The Complete Bird Owner's Handbook (Hardcover)

by Gary A. Gallerstein (Author), Heather Acker (Author) "BIRDS can be found in a magnificent assortment of colors, sizes, personalities and prices!..." (more)
Key Phrases: general supportive care, bird organizations, avian veterinarian, Bonnie Jay, African Grey, Author's Note (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal
Veterinarian Gallerstein has thoroughly revamped and updated his classic Bird Owner's Home Health and Care Handbook (see "Grooming Your Pet Care Collection," LJ 2/1/93, p. 49-53) to reflect the major advances in the field since the 1984 edition. He discusses the many aspects and responsibilities of pet bird ownership--selection, training, nutrition, grooming, healthcare, breeding, and coping with death--in an easily understandable and sympathetic manner. His coverage of diseases and health disorders and their signs and treatments is extensive and clearly presented. The chapters on "home physicals" and emergency care alone will be worth the price of the book to anyone whose little feathered friend becomes ill. Gallerstein's text is supplemented by sections written by experts in various aspects of aviculture. Tips on environmentally friendly birdkeeping, information on parrot conservation, and recipes for home-cooked foods such as "Nutri-Birdie Bars" round out a fascinating and comprehensive handbook. This key resource for bird owners, breeders, and veterinarians is highly recommended for public and veterinary college libraries. (Photos and index not seen.)-- Jennifer King, Monmouth Cty. Lib., Manalapan, N.J.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
This book is a gem. Packed with information. It needs to be a part of every bird owner's library. -- Brian Speer, DVM Co-author, The Large Macaws and Birds for Dummies 10-1-2003 --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Howell Books (May 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0876059035
• ISBN-13: 978-0876059036
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #909,296 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good medical advice....., January 11, 2003

By	Dianne Foster "Di" (USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)

Gary Gallerstein is a doctor of veterinary medicine. Although his book presents plenty of material on bird health care and preventative maintenance, his main focus seems to be on diagnosing and dealing with the various ailments that afflict pet birds. His book contains all sorts of graphic illustrations of sick, deformed, dying, and dead birds he probably photographed in his clinic. His photos might prove useful for determining whether or not you need to take your bird to a vet (is the ailment life threatening) or if you can treat it at home. He also suggests first aid for birds before you take them to the vet. The jacket proclaims the book as the definitive work in print on the subject of bird health care, and I have no reason to doubt this is true since it seems very technical.

While Gallerstein has written a useful book (especially his suggestions for keeping your bird healthy via good feeding practices, grooming, and cleanliness), he comes at the topic of living with a pet bird from a medical standpoint. This book is excellent for helping the lay person (and perhaps the professional??) diagnose an ailment. However, if you're interested in bird behavior, bird psychology, and training your bird, you will have to check elsewhere. THE COMPLETE BIRD OWNER'S HANDBOOK can be a useful addition to your bird book library. However, if you can only afford one book, you may want to buy a DUMMIES book, for example, COCKATIELS FOR DUMMIES which covers all aspects of living with a bird and provides a good deal of useful anecdotal information.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not exactly complete, but a good beginner's guide, February 16, 2001

By	Shawn Moses (Baltimore, MD) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This guide provides general advice concening nutrition, medicine, and equipment for pet birds, but it doesn't cover any topic in great detail. If you are interested in reading about the pros and cons of different species, keep shopping. This book covers species characteristics in an all-too-brief appendix. Also, this book is mostly aimed at the hookbills - parrots, cockatoos, budgies, etc. If you are interested in finches, mynahs, canaries and the like, you might find this book to be inadequate. However,I found this book to be very useful when I first got my parrot, and I still peruse it from time to time, especially the sections on diagnosing illness and medical care.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars We require this book, September 20, 2004

By	Natasha L. Laitysnyder "The Gabrlel Foundation" (Denver) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Complete Pet Bird Owner's Handbook (Hardcover)

We give this book to all our adoptive candidates, and we test them on their knowledge before they take home a bird from The Gabriel Foundation. We order cases of this book! It is the most comprehensive bird book out there. There are more in depth books on behavior, species, medicine, etc, but if you are only getting one book **which you shouldn't do- there are many great parrot books and the more you know*** this is a fine choice. The list of safe woods is invaluable.