Writing a book

[Aquila]

So I'm currently in the process of writing a book about parrots. So far it's mostly about my own and my own experiences dealing with special needs birds and dealing with the ones I've rescued. We'll see about getting it published some time in the future, I'm lucky that both of my aunts are published writers as well as one being an English/Creative writing teacher at a college.

I'd like some input on types of things that you think most bird books are missing, as well as things that they might have wrong. I plan to talk about nutrition, including some recipes for healthy foods as well as some species specific nutrition and nuances. I believe there is a lot of misinformation out there, even by many bird food companies, as well as too much reliance on pseudoscience.

I feel as though that most books I've read tend to generalize the parrot populations and oversimplify the needs of different species, as well as under represent their respective personalities. Most books talk about some of the more common and easily recognizable birds like parakeets or cockatiels, macaws, and greys, but I would like to learn more about some of the more obscure parrots that also make excellent pets.

As we also have people here from different parts of the world, I'd like to know more about your country and its' relationship with exotic birds, as well as the difficulties in traveling or moving with your bird. I'm also aware at the lack of avian vets in some countries, so spreading as much knowledge as possible is very important to me.

I'm by no means an expert, I do not hold any kind of degree in this field, but I'm very passionate about parrots in general, not just my own. I'd also like to hopefully address the problem of over breeding and the startling number of parrots out there that are stuck in shelters.

 

[henpecked]

I'll be glad to help if you need me. I mainly deal with new world parrots , mostly zons. I have spent a lot of time watching wild.parrots in Central America and feral flocks.here in Fla. In fact i have several.pets that i removed.from wild nest back in the 70s. Longtime breeder, companion pets and rescue/rehomes..let me know.

 

[SilverSage]

I would like to see books actually explore the countraversial topics in a real way. Why do some people support a pellet based diet, and others think that is terrible? Why do some people clip and some not? Why do some believe in hand feeding and some not? Why do some people believe certain species shouldnt be pets at all? Why do some people believe birds should have mates, and others believe they should never even see other birds? Also, I would love to see someone really tackle the issue of SPECIES SPECIFIC needs, and the areas where one species might be HARMED by going with the "general rule" for another species.

Talk about the different training philosphies, pros and cons of each, debunk myths such as the practice of leg leashes, seed only diets, and clipping only one wing.

Discuss the NEED for regual vet care, how to know if your vet is actually doing a good job, and what to do if you can't get to a vet.

Go more in depth on species profiles to help people choose the right bird. Go deeper than the internet usually goes.

Discuss the importance of genetics, how they play into personality and health, and the importance of breeders and sellers being aware of these things.

Talk about different KINDS of biting and screaming, what causes them, and how to deal with them in effective and non abusive manors.


Obviously thats a lot, way too much for one book, but just some ideas. The thing that drives me nuts about most parrot books and websites is that they cover too many topics in not enough depth. I can find 100 articles on how to hand feed, but only one or two on what to do if something goes wrong. I can find 100 books on budgies, but none of them will talk about their wild behavior and "Why they are the way they are." There are profiles of species all over the internet but we still get people who dont know if they want a grey or a macaw because those profiles are VERY SHALLOW, and not everyone has the chance to actually interact with a bird before buying it.

Basically, don't write a bunch of shallow general info that someone can find online, go in depth and put info out there that isnt free online; make your book worth buying.

 

[Aquila]

I would like to see books actually explore the countraversial topics in a real way. Why do some people support a pellet based diet, and others think that is terrible? Why do some people clip and some not? Why do some believe in hand feeding and some not? Why do some people believe certain species shouldnt be pets at all? Why do some people believe birds should have mates, and others believe they should never even see other birds? Also, I would love to see someone really tackle the issue of SPECIES SPECIFIC needs, and the areas where one species might be HARMED by going with the "general rule" for another species.

Talk about the different training philosphies, pros and cons of each, debunk myths such as the practice of leg leashes, seed only diets, and clipping only one wing.

Discuss the NEED for regual vet care, how to know if your vet is actually doing a good job, and what to do if you can't get to a vet.

Go more in depth on species profiles to help people choose the right bird. Go deeper than the internet usually goes.

Discuss the importance of genetics, how they play into personality and health, and the importance of breeders and sellers being aware of these things.

Talk about different KINDS of biting and screaming, what causes them, and how to deal with them in effective and non abusive manors.


Obviously thats a lot, way too much for one book, but just some ideas. The thing that drives me nuts about most parrot books and websites is that they cover too many topics in not enough depth. I can find 100 articles on how to hand feed, but only one or two on what to do if something goes wrong. I can find 100 books on budgies, but none of them will talk about their wild behavior and "Why they are the way they are." There are profiles of species all over the internet but we still get people who dont know if they want a grey or a macaw because those profiles are VERY SHALLOW, and not everyone has the chance to actually interact with a bird before buying it.

Basically, don't write a bunch of shallow general info that someone can find online, go in depth and put info out there that isnt free online; make your book worth buying.

I worked as a dog trainer for a number of years, so I'm fairly educated with different training methods, though I mainly used positive reinforcement.

I also believe in socialization, not just with other birds, but a variety of people.

Overall I think you've given me some excellent ideas to use and a lot of topics that I do want to cover. My experience with some breeds of bird are rather limited, and I love hearing from people who have different types that aren't as common as in the pet trade. There's hundreds of different parrots out there!

And don't worry, I plan to have you all peer review my material before it gets sent for publishing.

 

[chris-md]

What about the science behind aviculture. I'll be the first to admit I haven't read a single book on parrots, but I can guaranty they are like the myriad orchid books I HAVE read describing different species of orchids and their cultural requirements. Heavy on the what, light on the why.

Good example: we all know Ekkies have special digestive tracts, and special requirements. What's so significant about the long digestive tract? (As someone with a scientific background I had to and was able to intuit this answer; no sources explained that this makes them more efficient at extracting nutrients, which becomes a toxicity problem for nutrient enriched food like pellets). Amazons need more protein, but why more than macaws? I guess I'm saying don't be afraid to strongly highlight stark anatomical comparisons and contrasts, and their implications on health and nutrition, and care. The more differentiation you can draw among the different species the more intriguing it becomes, IMHO. Be sure to use scientific, peer reviewed sources for something like this.

 

[Aquila]

I'll be glad to help if you need me. I mainly deal with new world parrots , mostly zons. I have spent a lot of time watching wild.parrots in Central America and feral flocks.here in Fla. In fact i have several.pets that i removed.from wild nest back in the 70s. Longtime breeder, companion pets and rescue/rehomes..let me know.

You can PM me or reply here, but I do have a few questions.

What differences do you see in behaviors between wild caught and hand raised pet amazons? My Sydney was wild caught but is fairly well trained. Have you seen differences in behavior through generations of birds bred into captivity? Have they lost any "wild" instincts?

We're still very early on in the development of "domestication" with birds, and I consider them similar to the domestication of cats, because I view cats as being more a symbiotic relationship rather than a true domestication, since cats share almost all behaviors with their wild counterparts.

Do you think we're losing genetic diversity as these birds are bred in captivity?

 

[Aquila]

What about the science behind aviculture. I'll be the first to admit I haven't read a single book on parrots, but I can guaranty they are like the myriad orchid books I HAVE read describing different species of orchids and their cultural requirements. Heavy on the what, light on the why.

Good example: we all know Ekkies have special digestive tracts, and special requirements. What's so significant about the long digestive tract? (As someone with a scientific background I had to and was able to intuit this answer; no sources explained that this makes them more efficient at extracting nutrients, which becomes a toxicity problem for nutrient enriched food like pellets). Amazons need more protein, but why more than macaws? I guess I'm saying don't be afraid to strongly highlight stark anatomical comparisons and contrasts, and their implications on health and nutrition, and care. The more differentiation you can draw among the different species the more intriguing it becomes, IMHO. Be sure to use scientific, peer reviewed sources for something like this.

I absolutely intend to use scientific studies as much as possible as I delve further into my writing, we'll see how many books this all turns out to be! Where I'm currently at is describing essential basics of ownership and care, then moving into more species specific requirements and nutrition, but I've started jumping around as I get different ideas!

 

[SilverSage]

One thing to keep in mind is that while pigeons, chickens, canaries, and certain other birds do come in "breeds" parrots come almost exclusively in different "Species." The exception would be as hybridization becomes more and more prevalent, the more often hybridized birds such as macaws will likely come to be called breeds, but for now they are still considered a mixture of separate species. So its like crossing a wolf and a coyote, not like crossing a poodle and a labrador.

 

[chris-md]

[Where I'm currently at is describing essential basics of ownership and care, then moving into more species specific requirements and nutrition, but I've started jumping around as I get different ideas!

The only thing I would say is be very careful with how you treat that first part. Not to state the obvious but Books on basic ownership and care have been done a million times over.

 

[SilverSage]

I like what Chris has said. I would really pick a specific topic and stick to it. Once species, just nutrition, just training, just rescue, just development, etc. General care is in a hundred books and on a thousand web pages. If the first half of your book is available for free online, no one will care about the second half. I would suggest focusing on an angle you have had to figure out on your own that isnt available already in other places.

 

[SilverSage]

I just re-read your original post and noticed that you want to address the issue of overbreeding and shelter birds. I think that is a great thing to address, but I would encourage you to dog deeper than the surface "breeders are evil and breed too many birds, therefore birds suffer." a TRUE inquiry into this topic with lots of research from many angles is actually something I hope to write a book on in the near future. For now I have an article that you might find interesting, and Dr. Steve Hartman does as well. I will link them here. Both are very surface level for an issue this deep, but both are written by breeders which you might find interesting.

https://theparrotuniversity.com/raising-unwanted-parrots

How to Save Unwanted Parrots ? Silver Sage Aviaries

 

[Aquila]

I just re-read your original post and noticed that you want to address the issue of overbreeding and shelter birds. I think that is a great thing to address, but I would encourage you to dog deeper than the surface "breeders are evil and breed too many birds, therefore birds suffer." a TRUE inquiry into this topic with lots of research from many angles is actually something I hope to write a book on in the near future. For now I have an article that you might find interesting, and Dr. Steve Hartman does as well. I will link them here. Both are very surface level for an issue this deep, but both are written by breeders which you might find interesting.

https://theparrotuniversity.com/raising-unwanted-parrots

How to Save Unwanted Parrots ? Silver Sage Aviaries

So far what I've written talks about my personal experience with rescued birds, one which had been wild caught, as well as talking about overburdened rescue operations. I totally believe that through education, we can keep more birds at home and out of shelters, as I did when I worked with other pet rescue organizations (mostly dogs)

As for talking about breeders, I've talked about having a good relationship with your prospective breeder, inspecting the conditions of the birds as well as visiting before choosing one to take home. I completely agree that there are many wonderful breeders out there that are responsible and care deeply for their birds, and are also the reason that we have such a variety of birds, many that have dwindling numbers in the wild!

 

[Aquila]

[Where I'm currently at is describing essential basics of ownership and care, then moving into more species specific requirements and nutrition, but I've started jumping around as I get different ideas!

The only thing I would say is be very careful with how you treat that first part. Not to state the obvious but Books on basic ownership and care have been done a million times over.

As I said, I started with my personal experiences and I'm not going to beat the topic to death, rather talk about my personal struggles and how I've learned to adapt to rescued birds. My plan is more of a guideline or checklist of the basics.

I like what Chris has said. I would really pick a specific topic and stick to it. Once species, just nutrition, just training, just rescue, just development, etc. General care is in a hundred books and on a thousand web pages. If the first half of your book is available for free online, no one will care about the second half. I would suggest focusing on an angle you have had to figure out on your own that isnt available already in other places.

I started out originally just going to talk about my experiences, but as I've been dividing things up, it very well will likely turn into more than one book. I'm currently up to about 40 pages from three days of writing. I very much enjoy addressing things from a scientific point of view, and have already begun on a section specifically about the types of parrots around the word, and am trying to find more material about lesser common species, as well as the importance of captive breeding programs and the effect that pet parrot ownership has had on endangered species.