I have to say I absolutely love Mattie Sue Athan. She truly is a great author and I believe in her methods however with that being said I forgot about who the author was and focused on the content of this book.
This is my first official book review and I’m so excited to do it! When I started to read this book I automatically was like NOPE this is NOT a book for me. I already have Parrots and although it was great to read about the different type of parrots and what they are known for, I hate stereotyping! BUT in this case, how else would you explain the different type of parrots and what you can expect from each one? Now, this doesn’t mean your specific bird will be like this but it is a high possibility, as this is what other owners of the same parrots have experienced. I understand that this had to be done and I actually did learn a thing or two about stuff I didn’t know regarding certain parrots so it came in handy.
I love the cover of this book, I literally have had almost all of the parrots she chose for the cover. A Mitchell Cockatoo starts the lineup and although I didn’t have a Mitchell I did have a Galah Cockatoo which is also pink so I think it qualifies hahaha. Next is a green-naped lorikeet, then a conure – NOT a black-capped but still a conure. An Amazon, I have yet to be graced with such and I will never have one because my flock is closed but I love watching them on Youtube. Last but not least a wonderfully, beautiful, amazing African Grey parrot which we all know I already have!
I read this from front to back and I wish I had read it sooner, it gives a lot of suggestions and ideas to common behaviors you might encounter when having a parrot. Such as the typical screaming, biting and fearfulness to new objects. If I had read this sooner, I would have definitely manipulated Lola’s (galah cockatoo) environment more.
If you are looking to learn about parrots or even if you already have a parrot, I would recommend this book for the wonderful knowledge and insight that it brings. If you already have a parrot, I would say that “Guide to a well-behaved parrot” would be a better choice for you BUT if you are battling certain behavioral issues than this would be a great reference guide for your process of elimination.
You will learn what to do when looking for a new parrot or a second hand. What to look for from a breeder or pet store etc. It gives you tips on how to work on trust-building exercises, how important and what is needed when doing the “step up cooperation”, the towel game (which I have to teach my parrots), peek a bird and she covers how the cage setup can really make or break a parrot. She covers the “honeymoon phase” and how to help teach your parrot all the things it needs to learn in order for it to have the appropriate disposition. She covers what to expect once parrots mature and a few solutions for common Parrot Behavioral Issues that owners come across. My favorite chapter was chapter nine: Stories about companion parrots. I LOVED reading the different stories about birds and their owners. This wasn’t about bad stories, it was just stories that were shared and I loved it. I don’t have a lot of friends who have birds so when I get to enjoy another story about one, it touches my heart!
I found this book to be well written, informative and definitely one that can be added to your collection if you have no other books about parrot behavioral issues. So yes I will recommend it, I don’t think it is a MUST HAVE but I do think it is a nice add-on.
