Customer Reviews

The Parakeet Handbook (Barron's Pet Handbooks)

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4 star:		(5)
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I recently acquired 2 gregarious parakeets (Budgies, more specifically) and have found this book to be a wonderful resource regarding the proper care of my new friends. It also offers a wealth of information about behavior (why they do some of the crazy things they do) and health propblems to be on the lookout for.

I feel like a much better prepared bird owner having read this book, it was a great place to start.

As far as I am concerned, when it comes to books on pet birds, Barron's books are the best. BUDGERIGARS by Immanuel Birmelin (translated by Matthew Vriends) falls into this category, although it is somewhat condensed compared with a few other books on the market. However, Birmelin covers all the important issues, such as caging, food, and other aspects of maintenance that you need to know to get started taking care of a pet Budgie.

My favorite section is about "playing" with your pet Budgie. Budgies are intelligent little parrots and you can have hours of fun if you choose to by providing them with sources of amusement. Birmelin lists `The 10 Most Popular Games' you can play with your Budgie and "How-To: Fun and Games." Did you know you could play card games with Budgies?

Although we never want to think about the possibility, sometimes a Budgie gets sick. Birmelin includes a section "If Your Bird Gets Sick" that gives you some ideas of what you can do besides get upset. In this section he includes a `Checklist - Preventing Illness' which is helpful especially if this is your first bird. Keeping his cage clean is a good thing to do, and spending time with him every day will keep him happy. A happy Budgie is a healthy Budgie.

Very informative book. I decided to buy 2 birds after reading it! The author is extremely thorough in guiding the reader through all aspects of owning and caring for parakeets. She does, however, tend to be very open with her opinion on having a minimum of 2 birds, but not pushy about it either. I compared this book with several others from the library, and this is the most concise and easy to follow.

I'm new to parakeets and have been relying on the expertise of others in books. This book is one of the better ones. It's written by experienced bird handlers who know of what they write. The information here is easy to access and written in a clear, understandable syle.

This book provides quite a bit of good information for new and intermediate owners of budgies. However, the authors do have some biases on a good number of the contested debates over budgie care, in which they often fail to note differing opinions. Finally, a mention of homeopathy as a treatment for a medical condition loses them quite a bit of credibility.

All in all, a good read with useful information; but compare it to other sources to get a balanced view.

I recently acquired three budgies. So, as I gobble up as much information as I can about them via internet and books, I feel that this book is a definate keeper. It is more elaborate than most on issues of health and safety. I love that it pushes, to considerable extent, the need for budgies to be kept in multitudes (2 or more - same sex ok). What bothers me about this book is that one of the two authors as I understand it, Immanuel Birmelin, is also the original author (in German) of another Barron's budgie book under a different (American tranlation author?) name- Hildegard Niemann, each of which is in conflict with the other on certain key areas of budgie ownership. I have both and both books are good to have. This one, so far that I've found, is a better resource for health issues. The other seems rooted in more common sense in general care.

The other books I've so far seen/read I am re-selling. They are too basic - too much like a care pamphlet one would pick up for free next to the bird display at a major pet store chain. Or geared to the young reader/pet owner.

This is an excellent book and I would reccomend it to anyone interested in Parakeets. Thank you for your excellent service.

book is very informant with plenty of pictures. Had information in it that other parakeet books I've read did not have in them. Very helpful. Great book to have if you have parakeets or thinking of getting one.