Parrots, Their Care and Breeding By Rosemary Low

Parrots, Their Care and Breeding By Rosemary Low 3rd Revised Edition, Blandford Press, 1992

Rosemary Low is one of my favorite authors. She has been writing books and articles on various aspects of Aviculture for thirty years or so. This book was originally published in 1980 but the copy that I have seen most often is the 2nd Revised Edition, which was published in 1986. I am not sure whether or not the 3rd Edition is out of print or not but it took me almost a year and a half to locate a used copy and was never able to find a new copy, at least in the United States. It is very difficult to locate any copy for that matter and I originally purchased a first edition when I was able to find one. This edition contains 65,000 words of new material, which is like the size of many normal size books on aviculture. This new material is focused on increasing knowledge related to breeding various species as well as updating their status in the wild. Things from previous editions that were deemed obsolete were deleted as well as information on Hybrids as this practice is really a waste of genetic material. The book contains 416 pages, which includes 29 chapters and 6 appendices and indexes. Part one of the book describes those details related to Breeding and Care, which is relevant to all species. The titles for these first ten chapters are as follows, Choice of Species, Management, Aviaries, Feeding, Breeding, Hand-rearing, Mutations, Parrots as Pets, Sick Birds: Causes and Care and Conservation and the Aviculturist. Part two of the book includes 19 chapters dealing with specific species of Parrots. There is an index of both Scientific and English names of the various species. In my opinion, this excellent book should be on the reference shelf of anyone who is interested in Aviculture. It is well written and very thorough. Some information may be slightly out of date but for the most part the book is very relevant. It must also be taken into consideration that Ms. Low is from the United Kingdom and some information may not be as accurate for the United States as it is for England and Europe. I cannot give a specific instance of this in this book but have noticed this occurring at times in previous writings especially concerning availability of species when the author was not from the United States. Ms. Low has been breeding birds since the age of 12. She was the Curator of Birds at two of the world's largest facilities, Loro Parque and Palmitos Park. At these facilities she was in charge of the Breeding of 200 Species. She has authored over 20 books on aviculture and presently writes freelance. She has articles and photos appearing in at least 16 magazines world wide on a regular basis. Whether or not you have an interest in Breeding, this book is highly recommended by this writer. Unfortunately, it is difficult to locate. I suggest that you go to Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble (BN.com) and do a search in their used and rare book sections. This is how I located both copies of mine. Good luck in locating this one but it is well worth the effort. I prize both my copies. If anyone is interested in other books by Rosemary Low please contact me and I will make you aware of some of my favorites. Ed Zuzock Jr.

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AFRICAN GREY PARROTS -- Everything about History, Care, Nutrition, Handling, and Behavior by: Maggie Wright

AFRICAN GREY PARROTS

Everything about History, Care, Nutrition, Handling, and Behavior

By Maggie Wright

Book review by Connie Mazur

This book is everything it states and more. Copyright 2001, it is as up to date as you can get and chockfull of information for anyone interested in owing or wanting to know more about these fantastic birds. I may sound a little prejudiced and I am. As a multiple bird owner I have gotten a real education not only through this book but also on first hand knowledge of my African Grey, Pepper.

I eagerly poured over the chapters, savoring all the information on Greys, from the differences between Congo the larger with a bright red tail and black beak to the Timneh smaller and darker with a pinkish beak. To their behavior in the wild and how the Congo requires a longer period of maturation then the Timneh, although this is just an hypotheses it still is fascinating.

The author really brings you up front and personal from care (regular Vet checks, daily routines, and cage placement), to feeding the "well balance diet", (veggies, fruits, seeds/nuts, grains, greens and beans). From training and working with negative behaviors (phobias and the neurotic Grey) to positive reinforcement. I learned that the intelligence of the Grey is only limited by the individual training it receives; and that's me. My feathered friend and I are on a long journey of discovery together.

This book is definitely on my bestseller list.

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