PARROTS IN THE CITY: One Bird's Struggle For a Place on the Planet [Paperback]

Mattie Sue Athan (Author), Jon-Mark Davey (Author), JoAnn Davey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 27, 2004

Less than a century after our only parrot became extinct, a new bird flies North American skies. Brave little monk parakeets don't crowd nature, but rather choose city life. Will this bird be allowed to "replace" our lost native parrot?

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Two long-time rescue workers join a bestselling author to tell the story of the new North American parrot. This meticulously-researched book describes the potential social, psychological, and economic benefits of urban-dwelling parrots.

About the Author

Mattie Sue Athan has won numerous awards for her parrot behavior work. This is her first conservation book.

Jon-Mark and JoAnn Davey have years of experience rescuing wild monk/Quaker parrot babies that would have died when their nests were destroyed because of conflicts with human land use.

Product Details

• Paperback: 152 pages
• Publisher: Booklocker.com, Inc. (August 27, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 159113563X
• ISBN-13: 978-1591135630
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,125,252 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A necessary and long awaited book!!, October 26, 2004

By 

N. Bailey "Quaker Parrot fan" (Glen Burnie, MD USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: PARROTS IN THE CITY: One Bird's Struggle For a Place on the Planet (Paperback)

I was thrilled when I first heard that Mattie Sue Athan, Jon-Mark Davey and Joann Davey were teaming up to write about wild Quakers. Jon-Mark and Joann are long time Quaker watchers and they run the Quakerville.com website. Mattie Sue Athan is a name more familiar to bird lovers, as she has written a series of wonderful books on parrot behavior and training. I could not wait for the book to be published.

I was not disappointed. The book contains a wealth of information - both scientific concepts and personal observations - that explain why Quaker Parrots will never descend in vast flocks to decimate American agriculture.

Some of the more interesting and persuasive sections are the sections explaining the concept of K-select species vs. R-select species and the information on how Quaker colonies fail. The larger ethical issue of how humans treat "inconvenient" wildlife is also examined. Should we exterminate animals that get in our way? What is the most dangerous invasive species? (The answer might surprise you.)

The book is essential reading for parrot lovers, bird lovers, power company workers, farmers and legislators (at local, state and federal levels).

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book for learning about and coexisting with them, November 2, 2004

By 

Neil Mavis (Tulsa, OK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: PARROTS IN THE CITY: One Bird's Struggle For a Place on the Planet (Paperback)

I am not a bird owner, and my naivety with the subject meant I didn't even know what questions to ask about parrots before I read this book.

I found Parrots in the City to be a well-researched book about Quaker parrots, and was a great insight in to parrots.

This book gives an excellent, concise account of the history of parrots around the world, how they were reintroduced to the USA, and lists some accounts for specific states, as well as state-by-state restrictions. Internet discussion groups and their URLs are mentioned, and can be helpful for someone interested in the subject to link up with active parrot enthusiasts.

Particularly interesting was the urban life of the birds, and how their nest can affect utility power grids. I learned there are alternatives to exterminating birds. There was a section that listed words and phrases commonly used by parrots such as Gimme for food, gotta go to work when humans are dressed up and leaving, etc.

I can recommend it because the book covers how we got to Parrots in the City and most importantly, how to co exist with them.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Parrots in the City, October 22, 2004

By 

Gale Whittington "Mr." (Oklahoma USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: PARROTS IN THE CITY: One Bird's Struggle For a Place on the Planet (Paperback)

I found Parrots in the City to be a well-researched document on the plight of the Quaker parrot, a bird from South America, which, according to the authors, is rapidly establishing itself in US cities without displacing any native fauna. Although I've never been particularly fond of this gray and green little bird, I found myself enamered with its ingenuity and perserverance in the face of human-caused adversity. Of particular interest is the parrot's propensity for building nests around power grids and the book's suggestions on how the two can and should develop a symbiotic relationship.
The book is interesting without being preachy. By the time I finished reading it, I was convinced it should be required reading for employees of power companies everywhere, as well as students of biology.