IN CLOSING

The best thing you can do for your bird is read everything you can find about birds and bird care. The more you know, the better care you can provide. Whatever you read, check the copyright date and the print date. If the book is more than five years old and hasn't been updated, throw it out. Scientists and aviculturists (bird owners and breeders) have learned so many new things about birds, especially concerning nutrition and medicine, in the last five years that some books are obsolete. Magazines like

• "Bird Talk"
• "Bird Breeder"
• "Pet Bird Report"
  and the magazine of the American Federation of Aviculture,
• "The Watchbird"

are especially informative and quick to bring new discoveries to the public.
Bird Talk produces a once-a-year magazine called

• Birds USA

which covers in more detail most of what I have written here. Any or all of these publications will help you to learn more about your bird, and how to care for it better.

Some helpful books you might read are

• "Understanding The Life Of Birds" by Patrick Coyle, published by Summit Publications,
• "My Parrot, My Friend" by Bonnie Doane
• "Bird Owners Home Health and Care Handbook" by Dr. Gary Gallerstein.

Good books on nutrition are

• "HealthyDiet, Healthy Bird", by Dr. David Henzler,
• "Feeding Your Pet Bird", by Petra Burgmann.

A video I am told is very good (I haven't seen it) is

• "The Bird Care Video" by Dr. Robert Shelley,

which covers bird health care and wing and nail clipping as well as general care.

For an intense avian medical journal, consider purchasing

• Ritchie, Harrison & Harrison's "Avian Medicine: Principles and Applications".

This book is THE veterinary guide to avian health. It is available on CD-ROM as well as in book format. It's expensive, and will not replace visiting the vet, but it answers ALL the questions you might have about health, diet and dangers.

II hope you find this web page helpful. If you have any comments or suggestions for updates, you can send them to me at:

Index

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MAGAZINE ADDRESSES

American Federation of Aviculture

(Watchbird Magazine subscription part of AFA membership)

P.O. Box 56218
Phoenix, Arizona 85079-6218

Bird Talk

P.O. Box 57347
Boulder, Colorado, 80322-7347

Birds USA

Subscription Dept.
P.O. Box 6040
Mission Viejo, Calif. 92690-9983
(714) 855-8822

Bird Breeder Magazine

P.O. Box 420235
Palm Coast, FL 32142
(904) 445-4608

Pet Bird Report

2236 Mariner Square Drive #35
Alameda, CA 94501

ONLINE BIRD DISCUSSION GROUPS

America Online;

several areas

Prodigy;

several areas

Compuserve:

several areas

GEnie;

several areas

Internet:

"rec.pets.birds"
"Exotic-l" mailing list server

FidoNet:

Parrot Echo
Aviculture Echo
BirdNet Echo group

Bird Information Network bbs: Arvada, CO (303) 423-9775

NetPets® Main Page

contact information Main Library Information Library

The Bird Center