The Birds of Pandemonium: Life Among the Exotic and the Endangered

by Michele Raffin

Pandemonium, the home and bird sanctuary that Raffin shares with some of the world's most remarkable birds, is a conservation organization dedicated to saving and breeding birds at the edge of extinction, with the goal of eventually releasing them into the wild. Raffin discusses her crusade to save precious lives, and offers rare insights into how following a passion can transform not only oneself but also the world.

• ISBN10: 1616201363
• ISBN13: 9781616201364
• Publish Date: 7 October 2014
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 26 July 2023
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Algonquin Books
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 240
• Language: English

Reviews

[Heather]

Michelle Raffin didn't know anything about birds when an injured dove came into her life.  She took it to an avian veterinarian and that experience led to visiting an exotic bird breeder.  She and her husband left there with several varieties of exotic pigeons.  Over time, she got involved in rescue and rehab until her suburban backyard was full of aviaries.

The learning curve when keeping birds is steep.  It is especially hard when trying to keep and breed endangered species that haven't done well in captivity before.  A lot of luck and detective skills are needed.  I don't think I would do well with this because it is more similar to ranching than keeping pet birds.  You need to focus on the good of the flock more than on what is best for an individual bird.  That can lead to making some hard choices if you are attached to the birds.

I am familiar with mostly with parrots and didn't know much about the personalities of the birds that she focuses on.  It was interesting to hear about their lives.  She does have some parrots inside.  She has a morning dance party with them.  I'm trying to get my Senegal parrot to be more active so maybe I'll try this too.

 This review was originally posted on Based On A True Story