Mel Vincent
Behaviourist/Practice Manager
Mel Vincent joined our team as practice manager in November 2020, but you may have seen her at the clinic regularly for years prior to that as a consulting behaviourist.
Animals have been a constant theme in Mel’s life. She doesn’t remember when she started rescuing them, but there are photos of her feeding orphaned baby birds when she’s around 3 years old. Her childhood teachers would tell you that she’d flatly refuse to get on a bus for a school excursion if she wasn’t allowed to take whatever orphan she happened to be feeding.
Mel’s fascination for behaviour led her to studying Psychology in combination with professional writing at Melbourne University. She was doing this while working in retail management, editing the Victorian Writers’ Handbook and other magazines, and completing a Certificate IV in retail supervision. She volunteered as a wildlife rescuer and transporter, working at multiple shelters for many years. She completed numerous certificates in a number of areas but the most relevant ones would be in wildlife, horticulture, animal training and business management.
Her passion for behaviour increased when she discovered the world of dog training. Her red heeler Moono turned out to be exceptional at doggie dancing classes, but Mel complains that she had to confiscate his skateboard after he intentionally ran over her cat.
Her passion for bird behaviour came to a head with her galah Morgy. Morgy was a rescue who seemed to have a love for human blood. Mel found herself referring back to the developmental psychology she had studied at university, while searching for every and any course she could find that related to animal behaviour. Taming and training Morgy was just the beginning. Mel was soon taking her birds out to different presentations, sometimes at schools, sometimes even in shopping centres, teaching and lecturing about wildlife, animal care and husbandry.
This developed into her starting a behavioural business. She has been assisting animals and organisations with their animals’ behaviour for many years. She has her own behavioural business “Works For Birds“.
She has been a regular blog writer and worked with the American based bird training company birdtricks.com for many years. You’ll find her in countless youtube videos, an award winning writer and photographer, with articles published worldwide.
She says that of all the qualifications she has done, the most inspiring was Susan Friedman’s course Living and Learning with Animals. It was the best course for tying her background in psychology to the animal side of things. These days she’s part way through a degree in Animal and Veterinary Biosciences but is on a hiatus as she’s started doing a certificate IV in vet nursing and other extension work. She attends at least 3 seminars on behavioural topics a month and is an active member of the IAABC, ASZK and ATA communities.
She has a directionally challenged Border Collie (dog walks are fun), multiple cats and birds.
Outside of work, Mel has more hobbies than a normal person. She spends a lot of time with her animals, loves reading, jewellery making, bonsai and collecting and using every tool known to humankind. (She doesn’t sleep much.)
For more information check our her website: worksforbirds.com
Areas of Expertise
- Business Management
- Retail Supervision/Buying
- Psychology
- Animal Behaviour
- Animal Training
- Animal & Veterinary Biosciences
- Professional Writing/Editing
- Online Content Administrator
- Public Speaking
- Botany
Mel at work! Check out the extracts below:
WHAT CLIENTS SAY?
KIND WORDS FROM MEL'S CLIENTS
"Mel Vincent is an Amazing, Caring, Intuitive and Professional Animal and Bird Behaviourist for all her Patients and Clents. The Experiences and Knowledge that Mel has gained with her Patients over the years is remarkable and she passes her Wisdom, Practicality and Honesty to all concerned for the best outcome/s for the Welfare of the Animal and Birds in her immediate care."
"Mel is highly skilled in behavioural therapy for not only birds but most animals that have been very challenging. She's target trained many species including a snail! Highly recommend her. "
"Mel is an absolute gem. She's helped us completely shake up our training with our Ekkie, Bina.
She helped us figure out what stuff we could be changing and understand the reasons why.
Thank you Mel!"