3 comments about The Practical Canary Handbook: A Guide to Breeding & Keeping Canaries.

1. The Canary Handbook is a good product. Good paper,easy reading and beautifull color pictures. I am fully satisfied with the product. The only thing thats bothering me is that Amazon.Com uses a hugh carton box filled with air-plus-book to mail the product, making overseas shipping/postage extremely expensive.



2. This is a good canary book with a great section on the best types of food.



3. this is up there with the best of books ive read on the canary,it is very informative very interesting.each night i read this book, it has thought me alot, gave me understanding and peace of mind when im wondering what to do next or why did this or that happen?its in the book.thanks for a good book on such a wonderful little bird.

3 comments about A New Owner's Guide to Lovebirds (New Owners Guide).

1. Searching for information to take care of my newly acquired small flock of lovebirds I found this book. With 160 pages it contains sufficient information, although not extremely detailed. It is indeed an excellent guide for those who begin to raise and take care of these lovely birds. Beautiful pictures, a good layout and hard cover make it a very handy and useful book, well worth its modest price.



2. I do not own a lovebird and had never owned any pet bird at all, but I had received this book as a gift and had read it several times since then! Some of the pictures are beautiful and high in quality, and if I had a lovebird, this book would have all the information I would need, from where to buy a lovebird, to breeding and hand-feeding babies. The endearing traits of lovebirds described in the book, such as an "affectionate lovebird [hiding] in it's human's clothes or underneath long hair" has definitely made me want to own a lovebird as soon as it becomes possible for me.



3. I've had lovebirds for a few years, and I'm always looking for new information about them. This book is one of the best I've found. The text is clear and the advice is easy to put into practice. The photos are pretty as well. I highly recommend it.

1 comments about The Duck Handbook (Barron's Pet Handbooks).

1. Good information for a new owner. Our duck, "Q", gives the book 5 feathers.

5 comments about Living on the Wind: Across the Hemisphere with Migratory Birds.

1. Scott Weidensaul writes precisely and eloquently about bird migration in "Living on the Wind", which was a nominated finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 2000. In what is "perhaps the most compelling drama in all of natural history", an estimated 5 billion birds migrate annually, across continents and oceans, some without stopping to rest or eat for thousands of miles. Weidensaul tells us why birds migrate and how. He paints a picture of these extraordinary journeys and the birds that make them in North, Central, and South America. As some migrating birds are in crisis due to loss of habitat and disturbances in their breeding, stopover, and wintering grounds, the author examines the current threats to migrants and the controversies over their nature and significance.
   
   In three parts -Southbound, Hiatus, and Northbound- "Living on the Wind" examines the journeys of migratory birds, regales us with incredible stories of a variety of species, and tells us where they go and how they live in their wintering grounds. Weidensaul has endured the cold of Monterey Bay, tromped through Jamaica's acacia forests, counted the massive migration through Veracruz with blistered thumb, banded hawks in Argentina, stood in the midst of a "fallout" near the Gulf coast, and generally traversed North and South America to see and understand migrants. He recounts his experiences with a wonder and drama that made me long to visit some of these places myself.
   
   We also learn of birds that stay in their frigid climates, irruptive species that migrate only occasionally, birds who migrate south to wintry Vermont, and some species for whom habitat transformation has meant overpopulation, such as snow geese and Canada geese. I found especially fascinating the discussions of how migratory birds navigate, differences in the needs and fates of neotropical migrants and resident birds that co-exist in the same habitats, and the very preventable threats to migrants, such as feral cats. I was struck by how much has been learned about migrants in the past couple of decades through new technologies and broader study, but also by how difficult it is to pin down definitive data about these itinerant creatures. "Living on the Wind" is a treasure trove of information for birdlovers and thoroughly enjoyable for a general audience as well.



2. _Living on the Wind_ by Scott Weidensaul is a very ambitious book, one in which the author tried to convey both the science and the drama of bird migration in the Western Hemisphere, traveling for six years from Alaska to Argentina and speaking to experts as well as viewing close up an amazing variety of birds from the Arctic tundra to Central American rain forests.
   
   The book is divided into three sections. "Southbound" focused on the fall migration as well as topics on migration in general.
   
   Weidensaul stressed that one shouldn't view migration as moving away from something unpleasant, such as the cold, but rather as moving towards something beneficial, mainly an area where food is plentiful. Viewing migration as a simply north-south issue clearly shows a North American bias; birds in southern South America fly north to their wintering grounds, tropical birds fly relatively short distances but on migrations nonetheless in response to among other things the ripening of fruits or the blossoming of flowers, and many ocean birds undergo complex and intricate perambulations of entire oceans on an annual basis (the greater shearwater breeds in the South Atlantic but covers a 13,000 mile route every nine months, a route that includes going up past South America to Canada, then over to Europe in autumn, and then returning down the coast of Africa). Not all North American birds winter in the Americas; the bristle-thighed curlew nests in western Alaska but winters as much as 5,000 miles away in such Pacific islands as Tahiti, while the bar-tailed godwit winters 6,800 miles away from its Alaskan home in New Zealand (flying nonstop for up to five days).
   
   The reader learns some birds are "complete migrants" (they entirely vacate their breeding grounds at the end of nesting season) and some are "partial migrants" (a portion of the population remains year-round). Most birds other than hawks migrate at night, partially to avoid predators (like hawks), to free up daytime hours for finding food, because the atmosphere is less turbulent at night, and because the chillier and damper night air can help cool overheated migrating birds and work to stem moisture loss. Thanks to human activity, many birds winter farther north than they once did, whether due to backyard birdfeeders in the case of finches or specially maintained refuges for waterfowl; this phenomenon is known as "shortstopping."
   
   The author spent a good deal of time discussing how birds find their way on migrations. A fascinating discussion, migration involves a genetic program, a time of migratory restlessness when the daylight diminishes to a certain point and the urge to fly in a certain direction sets in, coupled in some species with a innate time-distance or time-and-direction (or vector navigation) program, a set of genetic instructions that instruct the bird to fly a certain direction for a specific length of time, change heading, and then precede on another for a preset period of time. Those directions are determined mainly by celestial and magnetic orientation but research has shown that infrasound (extremely low-frequency waves of the sort generated by ocean surf, which can travel for thousands of miles) may play a role as well.
   
   Modifying this program though are a "hierarchy of orientation clues," which serve to refine a bird's navigation on subsequent flights, often enabling a bird to find specific breeding and wintering grounds with stunning accuracy. Clues such as learning geographic landmarks, olfactory, infrasound, and local magnetic clues help the migrating bird.
   
   The second section, "Hiatus," focused on birds and their wintering grounds, from stay-at-home year-round resident birds alongside frozen Hudson Bay to birds of steamy rainforests and the Argentine pampas. Many birds like warblers and tanagers really are tropical birds to begin with; an oriole might spend four months in its temperate breeding range but seven months in the tropics, while some Canadian warblers spend less than three months there. Some birds migrate only as far south as southern Canada or the northern U.S. to winter. Others, such as the northern finches, follow an erratic and very unpredictable pattern of migration known as an irruption, a pattern tied to seed production in their normal range that in bad years may send birds as far south as the Gulf Coast.
   
   The author discussed research on how faithful birds are to their wintering sites, debates over whether or not they are benefited by disturbed habitat, how flexible they are on their wintering grounds with regards to food and habitat, and how some species have completely different diets and habits on their wintering grounds (in some species the males and females will winter in different areas).
   
   Threats to wintering birds were well discussed, covering such topics as the use of pesticides in Latin American countries (tens of thousands of Swainson's hawks have died from pesticides in Argentina), habitat destruction, changes in coffee-growing practices (shade-grown coffee plantations still have a great deal of habitat for birds but sun-coffee or technified farms are "biological deserts"), and disease (wetland destruction has forced waterfowl and shorebirds into overloaded federal and state refuges, what one researcher called "bird ghettos").
   
   The third section, "Northbound," tracked the surge of migrants through the American Southwest, Great Plains, and the Gulf Coast. Topics of discussion often center on threats to migrating birds, including loss of hardwood forests along the Gulf Coast, a vital source of nutrients for migrating birds (increasingly usurped by industrialized pine plantations and beach homes), the loss of native grassland (a trend that is "nearly apocalyptic;" Iowa only has one-tenth of one percent left, while Minnesota has one percent left) which has caused grassland birds to decline faster, longer, and over a wider area than any other type, and the tremendous threats to breeding woodland birds due to forest fragmentation, opening up formerly deep woods to predators such as cats and also cowbirds, which are rapidly expanding their ranges and numbers and are a huge threat to eastern birds with no experience with brood parasites.



3. The detail and fluidity of this book amazes me. The author's passion for his love of birds shines through on every page. It's a work of love.
   
   I didn't begin to "bird" until my days in New Jersey (2000-2004) when I'd drive to the beautiful Jersey Shore and watch water fowl and migratory eagles, falcons and osprey nest along the banks of the braggish waters. I've been fascinated by raptors ever since, and the chapter "River of Hawks" had me longing for more.
   
   The author traveled all over North and South America, mixing in some travelogue with his more scientific paragraphs. His descriptions of Patagonia, AZ (p. 59) and Monterey, CA (p. 93) were right on target even for the non-birder.
   
   The time he spent researching, traveling, meeting with locals is astounding. He traveled to Mexico, Argentinia, Alaska, Canada, Jamaica and various places within the United States to watch the birds himself.
   
   The book ends on a melancholy note, citing the need to preserve and conserve what natural habitat we have left in the world, not just for our feathered friends, but for fish and humans. No work on nature would be complete without a passage of hope that natural nesting areas and a habitat free of toxins will prevail.
   
   This book is a must-read. Like a few other reviewers have stated, my only recommendation would be perhaps a picture, even a black-white picture, of the many birds mentioned in this book.



4. The information on bird migration is absolutely engrossing. However, the language Weidensaul uses is even more enjoyable. I kept the computer dictionary next to me while reading the book to check the beautiful language used to describe bird behavior and their habitats. This book is inspiring and thought provoking even for non-birders like me (I am likely classified as a computer geek).



5. If you enjoy nature reading you will love this book. I am not a birder, but nevertheless found this book to be an eloquent and fascinating read. Weidensaul introduces and explores a world that occurs around us every day but that few of us know anything about. He writes extremely well. Overall, a wonderful book.

5 comments about The Cockatiel Handbook.

1. I bought the book due to its high variety of cocktiel mutation pictures. As for a lot of the information - I agree that it is outdated and therefore may cause a problem. My avian vet agrees and has given me the heads up on what is best for my little guy. So far she has not been wrong and he has become a strong and beautiful bird since being seen by her. The best advice I can give any bird owner is to ALWAYS take your bird to an "Avian Vet" and believe their expertise over any book! Books are helpful but not always correct. The reason I mention an "Avian Vet" is because they specialize in birds. You wouldn't go to a foot doctor if you had a cold, so why would you take your bird to a cat/dog vet? There really is a difference and it shows in how they handle and understand your bird. They are sometimes hard to find, but worth looking for. Good luck and happy bird owning! :)



2. In Matthew M. Vriends book "The Cockatiel Handbook" you will find a lot of outdated information. Following this outdated information can have a devastating result for your cockatiel, and recommend that any new cockatiel owner purchase a book about the basic care of cockatiels that is published AFTER December 1999. Follow up-to-date information from local bird clubs and organzations, as well as having annual visits to your local avian vet. If you have any questions about basic care of your cockatiel, don't hesitate to ask your vet, pet store, or local breeder.



3. THE COCKATIEL HANDBOOK probably includes most everything you want to know about cockatiels. Matthew Vriends is a Dutch-born ornithologist/biologist with an advanced degree in zoology. He has written many books on birds, and traveled extensively all over the world including Australia, the native habitat of the Cockatiel. Dr. Vriends includes material on feeding, grooming, housing, health care, training and breeding of cockatiels which he has apparently done for years.

   In his first chapter, Vriends includes an overview of what to consider before you buy your bird. Throughout his book he elaborates on these initial points. He says costs should be a consideration if you intend to have healthy and happy birds. He includes text and photographs that show the kinds of cages, aviaries, and breeding boxes you might build to house your birds. He covers the diseases, illnesses, and accidents that can affect bird health and vet bills. He describes physical attributes of cockatiels such as hooked beaks, growing claws, and flight feathers must be addressed to avoid problems.

   Vriends suggests an appropriate diet to maintain health including the types of seeds cockatiels should eat, their vitamin requirements and vegetable preferences, and daily water intake. Vriends says the following, "No matter how hard you try, you cannot give your cockatiels the type or great variety of food they would find in the natural habitat. Birds in cages and aviaries should therefore be given a menu that is as high as possible in quality and variety...In the last few years, 'easy -to-feed pellet diets have become very popular. These types of diets can be placed in clean feeders or dispensers, and the birds can eat when and as they choose....Extruded diets are not new...but they are the newest alternative for pet birds...a cockatiel [..] that has spent it's life feeding on a diet consisting largely of seeds is not likely to become suddenly enthusiastic about extruded diets and/or pellets. Converting a bird to such a diet can sometimes be a difficult task and may require much patience. The best method...(goes on to explain his method)..." I understood Dr. Vriends to be saying pragmatic things, not championing seeds over pellets as another reviewer suggested.

   Dr. Vriends also discusses the upside and downside of whether to have more than one cockatiel and how your cockatiel might relate to children and other pets. He includes a number of photographs of children holding apparently content and loving cockatiels. He suggests ways you can interact with and protect your bird including training tips, sleeping requirements, and toys.




4. This book has wonderful pictures but that's not what counts. I was leafing through it in the bookstore and I found some outdated information. Firstly, the author recommends a mostly seed diet with some veggies, fruits, and pellets. It is now known that seeds are fattening and should be a small part of the cockatiel diet. Pellets are the main food source. He also said that grit should be in a cockatiel's cage to help digestion. Actually, sick cockatiels may eat too much grit and DAMAGE their digestive system. This guy needs to get the facts straight. The information in this book will subtract years from your bird's life if used.



5. This guy is wierd,I don't think he's owned a cockatiel in his life!! Not for the first time bird owner because of all the false info. Why 2 stars? It does have a few helpful tips and some cute pictures.OK to have on your shelf but your going to want a better one soon.(Don't buy his lovebird book either}

1 comments about Those Crazy Caiques.

1. Very good book. Lots of informative information. A must read book for caique owners.

5 comments about Companion Parrot Handbook.

1. My veterinarian recommended this book when I bought my baby lovebird. Six years later, I became a foster parent to two rescued cockatiels that had never been handled. I refer to this handbook frequently. My lovebird is a joy, and I was able to train both cockatiels to be adoptable in a couple months. Fantastic book!



2. If you have birds, getting a bird, thinking about getting a bird, would like to know about whats and whys of avian behaviour, this book is an absolute essential. It doesn't cover everything (nothing can), but it's one of the best bird books I've come across in my working in avian rescue organizations. If you can only afford one, you probably shouldn't have a parrot, but make this the first one.



3. Sally Blanchard is an authority on owning and enjoying companion birds. She is a conservation-minded individual who understands the fine line between owning companion birds and keeping wild birds in the wild. Her advice on companion birds is very thoughtful, informative, and inspiring, and I highly recommend this book to anyone wishing to obtain a companion bird. In addition to being fun and enjoyable, people need to know that taking on a bird as a companion is a lot of work, and so these animals are not for everyone. The advice Sally offers in this handbook is absolutely essential to anyone wanting to own (or currently possessing) a companion bird.



4. I breed and sell parrots and this is one book that I strongly recommend for all of my buyers to purchase. After thumbing through my copy, many buyers can't wait to order theirs and offer to buy my copy. I agree and had sold my original copy, plus a few replacement copies, before buying a box of them to have on hand for immediate purchase.
   
   As a breeder who cares about the home where my birds are going, I feel much more confident when my babies are going to someone who has read this book.



5. Just got the book and read it half-way through but already it is clear: this book is fantastic! I've had an African Grey for 24 years (now at my parent's place), moved into a new house recently, and got a Blue Indian Ringneck to liven up the place (quite a different bugga from my Jaco). So, decided to read up on Ringnecks et al. (surprisingly the Internet contains little informative data). Anyhow, I acquired several books including a couple by M. Athan (see my review). Mostly they were disappointments, esp. the behavioral ones. A lot of half-baked psycho-babble and generic tautologies that leave you almost as clueless as before (and I've had a temperamental birdy for some while).
   
   Not so with S. Blanchard's book. It is insightful, to-the-point, well-organized, well-written (entertaining parrot humor is a bonus), and makes an immediate difference. Blanchard doesn't over-generalize, ramble on about a simple point, nor does she hide behind scientific parrot factoids (I have a couple of books on the factoids) or too many second-hand hearsay. Many of her observations strike a chord (and will be useful to complete novices and non-experts alike), such as her shower-shy African Grey who feared the water spray and how she got around it. My Jaco remains to this day shower-shy, the water spray being one of her arch enemies. I've ordered another book and sent it to my parents.
   
   Perhaps the most important lesson that one gains from S. Blanchard's book is a correct attitude towards these cute & devilish buggas. Blanchard states that whereas dogs project unconditional love, with the parrot the emphasis is on conditional. Like golf which can ruin a perfectly good walk (to paraphrase M. Twain), parrots can ruin a perfectly calm existence. But what fun amidst the up-and-downs! I'm a scientist and therefore a harsh critic on what I perceive as dressed-up nonsense. This book is an unqualified gem. And the book contains but a couple of sentences that allude to ringnecks, my original problem.

5 comments about The Complete Book of Cockatiels.

1. What a fantastic book! I have read it from cover to cover, and it is my primary resource book. From a discussion of diet, to the different kinds of cockatiels to different behaviors and what they mean as well as some advice on breeding -- wow!

   If you have not bought a book about Cockatiels, or even if you have, this book *must* be added to your library.




2. But Diane Grindol is a genius!!! Her book cockatiels for dummies is excellent, informational, and entertaining. I'm sure this is too. I recommend buying both books before getting your cockatiel! If you already have one/some, get these books anyway.

   SARAH




3. I just bought this book because I just bought a cockatiel. I
   have had cockatiels when I was younger & needed a refresher course. This book has alot of information on nutrition, training, colorings of cockatiels etc. All the information you'll ever need!



4. I am an avian health care advisor and author who offers assistance to those who are thinking about acquiring a bird, or to those are experiencing diffculties with bird/s they already have. My experience with birds and other animals stems back to when I was just a very little girl, but I have foucsed primarily on parrots for the past 11 years.
   Nearly two years ago when I was presented with the opportunity to rescue a Cockatiel, and since I lack in experience when it comes to this species, I queried my avian list serv buddies about a good book on Tiels. The response was overwhelmingly that I should get a copy of The Complete Book of Cockatiels by Diane Grindol. I might add that several of those who recommended this book to me have bred Tiels for over 20 years, and although some no longer breed, they own Tiels. I got a copy right away, and I am so glad I did. This is an excellant book for many reasons...
   Diane does cover all the topics necessary for someone who is interested in getting a Cockatiel eg. requirementes of the species, and the topics a beginner would find necessary eg. ongoing care, emergencies, etc. but she also includes information that experienced Tiel folks would find very interesting eg. visual sexing and genetics. The cover is so beautiful, and is one of a kind as far as I am concerned...it is just beautiful. The pictures inside are not only beautiful but informative as well.
   Generally, when I need info. on a particular species, I will go and buy all the books I can find about it, but after reading Diane's book, I didn't do that!



5. This book is a wonderful overview of Cockatiels. It covers all the basics: Feeding, behavior, health, basic genetic info, etc. It also has wonderful pictures. I would recommend this book to not only people with cockatiels, but to owners of other parrots, too. Great book!

5 comments about The African Grey: An Owner's Guide to a Happy Healthy Pet.

1. Ms Rach seems to have tried a bit too hard to write a book for youth but seems to think you talk down to them.

   A fine try and the book does have a good deal of specific information but the detail is in all the wrong places to be of much interest to me.

   Better to buy THE AFRICAN GREY PARROT HANDBOOK, or KEEPING AFRICAN GREY PARROTS.




2. This is the bestest book I ever readed in my whole life! Yeah, that's the ticket! I have one to sell, please buy it! PLEASE! Once I sell it, I will post my actual thoughts on this wonderful wack job... I mean expert of african greys.

   The greatest advice in the entire world. Like, this book opened my eyes and made me think just like the bird does. Yeah, that's it! That's the ticket! I can speak African Grey now, because I read this wonderful book. Did I mention I am selling this book? Oy, chock full of information and history and will make you suicidal ... er I mean an expert!




3. This woman is a wack job at best. This book should be titled "The Adventures of my African Grey Sinbad!" The book is based on her bird and what little knowledge she has. You can learn more by spending 30 minutes with the guy at Petco or Petsmart. Want a good book on Parrots? Look up Mattie S. Athan!

   She gives tips in her book, then on the next page the tip goes against what she just said on the last page! For instance: Don't buy a galvanized cage for fear of poisoning. Next page tells you to let it play with a nut and bolt. HELLO! Galvanized! One page says they are creatures of routine and let it get one. The next page says don't let it get into routine. Now days anybody can get published. THe book is more about her bird who she loves so much but is nutz. Her bird is crazy, bottom line. If you buy this book, keep it in the bathroom :) Just ... incase.




4. The book is well written I can't deny that.. but the author seems too obsessed with her female Grey called Sinbad.. she doesn't even know that Sinbad is an Arabic name for males and not females. The photos indicate that the author is fond of cheap as most of the cages portrayed are offensively so. She even recommends that Birds be allowed to play with Screws and Bolts for toys.



5. i like to say thes book is very good book i am sory i can't say more coz i can't sbeke englech

5 comments about The Cat Fanciers' Association Complete Cat Book.

1. Great book to show the overview of the cat world. Gives the history, talks about shows, points, and breeds of cats. If you are getting into showing cats this books is for you.



2. My family consists of 4 members which includes our baby girl, a 3 and a half year old persian. I have been on a hunt for reading material that best describes the feline nature, behavior, needs and healthcare and I have finally found that in this book. After reading other cat care books I feel this one has a lot of fact not opinion. I would highly recommend this book whether you have a pedigree cat or not.



3. a very informative book for the cat lover, with bright color pictures, discriptions of temperment , hair color of each cat. a very good book to have on hand.



4. The book is excellent and a good source for reference regarding breeds. I also found the health information section quite informative, and would recommend it to anyone with any kind of cat.



5. After a disasterous false start with the "Encyclopedia", which was simply an outdated, mediocre European book with the CFA logo sloppily applied to it, the Cat Fanciers' Association's ambitious project to present the world of pedigreed cats to the public is finally here. The sections on the different cat breeds are written by actual experts on the breeds: CFA breed council secretaries. The section on feline health, written by one of the world's foremost "cat breeder vets", Dr. Susan Little, makes this book an indispensible part of any cat lover's library. With so much dated feline health information currently on bookshelves, it is refreshing to see this section reflect the cutting edge of feline medicine. Those with cats of less prestigious heritage than the National Award Winning pedigreed cats pictured in full-color generously throughout the book will find this volume valuable for the section on feline health alone.
   
   Congratulations, CFA, on a job well done!