Product Description

Providing activities for "Birdie Buzzsaws" and "Avian Einsteins" is a challenging and ongoing task for companion parrot owners. Parrot-Toys and Play Areas covers all aspects of play and encourages owners to "put some fun" into their parrot's life. Whether they choose to purchase or make their own parrot toys or play areas, bird owners will find this book loaded with practical advice, safety tips, and loads of ideas for both toys and play areas. By identifying their parrot's Play Style, an owner can find out what kinds of toys their parrot really likes. The Eleven Parrot Toy Categories then make toy selection fun and easy. In Part 2, play areas become exciting Parrot Adventure Stations with buying guides and building instructions.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #46455 in Books
• Published on: 2000-03-31
• Binding: Paperback
• 136 pages

About the Author
Carol D'Arezzo has owned parrots for over ten years. Her feathered family, many acquired through rescue, includes everything from macaws to cockatiels. She lectures and consults on parrot behavior. For eight years she was the owner of a backyard birdfeeding store, Wild Birds Unlimited in Colorado Springs, CO. She holds a B.S. in Biology and has taught science and biology in Colorado public schools. She currently resides in Virginia and works in real estate. Lauren Shannon-Nunn owns "Under One Wing" a petsitting and parrot behavior consulting business in Ft. Collins, CO. She has managed a "M.A.P." certified aviary in Colorado, where she was responsible for the raising and socialization of young parrots. She is a graduate of Berry College in Rome, Georgia. She now resides in Ft. Collins, CO with her slender-billed conure "Pebbles", her one-legged Amazon "Paco", and five rescued parakeets. She and her husband are expecting their first child this summer.

Customer Reviews

Even 'old-timers' will find inspiration
Having been graced with companion parrots for more than 15 years, I was worried this text might be more geared toward the new parrot owner, and I would find it elementary.

Not so. There are numerous hand-made toys and play areas in my home, but I found the ideas in this book very inspiring. Sometimes it takes new eyes to spark the creative juices, and this book did just that. Thanks, ladies!

Many good ideas....
If you think you can bring a parrot home and toss him in a cage and throw him a few vegetables and seeds everyday, and he will entertain you in return, guess again. Parrots are smart, and you are setting yourself up for a very large hassle if you don't take the time to find out just how smart they are (they can talk and understand what they say). D'Arezzo and Shannon-Nunn reveal just how smart these birds are by providing a very good overview of what bird owners need to do to keep their pet parrots entertained. That's right, the bird may entertain you, but the price you will pay or suffer the consequences is entertaining the bird. PARROT TOYS AND PLAY AREAS includes all sorts of toys-noisemakers, destructible and non-destructible toys, puzzles, preeners, push-`n-pull toys and plenty of other items that will lead you to believe you don't own a parrot, you own a three-year-old going on 12.

Not all toys must be hand-made. The bird owner can find toys ready made at a local pet supply outlet. Some items made for other purposes also serve as parrot toys. Dog rawhide, whisk brooms, and cotton mop heads can be purchased at your local grocery or pet store. Wireless clothes pins are a little bit more difficult to locate, but can be found in craft stores. Plastic chains can be found in hardware stores. The list of toys provides a clue. Parrots like to dismantle things. D'Arezzo and Shannon-Nunn suggest if you don't provide them things they can destroy you can expect them to destroy other things-like your furniture for example. Bringing a parrot home is not so different from bringing a puppy home.

Very fun and practical!!
These authors KNOW PARROTS! This book is jammed with creative ideas for delightful (and appropriate) parrot toys. Its "how-to" instructions, information about various species, and insights into the purpose of toys (such as fulfilling a parrot's need to chew, preen, and manipulate) make it a wonderful resource. It has something for every budget and every pet bird. After following its explicit step-by-step instructions for making a parrot "adventure station" (materials about $30), I have something far more usable and versatile than many of the trees that cost hundreds. (All my Amazon knows is life has become a LOT more fun!)