5 comments about First Aid For Birds: An Owner's Guide to a Happy Healthy Pet.

1. Two weeks ago on a Saturday morning, I found blood all over one of my Cockatiels. I now know that he had pecked at a feather abscess which had burst and splattered its contents everywhere. THE COMPLETE BIRD OWNER'S HANDBOOK by Gallerstein provided me with the information I needed so that I could determine if the bleeding was life-threatening (such as a broken blood feather), and whether I could treat it. This information allowed me to wait until the following Monday to have my bird seen by a bird vet who performed surgery on the cyst and ran several tests (biopsy, etc. to make sure it was not something that would kill my other birds) -- thus a $300+ vet bill instead of something much worse in at emergency service. I bought FIRST AID FOR BOOKS after this incident thinking it would provide me with additional insight into bird health situations, but it does not. Though more accessible, FIRST AID is a synopsis of some of the more common crises discussed in the larger book by Gallerstein.
   
   In FIRST AID FOR BIRDS, Julie Rach and Gary Gallerstein explain that their book addressed the immediate steps to take in selected health crises (no feather abscesses here). Each topic covered is divided into several parts: the crises (for example fracture), the signs (leg hanging at a funny angle), home treatment (confine bird....), Veterinary treatment. (The book will help the bird owner figure out some steps to take in a selected crises, but the owner should read the larger Gallerstein book before a crises arises.
   
   FIRST AID deals with some of the more common upsets covered in any good bird book, so I did not find any information I did not already have on hand, except a list of possible sources of lead poisoning including items like curtain weights - and believe me I am not going to try to figure out what poisoned my bird if he or she acts as if poison is at work, I am going to seek medical help immediately.
   
   FIRST AID (the book) is mostly about prevention - how to follow a proper diet and eschew household hazards. As I already had a good deal of this information on hand in other sources, I found this book disappointing. It would have been more useful if it had provided me with "triage" information to address various crises, i.e. what do you look for in a bleeding bird, i.e., what signs help you determine if bleeding is the result of a broken blood feather, an abscess (I had never seen a feather abscess), or something else, and what to do in each case.
   
   HOLISTIC CARE FOR BIRDS by McCluggage and Higdon addresses home remedies as well as preventative measures and is thus acts as a complentary book with much greater detail on the home remedies offered in FIRST AID. Gallerstein's larger book includes photographs of pus filled abscesses and other groovy stuff, so you will want to buy all three books if you can, but FIRST AID FOR BIRDS will get you started.



2. Most of the information in this book was right on for treating avian injuries. It had good suggestions for preparing an emergency kit and for acquainting a pet lover of what situations may arise when their bird is injured.

   However, one piece of information was very very wrong and it upset me to read it in an otherwise fine piece of avian literature. On page 112 it advocates packing a blood feather with styptic powder which is painful for the bird because styptic powder should NEVER be applied to live tissue. This worries me because there might be other errors in the text that may ultimately be painful, dangerous, or even deadly to a pet bird.

   This book is OK for reading through to familiarize yourself with bird injuries and how to treat them, but because it lacks a detailed index and a scant chapter listing, it may not be helpful in an emergency unless you have dog-eared the book for your bird's most frequent health issues. It is also a poor reference for this reason.

   However, compared to relying on unreliable websites, this book is arguably a better option.




3. This book is a must-have for all bird owners! Buy and read it to familiarize yourself with first aid procedures and then stash it as a quick reference if your bird should fall ill or have an accident. This book is a well-organized reference for what you can do to help stabilize your bird before you go to the vet in an emergency. It also tells you what problems are emergencies and must be treated without delay and what problems can wait a day or two.



4. Accidents and illness do happen to birds, be preparded and know what to do should someting happen to you pet bird. This book is loaded with helpfull information.



5. This is an excellent book. It gives first-aid kit suggestions, discusses normal bird health, and gives a list of symptoms with suggested treatments and when to call the vet. Our local library has this book and I found it very helpful. It is in a series of pet books, all of which are pretty good. A great addition to any bird-owner or bird-lover's library!

4 comments about The Quaker Parrot: An Owner's Guide to a Happy Healthy Pet.

1. Alot of information from choosing the right parrot, taking care of it, training, and health. Very helpful.



2. There is very little to take issue with in this book-- but if you didn't know the title you might just as well think you were reading a book on Amazons, Greys, or any number of other parrots. The information is extremely generic with the exception of a few passages here and there. I really don't think this is the author's fault- and the info is useful- but if you want a really good feeling for what it's like to own a QUAKER- you should also buy Mattie Sue Athan's outstanding book. That said, the one thing I do object to here is this author's claim that any household with cats and Quakers should have the cats declawed. That may be fair to the birds but is an incredible injustice to the felines. If you can't keep them separate, you might be better off not having one or the other. Overall, a solid book but if I didn't already have a Quaker this book would not have shown me how amazing these birds are! They are incredible.



3. When I first bought my Quaker, I didn't know the first thing about parrots. Fortunately for both of us he was so young he couldn't come home yet. I bought this book and read every page religiously. She gave me so much insight into what my bird would behave like, look like, eat, want, you name it. Her writing was easy to read and understand. She herself owns Quakers, so she is accustomed to their behavior, behavior problems, quirks, eating habits, likes, dislikes, etc. By the time I was done reading the book, I felt like the expert; from cage purchase to food selection to an attention schedule. My bird and I are a happy family now, and I still refer to my book when I need help. I highly recommend it to any Quaker Parrot owner.



4. An experienced parrot owner and breeder myself, I found little to disagree with in this book. Ms. Higdon's writing is clear, informative, and easy to understand. She obviously knows her subject, and she writes well. Her sly but gentle sense of humor is evident and enjoyable. The information presented is accurate, up-to-date, and covers most of the things a new Quaker owner will need to know. She portrays the personality and characteristics of the Quaker quite well and makes several excellent points, such as the fact that talking ability should be a secondary rather than primary concern when choosing a parrot for a pet, that are seldom made in other books. The focus of this book is quite different from Theresa Jordan's handbook - it contains no information pertaining to breeding and may not be of interest to the breeder or experienced Quaker owner. If, however, you have newly acquired a Quaker or are considering getting one, I would highly recommend it.

5 comments about The Essential African Grey (Essential (Howell)).

1. I have to agree with the rest of the reviewers. This is a must have for the beginner with Greys!! My baby looks just like the one on the cover and she is now 5 years old. I got this book amoung others when I was doing my research. This is one of my favorites for information!!



2. Being a proud owner of a grey this book is a good source of reference.



3. This is a very complete little book on the basic's of owning an African Grey. Very descriptive with good photos showing the differences between the varieties.



4. This book provides a good general overview of caring for an african grey. You'll need other books that go into more depth for behavior management, etc., but this book is a good starting point. While the book is current and up to date for the most part, the author does recommend giving your parrot a nut and bolt as a toy. Surprisingly, she does not warn that you must be careful that it does not contain zinc. The nut and bolt would have to be made of stainless steel to be safe, otherwise your bird could get heavy metal poisoning.



5. I must say that the reviews that I read here on Amazon.com prior to me purchasing this book were right on. "The Essential African Grey" is wonderfully done and extremely informative. It is very easy to read with its subheads. This book not only covers the basics which are important, but also touches on possible diseases of African Greys, and details "what to look for" in a number of scenarios to help ensure your grey's health. This book is something you must own and perused again as situations may occur with your bird. And remember, greys (parrots) have only been domesticated two generations which still leaves the tag of wild for quite some time (way beyond our lifetimes), so we will always be learning and adapting new techniques, finding diseases (and hopefully proper vaccinations in the future, etc., etc.). This means that you need to check future books for more up-to-date methods and treatments in the future (as this author clearly spells out).

2 comments about The Essential Cockatiel (Essential (Howell)).

1. While I've had plenty of pets, I've never had sole responsibility of a cockatiel before and I thought this book would be useful in helping me get started, but I found it to be a little cheesy. It's all pretty much common sense, I mean who would put a cage full of food with a bird in it, in the shower with hot water? Or let a bird get stuck in the oven or fridge? Does that stuff really happen? Anyways I was hoping I would learn something new, and didn't really learn anything at all. You can go to Pet-co and a get a free info sheet that is a lot more useful.



2. This is my favourite book about cockatiels, including with regard to illnesses and how to proceed in case of emergencies as not seen in other books that I owned about this subject.

1 comments about Finches For Dummies (For Dummies (Pets)).

1. This book provides good basic information and is written in an easy to understand manner. The chapters are easy to follow and topics are divided into helpful tips, reminders, warnings and technical stuff. If you are thinking of adding a finch to your home, you will find a lot of great information in the book.
   
   The full review can be found at my website

5 comments about Angelfish (Complete Pet Owner's Manual).

1. As I read the summary of the book it states that angelfish don't attack gourami's etc. NOT TRUE! I have an orange veiled angelfish for about 5 years now and they get very territorial as adults at around 2 years old. She will beat another fish down just for raising it's head up. My angel and the gourami grew up together. When they both got to be the same size. She beat him with her nose. But to be fair he chased her also. Fish I would put with angels are catfish, clown loaches and red barbs or mollies. These fish don't try to occupy the same tank depth as angels. They congregate on the bottom to mid tank. Angels like mid to top, but you may find them resting on the bottom when they are not feeling well. So, though I was hopeful about the book I did not purchase it.



2. This book is totally not for those who aren't into breeding Angelfish. It is not in basic termonology in some areas. Very brief in areas you want more information on. If you want a book about Angelfish that is helpful to anyone wanting to know more than how to breed them and worth your time, look beyond this one.



3. The book is small, but very informative, and you feel you KNOW a lot about angelfish after reading it. I recommend this book highly to all angelfish lovers! A "must have"!



4. As a previous reviewer noted, the editorial review is incorrect -- this is a book about freshwater angelfish, not reef-dwelling saltwater angelfish. Whoever submitted the editorial review is a doofus, but that shouldn't be held against the book or its author.

   For a small, inexpensive book Angelfish: Everything About... provides a tremendous amount of information.

   The sections I found most valuable were those on selecting and purchasing angelfish (appropriate size and age, how to maximize chances of a breeding pair), genetic traits of fancy angelfish (veiltail, black, black lace, marble, new gold, commercial darks and marbles, non-allelic gold, smokey, chocolate, ghost, blushing, zebra, half-black, and pearly), breeding angelfish, and raising fry.

   While I'm not interested in angelfish genetics per se, the descriptions of the fancy traits are very helpful when browsing the sites of angel breeders like Angels Plus. It also explains why some fish are so much more expensive than others.

   History, tank selection (for show or breeding), feeding (the section on live food is better and more comprehensive than most I've seen in general aquarium books), diseases and treatment, and water quality are all well covered. The book has an index, glossary, and dozens of color photographs.




5. I have not read this book, and based on the book description I would not buy it:
   "Editorial Reviews
   Book Description
   These tropical reef-dwellers make beautiful additions to any tank, "

   The fish pictured on the cover is a freshwater angelfish, pterophyllum scalare. "Reef-dweller" refers to the marine angelfish, a completely unrelated species. Freshwater and marine aquaria are wholly different fields, and whoever wrote this blurb had clearly not even looked at the book. It doesn't bode well.

5 comments about Complete Book of Parakeet Care, The (Barron's N).

1. This is a good parakeet ownership book for beginner parakeet owners, but some information seems to be outdated. I had questions after reading the book that were not answered in the text.



2. We bought five parakeet care books after looking at a bunch of them. Of the five, this is the best.
   
   The information is extensive, accurate, and up to date. The glossy photos are great. Most of the stuff we have learned in our intense initiation is contained in this book. This remains our go-to resource for parakeet questions.



3. Matthew Vriends, consulting editor for THE COMPLETE BOOK OF PARAKEET CARE and a Veterinary and Bird Breeder from the Netherlands has written many books on Companion Parrots, as have authors Annette Wolter and Monika Wegler. Their book about parakeets really covers the "betcherrygah" or budgie, a type of Australian parakeet, and includes much more material than any of the other parakeet books I've read to date, and I believe it deserves the sobriquet `comprehensive'. The book includes a good deal of the information found in other books by Vriends and Wolters on basic bird care and breeding, as well as much specific information about parakeets or budgies divulged by Wolter and Wegler who appear to keep companion parakeets or budgies indoors (Vriends raises birds in an outdoor aviary).
   
   The book includes dozens of beautiful photos and sections covering parakeets and human children, setting up parakeet accommodations for a pair (they hate to live alone) health care and diet, breeding and baby bird care. The photos show the various colors of budgies generated by breeders like Vriends as well as action shots of budgies in all phases of living in your home - from flying around a `bird-proof' room to courting rituals with a mate. The authors have created a `check list' the potential parakeet owner can use to determine if he or she can live with the requirements of keeping a companion budgie. Among other things, they stress that parakeets are probably better off spending more time outside the cage than in it, so if you are thinking about living with a parakeet you should consider whether or not you can put up with with the occasional bird dropping from a soaring feathered friend. Photos and text describe how to build a bird tree from which your birds can use to launch their explorations as well as return to enjoy a tasty snack of various vegetables and/or fruits.
   
   If you can buy only one parakeet (budgie) book get this book before you buy your parakeet. The book is suitable for children ages 6-8 or older as it includes text in 10p. font and plenty of photos describing budgie behavior.



4. We bought a couple of parakeets for our 11 year old daughter (a real Southern Belle). The birds and book were a birthday present and knowing absolutely nothing about them, this book has been a great help. Our daughter read it and enjoyed it. Easy to read, for all ages. It helped us buy the cage, the toys, and the birds' nutrition and so on... She still reads it when she has a question (as we do also). It helped us when organizing our home decoration and candles to fit the flights of the birds. Being in a small southern town away from pet stores, we refer to this book often. Gurley Community & Town History http://gurleyalabama.contactez.net



5. Overall the book is okay.
   The playtree idea was very helpful in constructing the massive tree I now have, the pictures are beautiful, and there's a lot of interesting trivia.

   HOWEVER, some of the advice given in this book is outdated and is now known to be rather dangerous.

   1) The offering of grit. Budiges, and other hookbilled parrots, do NOT need grit as part of their diet, as they hull their seeds. If they are on a formulated diet they also do not need grit. Grit offered to these birds can cause crop impactions and death. Given that it's not necessary for digestion, there is no reason to use it.

   2) Sandpaper perches. Big NO! Sandpaper perches are very hard on the feet and do not "keep nails trim". Sandpaper perches are one of the big causes of bumblefoot.

   3) The use of "bird sand"...see grit.

   4) The implication that clipping a bird's wings is cruel. The risks associated with free flight far outweigh the risks associated with clipping. Flighted birds are more likely to become injured by flying into walls, mirrors, windows, doors, etc..true, they may know the house layout, but if something should spook them and they take off in a panic, they are literally flying blind.
   Full flight also carries the risk of escape; being nomadic birds, budgies have no homing instinct. Once your budgie flies away, your chances of seeing it alive again are next to zero.
   The biggest risk of clipping is the bird being accidentally stepped on, but if you keep your bird off the floor (and you should) this isn't an issue.

   5) The advocation of a mainly seed or seed only diet. Seed only diets are dangerous to the point of being lethal in the terms of long term health. Budgies, when well cared for and on a good diet, can easily live 10-15 years. On a poor diet, cut that in half for the average lifespan.

   For more information on any of the above:
   http://budgies-n-tiels.com

   When this book was written in 1994, much of the now erroneous information was thought to be correct. Avian medical science has proven a lot of it very, dangerously wrong since the time this book was published.

5 comments about Conures Complete Owner's Manual.

1. If I may, I'd like to start off this review by sharing pertinent background information. First off, birds have been part of my life for 28 years. Birds varieties with which I am personally familiar include Amazon parrot, lovebird, cockatiel, and my all-time favorite, the budgerigar (better known as a parakeet). Second, I have a background as a writer. As a result, what you are about to read in criticism of "Conures: A Complete Pet Owner's Manual", does not reflect exclusively on the author, who is obviously very knowledgeable and competent, but primarily on the seemingly incompetent editors of this reference guide.
   
   The editors of this work, which are not named, have failed to determine the angle (focus) they would like the author to concentrate upon, and hence this highly credentialed ornithologist and zoologist, Dr. Matthew M. Vriends, attempts to cover too much ground in too few chapters. The title page boasts that the reader will learn "Everything about Purchase, Care, Nutrition, and Behavior", but it just doesn't deliver. Instead, the author spends a great deal of time delving into a subject that few bird owners will find useful: breeding.
   
   Initially, the book starts out very simplistically by addressing very basic aspects of bird care that will be of little use to anyone who has ever owned a bird (keep water dishes clean, provide toys, offer your bird a variety of fruits and vegetables, etc.). This is all well and good if the purpose of the book is to educate the pet bird newbie. With minimal transition, however, the author goes off on a tangent on conure courtship practices, which should have been reserved for the appropriately titled chapter, "Breeding South American Conures". Apparently it did not occur to the editors that the average bird owner will not become a breeder, or that if a bird owner opts to breed at all, he or she is likely to seek out dedicated reference material.
   
   To illustrate the author's scattered but seemingly entrenched fixation on breeding, the subject is first broached in the second chapter, "Housing, Care, And Management" (regarding nesting boxes), and is visited again in the fourth chapter, "Understanding Conures" (regarding the aforementioned courtship rituals), and again in a dedicated chapter, "Breeding South American Conures". While the subject of breeding is not entirely without merit in a book that touts itself as an all-inclusive guide to conures, at a very minimum the former references should have been grouped with the latter.
   
   Overall, this reference presents a disjointed mixture of simplistic and advanced information with little attention paid to intermediate questions or concerns (paying comparatively little attention to the number of illnesses and environmental hazards to watch out for, for example).
   
   Most notably, the book failed to answer the most basic of question: How long, on average, do conures live?
   
   The second critical flaw is in not advising would-be conure owners to buy a hand-fed or hand-raised conure whenever possible to ensure that the bird will bond with humans, and will not be overly fearful or aggressive (inclined to bite).
   
   The third flaw is that the book advises in the first chapter, "Acquisition of Stock" to turn to the last chapter, "South American Conure Species", for information related to "which types are best suited to be kept as household pets without too many difficulties". Unfortunately, there is very little information in this section to satisfy this promise, and with respect to many species the answers are entirely ignored.
   
   The fourth flaw takes place in the fourth chapter, "Understanding Conures". If it were to remain true to its title, the chapter should have included more on the psychology of conures. The book leaves virtually untouched, for instance, causes or solutions for screaming, how to prevent birds from becoming finger biters (effective training methods), the suitability of these birds around other pets or children, what is considered dangerously hot/cold for an indoor vs. outdoor conure, the dangers posed by bacteria from cats or human saliva, aerosol sprays, air fresheners, nonstick cookware, West Nile virus, etc. (To the author's credit, there is a sidebar on toxic indoor and outdoor plants, however.)
   
   The fifth and last chapter dedicated to "South American Conure Species", contains the final glaring omission. I fully expected to see specific notes on how to identify gender or approximate age -- relevant because my new family member is a Half-Moon Conure that flew up to a neighbor who, in turn, gave it to me -- and yet there were no comments on age determination, and very little sexing information beyond various invasive methods such as endoscopy or DNA testing, which are described in chapter four. Devoting an entire chapter at the conclusion of the book to species-specific information -- which consists mostly of trivia-like tidbits pertaining to native habitats -- while neglecting to mention gender clues such as male vs. female coloration patterns, for example, was a poor judgment call, in my opinion.
   
   In all fairness, a book of this length, at 106 pages excluding the index, cannot be all things to all people.* That reality, in particular, underscores the value of choosing a focus and sticking to it -- yet Barron's Educational Series, Inc. editors failed to target the book to a specific type of reader or market.
   
   None of this is to say that this book neglects to impart valuable information. In fact, it touches upon almost every remaining issue of interest -- from identifying a healthy bird (e.g. healthy conures generally sleep on one foot), to the difference between an outdoor aviary, indoor aviary and a "bird room", to what size of perch is best suited for their feet. Unfortunately, this work misses some of the obvious questions and over-emphasizes some of the matters that are of less interest to non-breeders or new owners. Finally, I found at least one aspect of the author's advice questionable: bathing a bird in dish soap in preparation for a bird show. If you are going to forcefully wash a bird at all, why not advocate less harsh or toxic cleansers, or at least those that are less likely to sting or burn, such as baby-safe products?
   
   In conclusion, I am sorry to note that the Internet is a better resource for information about conures, which is a sad reality because reference book sales will increasingly suffer in this Internet age until, that is, publishers figure out how to offer reference material that is more informative and engaging than the average Website posted by amateurs or volunteer experts. With stiff competition from armchair enthusiasts, often at no cost, publishers must take extraordinary care to ensure that their subject matter is exceptionally well organized, carefully targeted, and clearly written by a professional writer who has anticipated the questions readers will ask so as to avoid the meandering or repetitive style associated with novice writers, be they academic experts who have a tendency to come across as impersonal, overly technical or dry (without proper editorial oversight), or Website-running hobbyists who are often conversational and informal in tone, yet lacking in credible credentials.
   
   Bottom line? If you want an introduction to specific information about breeding conures, this book will offer more information than you might otherwise expect from its all-inclusive title, "Conures: A Complete Pet Owner's Manual". If, on the other hand, you wish to learn generalized information about training techniques, or the ownership pros and cons of specific conure varieties (including lifespan), look elsewhere.
   
   
   ###
   
   * As of this writing, Amazon's description states that the book is 64 pages, which is incorrect. There are a total of 111 pages in this guide.



2. I have to agree with most of what's been said here. I have two wonderful hand-reared black-tailed conures as pets - now this species is virtually unheard-of in captivity, so I bought this book on the strength of the 'detailed species descriptions' advertised. What a slap in face! Apparently my birds are simply 'similar to maroon-bellied conures, but ...not as interesting' (exact quotation). The book is written from a breeder's point of view, and a breeder stuck two decades ago for that matter. There is a strangely impersonal tone to the whole book, which some pet owners who don't see their birds as liquid assets may find off-putting. I certainly did. However, the many photos are good, which earns it the extra star.



3. Perhaps because of his background as a breeder of various species of domestic (pet birds) and experience as a bird vet, I find Matthew Viends' books tend to slant toward the physical care and breeding birds. He maintains outdoor aviaries, which can be much more of a challenge than a simple cage in a third floor apartment. So, if you only read Vriends you might become overly concerned about health issues and nest boxes.
   
   On the other hand Vriends' books are very informative,including this volume on Conures. He informs the reader about health matters, so that if you do experience a bird who is 'under the weather' you won't panic.
   
   If you are seriously contemplating buying your first Conure, you might want to read Anne Watkins book on Conures and use Vriends book to complement topics dealing with Conure health and feeding issues.
   
   To pellet or not to pellet...Vriends covers this topic and I find it timely as my new Conure (who was formerly owned by a kind lady) is fond of Zupreme Conure pellets (except purple..he apparently does not like grape). You can drive yourself crazy trying to feed your feathered pal all the correct veggies, egg yolk seed mix, minerals, cuttlebone, etc. (and I do this) or you can think about pellets. (My birds get a great assortment of greens and most of them also have pellets with or in lieu of their seed mix.) It is comforting to know that a vet and breeder of Vriends' stature is supportive of pellet use.



4. There is to much focus on breeding Conure's, the info there is about keeping a Conure as a pet is outdated, I would reccomend the book on Conure's by Julie Rach instead!
   Hope this helps!



5. This book was obviously written at a time when most Conures were imported from the wild and not captive bred or handfed. A large portion of this book deals with how to acclimate and taim a wild or unfriendly bird. Furthermore this book is not a good companion for the Conure owner looking to find information on a particular species. Many of the species covered in this book are not even avalible as pets or to be imported into the U.S. When I finally came to the section on the bird I was interested in purchasing all I found were the physical characteristics with nothing about its general temperment as a pet. This was hardly helpful as I knew exactly what the bird looked like but little else. Another topic of no use to me was the detailed information on the breeding of Conures. I am looking for a better source of information and would not reccommend this book to the average pet owner.

5 comments about Falconry Basics: A Handbook for Beginners.

1. Not written for North Americans but I found this book very useful all the same. This book made a good introduction to falconry and it was a pleasure to read.



2. Novices to falconry will find this book a most useful guide. Readers learn about accoutrements the falcons need along with training the falconer and the bird as well as raptor anatomy.
   
   British readers will be up to speed on the laws about falconry, but for readers outside of the United Kingdom, other books will fill in on the legal aspects of falconry.



3. I found this book to be very helpful for someone with little or no knowledge about
   starting out in falconry. Most of my questions were answered and everything was
   explained well.



4. For someone just beginning to explore falconry (such as myself) this book is a top-notch starting guide. With extensive instructions on furniture, training, further reading and even hawk anatomy, this book gave me more than enough to get started. The only downside to this book was that the sections on falconry laws focus on British law. If you're not from the UK (as I am not) you will need to find another sourch for this information. Even so, this is a fine book for a beginer, and well worth the cost.



5. When you find a book which claims to get down to the "Basics" of any subject - you should expect to find exactly that. Thankfully, this author understands what that words means and delivers the goods.
   
   I am at the stage where my first bird is flying free and is being trained to hunt and, already, I have learned a great deal from this book. Not only is this an excellent book for beginners, I suspect many of those who think they "know it all" will find some useful information here. The artwork is simple and effective - and it works. The text is well written and easy-to-follow. All the different components of such essential items as, for example, the glove, hawking bag, hood, swing lure, creance (to name but five) are shown in the right amount of detail thus creating no confusion whatsoever.
   
   The book itself measures 10in x 7½in (255mm x 190mm) and is packed with almost 250 pages of basic information about Falconry. Altogether, the author has covered every aspect of the sport from; The law, various birds, housing, equipment, furniture, handling, weights, food, training, travel, dogs, ferrets, fitness, illness, injury and lots more besides.
   
   I would suggest this book is an essential addition to the bookshelf of anyone who keeps birds of prey no matter how experienced the keeper might be. In short, there is something here for everyone.
   
   NM

5 comments about Why Do Parakeets Do That?: Real Answers to the Curious Things Parakeets Do.

1. Book provides some useful information in an entertaining, humorous format. Very good for children, and adults with only a minor interest in the behavior of parakeets. Not an in-depth guide, but a lot of interesting information packed into a 15-30 minute read. Highly recommended.



2. This book is a total waste of time and money. It tells you nothing more and considerably less than a $2.00 pamphlet like book from any variety store. The author seems to think they are very cute and clever. They are wrong! Don't waste your money on this thing.



3. This book has adorable and hilarious illustrations. While the info is true, I would recommend this for beginning budgie owners only. The book was a little smaller than I expected, but all in all, it's a fun book that can help answer questions you may have had for a long time. Happy Reading! :-)



4. If you've ever had a bird, you know they can be, well, odd birds! I was in the pet store the other day and saw this book. Got it on a whim because we have two Parakeets. My wife and I sat on our couch with it and went "bird watching" for a while. The book is so right on. Now if I could just get a book called Why Does Your Wife Do That?



5. This book is very cute and well written. There's just enough info here, but it doesn't try to tell you every single thing about parakeets, though if you love parakeets you'll get a kick out of the illustrations. I have another parakeet book by this author and that one has more info in it. Anyway, I really liked this book!