Nikki Moustaki - Parakeets For Dummies

8 Chapter 8FIGURE 8-1: This parakeet is being hand-tamed by its human companion.FIGURE 8-2: Parakeets enjoy a gentle scratch on the head.

9 Chapter 9FIGURE 9-1: An overgrown beak may be a sign of malnutrition or mites.FIGURE 9-2: This parakeet’s cracked beak should be seen by an avian veterinaria...

10 Chapter 10FIGURE 10-1: These parakeets are nesting communally in a breeding colony.FIGURE 10-2: This is a “true pair,” a female and a male budgie, engaging in fee...FIGURE 10-3: This female parakeet keeps her babies warm.

1 Cover

2 Title Page

3 Copyright

4 Table of Contents

5 Begin Reading

6 Index

1 i

2 ii

3 1

4 2

5 3

6 5

7 6

8 7

9 8

10 9

11 10

12 11

13 12

14 13

15 14

16 15

17 16

18 17

19 18

20 19

21 20

22 21

23 22

24 23

25 24

26 25

27 27

28 28

29 29

30 30

31 31

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33 33

34 34

35 35

36 36

37 37

38 38

39 39

40 40

41 41

42 42

43 43

44 44

45 45

46 46

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48 48

49 49

50 50

51 51

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53 53

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58 59

59 60

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62 63

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71 72

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81 82

82 83

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84 85

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88 89

89 90

90 91

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100 101

101 102

102 103

103 104

104 105

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107 108

108 109

109 110

110 111

111 112

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113 114

114 115

115 116

116 117

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118 119

119 120

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122 123

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125 126

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129 130

130 131

131 132

132 133

133 134

134 135

135 136

136 137

137 138

138 139

139 140

140 141

141 142

142 143

143 145

144 146

145 147

146 148

147 149

148 150

149 151

150 152

151 153

152 154

153 155

154 156

155 157

156 158

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159 161

Many people remember having a parakeet when they were a kid, and many kids (and plenty of adults!) today either have one, want one, or will receive one as a gift. As a companion, the parakeet has it all. It’s little enough for even the smallest apartment, is as affectionate as any lapdog, and can out talk even the largest of parrots. What more could you ask for?

Parakeets For Dummies is for people interested in parakeets — whether you want to know more about parakeets before you acquire one, you have recently brought a parakeet (or two) into your home, you’re a parent buying this book your child, or you’re a young person buying it for yourself. Maybe you want to discover the essential scoop on getting your new bird set up properly, as well as general care information. Perhaps you simply need a refresher on the best way to take care of your feathered companion or want to understand it better and start some advanced training. Perhaps you’re ready for a new bird but aren’t sure if a parakeet is right for you and your family. If any of the above describes you, then you’ve come to the right place.

As you read, keep an eye out for text in italics, which indicates a new term and a nearby definition — no need to spend time hunting through a glossary. And monofont points out Web addresses for additional information worth checking out. You’ll also run into a few sidebars (the occasional gray box); although the information in the sidebars is good, it’s not essential to the discussion at hand, so skip ’em if you want to.

In writing Parakeets For Dummies , I made some assumptions about my readers:

You’re one of the millions of people who wants a parakeet or who has a family member who wants one (or more) and you’ve come to this book to learn about their care and training.

You already have a parakeet, or two, or twenty, and you want to brush up on parakeet care and learn a few things that you don’t already know.

Maybe you’re a volunteer at a parrot shelter or rescue and you want to be able to educate your adopters more thoroughly.

Perhaps you want to begin breeding these popular little birds and want some information on how to make that process go smoothly.

Whatever the case, whether you’re a newbie or a seasoned parakeet guardian, there’s something in this book for you.

While reading Parakeets For Dummies, be on the lookout for these icons, sprinkled here and there:

This icon flags tips and tricks that will help you be the best parakeet pal you can be.

This icon points out information that’s so important you’ll want to be sure to remember it.

This icon highlights information on things that could harm you or your parakeet.

This icon flags information that you can use to impress your friends with your amazing bird knowledge, but it isn’t absolutely necessary, so don’t feel the need to memorize it.

You can find a little more parakeet-related on https://www.dummies.com/ , where you can peruse this book's Cheat Sheet. To get this handy resource, go to the website and type Parakeets For Dummies Cheat Sheet in the Search box.

Parakeets For Dummies is a reference, so you don’t have to read it in order from start to finish. Begin with Chapter 4if you need basic set-up information, flip to Chapter 7if you’re trying to learn parakeet-ese, or head to Chapter 2if you’re still undecided about adding a parakeet to your family. (Although if you prefer to start at the beginning and read until you reach the back cover, you’re welcome to do so.)

Part 1

IN THIS PART …

Finding out if a parakeet is perfect for you

Preparing to bring your parakeet home

Feeding your parakeet properly

Chapter 1

IN THIS CHAPTER

Understanding what a parakeet is

Telling the difference between the English budgie and the American parakeet