Book No. 1 'The Proper Care Of Parrots' by Martin Skinner
This book offers bad advice. Very important and quite basic issues are omitted completely. The only thing I liked about this book was some of the pictures. I say only some, because several of the pictures gave me great concern for the welfare of the birds. I saw a Blue and Gold Macaw housed in a cage too small for a bird a fraction of its size, and a Yellow Naped Amazon in a Canary cage the same as in the Tweety Pie cartoons! They suggest buying imported species if you cannot find the species you want (which I firmly suggest nobody does-please see my article on this subject). The author was totally unphased about telling the story of an owner who poisoned his Green-Winged Macaw because it was 'untameable'. Where was the advice to readers to go to a parrot behaviourist should this happen to them? Or if all else fails, to find your bird a new home rather than POISONING IT!?
This book looks upon parrots as objects of human entertainment, as if they owe it to us to be pefect beings and accept anything that humans throw at them. There is very little in this book that I agree with and strongly urge people not to buy this book or follow its advice. |
