Using strobe lights. Please Comment

[exile]

I thought that I would post this technique, and also ask if anyone else has done it, or heard of it.

My sponsor recommended that i get a strobe light, with a veritable speed control on it, turn the speed way down, and use it in a completely blacked out room. I was told to use it for hooding, and initial feeding from the fist. What my sponsor told me, is that the strobe kind of puts them in a trance like state, making it easier for you to handle and hood the bird.
I've used this method for both hood training, and my initial feeding, and either I lucked out, and got a bird that is accepting things rather easily, or it's been working for me.

I would say that at the very least, it works for hooding, or at least getting her used to being hooded. Because the first few times I tried in even low light, trying to hood was rather difficult. But go back into the strobe and it was once again easier to hood her.

This is my theory. With the strobe flashing at a slow rate of speed, it's like trying to watch a stop animation film, where you only a couple images a second. This does two things. 1, doesn't allow the time bird to focus on anything, while allowing you to see. and 2 doesn't allow the bird to see any motions, which I'm finding is a major part of her getting upset. Every thing is fine, as long as nothing is moving. And with the strobe, all you see is just a fraction, if any movement at all.
So with those two factors, the bird remains rather calm, just as if she were hooded, allowing you freedom to handle her, and move your hand about without irritating her.

thoughts, comments, experiences, questions. Please post them, I would really like feedback on this subject. Thank you!

[chrismt89]

very interesting ive never heard of that it makes sense though. cant wait to see what other think on this one

[myck]

very interesting ive never heard of that it makes sense though. cant wait to see what other think on this one

My thoughts exactly. I have heard of putting the bird in a pitch dark room and slowly raising the light level over time, but the strobe light thing is a new twist. Fascinating!

[borderhawk]

Steve Layman has been doing something similar for a long time. Except he uses (or at least used to use) one of those little flat LED keychain lights held in his mouth, manually turning it on and off with his teeth. Like you said, the hawk only sees things one frame at a time instead of actual motion, so what's actually going on doesn't click in their little raptor brains. They're evolved to focus on movement, like dogs focus on scent.

This is a cute little clip that gives you an idea of what it's like, it's a cat, but you'll get the idea:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=muLIPWjks_M

[Falcon Boy]

I've heard of the strobe method for quite a while but havn't read of many people actually doing it themselves. How does your bird do in regular light?

[exile]

When using the strobe, she just sat there for the most part, accept right about the time you actually make contact. but if you move slow, it worked fine. In the light, she pulls her head back and away, and keeps turning it other directions to keep it out of the hood.
Now, she could just be real accepting of the hood, but I think it helped her in getting used to being hooded, at the very least. I mean, no bird likes being hooded. But Isabeau does rather well I think, and I attribute that, at least in part, to training with the strobe. Did I just repeat myself??

[Migisi]

Caution: Strobe lighting can trigger seizures in people who suffer photosensitive epilepsy. If you're one, medical researchers recommend that the strobe not exceed 5 flashes per second.

[Ally]

Jun 11, 2009 17:40:31 GMT -5 serenity said:

also got the bird flying with the strobe on worked out great. Also flew my bird at night outside for a while before introducing it to light. By the time I introduced it to the light it was no big deal for my bird.

I would think flying a bird with a strobe light running would be very dangerous. Being that they can only see brief flashes and virtually no movement, this would mess with their depth perception and could be a danger of them missing the glove, hitting a wall, etc. I personally wouldn't do it. I would definitely be willing to try hooding with it though.

Also wouldn't fly a diurnal bird at night, either, for the same reasons.

[Ally]

Jun 25, 2009 15:32:56 GMT -5 serenity said:

my bird was fine and he never missed the glove or hit a window.

Just because it didn't happen doesn't mean it COULDN'T. My opinion is that it is too great a risk for me to personally try with my bird.

and its good to fly them at night you wear a thing called a headlamp on your head and the bird can see the glove and they fly perfectly. its a great tecnique to use. i was able to have my bird eating off the fist the first night.

I have had 2 birds eat off the fist and fly to me the first night, and one bird that took almost a week. That has more to do with the individual bird then the technique, methinks.
I've heard of people go spotlighting with diurnal birds. I voiced the opinion that I, personally, would not do it. To each their own, of course.

i trapped it i think the strobe is amazing and using operant conditioning helps out a lot.

Using operant conditioning is a whole other conversation and doesn't really correlate to strobe lights. Operant conditioning helps almost anything, really. It is a great method...absolutely, but a strobe light is more of a buffer or training tool, not operant conditioning.

[Migisi]

Jun 25, 2009 15:32:56 GMT -5 serenity said:

...i was able to have my bird eating off the fist the first night i trapped it ...

I don't know why some think it's so unusual or remarkable for a fresh-trapped hawk to eat on the fist their first day. If the hawk's hungry enough, it'll eat -- with or without a strobe light.

Ally... I agree with your opinion re spotlighting/flying diurnals in the dark. What's the point of it anyway?

Why is it "good to fly them at night", Serenity?

[gamble759]

this is an interesting technique for hooding. ive been lucky enough to have a bird that ate on the first night... flooding was really the technique i used..

[travis]

I have used a strobe light for hood training . It works great. I have used this method on three of five red tails I have trained and on one mail passage gos and one female coopers. I only use it for a couple of sessions then I try with dim lights. the bird defininatly seems calmer with the strobe light on. It is also kind of funny to see the birds expresion when the light comes on. some times they are so supprised to see you there. But I have a warped sence of humour.
Travis.
Travis

[onpel]

Hello guys. I'm opening this topic because I have saker falcon and I'm not able to hood him. My way is negative and positive reinforcing together so far. I get hood closer and when he looks into the hood I get it away and give a small amount of food. So far so good. But now I'm not able to put the hood on. With almost no pressure on his head, he leans back and falls down then baits and vocalizes. I don't want to go across the line. Saker falcons can be stubborn and they remember these things their whole life.

I can try strobe light but I'm wondering if it helps me to be a little bit calmer in daylight. What is your experience after initial success? Thank you very much.