By identifying ways to improve sensitivity to bird behavior and common pitfalls to avoid, I hope to challenge trainers to challenge themselves to bring sensitivity to bird behavior to its highest level. The trainer can then adjust his or her own behavior to create a situation in which the bird can be as comfortable as possible, thus facilitating the bird performing the behavior the trainer is requesting. Ultimately, a trainer's success in requesting a bird to perform a behavior can depend on this. Good sensitivity allows the trainer to make a better choice as to what the trainer needs to do in order to facilitate the bird performing the behavior. This can lead to faster response and quicker learning by the bird.
Good sensitivity can also lead to a better relationship between the bird and the trainer.
If the trainer learns to understand behavior that communicates a bird is not comfortable with what the trainer is requesting, the trainer can learn to respond by not forcing the bird beyond it's comfort level. This can allow the bird to have more positive experiences with that trainer and little or no negative experiences and, in turn, potentially be more likely to perform behaviors for that trainer. In addition, the bird may be more likely to fly back to that trainer in the event the bird flys off. The significance of this can be great. One scenario I witnessed involved a macaw sitting in a tree that would not fly to a trainer that handles it everyday.