Birds For Dummies 2nd Edition

Brian L. Speer, DVM, is the owner and director of the Medical Center for Birds in Oakley, California, and an active member in and former president of the Association of Avian Veterinarians. Kim Campbell Thornton has been writing about animals since 1985 and is a recipient of multiple awards from the Cat Writers Association, Dog Writers Association of America, and American Society of Journalists and Authors. Gina Spadafori is the award-winning author of Dogs For Dummies and Cats For Dummies. Introduction 1 Part 1: Getting Started with Birds 5 Chapter 1: Birds and Humans: It’s Only Natural! 7 Chapter 2: Narrowing the Choices 19 Chapter 3: Deciding on a Bird of Your Own 47 Part 2: Caring for Your Bird 63 Chapter 4: Preparing for Your Bird’s Arrival 65 Chapter 5: Starting Your Bird Off Right 85 Chapter 6: The New Art, Science, and Fun of Feeding Birds Right 107 Chapter 7: Beyond Food and Water: Bird Basics 129 Part 3: Keeping Your Bird Healthy 161 Chapter 8: How Birds Work: The Short Course 163 Chapter 9: A Preventive Care Approach to Your Bird’s Health 183 Chapter 10: Your Bird in Sickness — and Back to Health 201 Chapter 11: Lifelong Care for Your Bird 225 Part 4: Living Happily with Your Bird 243 Chapter 12: Behavior 101: Getting to “Good Bird!” 245 Chapter 13: Living in a Multiple-Bird Household 267 Chapter 14: Caring for Chickens and Other Backyard Poultry 283 Part 5: The Part of Tens 311 Chapter 15: Ten Bird Myths Debunked 313 Chapter 16: Ten Steps to a Healthy Bird 321 Chapter 17: Ten Questions to Ask When Buying a Bird 331 Chapter 18: Ten (Or So) Must-See Avian Websites 341 Chapter 19: Ten Best Birds for Beginners 349 Chapter 20: Ten Common Dangers to Your Bird’s Life 363 Chapter 21: Ten Disaster-Planning Tips for Bird Lovers 371 Appendix: Resources 377 Index 387