Parrots of the Wild: A Natural History of the World's Most Captivating Birds, by Catherine A. Toft, Timothy F. Wright
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Parrots of the Wild: A Natural History of the World's Most Captivating Birds, by Catherine A. Toft, Timothy F. Wright

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Parrots of the Wild explores recent scientific discoveries and what they reveal about the lives of wild parrots, which are among the most intelligent and rarest of birds. Catherine A. Toft and Tim Wright discuss the evolutionary history of parrots and how this history affects perceptual and cognitive abilities, diet and foraging patterns, and mating and social behavior. The authors also discuss conservation status and the various ways different populations are adapting to a world that is rapidly changing. The book focuses on general patterns across the 350-odd species of parrots, as well as what can be learned from interesting exceptions to these generalities. A synthetic account of the diversity and ecology of wild parrots, this book distills knowledge from the authors’ own research and from their review of more than 2,400 published scientific studies. The book is enhanced by an array of illustrations, including nearly ninety color photos of wild parrots represented in their natural habitats. Parrots of the Wild melds scientific exploration with features directed at the parrot enthusiast to inform and delight a broad audience.
Parrots of the Wild: A Natural History of the World's Most Captivating Birds, by Catherine A. Toft, Timothy F. Wright - Amazon Sales Rank: #233385 in Books
- Published on: 2015-11-16
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 10.00" h x 1.00" w x 7.00" l, 2.40 pounds
- Binding: Hardcover
- 346 pages
Parrots of the Wild: A Natural History of the World's Most Captivating Birds, by Catherine A. Toft, Timothy F. Wright Review "A rich celebration and study of 'the most human of birds.'” (Library Journal 2015-11-16)
From the Inside Flap "Parrots of the Wild is an exhaustive compendium of information about parrots, from their evolutionary history to their behavior to present-day conservation issues. A must-have for anyone interested in these amazing creatures." —Irene M. Pepperberg, Professor at Harvard University and author of Alex & Me: How a Scientist and a Parrot Discovered a Hidden World of Animal Intelligence—and Formed a Deep Bond in the Process "The wide range of scientific expertise that Toft and Wright command is impressive and thoroughly presented. This book is extremely important as a reminder that wild parrots exist and need our conservation attention." —John M. Marzluff, coauthor of Gifts of the Crow and In the Company of Crows and Ravens "If you like parrots then you'll love this book. From their evolutionary past to their modern-day love lives, Parrots of the Wild presents a suitably captivating read. I thought I knew a lot about parrots--until I delved into these pages." —Tony Juniper, author of What Has Nature Ever Done for Us? and Spix’s Macaw: The Race to Save the World’s Rarest Bird "Parrots of the Wild contributes very significantly to our knowledge of these fascinating birds. I am most impressed by the wealth of information provided here. I recommend it to anyone with an interest in parrots." —Joseph M. Forshaw, Department of Ornithology, Australian Museum, and Corresponding Fellow, American Ornithologists Union
About the Author Catherine A. Toft was Professor Emerita in the Department of Evolution and Ecology at the University of California, Davis at the time of her death in December 2011. She was coeditor of Parasite-Host Associations: Coexistence or Conflict?Timothy F. Wright is Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at New Mexico State University. He has studied parrots in the wild and in the laboratory for more than twenty years.

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20 of 20 people found the following review helpful. Polly may want a cracker but parrot enthusiasts will want this book. Excellent writing. By lyndonbrecht If you like parrots, this is a wonderful read.The authors are enthusiastic about parrots and it comes across in the text. Sad note: Catherine Toft died of cancer as the book was being written, so in a sense the book is a memorial to her. That does not affect the book. There could be more photos but the ones in the book are excellent. Note that this book is not a listing of species, so it's not a guide to parrots in the "guide" sense. It's an examination of what parrots are and what it's like, so far as we can tell, to be a parrot--so it's based on a great deal of research. It is written by scholars but is highly readable and is not an academic study. It examines details of many species but is focused on parrots in general, not specific species.Chapter 1 looks at evolution. For many readers this may be the least interesting portion of the book. Chapter 2 discusses the thriving parrot (the chapter and section headings are wry but show the authors' affection for the birds. The section includes foods and related behaviors.This chapter has a fascinating section on geophagy, eating soil, which seems to help birds cope with toxic foods. There's a fine photo of blue headed parrots feeding on clay in Peru. There's also one carnivorous parrot, the Antipodes parakeet, that kills and eats petrels. And the marvelous New Zealand kea will sometimes kill and eat mice.Chapter 3 examines parrot communications, how they receive and use information, not just sounds. Parrots have four types of cone cells in their eyes (we humans have three) so they can see ultraviolet. Research seems to show that some parrots actually have names, in the sense of a personal identity call (the Spectacled parrotlets). Chapter 4 examines the "thinking parrot," their brains and how they use them. This chapter also discusses signs of distress in captive parrots, a sad but necessary section. Chapter 5 is titled "Sex and marriage," about the mating and family side of being parrots. These vary a great deal from species to species. Most parrots are monogamous, and many mate for life. Nesting varies a great deal; I did not know there was a burrowing parrot (in Patagonia). I don't know if other readers will share my interest in the kakapo's lek system, but this chapter describes it in fascinating detail, and their calls can be heard 5 kilometers away. Golden parakeets appear to lay eggs in a communal nest. The variations among the 300+ parrot species are fascinating.Chapter 6 is titled "From the cradle to the grave" and discusses parrot life histories. These can also be fascinating. Keas play, and have been recorded rolling stones down hillsides into water, apparently for the fun of the splash; they also enjoy playing tug-o-war and dismantling objects, such as cars. Life expectancies are not known in many cases; one Moluccan cockatoo made it to age 92 and 30 to 50 or more years seems common for the larger parrots. Kakapos may reach 90. Chapter 7 discusses parrot populations, including conservation, endangered species (many) and invasive parrots (here in my part Florida, there have been three species of parrots on bird feeders in the back yard, with a dozen or more wild further south).
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Parrots Book Dives Deeply into Structures of the Wild By Fantasy Author Sandy Lender Title: Parrots of the Wild, A Natural History of the World’s Most Captivating BirdsAuthors: Catherine A. Toft and Timothy F. Wright; Publisher: University of California Press, Oakland; Copyright: November 2015; Pages: 346 (69 are notes and bibliography); Pictures: 90 4/C, plus illustrationsLet’s begin with the technical information about Parrots of the Wild. I want to make it clear that the book is a heady, factual work born of many years of research. The publisher states it is “[a] synthetic account of the diversity and ecology of wild parrots,” and explains that the book “distills knowledge from the authors’ own research and from their review of more than 2,400 published scientific studies.”Catherine A. Toft and Timothy F. Wright have prepared a book for the serious student of Psittacidae who is also interested in a deep, scientific, almost academic discussion, of all things avian. In fact, due to the highly organized, educational and professional nature of the language and presentation, I found myself frustrated by images I’ve rejected for this very magazine from stock photo sites sprinkled throughout the figures. That lack of originality cheapened the visual experience for me, but shouldn’t hinder the visual experience for readers who don’t regularly search photo sites for background images. The foreword by James Gilardi wants to convince readers that this book is accessible to the millions of parrot enthusiasts around the world, but I think he overestimates the reading comprehension skills and attention spans of those who read “popular treatment(s) with an aim to entertain and enlighten.”Starting with evolution and moving through the topics of physiology, morphology, foraging ecology, sensory biology and how parrots communicate visually and vocally, cognition, behavioral ecology as it relates to mating, and more, the authors present a total picture of wild parrot life for a multitude of genera. It may seem out of place in a book about wild parrots, but the authors dip into the concept of “mental distress in captive parrots,” using constructs such as “unhappy” and “miserable” and culminating in the bizarre notion that “the angels took pity on” a wild-caught cockatoo who had not adapted to life in human care by what I deduced was about 1995-ish. “They folded him into their arms one night, when he was housed next to parrots of other species during an outbreak of Pacheco’s virus.”One area of the book that I found extremely interesting was a discussion of the Carolina Parakeet (Conuropsis carolinensis) in Part VII, Populations of Parrots, Conservation and Invasion Biology. Under the chapter Parrots in Peril, there is a further subdivision titled “How the Allee Effect Caused the Extinction of the Carolina Parakeet.” The simple concept that all the factors piling up against the Carolina Parakeet contributed to its extinction makes perfect sense, and Toft explains this in a common-sense fashion. One of the contributing factors to the parakeet’s demise was “competition for...increasingly rare nesthole cavities in large trees by exotic introduced European honeybees.” For the love of all that is good in this world, avian professionals need to read the section on conservation and invasion biology if for no other reason than to learn from past oversight.Yes, this is a research book with undertones of the animal rights agenda movement in just a few places, but it is also a valuable tool for updating the avian professional’s mind on more recent taxonomical and ecological developments. Above all, it offers knowledge and education for anyone interested in the conservation of wild populations of our beloved parrots.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Can't get much better than this! By Lynn This is the most comprehensive, laypeople-friendly text I can find on the evolutionary roots of parrots and how ancestry was determined. It describes parrots' supposed distant ancestor and how various species are related (the latter contains some surprises!). By summarizing over 2,400 scientific studies, this book also provides information on everything one could possibly want to know about parrots in the wild. This is all valuable information to parrot caretakers (like me) who want understand parrots and do everything we can to meet the needs of parrots in captivity. For instance, I've come to an understanding about what various species are looking for in their food and why - yes, I know why my parrot flings the seemingly "good" parts of fruit everywhere, discarding them in search of the "baby plants" within!Other topics covered include rare species in some of the most isolated areas, visual perception and feather structure, vocal and cognitive problem-solving abilities, social and mating behavior (including development according to life stages), reasons for the population decline and extinction of various species (including details on critical nesting requirements), and conservation efforts. The only topic which I hope to see included in a future edition is the topic of their sleep and circadian rhythm, as I understand that many species inhabiting tropical areas of the world require more than the 8 hours a day that people (including many parrot owners) take for granted as the norm. All in all though, I can tell that this book was an ambitious undertaking and greatly appreciate it!
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Parrots of the Wild: A Natural History of the World's Most Captivating Birds, by Catherine A. Toft, Timothy F. Wright