Birds For Dummies

"Filled with the information every bird-owner...needs." Joel Murphy, DVM, ABVP, author of How to Care For Your Pet Bird Praise for Birds for Dummies(r) "Squawk about this! A lighthearted...informative book about the care and maintenance of our fine-feathered friends." - Gary A. Gallerstein, DVM, author of The Complete Bird Owner's Handbook "At last - a book that contains more than just pretty bird pictures. This was fun to read. It is clear, concise, factual, useful, and understandable." -Linda Biggi, owner, Bird Gardens Full-color guide to pet birds inside! "You will not be disappointed." Walter Rosskopf, Jr., DVM, Dipl. ABVP Certified in Avian Practice Get the word on birds! From finches and canaries to conures and macaws, this friendly guide describes the species that make the best pets, explains how to select the bird who's best for you, offers tips on bonding with your feathered friend, and provides expert advice on feeding and grooming. Discover how to: Choose the right bird for your budget and lifestyle Create a bird-friendly environment Minimize noise and mess Keep your bird groomed, fit, and healthy Bond with your bird Get smart! www.dummies.com Register to win cool prizes Browse exclusive articles and excerpts Get a free Dummies Daily(TM) e-mail newsletter Chat with authors and preview other books Talk to us, ask questions, get answers

Create a "home tweet home" for this colorful, lively bird This plain-English guide helps readers find the right parakeet and offers expert advice on feathering his nest, from setting up the cage and selecting foods to keeping messes at bay. Readers will discover how to groom a parakeet, recognize the symptoms of illness, and keep a parakeet safe from other pets. They will also see how to teach a parakeet to talk, understand parakeet behavior, and find an avian veterinarian.

Parrots make a wonderful alternative to the traditional pet. They’re as loving, intelligent, companionable, and entertaining as a cat or a dog but they surpass them by far in many other ways. They don’t require walks around the block, they’re perfect for apartment living, most have long life spans, and they’re full of personality. Besides, when was the last time you saw a vibrant blue cat or had a conversation with a talking dog? Whether you are just thinking about buying a parrot or you’ve had parrots for years, Parrots for Dummies is full of helpful information about how to be the best parrot guardian you can be. Parrots for Dummies is packed full of useful tips, hints, reminders, and warnings about everything related to parrots and their care, including: Picking a parrot Bringing a new parrot home Parrot behavior made simple Taming and training your bird Travel tips Author Nikki Moustaki, avian care and behavior consultant and author of Parakeets for Dummies, gives you all of her experienced advice about owning, caring for, and loving parrots. She draws on her professional knowledge as well as her personal familiarity with the bird to show you how to make the most of your parrot-guardian relationship. She includes information on: Purchasing and adopting a parrot Proper housing and food Parrot illnesses and diseases Correcting behavioral problems Living in a multiple parrot household Breeding and showing parrots In addition to all the help and guidance, Parrots for Dummies comes with a full-color insert with pictures of over 25 different kinds of parrots to help you choose a new pet that catches your eye or find your existing pet’s nearest relation. So whether you’re buying your first parrot or looking for some advice about an old friend, Parrots for Dummies has something for you.

Friendly advice on proper finch care Of all the birds kept as pets-16.5 million in American homes-none are as widely diversified as finches, which hail from nearly every corner of the globe. This fun, practical guide provides finch owners and those deciding if they want to bring a finch into their home with expert guidance in raising this delightful bird. It covers choosing the right species of finch, health care, housing and supplies, feeding, training, and how to have fun and maintain the best relationship with a finch.

Your one-stop guide to caring for your avian companion Pet birds are intelligent, affectionate, and rewarding companions. No matter what bird you choose, you need to set up a happy home for him with the right stuff. You also need to keep your bird healthy by performing routine care and knowing what a healthy bird looks like and how he behaves. This friendly guide describes the birds that make the best pets, explains how to select the bird that's best for you, offers tips on bonding with your feathered friend, and provides expert advice on feeding and environmental enrichment that will keep these intelligent pets engaged. Benefit from a full-color guide to pet birds Choose the right bird based on your budget and lifestyle Create a bird-friendly environment that minimizes noise and mess Bond with your winged pet If you’re ready for your love of birds to take flight, this book has everything you need.

Natural-born charmers, cockatiels are small colorful parrots native to the Australian desert. When raised by people, they’re usually calm and cuddly and have an inquisitive, adventurous disposition. Cockatiels are just large enough to be handled easily, but they’re not so big that they require a great deal of space in your home. And while the cockatiel’s gentle nature and captivating personality encourage you to form close and lasting relationships with them, taking one into your life brings with it a host of specific requirements and responsibilities that you really need to be aware of before you take the leap into being a cockatiel owner. Written by a leading national expert on companion birds and a lifelong cockatiel owner and breeder, Cockatiels For Dummies is your total guide to adopting, caring for, and forming a loving relationship with one or more of these diminutive parrots. It gets you up to speed on how to: Decide if a cockatiel is right for you and your family Select a healthy cockatiel Provide a suitable indoor environment Supply a satisfying and nutritious diet for your pet Train your cockatiel Communicate with your bird through body language Interpret your bird’s moods Breed cockatiels for fun and profit Author Diane Grindol provides loads of sensible, easy-to-follow advice along with fun facts, trivia, amusing and informative anecdotes, and tips on how to have a great time with your feathered friend. Among other important topics, she fills you in on what you need to know about: The pros and cons of pet stores versus breeders when choosing a cockatiel Assessing a bird’s health and disposition and getting a health guarantee Feeding, grooming, caring for, and socializing your pet Exercising your cockatiel Training your bird to be a great companion Keeping your little pal happy and healthy for life A fun guide for you and your cockatiel, Cockatiels For Dummies is the only book you’ll need to help you have the best possible experience with this smart, perky, incredibly loveable avian breed.

This book presents a detailed guide to hand-rearing techniques for raising young birds, providing complete coverage of a wide variety of avian species and taxonomic groups for all avian care professionals. Chapters are written by expert rehabilitation, aviculture, and zoo professionals, and include useful references and bibliographies for further reading and research. Each chapter provides valuable information on appropriate intervention, housing, feeding, and care. Hand-Rearing Birds, Second Edition presents 50 chapters, including 12 new chapters on species or groups of species not featured in the previous edition. It also features color photographs that help illustrate many concepts pertinent to birds. This important reference: Offers a detailed guide to hand-rearing techniques including species-specific guides to caring for and raising young birds Covers a wide variety of avian species and taxonomic groups Discusses how to examine a chick to identify problems such as hypothermia, dehydration, injuries, and common diseases, and what to do Combines information on the science and skill needed to successfully hand-rear birds Presents full-color photographs throughout Hand-Rearing Birds, Second Edition is an essential resource for avian rehabilitators, breeders, veterinarians, and zoo staff.