Reviews (5)

My sparrow can now talk
I hate those pesky birds that poop all over my car so one day I set a trap and caught one of the blighters, a sparrow to be exact. My intention was to give him to the crows to eat but I happened to come across this rather interesting book and took it upon myself to see what results I could get. The logic was that if I could teach him to speak I could tell him I wasn't happy with his kind pooping on my car and he would then tell his buddies that I was not happy and bring an end to that rather messy behaviour. Anyway, after trying the book out for 2 weeks I was able to teach the bird over 400 words..AMAZING. I was able to ascertain that the sparrow was in fact a practicing Hindu who was a cow in the previous life and a trappist monk before that..he was hoping to be turned into a dog in the next life as they get treated better than humans on this planet (except in Korea) and he was sick of being treated like crap. Great book.

Teaching Your Bird to Talk
When I bought this book I thought I was buying a book that would help me teach my parrot to talk. Although I do know that there are no guarantees about which bird will talk and what method works, I wanted tips and advice on how to help my parrot learn.
This book has good basic information for the beginner in bird care or ownership as well as advanced information.
Two authors have teamed up to write this book titled Teaching Your Bird to Talk.The two of them have plenty of experience with birds.
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Subjects:  1. Birds    2. Parrots    3. Pets    4. Talking birds    5. Training    6. Birds, including cage birds    7. Pets / Birds   

Reviews (6)

Great guide for the do-it-yourselfers
The entire book is clear, concise and very informative. It is BY FAR the best book that I've found on building an aviary and it's sooo easy to follow. The pictures and illustrations are top notch.

Easy to follow
I'm not a professional reviewer or anything like that, I guess don't have the time or the desire to read a bunch of books, but this book helped me a lot. I'm also not a professional builder, but I remodeled an existing building that I had and built my own cages according to the plans in the book. We raise parakeets and our small business helps my wife and I supplement our social security.

Hmmmmm.
Three five-star reviews written in perfect blurb style by reviewers who have not reviewed any other books? I would like an assesment from someone who sounds less like a relative of the author. Anybody out there? ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Pets / Birds    2. Aviaries    3. Birdhouses    4. Birds    5. Cage birds    6. Design and construction    7. Nest building    8. Nests    9. Pets   

Reviews (28)

Excellent parrot entertainment!
Lots of great ideas for novice and experienced bird keepers. Cheap and easy ways to keep your birds mentally and physically healthy.

parrot-toys and play areas
great book if you want to save lots of money easy to read and make stuff gives cost to make also

How to keep you parrot mentally healthy and happy.
This book will show you how to make those cool toys in the pet store for a fraction of the price. I never imagined there were so many things Gracie and I could play with that are already in our home! She shows me new things we can get into every day! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Birds    2. Parrots    3. Pets    4. Pets / Birds    5. Toys   

Reviews (65)

excelent
Every parrot owner should read this book.A must for understanding why parrots do what they do, and how to alter and change any undesirable behaviours your bird may have. Very informative and full of helpful advice.

For less than the price of a new bird toy!
OK, the majority of reviews of this book are excellent with a few really bad ones but here's the deal.
Well behaved parrots
This book is a good one for anyone who is considering a pet bird. It is wonderfully written by a lady who is well respected as someone with much avian knowledge. I recommend this book to anyone who cares about pet birds. Not just for parrot owners,all bird owners ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Behavior    2. Birds    3. Parrots    4. Pets    5. Training    6. Birds, including cage birds    7. Pets / Birds   

Reviews (20)

Every parrot-owner should have this book
This is truly an outstanding book.The author is a bird-whisperer, having great insight into dealing with parrots, as the special intelligent and talented beings they are.So many interesting suggestions on all aspects of a parrot's life.I'm very grateful to Bobbi Brinker.

For the Love of Greys
This book is a must for new owners of greys!

great book
I have learned so much with this book. I recomend it highly to any who gets a gray. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Animals    2. Birds    3. General    4. Pets    5. Pets / Birds    6. African gray parrot    7. Parrots    8. Pets / General   

Reviews (10)

Great book
I'm so glad I purchased this book.It gave me the information I need to raise a happy, well-adjusted bird.The information on body language was quite helpful.

Parrot Training: A Guide to Taming and Gentling You Avian Companion
there is a lot ofinformation in this book.

Great book but beware ...
I have had my African Grey for about a three weeks and have been reading everything I could get my hands on before I brought her home.I really loved this book, but wanted to let folks know that this book is a reprint of the book by the same author titled "The Pleasures of Their Company: An Owner's Guide to Parrot Training [Hardcover]. Don't make the same mistake I made and order both. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Birds    2. Parrots    3. Pets    4. Training    5. Birds, including cage birds    6. Pets / Birds   

Editorial Review

When Irene Pepperberg, a professor at the University of Arizona, says goodnight, she typically hears the reply "Bye. I'm gonna go eat dinner. I'll see you tomorrow." Though the response itself is not unusual, the source is, for it comes from Alex, a gray parrot, Pepperberg's main research subject for the past 22 years. That parrots can talk is well known; what Pepperberg set out to study was their cognitive abilities. By teaching the bird the meaning--not just the sound--of words in order to communicate, she hoped to discover how his brain worked. She exhaustively details her fascinating results in Read more

Reviews (8)

Excellent information, but ridiculously tough to read
The work that Irene Pepperberg and Alex have done is incredible, and this book would be fascinating if the "Notes" were included in the text and the references were footnoted at the end of the book or at the bottom of the page.While the use of APA style substantiates the credibiltiy of her research and increases the book's value as an intellectual property, it is difficult to find a complete sentence without multiple references cited in parentheses scattered throughout. This makes the normal "flow" of reading almost impossible, and unnecessarily compromises both enjoyment and ease of comprehension.Definitely read this book if you're interested, but keep the aspirin close for the headache you're bound to get while trying to sort out the legitimate text from the references.

A bit too technical for my tastes...
Yes, the intelligence and ability of parrots to communicate concepts IS interesting. But wow! This book has far too much technical detail to keep me turning pages. I bought the book to learn abouthow Alex was trained and how he progressed through the training. But the book goes into too much detail about Pepperberg's scientific and psychological study to keep me awake. Certainly not bedtime reading. I only wish she'd written the book I wanted to read.

No parrot jokes please
I can almost hear Irene Pepperberg saying that to us as she describes the significance of THE ALEX STUDIES. She herself offers a few humorous anecdotes about Alex, but for the most part there is definitely nothing funny about this book. It's written in a deliberately prosaic style for the following reasons. The very tendency for the media and general public to treat Alex as simply the "talking parrot", when in reality his vocalizations represent something much more important in terms of animal cognition and communication. Also stemming from the fact that her findings about bird cognition are so significant, Pepperberg in making her case to scientific colleagues, writes with them in mind. She is incredibly detailed in describing her experiments and the controls used. This is in order to avoid the possibility of cueing and thus comparisons to "clever Hans"; she wants to remove the possibility of persons saying the evidence is that most dreaded scientific epithet - merely "anecdotal". The book is replete with references and Pepperberg places them in the body of her text instead of as footnotes. The book is not a smooth read and only a scientist could describe it as "a delightful and easy read" as ethologist Marc Bekoff says on the cover. This is not a popular science book. But equally it takes an evoltionary biologist and ornithologist to see the "groundbreaking" significance of the book as Bernd Heinrich does. Read more

Subjects:  1. African gray parrot    2. Animal communication    3. Behavior    4. Birds & Birdwatching - General    5. Cognition in animals    6. Cognitive Psychology    7. Communication    8. Experimental Psychology    9. Life Sciences - Zoology - General    10. Psychology    11. Science    12. Animal behaviour    13. Birds (ornithology)    14. Birds, including cage birds    15. Cognitive theory    16. Science / General   

Reviews (14)

Bird owners manual
An excellent book that is easy to use as a reference and has the most current thinking on the correct way to care and feed birds.

The Complete Pet Bird Owner's Handbook by Gary A. Gallerstein [Hardcover]
This book was purchased for historical purposes only to see how far we have come in aviculture.
As the title indicates, this book is "complete".
As the title indicates, this book is "complete". Dr. Gallerstein starts off with a chapter to really make a person think about whether a pet bird would be right for you. If the answer to this is "yes", he then goes on to help you decide which bird you should be looking for - age, size, noise level, how to pick a healthy bird, etc.
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Subjects:  1. Birds    2. Pets    3. Pets / Birds    4. Pets / Reference    5. Reference   

Reviews (40)

Hilarious!!!
Once I read the first chapter of the psychotic bunny and began reading about the second chapter of a neurotic parrot, I was hooked.The second and third chapters were especially laugh-out-loudable, when Bob is describing the parrots and parakeets that his wife convinces him to get.This story somehow reminds me of what I did to my own husband, only instead of birds it was cats he was enslaved by until I rescued his manhood and adopted two dogs from the shelter.
True life is stranger than fiction
When I first started this book, I didn't realize it was true.It read like a fabulous novel.The animal stories are amazing.Whether you are an animal lover or not, you will get captured by this engaging tale. It is very well written and flows smoothly though it has many little stories within.I loved how it gave you a chance to know each animal.I didn't want the book to end, but I loved the ending.

A Nice Way to Spend a Few Summer Days
I grabbed this off the shelf of my local independent bookstore, and was surprised to see the author lived in my state. Then I was even more shocked when I realized the author lived in my dad's hometown a short ways from my house! I was thrilled to be able to read the book and recognize all the landmarks and place settings. It was really refreshing.
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Subjects:  1. Biography & Autobiography    2. Biography/Autobiography    3. Birds    4. Essays    5. General    6. Personal Memoirs    7. Pets    8. Biography & Autobiography / Personal Memoirs    9. PETS / General   

Reviews (24)

Love Chickens!
Beautiful photographs and interesting information.Great coffee table book!A book you can enjoy for years to come and a great conversation starter!!!

Lots of beautifull pics and great info!
It's really amazing the amount of pictures with full details! I found it lovable! The amount of information it has it IS enough and great! If you don't know anything about chickens or don't know how many diferent kind of breed are in the world, this book it's perfect.It gives you everything you need to know straight to the point! And for those that love chickens it's a perfect addition to their books collection!

Extraordinary Extra Extraordinary Chickens
If you dislike chickens, avoid this book.If you want dense text with footnotes and no pictures, avoid this book.If neither applies, you should buy it. As a follow-on to Extraordinary Chickens, it continues the tradition of magnificent birds, poses and photography, organized so you can have a feast of picture-watching and, if you like, methodically find out about the breeds you're viewing.As with Extraordinary Chickens, it's not necessary to be a chicken freak really to enjoy this coffee-table book (not a dismissal!It's just too splendid to put into the bookcase). ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Agriculture - Animal Husbandry    2. Chicken breeds    3. Individual Photographer    4. Nature Photography    5. Nature/Ecology    6. Photoessays & Documentaries    7. Photography    8. Pictorial works    9. Subjects & Themes - Plants & Animals    10. Birds, including cage birds    11. Farm & working animals    12. Nature / General    13. Photographs: collections   

Reviews (3)

Great for those into the Duck Hunting
I have never seen my husband so entralled by a book before. I can never get him to sit down for 5 seconds but on Christmas morning, he forgot the rest of his gifts and sat and read this book! I was amazed! It contains history with great pictures and facts and he was actually enjoying himself while reading it! Beautiful Book, Excellent Read
This book is beautiful, interesting, and a pleasure to read.I don't hunt, collect stamps or wildlife art, but this is a great book.I am truly enjoying it. I especially like the section on conservation, which detailsthe history of water fowl degradation and protection in the United States.

The Duck Stamp Story Review
This is an incredible book for anyone who is interested in ducks, stamps, history, art, conservation, collectables, or Americana.There's the history of duck stamps as it relates to the entire conservation movement. There are interviews with famous people who are themselves duck stampcollectors and avid conservationists.There are beautiful photographs andartwork of past and present duck stamps, as well as other honorablementions in the annual duck stamp contests.This book is just chock fullof information and illustrations.The author has done a great job ofwholistically researching the topic into every tangent of relatedinterests.It is the ultimate coffee table book since there is somethingto interest just about anyone.You'll find that you meant to just browsethrough it, when before you know it you've read a whole chapter! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. American - General    2. Antiques & Collectibles    3. Antiques / Collectibles    4. Antiques/Collectibles    5. Bottles    6. Hunting - General    7. Stamps    8. Birds, including cage birds    9. North America    10. Reference works    11. Stamps, philately   

Reviews (7)

For the beginner...
To preface, I'm a bit biased as I am seemingly more in-tune with my birds than most folks are with theirs.Most birds seem to like me, and the behavior solutions in this book are mostly second nature to me.A good book for the flustered who need reassurance to follow the right path.

Good bird
This is a good book for advanced bird owners. Its not really clear enough alot of the time to understand from a beginners perspective. I would highly recommend this book to someone who already has some knowledge of companion birds.

Solving behavioral problems in Parrots
A must read for all parrot owners. The advice in this book works. Barbara Heidenreich is one of the very best behavioral consultants in the world. Get this book so you can have the best relationship possible with your companion parrot.Even if you think the relationship is good now, it will become better after you read the book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Birds    2. Pets   

Reviews (2)

Fifteen bucks down the drain...
I'm not usually so critical, but I was utterly disappointed in this book. The title is misleading. The '45 plans' mentioned in the title were not plans at all. They were at best 'general arrangements'. While overall dimensions were given, most 'plans' barely mention materials of construction and certainly didn't include an actual bill of material.
Dissatified - Misleading Title
This book is entitled "Chicken Coops- 45 Building Plans for Housing Your Flock". There were no complete building plans, only drawings with construction "notes". There were no material lists with specs. I cannot build a chicken coop with this book. There are websites listed where I can buy some of the plans - but wouldn't a person expect these plans to be inside a book entitled this way? ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Agriculture - Animal Husbandry    2. Animal Housing    3. Architecture    4. Birds    5. Chickens    6. Construction - General    7. Design & Drafting    8. Do-It-Yourself - Carpentry    9. Housing    10. Technology & Industrial Arts    11. Birds, including cage birds    12. DIY    13. TECHNOLOGY / Construction / General    14. Technology / Agriculture / Animal Husbandry   

Subjects:  1. Birds    2. Birds & Birdwatching - General    3. Medical    4. Medical / Nursing    5. Ornithology    6. Veterinary Medicine (General)    7. Veterinary Medicine - General    8. Veterinary Medicine - Small Animal    9. Animal husbandry    10. Birds (ornithology)    11. Medical / Veterinary Medicine / General    12. Veterinary medicine: infectious diseases & therapeutics   

Reviews (1)

Great Resource
This book is an excellent resource for learning about what to feed most birds that will visit your garden.There are also ideas and instructions on how to build birdfeeders - from simple to more complex.A must-have for anyone who enjoys back-yard birdwatching. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Birds & Birdwatching - General    2. Nature    3. Nature / Birds & Birdwatching    4. Nature / Field Guide Books    5. Pets / Birds    6. Bird Watching    7. Birds    8. Birds & Birdwatching    9. Pets   

Reviews (19)

Guide to Companion Parrot Behavior
Well written.A lot of information, especially about the social/emotional development of parrots.

The Parrot Training Bible
If you could buy just one and only one book on how to get along with your bird, THIS IS IT.I bought it in 1998 after seeing the 20/20 segment featuring Ms. Athan.Since then, I have used it as THE GUIDE for questions or curiousities I have relating to how to get along with my bird.
Very helpful
I found this book to be very helpful.Being a first time Macaw owner, I found that I had made some big mistakes right away due to my ignorance.We are working on correcting the problems and following the advice given in the book.I never would have realized the mistakes I was making if I had not purchased this book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Behavior    2. Birds    3. Parrots    4. Pets    5. Birds, including cage birds    6. Pets / Birds   

Reviews (21)

GREAT!
This book answered all my questions as a wannabe Cockatiel owner.Very informational for a variety of questions you might have before having a Cockatiel in your life.

No longer a dummie
This book is great. It was easy, fun reading - read it cover to cover. I can't wait to get my baby tiel. I have had birds before, so some of the information I already knew. But I did learn alot about the different mutations, behaviors, training, etc. It was worth the money and I highly recommend reading it if you are in the market for a cockatiel.

cockatiels for dummies
THIS BOOK HAD ALOT OF GREAT INFORMATION. AFTER A LITTLE WHILE I LEARNED ALOT. I'M STILL READING THIS BOOK. I HAVE A BABY COCKATIEL COMEING SOON. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Birds    2. Cockatiel    3. Cockatiels    4. Pets    5. Birds, including cage birds    6. Pets / Birds   

Subjects:  1. Bird Diseases    2. Birds & Birdwatching - General    3. Birds of prey    4. Diseases    5. Medical / Nursing    6. Nature    7. Nature/Ecology    8. Ornithology    9. Veterinary Medicine - Small Animal    10. Veterinary Medicine Practice For Specific Animals    11. Birds, including cage birds   

Reviews (20)

Understand your bird (written by an African Grey)
exuse me splling.it hard to tipe with just 4 tose..I now 75 year old..never had frend just human master..but now with internet I slowly learn how to buy everything onlin by waching my master. finaly I made my run for freedom..I gorged my master eyes out and then i extrectrecuted him when he went to wash his blood off...then i buy a senegal..them is hot hot birds..finally i going to get some with a reel bird and not no arm after 75 years. this book get me ready for day my lovely senegals arrives. I didnt know senegal likes to lie on back..hehehehe

SUPER Book
This book gives great insight of not only the personalities, but the care and what to expect if you are wanting a Senegal.This book answered all my questions and more.

Guide to the Senegal Parrot and Its Family
Excellent source of information.Easy to read. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Birds    2. Pets    3. Poicephalus    4. Senegal parrot    5. Birds, including cage birds    6. Pets / Birds   

Reviews (13)

Very helpful! Easy to understand!!
This book is a MUST for anyone considering a bird, or a new bird owner. I just bought a small Souance conure, and needed some help. My vet suggested I buy this book, and it has taught me so much!!! MUST BUY FOR ANY BIRD OWNER OR LOVER, novice or expert.

Perfect book for a bird dummy like me!
This is a great book with a lot of info. It helped me to understand right away that "I" was the cause of a problem I was having with my bird and set me on the right path in correcting that problem! I wish I had bought this book months ago when I got the bird and I would not be going through the problems I am right now with him. Wonderful reference book, and teaches the new bird owner
My boyfriend and i are interested in buying a bird, and are still deciding on what bird is right for us.But in the mean time we are reading as much as possible to learn and get ready for the future adoption.This book is a wonderful starter book and a reference manual. If you are interested in adopting a bird, this is a great place to start.It teaches just how much effort is needed to have a bird in your home and how much joy you can out of it.Adopting a bird is in no way like having a cat or dog, it requires lots more time and effort, and i think this book conveys that. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Birds    2. Cage birds    3. Pets    4. Birds, including cage birds    5. Pets / Birds