Why Does My Bird Do That: A Guide to Parrot Behavior

by Julie Rach Mancini

This extensively updated edition of the popular guide to parrot behavior focuses on today’s domestic-bred birds—the tamer and more trainable versions of their counterparts captured in the wild. Not only will you learn why your bird does some strange things, you’ll also discover positive techniques you can use to modify those behaviors. You’ll get the latest information on:  Remember, lovebirds often live up to fifteen years, and Amazons up to eighty years. So don’t let your feathers get ruffled by a headstrong, beakstrong bird. With this book, you’ll learn how to develop a mutually rewarding relationship with your bird that will last for many years.

Genres: Animals, Nonfiction

256 pages, Paperback

First published October 27, 1998

Reviews

[Amanda · Rating 1 out of 5]

I could not, in good faith recommend this book to anyone thinking of adopting/buying a companion bird. The book is badly laid out, repetitive and some of the advice is just wrong and could cause real harm.

For example she recommends clipping the wings of a baby bird. This is a huge no no. A bird is constantly developing until it is fully grown. To develop its pectoral muscles it needs to fly. Denying the bird the opportunity to learn to fly is just wrong. A wing trim should only be considered when the bird is fully grown and only for the right reasons.

Julie says that wing clipping should make a bird more manageable. It can but it can also have the opposite effect. A parrot is a prey animal and when cornered its fight or flight instinct will kick in. An in experienced owner is allot more likely to be bitten by a bird who cannot fly away than one who can. Wing clipping should only be used to slow a bird down or prevent it from gaining height. Not as a training tool.

She maintains that birds are not "cause-and-effect" thinkers. Dr Irene pepperberg wouldnt agree with her. She even mentions Irene in this book!



If you are planning on getting a parrot then I would recommend this book:

[Toby · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a new bird parent ("parront") this book was a helpful one to read and will be helpful to have on hand to refer back to should the need arise.

It was pretty clear-cut regarding the care of parrots, including chapters on topics such as behaviors that indicate stress (and what you can do about it), behaviors that indicate illness and what to do (usually - "call an avian-certified vet ASAP"), and similarly helpful chapters for various stages of a bird's life. Since my parrot is 13 years old and is not going to be a breeding bird, I skimmed the chapters on breeding and on the juvenile parrot.

The only thing I wish that had been clearer in this book would be the diet make-up for various species of parrot. At the very end of the book, Mancini went over various breeds of parrots and what their personalities generally are like as well as what dietary needs they have. I know that parrots need a combination of fresh fruits and vegetables, pellets, and seed/nuts, but so far I haven't come across any guideline as to what percentages of what a parrot needs. (Obviously, the pellet bag will say that medium parrots like mine need 50-60% of their diet made up of pellets... but the seed/nut bag will say the same thing...)

Also, although I'm a new parrot owner, I disagreed with Mancini's advice that all birds should have their wings clipped. To me, that's more of the owner's preference. If you can keep your bird safe when it's flying around your home, and if you're okay with it flying around your home, then don't feel you need to clip the wings. This is not something that I am concerned about personally (since my parrot can't fly due to an old injury) but I don't really like how Mancini made it sound that clipping the wings was the only way to go about "handling" a parrot (although for smaller birds, at the end, she suggested having an aviary so they could fly around...? so it seems that she is slightly biased against parrots being allowed to fly yet smaller birds -- parakeets/budgies, finches, canaries, lovebirds, etc. -- should not have their wings clipped because they need to fly?). I'm not sure I understand why wing clipping is such a huge deal for parrots. I mean, yes, if you can't promise that you won't have an open window or a ceiling fan that's going when you let your parrot out and s/he flies out the window or into the fan and gets injured... that's on you. But... yeah. Definitely not a fan of "wing-clip ALL THE PARROTS just because!"

Also, I definitely agree with another reviewer that Mancini was somewhat repetitive.

Would recommend this for anyone contemplating owning a parrot or who has just begun the long, wonderful, rewarding, and hilarious ride of being a parront. :) However, would also definitely recommend that new parronts start up conversations with other bird owners online (the Parrots! subreddit has been very helpful in getting info) and there are tons of resources out there for more information. So don't plan on getting 100% of your info from this book alone. :)

[lattedolce · Rating 1 out of 5]

wrong advices and recommendations

edit: who let her write so many parrot guides if she doesn't know anything about them??? i tried to read the cockatiel one and she keeps saying to clip wings and putting extremely small cage photos in the cage recommendation chapters i-

[María Palacios · Rating 3 out of 5]

En términos generales es un buen libro con el que aprendes ciertos comportamientos de las psitácidas. Mi valoración es tal que así puesto que no comparto algunos tips que comparte como cortarles las alas o taparles la jaula para que callen.

[Casey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little repetitive, but I thought was pretty informative to someone who has never owned a parrot before. Though, I do have some concerns about the wing trimming- seems to me like declawing a cat- which is detrimental to their well-being. Otherwise I thought it was good.