[.ca] Guide to the Senegal Parrot and It's Family (ISBN 0764103326)

The best book on my little friend!:
There are very few, if any, books on this type of parrot. And when I got mine, there werent any. I bought this book years ago when it first came out simply because it was the only one and I had been looking for one for several years. Even though your choice of information on Senegal parrots is limited, this would still be a great book even if there were lots of other books. I had had my parrot for a while when I got this book so it was interesting to know that some of her (thought she was a he, till she laid an egg one day :) little quirks are actually traits of Senegals in general. These are wonderful little birds. A bit bigger and bulkier than a cockatiel but certainly smaller than than the larger parrots. For a parrot they are reletively quiet (I say relatively because parrots are never exactly quiet). They can certainly talk and mimic like their bigger cousins (mine does an imitation of the smoke alarm battery warning sound that sends me scrambling for new batteries...and *laughs* just like me). They can be very affectionate especially to people they consider theirs. And love to hold things and play with them just like the bigger birds. As with all parrots there are mess issues and destruction issues. This book has some behaviorial suggestions that will help you with these things. For all that are interested in aquiring a Senegal, this is an excellent book to show you what you will need to know. And for those that have one already, its a great resourse. Highly recommend this book!

THE guide to the Senegal Parrot:
As the owner of two Senegal Parrots I can definetely say that this is THE book for anyone who owns one of these fiesty green fids!! It will give you good basic information. There are lots of other books out there on parrots but this is the one if you own a Senegal. Being a bird owner is a serious responsibility this book will help you determine if this bird is for you.

THE definitive book for Senegal, Meyer's, etc.:
I bought this book before getting Peanut, my Meyer's, and boy am I glad. Peanut was a "second hand" bird and very shy, even after several visits to the store. Dianalee Deter (coauthor of this book and owner of the store) said she'd do great with a little bit of care, and she was absolutely right. Following the advise from this book, it took just a couple days for us to bond, and now she's the most loving, joyful, and rambunctious parrot you could imagine! I've also referred back to the book on occasion, e.g. when Peanut started molting, and gotten just the right answers. I highly recommend this family of birds, and this is THE book to get with one.

Great book for the new bird owner...:
GUIDE TO THE SENEGAL PARROT AND ITS FAMILY is the best book I've read so far on parrots. I am a new owner of a very sweet little Senegal who kisses me on the lips and I want him to stay sweet so I am absorbing everything I can on parrot behavior. I read this book from cover to cover before I brought "Baby" home, and have been consulting it ever since. Anyone contemplating purchasing a Senegal parrot or related bird such as Meyer's parrot, Red-bellied parrot, Brown-headed parrot, or Jardine's or Cape parrot might want to consult books written by the experts including this guide. The one thing you can be sure of according to these authors and the folks who sold me my Senegal is that although these little birds can be loving life-time companions (they live 30-40 years) they can also be turned into laughing vicious little devils with improper care. Between them, Mattie Sue Athan and Dianalee Deter have years of experience raising Senegal parrots and close relatives. They share their knowledge-gained though pain-and the pain of a parrot bite is no laughing matter. Having been bitten a time or two (not by Baby!!) I can testify that parrot beaks are deadly weapons. Athan and Deter stress that when a parrot bites he does so initially because he is hurt or frightened. Unfortunately, if he gets a comic response (his point of view not the point of view of the bitten) he may do it again and again. Somehow, the little guy gets a charge out of seeing a big human scream in pain. Nipping this behavior in the bud is important. Parrots also are destroyers. They love to take things apart in a non-gentle way. Even if you give them love and food and attention every day, you will still need to provide "toys" for their amusement. Why do they tear and break things apart? Athan and Deter say that you have to remember that in the wild parrots have to crack nuts, shred sugar cane, and generally decompose plant life to get at food. Birds in captivity have the same instincts as wild birds. Unless you come to understand the needs of the wild bird in your tame parrot, you may find yourself in a very difficult situation. Parrots are a lot of work and not for the timid. However, anyone who's ever been bitten by the bird "bug" will understand why parrot lovers don't mind.

Good, But Not Great:
This book is good, but not great. It has nice photos and some decent research on Senegals. But the information is arranged in a very random and disorganized way. I had to read the book several times and search through the chapters just to find basic information. I would have prefered a more step by step approach to buying a Senegal, bringing it home, how to care for it, etc. But since this is one of the only Senegal books available, it's something to start with.