Breaking Bad Habits in Parrots: How Responsible and Sympathetic Parrot Care Can Prevent or Remedy Problem Behaviors [Hardcover]

Greg Glendell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 14, 2007

An in-depth guide to overcoming common problem behaviors in parrots.

Parrots are among the most highly intelligent creatures kept as pets. They are capable of forming very close and rewarding relationships with their handlers. However, it takes a lot of time on a daily basis to ensure that the parrot is content and mentally stimulated. Otherwise, the unhappy bird may develop a repertoire of problem behaviors, such as biting, screaming and feather-plucking.

In this definitive reference book for the hundreds of thousands of parrot owners, a top parrot behavioral consultant explains how best to keep a captive bird in a domestic environment so that the pet will thrive, and reveals what to do to overcome and prevent problem behaviors.

This authoritative book is organized into the following sections:

Parrots in the Wild

Parrot Biology

Different Types of Parrots

Acquiring a Bird

Understanding Behavior

Training Your Bird

Your Parrot's Home

Preventing and Solving Behavioral Problems -- overcoming behaviors such as biting, screaming, self-mutilation, nervousness and destructiveness

Problem-solving.

(20080331)

Editorial Reviews

Review

The ultimate guide to keeping pet parrots ... practical insights ... detailed advice ... comprehensive ... beautifully illustrated. (Bird Talk )

Learning to prevent and stop problem behavior with kindness and understanding is the idea behind Breaking Bad Habits in Parrots. (Laurie Mackenzie Canadian Living )

About the Author

Greg Glendell has kept parrots for 18 years, which he also breeds and fosters. He owns a pet parrot consultancy firm and offers courses on pet parrot behavior.

(20080201)

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: Firefly Books; 1 edition (September 14, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1554072972
• ISBN-13: 978-1554072972
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,045,314 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE most authoritative author on bird behavior yet!, March 3, 2008

By 

M. Margison (Rhode Island) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Breaking Bad Habits in Parrots: How Responsible and Sympathetic Parrot Care Can Prevent or Remedy Problem Behaviors (Hardcover)

Greg Glendell knows his stuff, as evidenced by this and all of his other writings. Just do a google search on this author and you will be amazed to find all of the most sensical remedies to problems that stem from having a wing clipped bird in captivity. His advice seems so simple but is deep seeded in ethological and ornithological principles. He is the UK's only full-time pet parrot behaviourist and the world would greatly benefit from several of his clones. If you are experiencing challenges with your companion parrot, buy this book and explore Mr. Glendell's website for more information. I can't sing his praises any louder!

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars For free flight birds only, October 10, 2008

By 

Feathered Kisses (NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Breaking Bad Habits in Parrots: How Responsible and Sympathetic Parrot Care Can Prevent or Remedy Problem Behaviors (Hardcover)

Here in the states we often recommend trimming a birds wings. I was really shocked that the author would suggest gluing bamboo splints to a birds trimmed wings. Glue? Bamboo? In my experience this is a plucking problem waiting to happen. Also a great way to lose a bird or have one injured if it should get outside fully flighted. The author is a "amateur ornithologist"? Did no one do fact checks? Much of what is written is not based on fact. I found the book quite disturbing. Especially if in the hands of a brand new bird owner. There are many better bird books out there. Keep looking.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Incredibly biased, December 15, 2009

By 

Miss V - See all my reviews

This review is from: Breaking Bad Habits in Parrots: How Responsible and Sympathetic Parrot Care Can Prevent or Remedy Problem Behaviors (Hardcover)

To start: saying "amateur ornatholigist" is much like saying "amateur brain surgeon". An ornathologist is a scientist who studies birds. It is not a hobby. This author is at best a behaviorist or an aviculture enthusiast. There is no standard test or training for either, btw.

It's not totally chockfull of bad advice. A lot of this is true, but because it's true, it happens to be available in every other recently published book about parrot care and for free all over the web.

The biggest problem is that the author is of a common mindset of European bird enthusiasts--that free flight is essential for a health parrot. This is, as of yet, complete conjecture and has not been proven or disproven by any actual authority on birds whatsoever. I myself have very few behavioral problems with my parrots, and they all have managed flight clips (which allow them to coast for a ways but do not allow gains in height or speed).


I cannot recommend this book. In fact, I recommend running from this book like the plague. Just the idea that flight is "vital" to a parrot shows how little the man understands about biology and basic theories. If you want a better option, I'd suggest "Good Bird!" by Barbara Heidenreich. It is certainly the one I'll be getting, as at least it is based on real scientific theory and not just the opinion of some guy that views himself as an "amateur" scientist and thinks gluing bamboo to clipped wings is a GOOD idea.


For the record? I have heard of using bamboo as splints for broken blood feathers. But that's it.