A book on aviculture based on years of practical experience and sound commonsense is uncommon—unfortunately. When it is also written by acknowledged experts in their field, it becomes a rare gem, worth its weight in gold. This is how I would describe the book under this review. It is an impressive example of a husband and wife team who truly know what they are writing about, passing on their expertise, for this and for future generations of breeders.

ABK Publication’s 'A Guide to…' series, now boasting more than 20 titles, are user-friendly books, on glossy paper and loaded with colour photographs, one or more to a page. The name is synonymous with quality and this latest title is one of the best.

It follows their usual formula of discussing all avicultural aspects, such as housing, feeding, breeding and handrearing, and then covers, in depth, each species, in the wild and in captivity, under a series of useful headings that are consistent for each species. This makes it easy to find information on a specific topic.

Neville and Noddy (as she is known) have been breeding black cockatoos of the Calyptorhynchus genus for more than 20 years. By the mid 1980s they had bred and handreared all members of the genus. They are known especially for their successes with the delightful Glossy Black Cockatoo—they not only achieved an Australian first breeding with this species but have also reared young consistently ever since.

I love some of their commonsense observations, such as those on the subject of commercial bird diets, eg pellets. Noting that black cockatoos in the wild either move from one food source to another or use one source that changes seasonally in nutritional value, they comment: '… there have been few comprehensive studies carried out in the wild on the species featured here and nothing of note with captive species. Manufacturers’ claims that they have formulated the ultimate diet must be viewed with suspicion if not contempt unless ‘proof’ of research has been undertaken.'

On the subject of aggressive cocks they offer an alternative to clipping the feathers of one wing and suggest that, at the commencement of any aggressive behaviour, black electrical tape be wrapped around four or five primary flight feathers. The tape can be removed as desired. They make the very pertinent observation that: '…aggressive behaviour is not as sudden as usually described. There are always subtle telltale signs of disharmony between the pair. It is when these signs go unnoticed by the aviculturist that more serious and determined aggression is seen.'

On the subject of handrearing they comment that it is inconceivable to use a commercial mix that has, as its major components, grain types that are seldom taken by adult birds and that does not contain a greenfood—a chlorophyll component. 'The result is droppings that resemble a sick child’s, rather than a bird’s droppings with the clearly defined faeces and urates.'

Species information covers pages 69—147. It includes the Gang Gang Cockatoo and the Palm Cockatoo, in addition to the Calyptorhynchus species.

There are countless interesting photographs—such as that by Peter Odekerken of a wild Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo devouring a grub that it has just extracted from a trunk. The photographs are also invaluable in the often difficult task of identifying different subspecies of Calyptorhynchus.

Readers should realise that comments about Gang Gang and Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos making excellent pets are not relevant outside Australia, where so few exist that their high price would deter pet owners.

In Australia the Palm Cockatoo is almost non-existent. The chapter on this species, and most of the photographs, are the work of one of the world’s most experienced breeders of Palm Cockatoos, William Horsfield from South Africa. This is an extremely detailed and useful section. He shows an interesting sequence of five photographs of a Palm Cockatoo from pipping to hatching. The book concludes with a useful section on disease by avian veterinarian, Dr Bob Doneley.

Rosemary Low