Search Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »
My library | Help | Advanced Book Search | Web History | Sign in

Books

Birds For Dummies

Front Cover
1 Review
John Wiley & Sons, May 23, 2011 - Pets - 360 pages
"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
  

What people are saying - Write a review

Review: Birds for Dummies

User Review  - Janine - Goodreads

this is a really good book. it tought me all about birds. if you want to learn about birds you should read this book. Read full review

Related books

Parakeets For Dummies
Parakeets For Dummies
Nikki Moustaki
Limited preview - 2011
Parrots For Dummies
Parrots For Dummies
Nikki Moustaki
Limited preview - 2011
Conure: Your Happy Healthy Pet
Conure: Your Happy Healthy Pet
Julie Rach Mancini
Limited preview - 2006
All related books »

Selected pages

Contents

Introduction
Approaching Bird Ownership Realistically
How This Book Is Organized
Which Bird for You?
Caring for Your Bird Properly
Keeping Your Bird Healthy
Living Happily with Your Bird
The Part of Tens
Avian polyomavirus
Proventricular dilation disease
Psittacosis
Aspergillosis and candidiasis
Supportive Care
Home care
Giving medication
Chapter 11

Icons Used In This Book
Some Final Words on Pronouns and Your Pets
How to Reach Us
Part I
Chapter 1
Dont Know Much about History? Read On
Our enduring involvement
Are You Really Ready for a Bird?
Shelling out the bucks
Dealing with the noise and mess
Exploring Avian Cyberspace
Chapter 2
What Are You Looking for in a Bird?
Considering size
Mess and more mess
Talking ability
How much is that birdie in the window?
Considering the Species
The handsoff color and song birds
Small parrots
Mediumsized parrots
Large parrots
Toucans mynahs and some others
Chickens ducks geese peafowl and turkeys
Chapter 3
Considering WildCaught versus CaptiveRaised
Telling the Girls from the Guys
Checking Up on a Birds Good Health
Making Mature Decisions about Age
Weighing the pros and cons of baby birds
Considering the prospects of older birds
Finding a Reputable Source
Pet shops
Breeders
Protecting Your Rights
Part II
Chapter 4
A Cage to Call Her Own
Bigger is better
Wood you buy metal please?
A checklist for cage quality
The timeout cage
Cage to go
Perch Perfect
Playstands and Gyms
Dishes and Waterers
Toys? Keep em Coming
Clearing the Air
CleanUps Made Easy
Preventing messes
The Best of the Rest AccessoryWise
Chapter 5
Starting the Relationship Right
Setting Up the Cage
Settling In
Managing Introductions
Kids
Cats
Dogs
Other birds
Building Trust through Training
Rules for you
Teaching the stepup command
Taming the wild ones
A Basic Regimen
Setting up for cleaning
Everyday cleanups
The big clean
Chapter 6
Raising Generations of JunkFood Junkies
Enter the Pelleted Diet
Chicken feed? It isnt that easy
The revolution moves slowly
Nutrition the Short Course
Protein
Carbohydrates
Fats
Vitamins
Minerals
Fruits and vegetables
Food for people and other pets
Nuts
What about vitamin and mineral supplements?
Practical Plans for Converting Your Birds Diet
Birds of a Slightly Different Feather
Chapter 7
Translating Bird Body Language
The eyes have it
Say what?
Beak bulletins
Wing things
Tail tales
Posture primer
Getting a Handle on Your Bird
The parrot popsicle
Meet Mr Towel
Practicing Good Grooming
Clipping wings
Raining down with showers baths and misting
Bird Care When You Cant
Petsitters
Boarding
Can your bird go with you?
Part III
Chapter 8
More than Just Beautiful
The beak
A birds eye view
The better to ear you with
Beautiful functional feathers
A leg to stand on times two
Finding Your Inner Bird
The cardiopulmonary system
The gastrointestinal system
Chapter 9
Preventive Care Is the Best Care
What your bird wont tell you and why
More arguments for preventive care
A ThreePart Plan for Preventive Care
Starting with a healthy bird
Proper care and nutrition
Working with the pros
Finding the Right Veterinarian
Why any veterinarian may not be right for your bird
Special care for a special pet
Whos out there and what are they offering?
Chapter 10
Birds Are Birds Not People Not Dogs
Home Care Fallacies
First Aid Basics
So whats an emergency?
Whom to call where to go
What to do in what order
Emergency The veterinarians role
Infectious Diseases That Panic ParrotLovers
Tiny beings big problems
Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease
Pachecos parrot disease
Why Birds Are Living Longer
New views on nutrition
The veterinary contribution
Health and the Older Bird
Chronic malnutrition
Cataracts
Heart disease
Euthanasia options
Dealing with loss
What If You Go First?
Part IV
Chapter 12
A Framework for Good Behavior
Ensure Your Birds Health
Be Fair to Your Bird
Create a suitable environment
Spend time in positive interaction
Get that bird a job
Be Firm with Your Bird but Gently
Becoming top bird
ProblemSolving Troublesome Behaviors
Biting and other forms of aggression
Screaming
What If You Cant Fix the Problem?
Chapter 13
Companion Birds or Breeders?
Are you breeder material?
Rules to Live By
Choosing Compatible Pets
Species and gender issues
Size and temperament issues
The Joy and Challenges of Breeding
Til death do us part
Setting up your love birds
The Awesome Egg
Natural incubation
Artificial incubation
Raising the Babies
Handfeeding and socializing
Weaning and fledging
Part V
Chapter 14
Birds Are LowMaintenance Pets
Birds Are HighMaintenance Pets
Birds Are Fragile
A HandFed Bird Makes a Better Pet
Seed Is the Best Diet for Birds
Birds Get Mites Easily
Birds Catch Colds from People
A Sick Bird Is a Dead Bird
Lovebirds Will Die of Loneliness If Not Kept in Pairs
Chapter 15
The Physical Examination
Caging and Husbandry Review
The Right Nutrition
Behavioral CheckUp
Guideline for MultiBird Households
Screening for Bacteria
A Couple More Diseases Maybe
What and Who Are You?
A Shot for Birdy?
Chapter 16
Where Do You Get Your Birds?
How Many Birds Do You Sell a Year?
What Are the Terms of the Sales Contract and PostPurchase Warranty?
What Are Your References?
How Old Is This Bird?
Does This Bird Have Any Medical Problems Past or Current?
Does This Bird Have Any Behavioral Problems?
How Have You Socialized This Bird?
What Have You Been Feeding This Bird?
May I Visit and Get to Know the Bird Before Buying?
Chapter 17
Fun for Kids and Adults Too
Behavior Help and Then Some
Enrapt over Raptors
Help Us Get Home
Meet Alex the Star
Its Academic
Birds of a Feather Flocking Together
The Source for Health
Remembering Birds in Need
And a Flock of Others
Chapter 18
Canaries
Finches
Budgies Parakeets
Cockatiels
Quaker Parakeets
Poicephalus Parrots and Parrotlets
Pionus Parrots
Pyrrhura Conures
Amazon Parrots
PeachFaced Lovebirds
Chapter 19
YumYum Little Birdy
Flying Is for the Birds
Bird on the Loose
Inhalant Dangers
Plants Not for Nibbling
Foods That Shouldnt Be Shared
Metals That Are Like Heavy Man
Maybe Some Medicine Will Help?
Watch Where You Step
A Shocking Surprise
Chapter 20
Consider the Possibilities
Make a Contact List
Make Sure Your Bird Carries an ID
Make and Trade BirdCare Files
Collect Food and Supplies
Keep a First Aid Kit Fully Stocked
Plan Plan Plan and Practice
Keep a Lost Bird Kit Ready
Be Prepared to Help Others
Chapter 21
What Would We Do without the Guy Who Walks into the Pet Store?
Will We Ever Get Out of the Pet Store?
If You Thought That One Was Silly
Take a Cruise with Us
A Little Respect Please
Elementary My Dear Watson
Appendix
Periodicals
Veterinary and Aviculture Groups
Conservation Groups
Color Insert
The Anatomy of Flight
Canaries and Other Finches
Three Popular Pet Birds
A Tale of Two Conures
Pick a PintSized Parrot
Were Talking Chatty
The Overshadowed Amazons
Big and Beautiful Birds
Turnabout Is Fair Play
Copyright

Other editions - View all

Birds For Dummies
Birds For Dummies
Gina Spadafori,Brian L. Speer
Limited preview - 2011

Common terms and phrases

African grey African grey parrot Amazon Amazon parrots animals avian companion avian medicine avian veterinarian aviary baby birds basic beak behavior problems better bird needs bird who’s bird-lovers bird-owners bird’s blue-and-gold macaw breeders breeding Brian budgerigar budgies can’t canaries choose clean cockatiels cockatoos color conures deal diet disease dogs and cats Dummies eggs feather-picking feathers feed Figure finches flight Gina Gina’s hand-feeding hand-raised handling healthy bird human hyacinth macaw infection isn’t keep lives look lovebirds macaw nails nutrition offer owners P.O. Box parakeets Peach-faced lovebirds pellets perches pet birds pet store pet’s Photo by Dr pick pionus preventive Psittacosis seeds Senegal parrot sick socialized Speer sun conure sure talk they’re tips towel toys usually variety vitamins well-socialized what’s wild wings trimmed you’re

About the author (2011)

Gina Spadafori is the pet-care columnist for the Universal Press Syndicate and the award-winning author of Dogs For Dummies(r) and Cats For Dummies(r). Brian L. Speer, DVM, Dipl. ABVP ECAMS, is president of the Association of Avian Veterinarians.

Bibliographic information

QR code for Birds For Dummies
TitleBirds For Dummies
AuthorsGina Spadafori, Brian L. Speer
PublisherJohn Wiley & Sons, 2011
ISBN1118069145, 9781118069141
Length360 pages
Subjects › 

Pets / Birds
  
Export CitationBiBTeX EndNote RefMan