IAABC 2011 Conference Speaker: Kashmir Csaky

Eric Goebelbecker on February 02, 2011

The IAABC Conference speaker interviews continue with Kashmir Csaky, our IAABC Parrot Division Chair.

The conference in less than two months!

Who are you? What do you do for a living?

My name is Kashmir Csaky. I am a parrot behavioral consultant and a breeder of Hyacinth Macaws. At one time, I bred other species of parrots. Now I just breed one species.

How did you get started in animal behavior?

I began breeding Scarlet Macaws 28 years ago. My first Scarlet was a male named Conan the Birdbarian. I knew little about parrots at the time, although I had been around them most of my life. Conan was ragged, feather picked and his color was a dull red. When frustrated, he acted and sounded like Donald Duck throwing a temper tantrum. I called him Conan because of his eating habits. He grabbed food with his foot, tossed his head back and threw food into his mouth. I told him, "You look like a barbarian. You act like a barbarian and you eat like one to. I'm calling you Conan." I fed Conan a healthy diet and within six months, he was in beautiful, vibrant plumage. His imitations of Donald Duck decreased. I quickly discovered that he was highly intelligent and sensitive.

Conan had a large and colorful vocabulary. It became clear to me that at one time in his life, someone dearly loved and cherished him and at another time, he suffered some abuse. I heard him throwing kisses and saying, "I love you. Give me a kiss. I love you too!" in a cheerful voice. On the dark side, he murmured, like someone talking through clenched teeth, "I'll kill you." or "I'll teach you." It was heart breaking. I immediately felt that I must do everything I could to prevent any of the parrots I bred, from ever suffering whatever torment Conan must have endured. I began by working with my own chicks and soon found myself helping other people with their parrots.

What do you enjoy the most about your work?

The parrots. Every individual is fascinating and different. Each one opens up a new world for me.

What do you enjoy the least about your work?

Seeing people who have tried very hard to better their situation over a lengthy period and have failed miserably. Yet, they still want to continue doing what has not been working for them.

What do you do when you are not working in animal behavior?

I paint and I dance.

What do you think is the most important thing people need to know about their companion animals?

Behaviors, regardless of whether they are wanted or unwanted, continue because they are being reinforced.

What do you think is the most important thing we should teach our companion animals?

Trust.

What is your favorite aspect of animal behavior conferences?

This will be only my second multiple species behavioral conference. At the last one, I enjoyed meeting and talking to people who work with different species and use many of the same techniques that I use. I noticed that people who work primarily with one species seem to have similar personality traits. I found that intriguing.

I enjoyed many things. I would say my favorite is that the learning never stops. It happens even when you are just socializing with colleagues.

What was the last conference you attended? What kind of presentation do you prefer (live animals present, power point, whatever?)

The last conference I attended was The American Federation of Aviculture. I will attend Parrot Festival in January.

I love animals so I naturally enjoy the presentations that have live animals. Sometimes they do not provide much information, yet they are the most entertaining and enjoyable. I like to go to presentations that are educational and still include a little humor. It makes the material easier to remember.

Tell us about your animals at home.

I have a house full of birds, Scarlet and Hyacinth Macaws. The Macaws are some of the largest and most colorful parrots. The Hyacinths are the largest of the Macaws and perhaps the most difficult to breed. They are specialized feeders and their diet is hard to manage. I spend a lot of money on macadamia nuts.

All my birds are flighted. Nothing is as thrilling as having a bird fly to you when called.

Gucci, one of my Hyacinths was on the O'Reilly Show. He is a fabulous dancer and they used his You Tube video on the show. That was before You Tube removed his music.

My house is filled with talking, singing and dancing.

What would you most like to convey to behavior consultants and trainers?

We are teachers and we teach people and animals cooperation and joy.

What would you most like to see in our work together?

We should be open to new ideas and methods.

What's the strangest consultation you've ever had (or the most challenging?)

Oh, no you would ask me this question. A young woman had a Cockatoo that she kept loose in her house. At night, her bird slept on the posts of her bed. One night she awoke to find her Cockatoo masturbating on her face. This happened repeatedly, some nights it happened more than once. Yet, she was unwilling to cage him at all.

Although, my initial reaction was shock and hysteria, the situation is a serious one. It could eventually lead to horrible bites to her face and she could accidentally injure or kill the bird.