Whether clients proffer fallen nests filled with open-mouthed baby birds or a prime breeder fails to nurture what they hatched, vets and assistants will find plenty of work in feeding and caring for young birds. Practitioners Gage and Duerr give the birds and the professionals a fighting chance as they give detailed instructions about identifying chicks and eggs, incubating eggs, and caring for a very wide range of species, including penguins, pelicans, shorebirds, gulls and terns, ducks and swans, eagles, herons, condors, domestic poultry, cranes, pigeons and doves, parrots, hummingbirds, swifts, woodpeckers and corvids. They provide a range of hand-feeding diets and even instructions for hand-raising the humble house inch, goldfinch, robin, wren and house swallow. The photos and illustrations are well done. The techniques here are appear to be advanced enough to be beyond the capabilities of most lay people with a stray nest fallen in their backyards. Annotation ©2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
Hand-Rearing Birds will provide the reader with a guide to the best methods of hand rearing all major species of birds. The book is broken into two sections. The first section covers standard hand raising methods and equipment, while the second provides individual chapters devoted to many major avian species. This book will be an invaluable reference for shelter veterinarians, zoo veterinarians, avian veterinarians, aviculturists, bird enthusiasts, and conservationists alike.