A Certified Professional Bird Trainer shall:
 

  • Strive to achieve high standards of training, animal care and educational programming through knowledge and training.
     
  • Follow a hierarchy of behavioral procedures in training with a goal of using the least intrusive, most positive methods to influence behavior before considering the use of aversives.
     
  • Make the physical and mental well-being of each animal the primary consideration in management, training and presentation.
     
  • Provide professional and humane care for the animals in their care, respecting the wild nature and maintaining the dignity of each animal in life and in death.
     
  • Abide by local, state, provincial, and federal laws concerning avian training and associated activities.
     
  • Legally acquire animals and include proper documentation.
     
  • Only transfer animals to legal and reputable facilities.
     
  • Establish safe work habits and conditions, abiding by current health and safety practices at all times.
     
  • Encourage community support and involvement through public education. The common goal is to promote a responsible concern for living beings and the welfare of the environment.
     
  • Work on the basis of sound ecological principles, incorporating appropriate conservation ethics and an attitude of stewardship.
     
  • Acknowledge limitations and enlist the assistance of a veterinarian or other trained professionals when appropriate.
     
  • Respect other trainers and persons in related fields, sharing skills and knowledge in the spirit of cooperation for the welfare of the animals.
     
  • Respect the intellectual property and copyrights of other individuals and entities.
     
  • Conduct all business and activities in a professional manner with honesty, integrity, compassion, and commitment; realizing that an individual’s conduct reflects on the entire field of avian training and environmental education.
     
The IATCB code of Professional Ethics was adapted, with permission, from the International Association of Avian Trainers and Educators Code of Professional Ethics.