Hey from Cali

[d4rkh4rt]

Hello I haven't really been into the whole forum thing but Im trying now. haha Well my name is Chris and I have an African Grey named Floyd. I've had it for about 8 years and I love her/him to death. I also have another one that my father gave em which is green with a red crown and extremely loud and aggressive. His name is Paulie. I started on this forum cuz Floyd just got a little piece of dust in its eye so Im very worried so I left a thread in question and answers seeking help. Thank You and can't wait to start becoming part of this community.

 

[TexDot33]

Hey Chris, sorry the "welcome wagon" was a little slow in getting here! Welcome to the forum, you should find a lot of great info here, and this is a pretty cool forum to start with ... we're a pretty likable bunch!

 

[d4rkh4rt]

Yea I've noticed I'm going to buy some books about parrots to brush up on, so I can help with other people here too.

 

[TexDot33]

Books, in the parrot world just as in the academic world, have a great amount of "theoretical" information, how things SHOULD work ... nothing can compare to getting some real "hands-on" experience ...

If you really want to gain a lot of knowledge, volunteer with a local bird rescue and interact with all types of birds and THAT is where you really learn your stuff.

 

[Auggie's Dad]

I'd second that; particularly in the animal world hands on experience is far more important that anything you'll find in a book.

That being said, gaining some of the 'theoretical' knowledge on the subject you'll be more well equipped to make observations. If someone knows nothing of a subject they don't even know what to observe and what is important. After reading lots of stuff you can go look for what you read about, and after a few minutes observation you can conclude "that guy who wrote that book was all wrong!"

So I'm all for reading up on things to train your eyes to know what to look for - but until you go look for yourself it doesn't mean all that much.

 

[Auggie's Dad]

Also when it comes to books on animals: there are many good ones - there are many many more worthless ones. Animals are a subject which everyone thinks they have something important to say when so few people do, and now-a-days any idiot with a computer can get published.... speaking of which, I should get back to work writing my review article