What books are your Bibles?

[Badhbh]

I'm a reader and a researcher. I've found several books on Grey behavior and training, but the opinions seem to be all over the place. I'm looking for something that will go over both the basics of care and training, AND the more in depth training issues. I have a bajillion questions from how do you train them to a playtop to how do I get my bird to tolerate everyone in the house. So they're pretty varied What book(s) would you suggest for starting out?

[Dave007]

Well, you have loads of questions concerning all different aspects of training, basic care, socialization.

 

There's many books on the market but none of them can possibly cover all of these things and there's a big chancce that not all of this material will work for every single bird. There's nothing set in stone. There's some books that cover the basic everyday care of greys and other species. There's some other books that cover specific aspects of biord relationships with others but that may not covr all greys and other species./ All parrots have very individual personalities. You can have 3 greys in your house and about the only thing similar is the color of their feathers. What works for one may not work with the other.

Some books out there give very faulty information and should have never been allowed on the market.

 

The best way to find out about your particular parrot is to find out what the many different methods were used by people who were dealing with the exact same situation. A little bit of info from each person can be put into a pot, stirred and what comes out is your personal solution. That's what this board offers and there's many many solutions and there's loads of people willing to share.

 

i can give you one opinion on one thing you mentioned--socializings with others---most of the time all members of a family have to be totally and equally involved with a bird from the very beginning and not expect that bird to take to everyone equally and that should be expected. There may be less success in that area if the bird has lived in different homes and has developed ingrained habits from each place.

[Eckobird]

I suggest "For the Love of Greys" by Bobbi Brinker! Great book!

[Badhbh]

Thanks for the input Dave. I don't actually have a bird yet I'm still reading

Let me amend my request then- what books would you suggest for someone starting out?

[danmcq]

Dave gave my opinion as well.

 

There is no one book, many contain incorrect information and most are written from the authors personal experience with their Grey(s).

 

Each Grey or any other living creature for that matter is an individual and different. Some are extroverts, some introverts, some nervous, some not, some adventurous, some not, some like grape, some not etc......

 

Thats what makes this place so useful as a repository of MANY different peoples experiences with their Greys and others. It is a dynamic, living if you will, book that changes for each persons specific situation.

 

If you just wanted books for reading the many different opinions and methodologies, then read, read , read, which many of us have. Then like eating a watermelon, we spit out the seeds. :-)

[Jane08]

Dave is totally right, please be careful about some of the books and advice out there. We read a few books that were recommended to us when we first got our grey and went with what they said, only to find out we had harmed our grey. I still get sad thinking what we did to him.

 

Lucky for us we went on a workshop with Barbara Heidenreich and she has a book called "good bird" that helped us. After that workshop it was like we took a new bird home, he was so happy and so were we.

[chimaysmommy]

I picked up "Birds for Dummies" and found a LOT of useful information in there about general bird care, and then picked up African Grey Parrots: A Complete Pet Owners Manual on Amazon. I found that book in particular VERY helpful

 

http://www.amazon.com/African-Grey-Parrots-Everything-Nutrition/dp/0764110357/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1242937329&sr=8-1

[DavidH]

"Alex and Me" by Irene M. Pepperberg: "How a scientist and a parrot uncovered a hidden world of animal intelligence -- and formed a deep bond in the process" (Harper Collins)

 

"The Birdkeepers' Guides: African Greys" by Greg Glendell ( TFH Publications)

 

"African Grey Parrots: A Complete Pet Owner's Manual" (Barron's)

 

"For the Love of Greys: The Complete Guide to a Healthy and Happy African Grey" by Bobbi Brinker (Lucky Press)

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