The adorable conure, named for its conically shaped tail, is one of the world’s favorite parrots and the subject of this Complete Care Made Easy pet guide that presents new and experienced bird keepers with insight into every aspect of selecting, caring for, and maintaining well-behaved happy pet birds. Bird specialist and trainer Nikki Moustaki has written an ideal introductory pet guide about the boisterous conure, with chapters on the characteristics of the conure, the varied behaviors of these small macaw-like parrots in the wild, selection of a healthy, typical pet bird, housing and care, feeding, training, and health care. The chapters “The Many Conure Species” and “Selecting a Great Conure” offers potential owners excellent advice about dozens of species and how to select the best one from those available commercially, from the blue-crowned conure and the green-cheeked conure to the sun conure and red-fronted conure. In the chapter on housing and care, the author discusses selection of the right cage, placement of the cage, and all the necessary accessories. A bird’s diet is critical to its ongoing health, and the chapter devoted to feeding gives the reader all the info he or she needs about choosing the best diet . The chapter “Conure Behavior and Training” gives expert advice about how to train the very talkative conure to speak and be quiet, too. The book concludes with an appendix of bird societies, a glossary of terms, and a complete index.

The Parrot Wizard's Guide to Well-Behaved Parrots is the most comprehensive approach to companion parrot keeping!In this 2nd edition, the Parrot Wizard will guide you through all aspects of having a companion pet parrot. Learn step by step how to develop a friendly, tame, loving bird. Prevent and solve behavioral problems, eliminate biting, teach good behavior, develop your own personal connection. For long term parrot owners and new owners alike. Information on handling any parrot big or small regardless of its past. Join the Parrot Wizard on a journey to discover how magical a well-behaved parrot can be."Michael Sazhin's skills are unmatched and he is very dedicated to helping people and their parrots. From a veterinary perspective, I find this book to be useful for keeping your bird healthy." -Dr. Greg Burkett, DVM, DABVP (Avian Veterinarian)It's not magic, it's an educated, effective, heartfelt approach.

Provides information on housing, feeding, training, and caring for parrots

From two experts on wild parrot cognition, a close look at the intelligence, social behavior, and conservation of these widely threatened birds. People form enduring emotional bonds with other animal species, such as dogs, cats, and horses. For the most part, these are domesticated animals, with one notable exception: many people form close and supportive relationships with parrots, even though these amusing and curious birds remain thoroughly wild creatures. What enables this unique group of animals to form social bonds with people, and what does this mean for their survival? In Thinking like a Parrot, Alan B. Bond and Judy Diamond look beyond much of the standard work on captive parrots to the mischievous, inquisitive, and astonishingly vocal parrots of the wild. Focusing on the psychology and ecology of wild parrots, Bond and Diamond document their distinctive social behavior, sophisticated cognition, and extraordinary vocal abilities. Also included are short vignettes—field notes on the natural history and behavior of both rare and widely distributed species, from the neotropical crimson-fronted parakeet to New Zealand’s flightless, ground-dwelling kākāpō. This composite approach makes clear that the behavior of captive parrots is grounded in the birds’ wild ecology and evolution, revealing that parrots’ ability to bond with people is an evolutionary accident, a by-product of the intense sociality and flexible behavior that characterize their lives. Despite their adaptability and intelligence, however, nearly all large parrot species are rare, threatened, or endangered. To successfully manage and restore these wild populations, Bond and Diamond argue, we must develop a fuller understanding of their biology and the complex set of ecological and behavioral traits that has led to their vulnerability. Spanning the global distribution of parrot species, Thinking like a Parrot is rich with surprising insights into parrot intelligence, flexibility, and—even in the face of threats—resilience.

The world’s parrots in one convenient field guide From the macaws of South America to the cockatoos of Australia, parrots are among the most beautiful and exotic birds in the world—and among the most endangered. This stunningly illustrated, easy-to-use field guide covers all 356 species and well-differentiated subspecies of parrots, and is the only guide organized by geographical distribution—Australasian, Afro-Asian, and neotropical. It features 146 superb color plates depicting every kind of parrot, as well as detailed, facing-page species accounts that describe key identification features, distribution, subspeciation, habitat, and status. Color distribution maps show ranges of all subspecies, and field identification is further aided by relevant upperside and underside flight images. This premier field guide also shows where to observe each species in the wild, helping make this the most comprehensive and user-friendly guide to the parrots of the world. The only parrot guide to focus on geographical distribution Covers all 356 species Features 146 color plates depicting all species and well-differentiated subspecies Provides detailed facing-page species accounts that describe key identification features, distribution, subspeciation, habitat, and status Includes color distribution maps Shows where to observe each species in the wild