Manual of Parrot Behavior

Psittacines are maintained in captivity as pets, in the home, as breeding birds in avicultures, in zoos and in conservation projects. Because of their intelligence, playfulness and ability in mimicry, psittacines are the most widely kept companion birds.

In the wild, these birds are normally social, living with others.

In captivity most are kept in a cage without other birds.

The advantage of caging psittacines is that they are more likely to become tame and develop their powers of mimicry.

The disadvantage, however, is that in this environment, psittacines develop behavior problems that can take many forms, including biting, screeching and self-mutilation.

It is estimated that more than half of the cases presented to clinicians in companion psittacine practice are the result of behavioral problems - problems inherent to the caged psittacine.

Bringing together a host of international experts on avian behavior, Andrew Leuscher explores the many facets of psittacine behavior, both normal and abnormal, and offers useful techniques of diagnosis and treatment for clinicians who see birds in practice.Species covered include Macaws, Amazon Parrots, African Grey Parrots, Cockatiels, Budgerigars and Cockatoos.

This authoritative reference, the first of its kind, is a necessary addition to the library of any practitioner who sees avian companion animals.