5 comments about Falconry & Hawking.

1. This book is definitly not for North American falconers. Many topics seem out dated.
   
   This book does have some interesting information on glove making and bell making.



2. this book leaves no aspect on falcons uncovered , it is full of useful information , pictures and illustrations that would prove invalueble . breeds ,habits ,diet, and healthcare ...etc. thus paving the way to a great experience living and hunting with these birds.



3. For anyone seriously considering falconry this is still THE bible albeit there are some ommissions from a US perspective. I have nearly 20 years experience and have read virtually every recognised book on the subject. This is still the book I refer back to the most. A classic.



4. My argument with this book is with its American publisher and not the author. Even the author expressed a need for more updating in his preface to this 3rd edition. Although published as a revised edition in 1998 it was first published in 1978. Other than the chapter on Health and Disease chapter it has had very little editing to bring it up to date. If you are buying the book thinking you are getting up to date information relating to American falconry you will be very disappointed. The laws in the United Kingdom are very different than ours. In the United States you are required to trap your 1st bird, a Redtail or Kestrel, from the wild. The author is from England where trapping your own bird is illegal. So the information on trapping in the book is very sparse. If you turn to Appendix I for, Some Useful Address, you'll find the address for the North American Falconers Asso. invalid and an address for Pete Asborno bells even though he has passed away. The publisher's claim that this book is the most comprehensive book ever written on the sport is very debatable and with regards to American falconry is absolutely false! The book, North American Falconry and Hunting Hawks, is not only more comprehensive but also up to date. You will probably have to find it at a specialized falconry retailer but it is in print. It's now in its 8th edition and a far better choice for an aspiring American Falconer.

   With all my criticism of the publisher, I have none of the author or the book if it was properly represented. It is an excellent, modern classic falconry book that deserves to remain in print.




5. This book is the necessary book you must have with you, all is explain with simplicity, photographies and pictures. Step by step you will know everything you must know about falconry and hawking.I'm an old falconner and this book is precious for example to make hoods, lure, and pratice medical actions on our birds.

2 comments about Attracting and Feeding Backyard Birds (Animal Planet Pet Care Library).

1. I really enjoyed reading this book.
   
   The author, Carol Frischmann has a great way of dividing the birds by habits or activities, which makes it easy to find the bird by watching what it is doing such as clinging to a tree or mostly on the ground.
   
   For each of the 50 birds listed, she lists birds that it might be confused with due to similarities and indicates the differences that will help you identify the bird you are watching. She has also included pictures of these birds and lets the readers know where in North America that these birds can be found.
   
   The author gives ideas on making your yard bird friendly and how to attract the species of birds you are interested in.
   
   This is a great book for someone just starting out in birdwatching or birdfeeding that can get the whole family involved.



2. Great book for anyone wanting to know what the heck kind of bird is sitting at your feeder, OR for anyone simply wanting to attract as many birds to their yard as possible. Great pictures, easy to read -- terrific for the family.
   
   From the Everette Harald --
   
   Portland, Ore.'s Carol Frischmann has written a new book that's good for the family with children or beginner birders because it takes an ultra-basic approach.
   "Attracting and Feeding Backyard Birds" ($10, TFH/Animal Planet) is a primer that includes the top 50 feeder species, how to bring birds to your yard, experimenting with feeders, bird behavior, and birders' backyard bird activities.
   Colorfully and heavily illustrated, "Attracting" offers nest box dimensions for five species, the meaning of binocular numbers, feather basics, bird food information, seasonal behaviors, nuisance birds and more, all in small bites for a solid general introduction.

3 comments about Taming and Training Conures.

1. This book was probably good for the time it was written (1981, according to the copyright), but it is really substandard in light of nearly 2 decades of further research into bird behavior. The first half of the book is about choosing a bird, caging and nutritional requirements, and grooming (wing and nail clipping). The remainder of the book is a cursory look at basic taming (of wild-caught birds, which isn't really an issue since importing birds has been outlawed for several years), and a brief explanation of how to train. If you want a good resource for training, you'd be better off with a more current book on behavior modification (try Mattie Sue Athan's books, for example). This book is mis-titled, and should not pretend to be a real "training" book. On the bright side, it has quite a few wonderful pictures of conures.



2. This was a good book, however there was more a theatrical feel for the type of training that was covered. Also, it didn't really cover many types of training, more accurately, it suggesting what could be done--often telling you ways of playing up natural instinctive behaviors, verses training new behaviors. Philosophically I didn't agree with much of the approach used, but as with many things, it is how you view your relationship with your companion bird. A good addition to your library in any event. These birds are complex and all of the information you can find should be read.



3. excellent book! It gives you a lot of good advice to train your new bird pet.

No comments about Gouldian Finches (Complete Pet Owner's Manual).

2 comments about The Mating and Breeding of Poultry.

1. This book has information that is out of date. There is little, if any, revisions to accomodate modern poultry production. I have even found references in other books referring to what this book has wrong. If you like to read historical accounts, this may be for you. I wouldn't attempt to apply much of what I read in today' world, though!



2. Everyone who wants to breed their poultry and wants some idea of what they will produce should buy this book. It is readable, not dry, and also a nice size for carrying around.

5 comments about Cockatiels (Complete Pet Owner's Manuals).

1. I am a recent cockatiel owner and this book helped answer many of my questions. I refer to the book often and it has been invaluable.



2. Though I have owned three Budgies before, I had never previously owned a Cockatiel,(I recently bought two) so I bought this book to learn a little more about them. It was a good, basic book, but I would not recommend this book to a seasoned owner, as they would almost most certainley not learn anything new. I would, however, recommend this book to a first time bird owner, as they would learn a great deal.



3. I'm a new cockatiel owner my husband got it for me for a birthday present actually early birthday present. I have read and re read the book over and over again. I still enjoy it.Also I look for information on cockatiels on the internet so I feel pretty well set on information I need.I got the bird on August 13,2001 from a breeder in town.He's a emerald cockatiel which is a recessive gene mutation. His name is Tristan Jade and I call him "Jade" for short.I have really enjoyed him tremendously :)Cockatiels are amazing birds!This book has all the things I needed to know.If you miss something then you can look it up in the index at the back of the book or read the pages over.You will see something you missed.



4. If you've owned cockatiels for a long time, this book is not for you. But if you're just beginning, like me, this book gives a great overview of all the things you need to consider when buying and taking care of a cockatiel. This book gives you basic information about feeding, maintenance, and characteristics of this great bird. By giving a brief and user friendly introduction to cockatiels, the author allows you to find the areas which require additional research based on your situation. Overall I'd say this book deserves an A++.



5. For some great advice email me at humorgirl86@hotmail.com. I have owned a cockatiel for 8 years and have alot of expierience. This book is informative on housing, feeding, breeding and healing. It has great pictures but, it's not the pictures that make the book it's the words! It doesn't go into great detail about everything. It hardly has a page on training and that doesn't even help if at all. Sure it may seem good but once you read it, it really isn't that good at all. I say that you should go to the pet store or book store and actually read the book or scan it to make sure that it has what you want. Petsmart and Petco are great pet stores that have plenty of books and all the needs for a cockatiel.

No comments about Long-Distance Pigeon Racing.

5 comments about African Gray Parrot: Purchase, Acclimation, Care, Diet, Diseases With a Special Chapter on Understanding the African Gray Parrot (A Complete Pet Owner's Manual).

1. This book is obviously dated as it was written back when wild caught birds were available due to the fact that domestic raised birds were difficult to find. Annette, therefore gives information on taming a frightened bird instead of on a new baby African Grey Parrot loving to be cuddled.
   
   She provides good information on the need for proper sized cages & play areas as well as information on making your bird's own climbing structure.
   
   She has listed a good selection of foods to feed your bird, although there is no mention of a pelleted diet, which has now become a good basic staple in many birds' diets.
   
   She has a section on diseases & how to keep your bird healthy with good information for you to follow.
   
   The section on Understanding African Gray Parrots is very thorough and informative. This section, combined with the good information in several of the other sections, outweigh the dated information in a couple of the other sections of the book.



2. The publications (books) will be rated as soon as I have read them 2 times. However I would like to write an ordinary paper for publication in a well recommended international journal.

   Can you recommend one? Or shall I surch for it myself?

   The topic should include: How to bye an African Grey. Do not mix up parrots and dogs. Dogs, the humans establiched contact with 14.000 B.C. (Boessneck, 1985). Coresponding time for parrots is 200 years. Education of dogs is based on punischment/reward. That does not work on parrots. The parrot indetifies the punisher as a hawk or an other kind of predator.

   Just a first idea of the content for a short publication from a beginner i this "field of science". Time for sending the paper to referees approx, April-01.

   I am a professor in metallurgy since 1983 (metals forming) and have written written other kinds of articles outside my professional discipline( Fish for aquarium, "Tropheus" from the lake of Tanganyika in Africa)

   So I am not a beginner in writing

   Ulf




3. This book has some good info if you dig really deep and know what you are looking for. It talks about things to do to your AG that are out of date, and could be bad to your birds health. It also speaks of taking the birds out of the jungle, which does not happen very much any more, if at all. If you want a good book about african greys, look at the copyright date, it says a lot.



4. I found that there was a lot of good information in this book, HOWEVER, the author speaks about the bird being "captured from the jungle" and brought into a domestic situation. I CAN NOT stress how much that this is the absolute WRONG way to obtain ANY bird. When purchasing African Grey's (and any other animal for that matter) make absolute CERTAIN that it came from a domesticated breeder, and NOT from the wilderness.



5. if you could direct me in the area of a author who writes about the african gray parrot in spanish, version i would be most thnkful

No comments about Finches As a New Pet.

2 comments about The Canary: An Owner's Guide toa Happy Healthy Pet.

1. Diane Grindol has written another useful and interesting book for the bird owner's library - THE CANARY. This little book is a good basic volume with diet, grooming and other health care tips including a section on various ailments such as mites, cysts, and canary pox. In various sidebar sections Grindol includes a recipe for pellet muffins, the benefits of formulated diets and and how to turn seeds into nutritious treats by sprouting them. Her sections on cages and cage supplies, as well as perch choices are probably cover some of the most important aspects of canary ownership. Apparently, canaries can become ill if they sit on the same sized perches all day.

   I did not find this book any more useful than the Barron's handbooks on canaries although it does include a few different features. My book is a hardback and will probably last longer than the books with paper covers. This book includes many charming photos as do the other books I purchased - however, two of them show a canary with a Siamese cat, which made me wonder about the advisability of letting a cat so near a canary, even for a photo op. The book includes a description of the most common canary, the `German Roller' which apparently has the most beautiful song. A useful feature of this book is the list of Internet sites you can visit if you really want to investigate canaries in detail.




2. This is a great book for any canary lover. Before I read this book I did not know much about this animal other than seeing him getting chased by Sylvester. Diane writes wonderfully, you will be through with the book before you know it! Clearly an expert in the field, her love for these birds is obvious as you read this book. Whether you own a canary now, or are just thinking about getting one, you must get this book!