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Page Two:
Training Scrapbook
| Bob
Jeffries, Wendy's future husband, delivered a
performing bird show to another park in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He was checking out the competition
when they met. Wendy still remembers the
surprised look on his face when he, a PHD in
Behavioral Psychology, realized she had never heard of
Operant Conditioning. He asked, "But how
did you train all those animals?" She
replied, "I blow the whistle and throw the fish.
You mean there is more?" |
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She was soon to
learn there was a scientific body of knowledge that
could teach her
(and YOU) to be a better trainer. |
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| Wendy's
next move was to California...
Bob
Jeffries convinced Wendy to move to
California to train birds instead of
marine mammals. She actually
got to stay dry! Lila came along
and helped hand-feed and look after
baby macaws and cockatoos. |
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Lila,
the boxer, looks on with interest at a
baby parrot.
Her special job was cleaning-up the
messy baby food mash following the
baby's dinner! (click photo to
see full-size image)
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1980:
Parrot Mountain
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| The
Jeffries built Parrot Mountain, Inc.
in the mountains of San Diego county.
There they raised a variety of birds.
Many performers picked a mate and
started a new career producing
offspring. When the company had
multiple shows going, occasionally
Wendy had to take a breeder out
for a road trip. They were
incredibly aggressive in their
breeding aviaries, but as soon as they
were away from their nest boxes they
eagerly performed trained behaviors
they hadn't practiced in years.
Birds don't forget! |
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When
she began to train birds with her
husband, Wendy's
ability and success in the training of all animals was
apparent.
The Jeffries team at Parrot Mountain supplied many
performing birds to various theme parks and zoos in
this country and abroad.
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| Wendy
applied her training skills to
teaching birds who performed in shows
around the world. Pictured right
is Sonya, a Greater
Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo, who became a
bike-riding pro.
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One
of Wendy's jobs was coaching
Gary Burghoff, best known as
Radar in the M.A.S.H. TV
series. He needed to
learn how to deal with
the macaw who was his partner
in a series of TV commercials.
Gary was a little concerned
about that BIG beak and didn't
believe the birds were
potty-trained. |
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