "Is your enrichment effective? Ethograms are simple measuring tools to determine the efficacy of your enrichment. Ethograms can be modified to include species-specific behaviors that are known to be aggressive, play, social, reproductive, etc. Ethograms are great projects for volunteers and interns!"
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Ethograms from NRICH
Sample blank ethogram
​Author: NRICH
​

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Sample Avian Ethogram
Author: Lincoln Park Zoo
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Podcasts
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This Training Tidbits podcast interview with Margaret Rousser will help you find more time in your day for enrichment, training, and overall welfare. 
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Training Tidbits podcast interview with Hilda Tresz – Behavioural Enrichment and International Animal Welfare coordinator at Phoenix Zoo/Mentor for the Jane Goodall institute. 

Examples

The following are examples of enrichment that may be appropriate for birds, as well as an overview of safety issues that should be considered in the implementation of enrichment.
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Download a google doc of the full list below.
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Download this Browse List prepared by the AAZK Enrichment Committee and reviewed by the Association of Zoological Horticulture 
Exhibit enrichment
• Areas that promote free flight.
• Variety of perching sizes and locations (re-perching periodically can stimulate activity) and sunbathing
perches.
• Live plants.
• Plant trimmings for shade, screening and rain cover.
• Grass flats. (See: https://pin.it/pzw43shcgi2ze3)
• Water features: deep or shallow pools, running water, moats, sprinklers, etc.
• Variations in ground level (i.e., sentry mounds).
• Variety of substrates (shredded paper, pine shavings, pine straw).
• Sand, dirt, peat moss for dust baths.
• Nest boxes, logs, platforms, burrows (birds can “excavate” their own nest log if shavings or mulch are placed inside).
• Mud for nest building.
• Variety of feeding stations.

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• Areas for escape from aggressive conspecifics or other species in mixed exhibits.
• Live Christmas trees (untreated/unsprayed)
• Swinging/dynamic perches (very popular!)
• Perching wrapped with different textures (vet/medi wrap, sisal rope, astroturf, carpet)
• varying perch/branch sizes
• Other perching ideas, visit our Pinterest board: https://pin.it/q2mii4tojbpbct
• Wood wool in dry pool
• magazines for shredding
• register/receipt rolls tied down or fixed on outside of fence
• clumps of sod
• piles of leaves
• Rotting logs to “squish”
• novel substrates- much, sod, pea gravel, etc...

​
dietary enrichment
  • Live prey
    • Live insects (mealworms and crickets) in PVC, paper bags, or TP tube feeders. (See: https://pin.it/w27ww4ajrzerec)
    • Crickets in water bowl.
    • Fruit fly generator.
    • Dirt bath with mice or mealworms.
    • “Live” rocks (covered with barnacles, seaweed, mussels, limpets).
    • Minnows or crawdads in a water dish
    • Live fish, squid, lizards, etc.
  • Paper
    • Phone book with pages crumpled and diet stuffed inside (see: https://pin.it/44p3ulio36tv2r)
    • cover rat/fish with newspaper. Wrap part of diet in paper.
    • paper mache piñatas (made with flour and water) with diet
    • Paper bags with food in it. Scatter around or hang. Hang on outside (or top) of mesh/fence so they have to shred to get to it.
  • Cardboard
    • Egg carton with food in different sections. Can hide food in paper in each section. (leave top open or off) (see: https://pin.it/i54e6u3hvhaw2z)
    • Box with part of diet in it. Leave open, close partially, or close and cut holes in it for them to stick heads inside. (Bonus if you paint it like a carcass!)
    • Large tube with part of diet stuffed in it with paper.
    • TP tubes with diet (see: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/780530179141927201/; or https://www.pinterest.com/pin/780530179141771650/)
    • Forage cups: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/780530179141771921/  
  • Pinecones
    • Pinecones or sticks smeared with peanut butter or honey then rolled in seeds.
    • Pinecone with BOP meat. (See: https://pin.it/65pixjtfp5jras)
    • Large box with pine cones inside with diet in it or on pinecones.
Food Enrichment for Vultures
  • Items that encourage natural foraging behavior, that encourages them to stick heads inside of “carcasses” or use their feet to stand on/stabilize items while shredding
  • Items they have to tear open
  • Plants
    • Non toxic flowering browse.
    • Boughs from trees that are really branched with little meat pieces hidden in the branches!
  • Ice
    • Ice blocks with food frozen inside.
    • Ice cubes with food in it. Or crack an egg into each cell of an ice tray and freeze. (See: https://pin.it/vsajrw5z4of26o)
    • Large frozen fish head
  • PVC feeders
    • https://www.pinterest.com/pin/780530179142335754/
    • https://www.pinterest.com/pin/780530179141927255/
    • Kerplunk feeder: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/780530179141771644/
  • Puzzle feeders
    • https://www.pinterest.com/pin/780530179142335740/
    • https://pin.it/pmlto3rd5tfli2
    • https://pin.it/le2emzdxjhchym;
    • https://www.pinterest.com/pin/780530179142192321/
    • https://www.pinterest.com/pin/780530179142085592/
    • Firehose feeder: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/780530179141771635/
    • Muffin tray with balls in each section. Hide food under just a few.
    • Tire with sections cut out: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/780530179141771769/
    • Suet feeder with mice or a “meatball” in it.
    • Large boomer ball with diet on and around opening.
  • Novel feeding methods
    • Carcass feeding (whole or partial calves, deer, rabbits, goat, horse heads)
    • Kong Toy stuffed with diet, whole prey (rat, chick, etc)
    • Several feedings throughout day (unpredictable times, am and pm)
    • Scatter feeding- Place part of diet in different spots in mew (perches, floor, stumps).
    • Hide food under browse, or in holes drilled in stump or log.
    • Feed on the glove.
    • Tie food item to a pole: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/780530179141927250/
    • Floating forage bowls: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/780530179141771624/
    • Turf mat or spaghetti mat with diet underneath
  • Novel items
    • Rawhide or pigs ear. Remove after an hour.
    • Hard boiled eggs. Scrambled eggs.
    • Canned dog food
    • Knuckle bones
    • Rabbit pelt for shredding
novel enrichment/social enrichment
  • Plants
    • Non toxic flowers and browse.
  • Social enrichment
    • Behavioral training.
    • Group exhibit for colonial animals.
    • Mixed species exhibit.
  • Fruit/vegetables
    • Large item for shredding like lettuce or cabbage heads, zucchini, broccoli, melons, ears of corn with the husk, eggplant, pumpkins, day-old stale bread, phone books, newspaper, celery heads (offer these items alone or with diet stuffed in it)
    • Fruit kabobs.
    • Whole fruit or vegetables (especially while heads of lettuce or cabbage) stuffed with diet.
    • Corn on the cob.
    • Pumpkin (can hide food in carved out holes)
    • XL zucchini
    • Corn husks
    • Whole bananas for peeling
    • Broccoli heads
    • Dried corn stalks
  • Auditory enrichment
    • Wind chimes https://pin.it/m7fnfjqvywn5vd; https://pin.it/7awptxc654yodn
    • bells
    • Hang a bunch of spoons, other silverware, long cooking spoons, key chains together. They dangle and jingle just like keys! https://pin.it/53iojj4uuvagqj
    • Recorded vocalizations of same or similar species (equal size or smaller species).
  • Tactile
    • Scrub brush heads
    • AstroTurf
    • Dirt/dust bath (no food).
    • Novel stimuli
    • Man on the glove/Walk on zoo grounds.
    • Perch in new areas while cleaning exhibit/mew
  • Plants/browse
    • Pine cones wrapped in wool or plain.
    • Grapevine wreath (craft stores or dollar store)
  • Water
    • Larger pools
    • dripping water/water misters
    • floating ice cubes with or without food in a pool
    • Water play: wave machines, misters, running water, pools, etc.
    • PVC sprinkler https://pin.it/smic5ftvlm4dza
    • Float novel items in pool https://pin.it/ulxe5zkluw3v5v

  • Paper
    • shredded newspaper in shallow trays
    • Brown bags (no handles) empty or stuffed with newspaper, shredded paper, or other shredable items.
    • Paper braids (brown paper or paper towels) or chains (use TP tubes to make chains) https://pin.it/njk4g2oglpce6e
    • Paper pom poms
    • Paper streamers
    • Cardboard boxes stuffed with wool or sticks or leaf litter.
    • Hole punch paper plates and string up (avoiding tangle hazards)
    • coffee filters
    • Phone book (no food).
    • Paper bag with paper crumpled or shredded in it.
    • streamers
    • Cardboard boxes and egg cartons.
    • Piñatas stuffed with shredded paper https://pin.it/gdnd5zmuy6xtgf
  • Visual enrichment
    • Garden pinwheels
    • shatter-proof mirror or mirror on outside of fencing
    • Visual barriers
    • Dried palm fronds woven into fencing for barrier
    • TV
  • Toys
    • Whiffle balls, tennis balls.
    • Holee roller.
    • Small cat toys with bells
    • Bells/Chimes/Metal spoons
    • Stuffed animals (supervised)
    • Make a jingle ball (xs boomer ball with holes and washers inside)  
    • Thistle rope knot toys (supervised)
    • Long, knotted dog rope toy ropes (supervised)
    • squeaky toys, float in pool
    • Wooden toys.
    • Rubber toys.
  • Miscellaneous
    • Bubbles
    • wool
    • empty Gatorade bottles
    • Fur
    • snake sheds
    • sheets or blankets hung up outside enclosure (or inside enclosure with supervision)
    • Feathers.
    • Scent trails (“Black vultures, king vultures and condors must rely on vision alone to find carrion. Turkey vultures belong to a small group in the genus Cathartes—which includes two Central and South American species called the lesser and the greater yellow-headed vulture. All three of these birds find carrion through smell.” http://insider.si.edu/2017/12/scientists-in-awe-of-huge-olfactory-bulb-found-in-turkey-vulture-brain/)
    • Nesting material- sticks, branches

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Copyright © 2017
  • Home
  • Newsletter
  • Resources
    • Education >
      • Vulture Education
      • Year of the Bird
      • Raptors as Program Animals
    • Events
    • Issues >
      • Microtrash
      • Vulture Crisis >
        • Asian Vulture Crisis
        • African Vulture Crisis
      • Lead Poisoning
      • Rat poison
    • Position Statements
    • Training
    • Enrichment
    • Husbandry >
      • Husbandry Idea Gallery
      • Husbandry Products
      • TAG Manuals
  • raptors
    • Vultures >
      • African Vultures >
        • Cape Vulture SSP
        • Lappet-Faced Vulture SSP
        • Hooded Vulture SSP
        • Ruppell’s Griffon SSP
        • White-Backed Vulture SSP
      • Asian Vultures >
        • Eurasian Black Vulture SSP
      • New World Vultures >
        • Andean Condor SSP
        • California Condor SSP
        • King Vulture SSP
    • Eagles >
      • Steller's Sea Eagle SSP
      • Harpy Eagle (Candidate)
    • Falcons >
      • African Pygmy Falcon SSP
    • Hawks
    • Secretary Bird SSP
    • Owls >
      • Burrowing Owl SSP
      • Eurasian Eagle Owl SSP
      • Snowy Owl SSP
      • Spectacled Owl SSP
      • Verreaux's Eagle Owl SSP
  • Conservation
    • African vulture SAFE program
    • Egyptian Vultures in Oman
    • Bird Window Strikes
  • T-Shirt Store
  • About
    • Contact