The Second-Hand Parrot: Everything about Adoption, Housing, Feeding, Health Care, Grooming, and Socialization

If you're adopting an older parrot, much of the information in breed specific manuals will not be relevant for you, since it pertains to hand fed babies. This book contains information that is specific to parrots that have lost their home for one reason or another. Much of the information is recycled from Mattie Sue's previous books on parrot behavior, so if you've read them and commited them to memory, you might not need to add this one. If, however, you are not an expert on parrots, but simply want to open your heart and home to one of these wonderful creatures, this book will help make the transition smoother for both of you. It will also alert you to potential problems. There is also new information about integrating a new parrot into an existing flock. Personally, I think this book should go home with every bird adopted from a rescue organization.

In THE SECOND-HAND PARROT, Mattie Sue Athan makes a good case for taking on a previously owned parrot as a feathered adoptee. While it is true some adoptees are less than civil, Athan has shown through her own experiences that there may be a diamond in the rough underneath those bristling feathers. (Mattie Sue Athan's experiences with her two adopted Grey Parrots, Bongo I and Bongo II are documented on her web site). Many pet birds are passed on by owners who are dead, too old, too sick, or move to less accommodating quarters. Many of these older birds need only a short period of getting to know you and TLC to become your best buddy. I've become a believer. Having adopted two Cockatiels two years ago who had terrorized everyone at the animal shelter and had them become two big sweeties I know what a little TLC can do. The sweetest bird I own, however, is a "hand-me-down Conure" with two previous owners. My Conure is also the biggest bird I own and the least nippy. Every morning he says "Give me a kiss" which I happily do with a "Thank-you" as my reward. "Used" birds frequently can talk and have learned cute tricks. Athan offers all sorts of tips on how to get your birds to comply with various challenges you might offer such as bathing, destroying toys instead of your books, and kissing not nipping when you offer your cheek or stick your hand in their cage. In her section on "The Corrective Environment" she shows how many of the tics the new-old bird learned were brought on by cramped, boring, and/or dirty quarters. It is amazing what a little space and a new toy will do to improve an outlook.

This book has a special place in my heart, as I bought a second-hand parrot from one of the authors. I bought Peanut, my Meyer's Parrot, from Dianalee Deter about 9 months ago. Peanut was about 2 years old, and Dianalee said she'd adapt to a new home just fine. I was skeptical, as Peanut was VERY shy and hands-off; in her previous home she apparently was rarely handled or let out of the cage. But I got her anyway, and boy was Dianalee right! Peanut and I bonded very quickly (days), and now she's the most loving and playful parrot you could imagine!This book wasn't published when I first got Peanut; instead I had "Guide to the Senegal Parrot" and "Guide to Companion Parrot Behavior" (same authors), and they were immensely helpful both before and after getting Peanut. This book came out just a couple months later, and I took a good look through it. It answers pretty much every question I had bugged Dianalee with, and carries forward the best aspects of the other books, too. I would highly recommend this book as well as the others Mattie Sue Athan and Dianalee have written.I would also, as a general note, strongly consider a "second hand" bird instead of buying a baby. There are a TON of birds out there in need of good homes, and my own experience with Peanut has been nothing but positive. If you're in the market, get this book and think hard about giving a bird a second chance for a good home.

"The Second-Hand Parrot" - a new parrot care handbook from Mattie Sue Athan and Dianalee Deter - will be a sure-fire reference guide for anyone who has ever owned or has contemplated owning a "used" or "second hand" parrot.This new book, which advertises itself as a pet owner's manual, is the latest in a series of readable, informative, valuable parrot books written by Athan and Deter and published by Barron's as part of its "Educational Series" of books. The two authors have collaborated on two other Barron's parrot-related books, "Guide to the Senegal Parrot and Its Family" and "The African Gray Handbook." In addition, Mattie Sue Athan has also authored "Guide to Companion Parrot Behavior" and "Guide to the Quaker Parrot." Athan's first book, "Guide to a Well-Behaved Parrot " is now in its second edition and is generally recognized as an industry standard "bible" for care, training, and enjoyment of companion parrots."The Second-Hand Parrot" marks a slight departure from the authors' previous books. This is more of a "manual" or "handbook" - an easy reference guide that can be used to supplement any or all of the authors' other, more specified books. The writing style seems to be faster paced and more to-the-point than some of the other books. This is not necessarily "a bad thing." It's easier for the reader to get a quick, specific answer to a particular question.Pet (or Companion) bird ownership has been growing geometrically in popularity in the United States and in many other parts of the world. Pet birds, especially parrots, are now the third most popular type of pet in the U.S. - exceeded only by the all-time favorite dogs and cats.This growth in popularity has been a double-edged sword. While many more households now include pet parrots, a certain percentage of new owners find that these intelligent, complex animals are not a best fit in their family flocks. Unlike dogs and cats, with their thousands of years of domestication, most pet parrots are no more than one or two - or at the most - three generations from the wild. There are still many, many pet birds sporting the open-ring bands that may indicate a wild-caught parrot, imported before CITES restrictions were completely implemented.Many well-meaning potential owners, attracted by the obvious beauty and intelligence of a pet parrot, may purchase one of these complex animals without considering the physical, emotional, and monetary investments that come along with the bird. Many times, a well-meaning owner loses interest or is put off when a bird reverts to its natural instincts - some instincts (including possible biting and messiness) that may be undesirable in some households.The growth in popularity of parrots has also fostered a growth in second-hand or "used" parrots. Some owners may decide that they have made a mistake, and they try to sell or give away an unwanted, many times misunderstood pet bird. (I won't get into the very real - and very bad - possibility o