These are the five books I think should be on every parrot owner’s bookshelf. Click on the titles to read a lengthier review of the books. (and to add your own review if you agree or disagree!)
Parrots of the World by Joseph M. Forshaw
Everyone should have a book to pull off the shelf when they are wondering what species of parrot that photo on the web might be or when arguing about the name of that lory species over drinks. (It’s Duyvenbodes, by the way. You win some you lose some…)
More importantly perhaps, this book is a wonderful starting point to finding out a bit of natural history about the parrot in your home. The more you know about what your parrot’s kin does in the wild, the better you will understand his needs and habits in your home!
Good Bird by Barbara Heidenreich
Barbara and I worked together for some time in the arena of free flight bird shows. She took much of what we knew and lived by and put it into this easy to understand book for the pet parrot community. It was just the start of many great tools produced by Good Bird Inc!
The Parrot Problem Solver by Barbara Heidenreich
Taking the basics of “Good Bird” to the next level, Barbara breaks down the basics of behavior and training. She gives those unindoctrinated in the world of using proven techniques and terms standardized by psychologists a great intro and many tools to put their new knowledge to work.
Brinker's All Around Grey Book
For the Love of Greys by Bobbi Brinker
The African grey parrot is unarguably one of the most popular species of pet parrot in the world. And few people are more knowledgable about this particular species than Bobbi. Introducing readers to the idea that positive reinforcement and facilitation rather than force is the best way to live with a grey, she also shares just about everything you need to know about keeping your grey healthy and happy.
A Parrot for Life by Rebecca K. O’Connor
I won’t review my own book, but of course I think it should be on your shelf! Decades of both living with parrots and training birds professionally inspired me to write the book I wish I had when I trained my first cockatiel at eight years old. I wanted it to be fun to read and full of up-to-date information. My first birds would have had better nutrition, health and my hands would have suffered a lot fewer bits. I’ll leave it to you to decide if I accomplished my goal.
What are your favorite parrot books?
You definitely accomplished your goal, Rebecca, in my opinion. Your book is informative as well as humorous, serious but also light-hearted.
Some of the budgie books I bought initially were so full of dire warnings and worst-case scenarios that they were truly depressing and intimidating. Safety issues, health concerns, etc. are very important but I feel they can be presented in a balanced context, one in which the joy and fun of parrots is emphasized, and your book achieves that.
“Of Parrots and People” by Mira Tweti is one of my favorite books; I highly recommend it and it can be life-changing for many people.
We own three of these (including yours) and love them, but will definitely need to check out the others.
If you ever write a “worst books about parrots” post, I’ve got a couple I can nominate for the list. (Not that I’m encouraging any naming and shaming.)