Companion Parrot Handbook

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Summary: The Big Book of parrot behavior.
Review: From the woman who wrote the book on parrot behavior . . . it's The Book of parrot behavior. Sally's understanding of parrot psychology is without peer--and her ability to put her knowledge into guidance that is easy to understand and apply makes this book invaluable. Remarkably, it is a friendly and welcoming book in spite of its little-understood and sometimes intimidating topic.

The book is divided into sections on all stages of your companion bird's life--bringing a baby bird home, bathing, housing, how much attention to give, games to play, preventing and repatterning unwanted behavior, dealing with phobias, and much more. Some (all?) entries are reprinted from the Pet Bird Report (soon to be called the Compaion Parrot Quarterly). All are written clearly and thoroughly, with concrete advice as well as more right-brained assessments of parrot psychology.

If you have a companion parrot, whether it's a well-adjusted hand-raised Grey or a phobic rescue cockatoo (like mine), keep this book close at hand. You'll turn to it time and again for advice and entertainment.

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Summary: I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO ALL MY BIRD BUYERS
Review: I breed and sell parrots and this is one book that I strongly recommend for all of my buyers to purchase. After thumbing through my copy, many buyers can't wait to order theirs and offer to buy my copy. I agree and had sold my original copy, plus a few replacement copies, before buying a box of them to have on hand for immediate purchase.

As a breeder who cares about the home where my birds are going, I feel much more confident when my babies are going to someone who has read this book.

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Summary: five stars from a "tamed" critic
Review: Just got the book and read it half-way through but already it is clear: this book is fantastic! I've had an African Grey for 24 years (now at my parent's place), moved into a new house recently, and got a Blue Indian Ringneck to liven up the place (quite a different bugga from my Jaco). So, decided to read up on Ringnecks et al. (surprisingly the Internet contains little informative data). Anyhow, I acquired several books including a couple by M. Athan (see my review). Mostly they were disappointments, esp. the behavioral ones. A lot of half-baked psycho-babble and generic tautologies that leave you almost as clueless as before (and I've had a temperamental birdy for some while).

Not so with S. Blanchard's book. It is insightful, to-the-point, well-organized, well-written (entertaining parrot humor is a bonus), and makes an immediate difference. Blanchard doesn't over-generalize, ramble on about a simple point, nor does she hide behind scientific parrot factoids (I have a couple of books on the factoids) or too many second-hand hearsay. Many of her observations strike a chord (and will be useful to complete novices and non-experts alike), such as her shower-shy African Grey who feared the water spray and how she got around it. My Jaco remains to this day shower-shy, the water spray being one of her arch enemies. I've ordered another book and sent it to my parents.

Perhaps the most important lesson that one gains from S. Blanchard's book is a correct attitude towards these cute & devilish buggas. Blanchard states that whereas dogs project unconditional love, with the parrot the emphasis is on conditional. Like golf which can ruin a perfectly good walk (to paraphrase M. Twain), parrots can ruin a perfectly calm existence. But what fun amidst the up-and-downs! I'm a scientist and therefore a harsh critic on what I perceive as dressed-up nonsense. This book is an unqualified gem. And the book contains but a couple of sentences that allude to ringnecks, my original problem.

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Summary: A parrot can now come with an instruction book!!!
Review: ONE OF THE BEST PARROT TRAINING/OWNERS HANDBOOKS ON THE MARKET. EVEN IF YOU ARE JUST CONSIDERING BUYING A PET PARROT GET THIS BOOK FIRST. SALLY'S NURTURING GUIDANCE WILL HELP YOU RAISE A WONDERFUL COMPANION--CAN'T RAVE ENOUGH ABOUT HER METHODS!! WE NEVER HAD A PARROT, ENDED UP WITH 3 DIFFERENT SPECIES, A CONGO AFRICAN GREY, A MALE RED-SIDED ECLECTUS AND A MALE MED. SULFER CRESTED COCKATOO AND AFTER A YEAR SO FAR SO GOOD! SALLY ALSO HAS 4 GREAT VIDEOS AVAILABLE IF YOU DON'T LIKE TO READ AND A QUARTERLY MAGAZINE YOU CAN SUBSCRIBE TO. GET THIS BOOK!!

Rating:
Summary: Must have
Review: Sally Blanchard is a gift to the companion parrot community. This book takes you beyond the articles she writes. Journey deep into the why's and what's of our birds. Why does your bird fluff? What about that funny thing she does with her eyes? Or the way he shakes his tail?

Sally will tell you all this and much more. You owe it to your bird to get this book!

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Summary: Gratitude from Me and My New Birds
Review: Thanks to this book, I had such good results with my first pet bird, a baby Quaker parrot, that I decided to adopt a four-year-old African Grey. I applied the same principles from the book, and now he is also well bonded to both myself and my husband after only 8 weeks. "Brady" and "Rico" highly recommend this book to humans who have companion birds. It makes the humans much more enjoyable for the birds.

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Summary: Exactly what I was looking for!
Review: This book is fantastic. It has just the kind of information I was looking for. As a first-time parrot-owner, I was desperate for real guidance. Sally's style is very relaxed and you can hear the voice of experience. Her love for these wonderful birds fills every page, and she makes it all very entertaining. I find myself laughing out loud while reading it. Don't be scared off by the price - it's DEFINITELY worth it.

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Summary: A must for everyone BEFORE and AFTER adopting a aprrot
Review: This is a great book that covers everything from health care, caging, toys, and parrots highly intelligence and complex personalities. It's a great book to pick up at any time and easy to find the information you're looking for. I constantly refer back to this book when I have any questions and the answers are usually there.

Every bird/pet store should carry this book and give it to people interested in getting a pet bird prior to bringing one home. Education and commitment is the key to keeping and giving your pet parrot a long happy, healthy life...this book will help you keep that promise.

Sally also publishes a great magazine called the Pet Bird Report (published 4-6x a year?). No affiliation to the magazine, I'm just a reader. The magazine is filled with great information and touching stories about these complex, loving creatures. It contains current issues about parrot health, conservation, care, and the humane treatment of these great animals. not to mention the fun stuff!

Rating:
Summary: Companion Parrot Handbook
Review: This is deffinately the bird "bible." I highly encourage those who are new to the field of birds to read this wonderful book. I have been working with birds for an extremely long time, and even so, Blanchard's writings can still help me find out things about my companion birds that I may have never known if it weren't for her. Also, for those who are struggling with care for their companions, I highly recommend reading the Companion Parrot Handbook before you decide to adopt out your feathered family member. Blanchard's writings can help, and will inspire!

Rating:
Summary: A parrot can now come with an instruction book!!!
Review: Where was this book when I got my first bird??? Concisive information from deciding if you want to be a parrot owner to selection, purchase, training...it's all right there. It should be a pre-req to buying a parrot! Beautifully written, it kept my 14 year old's attention. The whole family will benefit from reading this book. Even my husband who does not read, was caught flipping through this book! This book is useful from the novice to the experienced owner. Gives you some really useful tools in understanding Parrot behavior. This book is a must have if you want to truly get along with your bird.