Holiday Gift Ideas for Bird Lovers
© Anne Watkins
As you can see by Rio's happy expression, the holiday season is upon us! He's got his stocking all ready to be filled with goodies. While thoughts of shopping for fun birdie presents dance in your mind, don't forget to include those human family members on your holiday gift list. I've put together a checklist of items sure to delight any bird lover.
1. Wearable birds. Wow! There are a ton of beautiful sweatshirts, tee shirts, jackets, and caps sporting full color images of our feathered friends. What is your gift recipient's favorite bird? There's no doubt you'll be able to find some sort of clothing featuring that type of companion bird. If you can't locate a particular species, ask around. You should be able to find someone who can air brush the bird on the item of your choice.
2. Jewelry. One of my favorite pieces of jewelry is a 14 karat gold parrot that Allen had created especially for me from one of his old rings. There are lots of shops that make custom designed jewelry. If you can't find a shop right away, ask for recommendations at jewelry stores. Be sure to start shopping early, as it can sometimes take weeks to have a piece made up. Ready-made earrings, necklaces, rings, bracelets, and pins can be found in many shops and specialty catalogs. Don't forget to look in pawn shops. We've found some lovely antique pieces by prowling pawn shops.
3. Books and magazines. For the African grey lover, I highly recommend the latest book from Mattie Sue Athan and Dianalee Deter. The African Grey Parrot Handbook is chock full of beautiful pictures of African greys, as well as wonderfully worked line drawings. And, not only is the book an intensive manual for African grey owners, it's full of helpful information from which any bird person would benefit. Some of the chapters include sections on grooming, capturing an escaped bird (everybody needs to know these things!), bird behavior and what it means, diet, tricks and games, bonding with your bird, potty training, and proper caging. For more information on the book and how to get it, visit Mattie Sue's web site by clicking on Positively Parrots.
Bird magazines are great sources of information. They feature in-depth articles on diet, breeding, basic care, caging, toys, behavior, avian diseases, species information, and lots of beautiful pictures. One of my all time favorite bird magazines is Bird Talk. You can usually find the magazine in your favorite book store, and you can order it by visiting their web site at Bird Talk.
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