Guide to Companion Parrot Behavior

Because many birds are placed in our Foster Program by their owners due to behavioral problems such as feather picking, screaming, biting, or extreme fearfulness, these sections in the book have proved to provide valuable and practical information for our foster and adoptive parents. The specific suggestions for "Recovering Confidence in a Fearful Parrot" and "Feather Chewing, Snapping and Plucking" are particularly good. These behaviors are so troubling and complex,yet most resource books only give a general overview of possible causative factors, without offering any practical solutions.

The "Guide to Companion Parrot Behavior" is written in a format which allows it to be used for reference, but it is interesting and entertaining enough to be read through from cover to cover.

I highly recommend this book, as well as "Guide to a Well-Behaved Parrot" by Mattie Sue Athan, to anyone who has a companion parrot in their life, or is considering purchasing or adopting an exotic bird. Both books together provide a valuable reference for insight into the on-going and ever-changing relationships that develop between you and your feathered family members.

Cathy Isbell, Vice-President Parrot Rehabilitation Society


A Must-Have for the Parrot Lover's Library   May 21, 2001
Anne Watkins (Alabama)
25 out of 25 found this review helpful

Guide to Companion Parrot Behavior is chock full of brilliant color photos, clear line drawings, and well explained, easy-to-understand terms. There are sections covering the basics of most parrot and parrot-type birds, from tiny parakeets to majestic macaws, and every species in between. The book is stuffed with useful information that will be helpful to both the first-time bird buyer and the experienced parrot owner in the selection of a companion bird.

Chapters include "What is a Companion Parrot?" "Finding the Right Bird," "General Care and Other Considerations," "Behavioral Development," "Occasional Behavioral Issues," and, one of my favorite sections, "Stories About Companion Parrots." One part even covers what happens when a bonded parrot survives its owner. There are many, many informative sections that are invaluable for anyone who loves, and desires to learn more about, companion birds.

This is a well-written, comprehensive book that will provide hours of entertainment and education. I highly recommend it!


This book is a must for any companion bird library!   August 16, 1999
18 out of 18 found this review helpful

I was really impressed with the scope of this work, as it covers not only the attributes of different species of birds, but also much regarding behavior, training, general care and help for specific problem behaviors. I would highly recommend this as a 'first read' for anyone that is contemplating adding a bird to their household. It is written in a friendly manner, is easy to read and has beautiful photos, so it's sure to be used as a reference guide by those that already own (or are owned by!) parrots. I think it's wonderful that such an excellent source of information can also be priced so reasonably! Don't wait - get this one right away!!


One of Two Essential Books for The Parrot Enthusiast   November 3, 2000
marion russo-lleras (Scotch Plains, NJ USA)
18 out of 18 found this review helpful

This book, along with The Well Behaved Parrot by the same author, is essential reading for anyone who has or wants a companion parrot. This book covers all of the most popular as well as some of the lesser known bird species. I have 4 rescue birds that came to me with a variety of behavioral problems. By following the behavioral techniques and interventions suggested by the author I can honestly say many problems were solved and other were avoided. Get this book and her others if you are serious about your companion birds. It will really help you understand your parrot and prevent problem behaviors from developing.


An essential book for both beginners and seasoned owners.   May 27, 1999
20 out of 21 found this review helpful

Author Mattie Sue Athan has performed another courtesy for all parrot-owning and potential parrot-owning individuals. The new book "Guide to Companion Parrot Behavior" is a concise, all-encompassing guide to the beautiful, alluring, exotic birds that the author also calls "little green dragons."

To the uninitiated, companion parrots may appear to be a low-maintenance, showy type of pet. Athan's book goes through the joys and rewards of owning a companion parrot, but she also gives an honest reckoning of the time and effort that must be invested to properly care for a pet that may well be a three year-old toddler in your home for the next 80 years.

The "Companion" book looks great: much larger (many more pages) than her earlier books - and a lot more information. Combined with Athan's first book, "Guide to a Well Behaved Parrot," these two volumes become a "must-read" for anyone considering the purchase (people like to call it adoption) of a companion parrot. Beyond the neophyte prospective owner, all seasoned (well-nipped) owners will continue to use the two books as ready and reliable resources in their day-to-day lives with parrots.

The "Companion" book probably should be read out of sequence. Look through the book at many colorful and helpful pictures and illustrations and read whatever passages catch your eye. Then go back and read the book from cover to cover. Athan gives a short, but to the point introduction, then a short but in-depth review of characteristics of the most popular parrot species. She then goes in to detailed and informative discussions about why and how parrots interact with their human companions. (One final "insiders" note: The usually camera-shy author - who normally only allows her hands to be pictured in her books - actually appears in one of the photographs - the secret is: Which one? It's nice to get a face to go with all the wisdom.)

Beyond these two comprehensive books (the new "Companion" and the previously issued "Well Behaved") Athan has also published two species-specific books - one on the Quaker parrot, the bird that Athan calls "the best and the worst parrot" and another book on Senegal parrots and their companion species. If I were to arrange all of Mattie Sue's books on a time-line (which book to read first, second, third, etc.) I would put the "Companion" book first - it gives the basics of the different species and then how they react as companion birds. I'd recommend "Well Behaved Parrot" as the close second book for an owner to read - how to train your specific bird, and then the species-specific books: Quakers/Senegals as the third or fourth books to read. Athan has another species-specific book in the works - one on the popular African Gray parrot.

Athan has done the world of companion parrot owners a major service by writing books that serve not only the beginner, but also the more seasoned parrot owner as the "bibles" for understanding, caring for, and enjoying these precious, intelligent animals.