This newly updated book is a reference manual for every bird-keeper. It covers all aspects of bird care: housing choices; constructing an aviary; buying birds and settling them in; feeding and handling; keeping birds healthy; and exhibiting and breeding. A close look at over 250 examples provides a fascinating insight into the appearance, characteristics and breeding habits of each of the major groups: waxbills, weavers, wydahs, canaries and related finches, quails and pheasants, softbills, Australian parakeets, cockatiels, cockatoos, lories and lorikeets, parrots, doves and pigeons. Fabulously illustrated with more than 800 photographs, this book is an authoritative guide to keeping pet birds both in the home or in an outdoor aviary.

David Alderton is the former chairman of the National Council for Aviculture and has been keeping birds for over 40 years. His dozens of highly regarded reference books have sold almost seven million copies worldwide and are available in 31 languages. David also has extensive experience of bird rehabilitation work and has given many national and international seminars on bird care.