This month’s book is The Birds of Pandemonium by Michele Raffin.The Birds of Pandemonium is the story of Michele Raffin and her family, who went from taking in six doves (originally meant to be just one) to running Pandemonium Aviaries, one of the largest non profit, (non companion) bird sanctuaries in the United States.

Cooper absolutely loved this book. At times humorous, and at times heart-breaking, the story of how her aviaries grow is always fascinating. Through trial and error, and with the help of other breeders, vets and conservationists the author proves that one person can truly make a difference.

Cooper’s favorite birds in the book were Amigo and Shana, two sassy parrots. She also liked reading about Sweetie (a coturnix Japanese quail), a darling little bird who was found at a grocery store in a paper bag on top of the celery (perhaps someone’s future dinner?).  She thought the author did a great job of showing that birds have personalities, feelings and intelligence. She also liked the color photos of some of the featured birds.

The aviaries sound beautiful – colorful and filled with plants and artwork. Cooper thinks we should build her one. She might even share it with the rest of the flock…

You can read more about Pandemonium Aviaries here.