4 comments about What Bird Did That?: A Driver's Guide to Some Common Birds of North America.

1. 
   With all the great Field Guides around it is becoming quite simple to identify a new bird.You are out birding and see a bird sitting atop a tree.You line it up in your bins,take note of the field marks,check your trusty guide,and Presto!You have just found a Painted Bunting.Now,let's crank it up a notch.You're driving along a back road,and SPLAT!!What was that?Now you're in the big league of bird identification.Here's where this book comes to the rescue.Yep! now you can stop the car and check out the characteristics of the splat and determine what bird paid you a visit.This book describes what matches your splat."Small,sometimes only the size of a grain of rice.The coiled,rather gaudy and squishy nucleus is delightfully encapsulated in a semi-opaque,frothy envelope."What you got here,my friend, is also a Painted Bunting;but indentified in a whole new way!However if this is what you got,"Messy and generous,with a definite tendency to splood.The thick,creamy envelope sometimes contains solids of bilious yellow (partly digested gristle and fat) that add a sprightly dash of color to the splay."Check the book,what you got this time is our old friend,the Turkey Vulture.
   So,if you want to improve your image with your birding friends get hold of this book and amaze them at the next SPLAT.
   Oh yeah;another thing,just in case that splat was with the compliments of a bat instead of a bird;this book will also help you make the differentiation.
   A great gift for you or your birdwatching friend.



2. This is a short guidebook to birds with its smart tongue planted deep in its cheek. It's copiously illustrated with photographs of bird droppings (splays) on car windshields and instructions on how to tell what
   species of bird they came from. As the authors say: "A knowledge of each splay is essential to fully describe and understand the variations in ornithological dejecta." It's largely by taking the subject exactly
   that faux seriously, but then subverting it with the choice of topic and some very funny invented vocabulary, that they elicit laughs. Here, for instance, is one of their terms of art and its definition:

   audibon: Soft sound made by avian dejecta as it strikes a windshield and forms a splay. Audi (l) sound, bon (fr) good, literally, good sound.

   The book's kind of a one-trick pony, but a very amusing trick.

   GRADE: B+




3. I'd never heard of this book (1991) til 2001. It's incredibly funny. Written in a pseudo-audobon style, each page has a perky 1x1" picture of the species of interest, and a sharp, color 4x4" photo of its supposed bird splat. (whether globby, loose, white, gray, yellow, small, large, starburst-like, etc). Very very funny.



4. This is a great book and has a great web site too, at, http://easyweb.easynet.co.uk./~design.machine-tanya/ Good book! Great site!

5 comments about The Conure Handbook (Barron's Pet Handbooks).

1. Book was very good and informative. Order received very quick - within 5 days. Thank you.



2. This is a nice book for someone who is THINKING about gettin a conure. There is plenty there about different kinds of conures, what kind of behavior to expect, what type of cage to get, etc. Unfortunately, if you already have one, there isn't enough solid, tested information on things like symptoms and behaviors, things that are keys to understanding what your bird needs. I was hoping to see something on how to get rid of bad behaviors, how to properly interact with the bird to avoid them, but found very little on that. I'd also like to see some in-line references to other reading material - instead I ended up spending barely an hour reading this book and put it away with almost as many questions as I had before.



3. This is a great manual for any conure owner. I own several books regarding conures & this is the only one I like so much it has prompted me to share my feelings in regards to its contents!
   
   Contains great, practical, need to know, want to know, should know info for novices & pros alike. This book contains info on everything from selecting a conure to feeding (including highlighted, bulleted lists of treats & danger foods), health & hygiene (including how to clip wings & nails), cage sizes/accessories, living w/ Conures, behaviour & training.
   
   I lived on a farm growing up & worked for a veterinarian who specialized in exotics (we saw & treated a lot of birds) so I consider myself to be relatively knowledgable about most animals & I was still quite impressed with this book!



4. I thought this book was great for all conure owners, or if you are considering a conure. The information given was on the basics like feeding, housing, illnesses; what to watch out for. Foods, do's and don'ts....DON'T feed your conure avocado, it will kill your bird! I wouldn't have known this if I didn't research. I highly recommend this book if you are considering owning any type of conure!
   GREAT BOOK with GREAT INFO!



5. This book does a good job at covering many aspects of the conure family. Detailed are the different species, thoughts about purchasing and housing consideration, daily maintenance and basic behavior modifications.
   
   If you're thinking about obtaining a conure or general information, this is a great 1st read.

3 comments about Canaries (Complete Pet Owner's Manual).

1. CANARIES by Otto von Frisch, and translated by Matthew Vriends includes many wonderful photographs of canaries in various stages of development, eating and playing and flying. The material in this book is not very different from the CANARY HANDBOOK written by Vriends and also published by Barron's, but the additional photos are nice, and the "Dangers for Your Canary' are important for new bird owners. This list includes dangers for `free-flying" canaries, which von Frisch seems to encourage (free-flying that is, not dangers).

   Von Frisch includes helpful hints about what to do if your free-flying canary shows no inclination to return to his cage after you let him out, as well as how to create "favorite spots" for the birds outside the cage for the bird to use. In "Life with a Canary" von Frisch discusses diet. He suggests storing bird seed in the refrigerator in tight fitting containers. The cool dry air keeps the seed from spoiling, however, if you are like me with 11 birds, you may not have room for much of anything else. His list of things to add to the bird's menu includes old favorites such as spray millet and home-cooked treats.

   The photos in this book are amazing with many action shots. In a section entitled "Understanding Behavior", von Frisch includes 8 photos with text showing various examples of bird behavior including bath taking and beak cleaning. CANARIES is a nice little "how-to" book filled with information for the new canary owner.




2. This is a well-written book with plenty of photographs, and thoroughly helpful information on raising these amazing little birds (I can attest to this since I have raised them for many years.) He gives good data on all the different canary types, how to feed and care for them, etc.

   The only glitch I noticed was that he makes reference to color-fed birds being endangered by "synthetic color substances" without citing data/studies or naming chemicals. This is confusing to a beginner, especially since more than half the photos in his book are of color-fed birds! He doesn't discuss the crucial role the Venezualian red siskin in the formation of "red-factor" canaries, nor of the fact that beta-carotene is essential in both the siskin's diet in the wild and the red-factor's diet in captivity.

   A more complete book would be Barron's "New Canary Handbook"; "Coloured,Type and Song Canaries," by Walker and Avon, and of course, Linda Hogan's classic "Canary Tales." The last is still in print and highly recommended.




3. This book was bought on a whim by a canary keeper of many years. It completely rethinks the canary as a pet, revolutionizes care, e.g. your canary will now be flying around your home and is insightful in all sorts of ways. Alas many of the suggested products are no longer readily available in the US where the canary has been falling out of popularity, first to the budgie and now the larger parrots. A strong and enthusiastic recommendation.

5 comments about African Grey Parrots: Everthing About History, Care, Nutrition, Handling, and Behavior (Complete Pet Owner's Manual).

1. It is a great book, answering everything an owner has to know for an African Grey parrot.



2. I recently read Maggie's book and was very delighted with it. I have never owned a bird, but have always been fascinated by them. This book really put some things in perspective for a complete novice on the nature of these birds. I think it is a very good guide for those of us who know absolutely nothing about them but would like to. Maggie was recently a guest on our online radio show and it was wonderful to hear her birds talking in the background as we spoke and listen to her share her complete love of and admiration for these wonderful birds.
   
   This book has beautiful photography to go along with Maggie's simple to understand and implement writing in this book and I highly recommend it.



3. This little book is packed with information about how to care for, and be a good companion to, the incredibly intelligent African Grey parrot. It's a very good how-to with lots of advice and information - and more importantly, for those considering bringing one of these amazing birds into their families, it provides a good synopsis about the nature of the lifetime commitment that comes with that decision.
   
   So please - if you're a new Grey owner, or just thinking about buying one, pick up this book. You'll be glad you did.



4. Amazon is a very Good service .. no waiting around ;)
   an this book ha ha was very Nice only problem was so Nice I Ordered it twice an sent a copy to Mother as We both have African Grey Parrots an She said Richard
   .. thats the Book I already sent to You
   so Yes very Nice Book !



5. Book give us all knowledge to start take care of african grey parrots.
   
   Very good Book

1 comments about Living With Peacocks.

1. This book gave me a deeper understanding about peacocks, and how to capture them and turn them into pets. Since reading this book, I've captured 7 peacocks, and have kept them all as pets. (Recently though, I released all 7 peacocks because I got tired of them. Peacocks live boring lives when in captivity.)
   
   If you enjoy peacocks, and want to know about turning peacocks into pets, this book is for you.

5 comments about Eclectus Parrots.

1. I bought this book before getting my eclectus parrot and I found it to cover everything I can think of I could possibly want to know. Shows pictures of Eclectuses displaying different body languages and their explanations. Covers diets,differences between sub-species,covering a cage or not to cover and much more. Lots of pictures too.



2. Very using useful guide to help you take care of your eclectus bird. Nice pictures. Easy read. Sound advices.



3. This is a concise and helpful guide for all those who reside with an Eclectus parrot or hope to do so soon. Eclectus are unique in important ways other than being sexually dimorphic (males and females look different). They also do not do well on seed or pellet diets fed to many parrots. The book covers care of your bird, how to provide necessary intellectual stimulation with safe toys, information about common health problems and lots of other information critical to the well-being of your feathered friend.



4. I just received my copy of the book from the mail. My first impression was that it was quite thin. I was hoping for more information about breeding and aviary design, but the sections dealing with those topics were quite short. I was hoping to find a section wherein hybrids were thoroughly discussed and if a hybrid bird would have any deformities later on or if they would lead to infertile offspring.
   
   Also, I was hoping to find more detailed analysis, and photographic documentation (probably pictures of different races perching side by side for comparison) of the different races.
   
   Anyway, except for the above-mentioned items, I found the book quite useful specially for beginners like myself.



5. I received this book when I purchased my Eclectus and I am glad it was given to me. It is rather informative and to the point and is easy for a new parrot parent to find information. It has rescued me on many occassions. The only thing I wish it had was a more detailed section on illness and symptoms to watch for. Otherwise , I would hightly recommend this book for anyone considering getting one of these parrots.

2 comments about Raising Game Birds.

1. The book was exactly what I needed. I was going to be raising game birds to release into the wild. The book was informative and gave me the details that I needed to get started.



2. This book needs to be updated, especially the information on sales and marketing. "Housewives" today probably make up considerably less market than bistros. It also advocates using multiflora rose as a fence, which was popular 20 years ago. Most areas are now trying to eradicate this uncontrollable, nasty weed. There is also little info on domestic ducks. The book does, however, provide some good info and is worth the $12.

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

1. This book starts off with one of my pet peeves - giving the name American Parakeet to the sweet little Australian Budgie or Budgerigar. They are not American birds at all - although they certainly are one of many different parakeets.
   
   The author, Nikki Moustaki is very knowlegable about these wonderful birds. She gives excellent advice on deciding if a budgie is right for your home.
   
   Throughout the book, markings in the margins indicate interesting and helpful tips, warnings and reminders.
   
   The chapter "Polly Want a Cracker?" has excellent advice on feeding your budgie. Of course variety is essential and Nikki gives a great list of foods to provide interest and variety.
   
   The chapter "Come Here Often?" provides great information to help you understand common budgie behaviours, including some problem behaviours. The author also provides great taming and training advice here.
   
   It is obvious while reading this book that Nikki Moustaki loves these little birds. She talks about her own Parakeets/Budgies as examples, telling us what they enjoy. This is a great book for beginners and even experienced budgie owners may find information that they didn't know before.

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

1. This is a pretty cute book. Funny yet informative. Its worth a read.



2. I've had cockatiels for years and just accepted their behavior as eccentric (which it is). Finally someone has shown me in a humorous way why they do some of those incomprehensable things. Cockatiels are still a little weird, but now I understand them a lot better.



3. I think this is a book and certainly a good gift for someone you know who has cockatiels as me.



4. If you are an already experienced bird owner, you probably won't learn much you don't already know, but you will certainly get a good laugh out of it!
   The illustrations are great and even though you can get through the entire book in about 10 minutes, I thought it was worth the low price.
   It would also be a great book if you have cockatiels and want to help young children who are just learning to read to understand the birds better!



5. If you are a recent cockatiel buyer or just want to know why your cockatiel does some curious things, this is a good book for you. I found it very helpful explaining some of the things my cockatiel does.

5 comments about Lovebird Handbook, The (Barron's Pet Handbooks).

1. If I had to pick one book that should be obligatorial to anyone purchasing a lovebird, this one would be it.
   
   It covers pretty much everything you need to know about the purchase, care and feeding, housing, safety, breeding and, last but not least, the lovebirds bodylanguage. I think they've successfully covered the basics. I would, however like to see a little more about games you can do together with your bird, that they enjoy. Tricks ain't something that comes naturually to them and talking is extremely rare in lovebirds. A guy I know use to tear up old newspaper in a bowl and hide treats under the paper-pieces. They'll sort of dig under the paper with their beak, or entire head, and pick up treats. His birds love this, they're whistling and cheering.
   
   "Owning a bird", he once told me, "ain't nothing like owning a dog. If you're nice to the dog it will be nice to you, but birds are a little harder to get a grip at"
   
   It's a beautiful little book. There's huge, pretty photos spread through it.



2. This is the 6th book I've read about lovebirds, and my favorite one. It has alot of history on the birds, and also talks about training them, how to handle them when they first come home, diseases, and how to feed them and even a chapter on breeding. Very complete, and has so many pictures that it makes it hard not to read. I recommend it!



3. The book has some basic review of lovebirds but fills the rest of the book with explanations of genetics and the mutations and pictures of all the lovebird mutations. It wasn't particularly what I was looking for. I wanted to know their habits, personalities, etc. as I was not looking to breed lovebirds.



4. Excellent communication, fast postage.
   The book I received has all the information I would ever hope to need.



5. EVERYTHING IN THIS BOOK IS GIVEN IN GOOD DETAILS, YOU CAN LEARN SOMETHING FROM IT. I RECOMMEND IT