The Encyclopedia of Aviculture
Details
By: Holland, Glen
ISBN: 9780888394606
Binding: Trade Cloth
Size: 11" X 8.5"
Pages: 832
Photos: 282
Illustrations: 263
Publication Date: 2007
Description
PR Highlights: The most comprehensive book on the zoological management of various species of bird families published since the 1960s.
PHOTO Highlights: 64 page color photo section.
Description: The most up-to-date and detailed compilation of world wide Avicultural species recorded to date. Initiated as a book on African birds that feature in private avicultural and zoological collections around the globe, it soon became apparent that much of the information gathered pertained to aviculture worldwide. Recognized avicultural experts worldwide have contributed to make this a truly international avicultural handbook. A wide variety of valuable species are held outside of managed species programs and it is essential that we maximize the breeding potential of these species to ensure they contribute to long-term self-sustainable populations. In this book the aviculturist is provided with proven, practical methods for the successful management and propagation of most of the families of birds in the world. Species accounts vary from the world's largest, the ostrich, to the diminutive hummingbirds and waxbills and include avicultural rarities, such as Congo peafowl, kiwi, saddle-bill storks, bee-eaters, swallows, and red siskins. Vital, practical components for avicultural success that are universally applicable to a wide range of species, such as diets, compatibility with other species, habitat requirements, incubation, and hand-raising techniques are included. Aviculturists today are faced with the challenge of establishing captive-bred strains that are no longer reliant on replenishments from wild stock, while helping to reduce the current rate of species extinctions. It is my desire that this book will assist aviculturists in achieving this goal.
Author Biography
Author Biography:
Glen Holland's intense interest in wildlife, the outdoors and, in particular, ornithology, began in the early years of his life in South Africa. Much of his free time during school years was spent doing voluntary work at the World of Birds, assisting with the rescue of oil-contaminated sea birds, and reading all things avicultural. This avocation ultimately led to a career that encompassed various aspects of wildlife and habitat management, conservation, and environmental education. In 1997, Glen and his family moved to New Zealand where he realized a lifelong goal of working at the Mt. Bruce National Wildlife Centre as species manager. He has most recently held the post of director of the Auckland Zoo.
Book Reviews
Book Reviews:
Kent Knowles, President
Raptor Conservancy of Virginia
May 2008
The Encyclopedia of Aviculture, by Glen Holland and a galaxy of outstanding and experienced aviculturalists, is an exceptionally complete and helpful reference with a wealth of helpful information for all people who keep birds in captivity, especially professionals and serious amateurs. The book is also aimed at improving the role of aviculturalists in conservation. and expanding the effective use of captive birds in environmental education. Key subjects discussed in detail include landscape, stress management, control of vermin, propagation of live food, and hand rearing. Species ac-counts for a wide range of birds of the world are included; the accounts are thorough and very helpful. The book also contains detailed and comprehensive tables, as well as over 60 pages of color photographs. The book is devoted to exploring key aviculture subjects not usually discussed in detail in aviculture reference books; thus, avian construction and nutrition are not featured. Overall, this book is an outstanding source of information for aviculturalists maintaining captive birds, and should be an invaluable reference.
Daniel M. Brooks, Ph.D.
Curator of Vertebrate Zoology
Cracid Specialist Group Chair
The Houston Museum of Natural Science
May 2009
As a teenager in the early 80's obsessed with Aviculture (among other things), I remember the dreaded trips to the big central library in downtown Houston to work on a book report or similar class assignment. Invariably I would find myself drawn to the bird reference section rather than Shakespeare (or whatever topic I was supposed to be working on for school). I distinctly recall the massive blue Encyclopedia of Aviculture that was like manna from heaven. Poring through the pages, it was a great way to procrastinate my school work, and I ended up learning a great deal despite myself! Moving on to college, then grad school, then many years of field work before permanently settling down in my current position at the Houston Museum of Natural Science, I essentially entirely forgot about that massive undertaking, the Encyclopedia of Aviculture... forgot about it until about a decade ago, when I resumed my childhood Aviculture hobby as an adult with a small yard to build a couple of aviaries, a family to support the interest, etc. Then I wondered what ever happened to that enormous reference, and whether or not there would ever be a new and enriched version. Thus I was ecstatic to learn that a bigger and better version was indeed published recently by Hancock House. The recently published Hancock House Encyclopedia of Aviculture is a monumental task, spanning more than 800 pages, including more than 282 photos and 263 illustrations. Initially begun as a text on Aviculture in South Africa, by Glen Holland, David Hancock encouraged Holland to include multiple authors to expand the text in order to cover all the avian groups represented in captivity today. Following the Introductions are detailed chapters on environmental education using birds as the model, landscaping, stress management, vermin control, live food and its propagation, hand-rearing, species compatibility and community aviaries, conversion tables, and over 60 pages of color photos highlighting the contents of these chapters. This preamble accounts for less than 10% of the book however, which then goes on to include Ordinal and Familial accounts on the world's birds and their captive management. The book does a fine job paying attention to details yet being highly efficient to reduce the already high page count. For example, rather than detail the type of habitat for each avian account, those details with drawings are provided up front in the section on landscaping for the reader to cross-reference. The species accounts typically include an introductory section on systematics and natural history, followed by sections on management, diet, breeding, and artificial rearing, etc. One of the advantages of the book being written by an Aviculturist is knowing what is most useful to an Aviculturist! So at the end of each species account is included a note about band (ring) size, as well as other species the management methods described are applicable to. For example, at the end of the account on Blood Pheasant (Ithaginis cruentatus), it is noted that the management methods are also applicable to Tragopans and Monals. While each Ordinal and Familial section begins with general overviews, species accounts are reserved for some of the lesser known species worked with in captivity, which means more 'bang for the buck'. For example, in the section of pheasants, rather than merely repeating information on Ruffed (Chrysolophus), Long-tailed (Syrmaticus) or 'True' (Phasianus) pheasants that has been exhaustively covered elsewhere, you can pick up information on relatively lesser known species, including Blood Pheasant (Ithaginis cruentatus), Peacock Pheasants (Polyplectron sp.) and Congo Peafowl (Afropavo congensis), of which the latter is also applicable to Curassows, Wood Partridge, Peafowl and Monals. In this day and age when virtually every pheasant and/or waterfowl collection has something else besides their specialilty, whether it is cranes, wood rails, soft bills or even a pet parrot in the house, this massive book is well worth the $100 expense just for piece of mind no matter what kind of birds you end up with. The only potential negative aspect is the lack of color photos to accompany the species accounts. This was done to reduce the already lengthy number of pages, and will probably be used in an up-and-coming Vol. II, and/or made available on a website
By Bill Naylor - Published on Amazon.com
Not since Rudgers and Norris's 1972 Encyclopedia of Aviculture, has there been a complete in depth treatise of birds that are kept in captivity and the techniques required to maintain them successfully.The Author Glen Holland hasn't gone for the easy option and cut and pasted standard information,or padded it out with irrelevant photos. Everything is pertinent to this reference book and practical manual on bird keeping. He has researched the journals of avicultural societies and bird clubs,and harnessed input from zoo aviculturists, gathering details which would normally see the light of day.Many will complain about various omissions. But these can always be included in future editions.Its not the last word on bird keeping but its the most up to date.