Views of Pandemonium

Author Michele Raffin begins her book, The Birds of Pandemonium: Life Among the Exotic & the Endangered, with the intention of making the phrase "bird brain" into a compliment, and through her stories of events and individuals (human and avian), she largely succeeds. 

Seeing behind the scenes as her hobby grows into a life-changing rescue and rare-bird breeding program is fascinating -- both for the window it gives into the world of birds and for its depiction of how "bird fever" set in, turning a small thing into a huge thing, step-by-step, almost without the participants noticing. Her kids are saints, and perhaps her husband is, too -- although to be fair they are willing partners in the bird take-over. They have their own favorites, too! The results are fully on view in print and on the Pandemonium Aviaries website. 

Glimpsing bird-person culture is also fascinating. Some fanciers and breeders aren't up to the task: not willing to fully commit to proper care, or the needs of a parrot that can live up to 90 years. Some are very capable but willing to force the birds into terrible conditions in order to fulfill their desire for a particular species. Some are capable and secretive, refusing to share information that would help keep the species from extinction. The humans are a mixed bag. The birds are, overall, much more likeable.  

By far the best part is learning about birds I'd never even heard of before! I was particularly taken with the story of Sweetie, a coturnix quail who arrived as a rescue after being found forgotten in a paper bag in a grocery store. Instead of being someone's dinner, Sweetie became a local celebrity for his winning personality and zest for living. He was a wonderful ambassador for the intriguing and beautiful world of birds. 

Here are a few pictures to give you an idea. What lovely creatures! So delicate. So wise. Also so resilient and so silly . . . depending on the circumstances.

Plum Headed Parakeet

(photo credit: Pinterest)

Victoria Crowned Pigeon

(photo credit: Honolulu Zoo)

More than anything: so important to our world. It's a richer planet for all of us when all the creatures thrive, in their magnificent variety.

Excerpt:

The old softy in me had always bought birds as companions for some of the lonely and alienated rescue birds. Michele the budding conservationist would have to become a focused aviculturist always on the lookout for healthy breeding stock.

It was a different, more severe form of bird fever. The mission became conservation, the compulsion more urgent. Both [my bird expert friends] had cautioned me about getting in too deep. Carol told me stories of bird keepers whose health had been seriously affected by the demands of a job that had no days off. They both suggested that I specialize -- select a species or two that I really liked and stick to those. I remember thinking, But I do specialize. I specialize in everything.

 Note: This book counts toward the Color Coded Reading Challenge.