Articles.
Attachment Theory
I spend time each day with our pigeons observing and interacting with them. Emlen, in his article from the University of Wisconsin (1948), The Importance of Bird Behavior, says that “birds provide some of the finest illustrative material that can be found in studies of animal behavior under natural conditions.” I too enjoy my observations, learning more about the gentle pigeons that enjoy flying and the love of home. Birds.com (May, 2010) asks the question “Why study birds?” and goes on to answer with “Birds open the way to further nature and scientific studies…” Not that my studies are “scientific”, but they are based on information coming from my background in communication, knowing that communication also takes place in behavior, not always in words. I find that many of the relationship concepts I teach, apply to the pigeons. One of the concepts that apply to the pigeons, key to relationship development, is called the Attachment Theory. I’ll give a short explanation of the attachment theory, and some behaviors I’ve observed, so that you may agree that a link can be made between pigeon behavior and the Attachment Theory.
The Attachment Theory was originally developed by Bowlby (1969) to see how children who had been separated from their parents during World War II developed relationships to others based on the care they received from their primary caregiver as infants. Bowlby’s research revealed some interesting facts. He found that infants experienced three emotions with their caregiver. One, proximity seeking, meaning they had an innate tendency to be near their caregiver, the person who would take care of them and give them nourishment. Two, separation protest, meaning when taken from the caregiver they became distressed, and cried or screamed to be given back to the caregiver. Once, back with the caregiver, they quickly calmed down. And three, safe haven, which means they naturally seek out a place where they feel safe and protected. The idea behind the attachment theory is that as children mature, their attachment changes from the caregiver to their new romantic or friendship partners.
Applying the first term, proximity seeking, to the pigeons, I found that babies want to be close to their parents. Parents stay close to their young, first sitting directly on them to give them warmth and protection, and then sitting next to them as they get larger. If a parent sat outside the nest bowl, the baby would sometimes get out of the nest bowl and sit next to its parent. Sometimes, if a second nest bowl has been placed in the nest box, and a second set of eggs are laid, the babies will move over to the new nest bowl and sit on the eggs too, just to be close to their parent.
The second term, separation protest, is also evident with the pigeon babies. If a baby is picked up, they will squeak in protest for being taken away from their parent. Even if the time is short, to say, put on a band, they do not stop protesting until they are back in the nest bowl or nest box with their parent. They quickly calm down once back with their parent.
The third term, safe haven, is also noticeable with the babies. They like being with their parents because they know they are protected. One or both parents are either always with them, or if not, they are close by to listen for sounds of protest coming from their babies only to quickly return to protect them. Ask a mother, if more than one baby is crying, she can tell which one is hers and will quickly go to her baby to see that they are alright. So too, the pigeons do the same thing. The baby knows they are being protected and it gives them a sense of security.
Using these three emotional terms, Bowlby was able to develop three categories of attachment based on the interactions between caregiver and infants. The categories are: secure base, anxious style and avoidant style. The term, secure base, was given to those infants who came from parents who provided a safe haven for them. In this safe haven they were protected, and well nourished. As these children grew older and started to explore their environment, they did so with little or no apprehension. As these children developed into adults, they changed their attachment easily from parent to new partner. They were also able to provide a secure base for their partner and family.
The second term, anxious style, was given to the infants whose caregiver was very anxious about taking care of their child. These parents alternated between parenting that meant being unavailable at some times, while at other times they were smothering. The child didn’t know from day-to-day which caregiver would appear. This uncertainty of care and involvement by the caregiver resulted in children who didn’t seek involvement or security from their caregiver. This was because they’d learned the parent wouldn’t always be there when they needed them. As these children grew they were very anxious and nervous about their new environment. As older children and then adults, since they didn’t have a close attachment to their parent, they were not able to make a solid, complete attachment to their new partner. Additionally, they were unable to provide security and comfort to another person because they didn’t come from a secure base. New partners with this anxious style person were unhappy because they were looking for a sense of security that this person couldn’t provide for them.
The third term, avoidant style, was given to the infants whose caregivers avoided them all together. These caregivers were not only unavailable, they didn’t nurture them either. These children, when they ventured out, were very detached from others and didn’t have the skills necessary to develop relationships. As older children and then adults, it was not unusual for them to find it difficult to form an attachment to another person. Because they didn’t have an initial attachment with their parent, they were not motivated, nor had the skills, to form a relationship or attachment with another person. If they did form a relationship, they were not able to provide a secure base for them, because they had never experienced one. New partners involved with this type of person experienced frustration at these avoidant style people because they needed a sense of security and it wasn’t being provided for them. This frustration oftentimes resulted in unhappy relationships or broken ones.
With that bit of explanation, I’ll link the above terms to pigeons I have observed in the loft. Some breeding pairs naturally provide a secure base for their young, while others are anxious or avoidant. To first focus on the secure base, it is easy to pick out those who are providing this for their youngsters. Both hen and cock are usually in their compartment the majority of the day, especially when the babies are very young. These babies are well fed, and sit contentedly in their nest bowls waiting to be fed. When I’ve picked these babies up from their bowls, they don’t protest, and if they do, when they are placed back into the bowl, they quickly calm down. As these babies develop and venture out to explore beyond their nest box, they can be found on the floor with one or both parents close by watching over them, feeding them, and making sure no other bird picks on them. When placed back into their nest boxes, these babies immediately settle down into their nest bowls. For babies that are left on the floor, one or more of the parents will continue to keep watch over their babies.
To further follow these same secure base babies; when it’s time to move them into the young bird section and wean them away from their parents, they quickly settle into their new surroundings. When I’ve held these youngsters in their new quarters, they are calm with little or no “squeaking” and are very curious to explore what they’re being shown from the height of my hands. When placed back on a perch or the floor, they do not squeak or run, and if they do, they quickly settle down. When the fly pen is eventually opened for the youngsters, these secure based pigeons are the first out to explore and most times are the first ones to venture out for that maiden flight around the loft. These secure base pigeons do not cause trouble in the loft and sit calmly on their perches.
There are few anxious or avoidant breeders in our loft, but when there are there are definite reasons why. Here’s one example of each: one season we changed two pairings. As sometimes happens, mated pairs do not like each other as much as with another pairing. Eventually, pairs that do not do well together, eventually settle down and cope with the situation. But, these two pairs did not. The negative responses from these birds resulted in one pair engaging in avoidance not only with each other, but also with their youngsters. The other pair became anxious about being with each other and then with the care of their youngsters.
The pair that avoided each other took a long time to lay. The eggs were sat, but the two breeders were never in the nest box at the same time. When the youngsters were hatched, the pair didn’t seem interested in them and stopped feeding them. We placed these babies with pumpers.
The anxious pair also took a long time to lay and sat their eggs so sporadically that we were concerned the eggs wouldn’t hatch. They fed the babies and were attentive to the babies, but only hit and miss. We kept close watch that the babies were being fed. They were, but little attention was paid to them, and they were often left alone in the nest bowl all day.
We decided that we would change the pairing and put the original pairs back together. The moment we did, both pairs were extremely happy! They never left the other’s side, they ate together, sat in the compartment side by side, and when the hens laid, they both sat the eggs. Both pairs fed their youngsters well and stayed in their compartment sitting side by side attentive to each other and their babies, providing a secure base.
Back to what happened to the babies from these pairs. When the babies were taken from the pair that was exhibiting avoidance tendencies and given to pumpers, the new pair provided a secure base for them. When these two youngsters were weaned and placed in the young bird section of the loft, they showed no signs of distress and easily adapted to their surroundings. Because these babies formed an attachment to the pumpers, they were able to switch their attachment to the young bird section and easily settle into their new surroundings.
The pair that was kept with the anxious pair showed signs of anxiety beginning in the nest bowl. When I would add food to their food pot, they became agitated and stood in their bowl. Let me note there that I think it is a good sign that young babies try to defend themselves. But, even as they are defending themselves, once I pick them up, they settle down and relax. Not so with these two. They did not relax and seemed in distress even as I held them. It took them a long time to settle down after being placed back in their nest bowl. When moved into the young bird section, they stood alone rather than huddling together with the other youngsters as most do when they are initially placed in the young bird section. These youngsters formed no attachment to their parents and had no secure base; therefore, they had no place from which to work to form a new attachment to the young bird section.
These short examples help prove what Bowlby stated in 1969, that the attachments we form with our care givers, influences how we function with others as we mature, and what our attachments will be to others. Using the example just given, when the parents were unable to form an attachment to each other, they became either avoidant or anxious. This kept them from being able to provide a secure base for each other and for their babies. Babies, children and young adults learn how to behave by watching their parents and model their behavior after what they observe. First, the original avoidant youngsters who were removed from their avoidant parents and were raised by pumpers were able to form an attachment to them. These pumpers gave these babies a secure base. Therefore, when they made the transition to the young bird section, they were easily able to switch their attachment from the pumpers to the young bird section. Second, the babies, who had been raised by the anxious pair, formed no attachment to them. When these babies were moved into the young bird section, they made no attachment to the new section
Can the negative learned behaviors formed by attachment, be unlearned? Yes, for humans, according to a study by Feeney & Noller in 1996, only about 25% can do so and it takes from one to four years. A newer study by Feeney, 2000, found that 88% of people could change their attachment with many positive life changing experiences, but it too took about the same amount of time. I believe that attachment can also be changed in pigeons. It will take a little time and attention to the pigeon exhibiting an anxious or avoidant style, but it can be changed. Pigeons also experience many life changing phenomena. First, there’s the care they receive by their parents, secondly, the adjustments they make in the young bird section, and last, the most important, the interaction they have with their new caregiver, you.
The new caregiver is the most important factor in helping change a pigeon’s negative behaviors. We can be instrumental in providing a secure base for them, especially if they never had one if raised by parents with an anxious style or avoidant style. Many fanciers talk about noticing a young bird that is wild, and will take special care to hold it often. Some fanciers advocate culling the bird that cannot settle down, proving how important the secure base is, whether or not we label it as such. Without realizing it, we naturally seek to calm our pigeons and have them feel secure in their surroundings. Because behavior is so easily transferred, having a bird without a secure base in the loft can create a detrimental environment. This gentling is something fanciers do naturally. I have tilted the lens a bit to look at naturally occurring phenomena in pigeon breeding, and given it a term some may not have been aware of, the Attachment Theory.
I’ve now given you my explanation of the attachment theory and my observations of the pigeon’s behavior. Granted, as a woman, I look at the pigeons from a very different perspective than many who write about them. I watch for small indicators to help me read their personalities. Observing them day after day, I’ve learned that each one has specific ways to express its’ feeling toward other pigeons or me. I notice the various types of attachment they have with one another, to their babies, to my husband, to me, and to the loft. Through study of the pigeons I find that by doing so it helps me further understand the intricate make-up of the birds. I find them to be highly intuitive, intelligent, curious and wanting of attention; traits that are also apparent in humans. I don’t focus on feeding, medications, training, etc., but on their behaviors. Hall (1959) in his well-respected book, The Silent Language, speaks to attachment in terms of “association.” He says that “association can be seen in paired relationships of some birds” and that these “relational patterns persist over long period of time.” I agree, with Hall, regarding these associations or attachments. I believe that these attachments do occur in pigeons and that the results of the types of attachments have a major influence on the pigeon’s behavior.
The following summary To Becoming a Champion Fancier from Pigeonsite.com (April, 2010), states, “Spend quality time with your birds, give the birds kind, gentle and regular attention so they will trust you. This should make them contented and unafraid. This loving care they receive will encourage their instinctive love of home, and it will speed them up or motivate them to their best performance on race day.” This is an excellent summation of the Attachment Theory. The care the infant receives by the caregiver, the providing of a safe haven and a secure base, will influence their behavior throughout life. We are instrumental in helping our pigeons change their attachments from parent to home. By instinctively providing a strong attachment to home for our pigeons, we are only helping to intensify their drive to return home even more quickly on race day. This article focused once again on the sport of pigeon flying, this time about behavior, and again, definitely from a Chick’s Point of View.
I spend time each day with our pigeons observing and interacting with them. Emlen, in his article from the University of Wisconsin (1948), The Importance of Bird Behavior, says that “birds provide some of the finest illustrative material that can be found in studies of animal behavior under natural conditions.” I too enjoy my observations, learning more about the gentle pigeons that enjoy flying and the love of home. Birds.com (May, 2010) asks the question “Why study birds?” and goes on to answer with “Birds open the way to further nature and scientific studies…” Not that my studies are “scientific”, but they are based on information coming from my background in communication, knowing that communication also takes place in behavior, not always in words. I find that many of the relationship concepts I teach, apply to the pigeons. One of the concepts that apply to the pigeons, key to relationship development, is called the Attachment Theory. I’ll give a short explanation of the attachment theory, and some behaviors I’ve observed, so that you may agree that a link can be made between pigeon behavior and the Attachment Theory.
The Attachment Theory was originally developed by Bowlby (1969) to see how children who had been separated from their parents during World War II developed relationships to others based on the care they received from their primary caregiver as infants. Bowlby’s research revealed some interesting facts. He found that infants experienced three emotions with their caregiver. One, proximity seeking, meaning they had an innate tendency to be near their caregiver, the person who would take care of them and give them nourishment. Two, separation protest, meaning when taken from the caregiver they became distressed, and cried or screamed to be given back to the caregiver. Once, back with the caregiver, they quickly calmed down. And three, safe haven, which means they naturally seek out a place where they feel safe and protected. The idea behind the attachment theory is that as children mature, their attachment changes from the caregiver to their new romantic or friendship partners.
Applying the first term, proximity seeking, to the pigeons, I found that babies want to be close to their parents. Parents stay close to their young, first sitting directly on them to give them warmth and protection, and then sitting next to them as they get larger. If a parent sat outside the nest bowl, the baby would sometimes get out of the nest bowl and sit next to its parent. Sometimes, if a second nest bowl has been placed in the nest box, and a second set of eggs are laid, the babies will move over to the new nest bowl and sit on the eggs too, just to be close to their parent.
The second term, separation protest, is also evident with the pigeon babies. If a baby is picked up, they will squeak in protest for being taken away from their parent. Even if the time is short, to say, put on a band, they do not stop protesting until they are back in the nest bowl or nest box with their parent. They quickly calm down once back with their parent.
The third term, safe haven, is also noticeable with the babies. They like being with their parents because they know they are protected. One or both parents are either always with them, or if not, they are close by to listen for sounds of protest coming from their babies only to quickly return to protect them. Ask a mother, if more than one baby is crying, she can tell which one is hers and will quickly go to her baby to see that they are alright. So too, the pigeons do the same thing. The baby knows they are being protected and it gives them a sense of security.
Using these three emotional terms, Bowlby was able to develop three categories of attachment based on the interactions between caregiver and infants. The categories are: secure base, anxious style and avoidant style. The term, secure base, was given to those infants who came from parents who provided a safe haven for them. In this safe haven they were protected, and well nourished. As these children grew older and started to explore their environment, they did so with little or no apprehension. As these children developed into adults, they changed their attachment easily from parent to new partner. They were also able to provide a secure base for their partner and family.
The second term, anxious style, was given to the infants whose caregiver was very anxious about taking care of their child. These parents alternated between parenting that meant being unavailable at some times, while at other times they were smothering. The child didn’t know from day-to-day which caregiver would appear. This uncertainty of care and involvement by the caregiver resulted in children who didn’t seek involvement or security from their caregiver. This was because they’d learned the parent wouldn’t always be there when they needed them. As these children grew they were very anxious and nervous about their new environment. As older children and then adults, since they didn’t have a close attachment to their parent, they were not able to make a solid, complete attachment to their new partner. Additionally, they were unable to provide security and comfort to another person because they didn’t come from a secure base. New partners with this anxious style person were unhappy because they were looking for a sense of security that this person couldn’t provide for them.
The third term, avoidant style, was given to the infants whose caregivers avoided them all together. These caregivers were not only unavailable, they didn’t nurture them either. These children, when they ventured out, were very detached from others and didn’t have the skills necessary to develop relationships. As older children and then adults, it was not unusual for them to find it difficult to form an attachment to another person. Because they didn’t have an initial attachment with their parent, they were not motivated, nor had the skills, to form a relationship or attachment with another person. If they did form a relationship, they were not able to provide a secure base for them, because they had never experienced one. New partners involved with this type of person experienced frustration at these avoidant style people because they needed a sense of security and it wasn’t being provided for them. This frustration oftentimes resulted in unhappy relationships or broken ones.
With that bit of explanation, I’ll link the above terms to pigeons I have observed in the loft. Some breeding pairs naturally provide a secure base for their young, while others are anxious or avoidant. To first focus on the secure base, it is easy to pick out those who are providing this for their youngsters. Both hen and cock are usually in their compartment the majority of the day, especially when the babies are very young. These babies are well fed, and sit contentedly in their nest bowls waiting to be fed. When I’ve picked these babies up from their bowls, they don’t protest, and if they do, when they are placed back into the bowl, they quickly calm down. As these babies develop and venture out to explore beyond their nest box, they can be found on the floor with one or both parents close by watching over them, feeding them, and making sure no other bird picks on them. When placed back into their nest boxes, these babies immediately settle down into their nest bowls. For babies that are left on the floor, one or more of the parents will continue to keep watch over their babies.
To further follow these same secure base babies; when it’s time to move them into the young bird section and wean them away from their parents, they quickly settle into their new surroundings. When I’ve held these youngsters in their new quarters, they are calm with little or no “squeaking” and are very curious to explore what they’re being shown from the height of my hands. When placed back on a perch or the floor, they do not squeak or run, and if they do, they quickly settle down. When the fly pen is eventually opened for the youngsters, these secure based pigeons are the first out to explore and most times are the first ones to venture out for that maiden flight around the loft. These secure base pigeons do not cause trouble in the loft and sit calmly on their perches.
There are few anxious or avoidant breeders in our loft, but when there are there are definite reasons why. Here’s one example of each: one season we changed two pairings. As sometimes happens, mated pairs do not like each other as much as with another pairing. Eventually, pairs that do not do well together, eventually settle down and cope with the situation. But, these two pairs did not. The negative responses from these birds resulted in one pair engaging in avoidance not only with each other, but also with their youngsters. The other pair became anxious about being with each other and then with the care of their youngsters.
The pair that avoided each other took a long time to lay. The eggs were sat, but the two breeders were never in the nest box at the same time. When the youngsters were hatched, the pair didn’t seem interested in them and stopped feeding them. We placed these babies with pumpers.
The anxious pair also took a long time to lay and sat their eggs so sporadically that we were concerned the eggs wouldn’t hatch. They fed the babies and were attentive to the babies, but only hit and miss. We kept close watch that the babies were being fed. They were, but little attention was paid to them, and they were often left alone in the nest bowl all day.
We decided that we would change the pairing and put the original pairs back together. The moment we did, both pairs were extremely happy! They never left the other’s side, they ate together, sat in the compartment side by side, and when the hens laid, they both sat the eggs. Both pairs fed their youngsters well and stayed in their compartment sitting side by side attentive to each other and their babies, providing a secure base.
Back to what happened to the babies from these pairs. When the babies were taken from the pair that was exhibiting avoidance tendencies and given to pumpers, the new pair provided a secure base for them. When these two youngsters were weaned and placed in the young bird section of the loft, they showed no signs of distress and easily adapted to their surroundings. Because these babies formed an attachment to the pumpers, they were able to switch their attachment to the young bird section and easily settle into their new surroundings.
The pair that was kept with the anxious pair showed signs of anxiety beginning in the nest bowl. When I would add food to their food pot, they became agitated and stood in their bowl. Let me note there that I think it is a good sign that young babies try to defend themselves. But, even as they are defending themselves, once I pick them up, they settle down and relax. Not so with these two. They did not relax and seemed in distress even as I held them. It took them a long time to settle down after being placed back in their nest bowl. When moved into the young bird section, they stood alone rather than huddling together with the other youngsters as most do when they are initially placed in the young bird section. These youngsters formed no attachment to their parents and had no secure base; therefore, they had no place from which to work to form a new attachment to the young bird section.
These short examples help prove what Bowlby stated in 1969, that the attachments we form with our care givers, influences how we function with others as we mature, and what our attachments will be to others. Using the example just given, when the parents were unable to form an attachment to each other, they became either avoidant or anxious. This kept them from being able to provide a secure base for each other and for their babies. Babies, children and young adults learn how to behave by watching their parents and model their behavior after what they observe. First, the original avoidant youngsters who were removed from their avoidant parents and were raised by pumpers were able to form an attachment to them. These pumpers gave these babies a secure base. Therefore, when they made the transition to the young bird section, they were easily able to switch their attachment from the pumpers to the young bird section. Second, the babies, who had been raised by the anxious pair, formed no attachment to them. When these babies were moved into the young bird section, they made no attachment to the new section
Can the negative learned behaviors formed by attachment, be unlearned? Yes, for humans, according to a study by Feeney & Noller in 1996, only about 25% can do so and it takes from one to four years. A newer study by Feeney, 2000, found that 88% of people could change their attachment with many positive life changing experiences, but it too took about the same amount of time. I believe that attachment can also be changed in pigeons. It will take a little time and attention to the pigeon exhibiting an anxious or avoidant style, but it can be changed. Pigeons also experience many life changing phenomena. First, there’s the care they receive by their parents, secondly, the adjustments they make in the young bird section, and last, the most important, the interaction they have with their new caregiver, you.
The new caregiver is the most important factor in helping change a pigeon’s negative behaviors. We can be instrumental in providing a secure base for them, especially if they never had one if raised by parents with an anxious style or avoidant style. Many fanciers talk about noticing a young bird that is wild, and will take special care to hold it often. Some fanciers advocate culling the bird that cannot settle down, proving how important the secure base is, whether or not we label it as such. Without realizing it, we naturally seek to calm our pigeons and have them feel secure in their surroundings. Because behavior is so easily transferred, having a bird without a secure base in the loft can create a detrimental environment. This gentling is something fanciers do naturally. I have tilted the lens a bit to look at naturally occurring phenomena in pigeon breeding, and given it a term some may not have been aware of, the Attachment Theory.
I’ve now given you my explanation of the attachment theory and my observations of the pigeon’s behavior. Granted, as a woman, I look at the pigeons from a very different perspective than many who write about them. I watch for small indicators to help me read their personalities. Observing them day after day, I’ve learned that each one has specific ways to express its’ feeling toward other pigeons or me. I notice the various types of attachment they have with one another, to their babies, to my husband, to me, and to the loft. Through study of the pigeons I find that by doing so it helps me further understand the intricate make-up of the birds. I find them to be highly intuitive, intelligent, curious and wanting of attention; traits that are also apparent in humans. I don’t focus on feeding, medications, training, etc., but on their behaviors. Hall (1959) in his well-respected book, The Silent Language, speaks to attachment in terms of “association.” He says that “association can be seen in paired relationships of some birds” and that these “relational patterns persist over long period of time.” I agree, with Hall, regarding these associations or attachments. I believe that these attachments do occur in pigeons and that the results of the types of attachments have a major influence on the pigeon’s behavior.
The following summary To Becoming a Champion Fancier from Pigeonsite.com (April, 2010), states, “Spend quality time with your birds, give the birds kind, gentle and regular attention so they will trust you. This should make them contented and unafraid. This loving care they receive will encourage their instinctive love of home, and it will speed them up or motivate them to their best performance on race day.” This is an excellent summation of the Attachment Theory. The care the infant receives by the caregiver, the providing of a safe haven and a secure base, will influence their behavior throughout life. We are instrumental in helping our pigeons change their attachments from parent to home. By instinctively providing a strong attachment to home for our pigeons, we are only helping to intensify their drive to return home even more quickly on race day. This article focused once again on the sport of pigeon flying, this time about behavior, and again, definitely from a Chick’s Point of View.
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T Berokoff
lonewolf_lofts@hotmail.com
lonewolf_lofts@hotmail.com
