Cockatiels make life better. Ever since 1996 when my budgerigar Frodo was murdered by my then boyfriend, I’ve lived with and loved the cockatiels with whom I’ve shared my home and my life. The Life with Cockatiels series is grounded in real, first-hand experiences, the sort of things that don’t make it into traditional guide books. Over 40 years raising parrots (budgerigars, then cockatiels) go into these books. Successes and failures on my part both taught me what works and what doesn’t. To these lessons I add research into specific topics – like traveling by air with birds or foods that help address age-related health issues. Veterinarians know the physiology. They know about diseases and how to address injuries (like the time Frodo broke one of his wings). But the day to day stuff that is life with cockatiels? That comes from living with birds and letting them into your heart.
Amazon, Smashwords, and Audible each list the Life with Cockatiels on a special series page.
The Life with Cockatiels series is:
Preparing for My First Cockatiel
Preparing for My First Cockatiel is a guide book for you and your children to help you know what it takes to get ready for bringing home your very first cockatiel.
Unlike most books about cockatiels out there, this one doesn’t try to cover everything, but stays focused on what you need to be ready for your new life with your bird.
Full of personal stories and photos, you will get to know what life with cockatiels is like from my many years living with and loving them. A fun book for anyone who loves animals!
Topics covered include:
- Cockatiels as cockatoos
- Primary cages
- Travel/hospital cages (including cages for domestic & international air travel)
- Play spaces
- Food
- Toys
- Perches
- Food dishes
- Communicating with a new or shy cockatiel
- Preventing psittacosis (the main disease that transmits between humans and birds)
- Games to play with your new bird
Available at Amazon, Apple, Smashwords, Barnes/Noble, and at a retailer near you. Also available in audio edition at Apple and Audible.
Preparing for My Senior Cockatiel
Cockatiels are amazing birds! With an average lifespan of twenty to over thirty years, cockatiels are a life investment offering some of the most rewarding relationships you will ever know. In this guide book and sequel to “Preparing For My First Cockatiel,” author Laurel A. Rockefeller explores how to enhance your birds’ lives so they live well beyond the “senior bird” threshold of ten years old. Diet is covered extensively along with how to improve your birds’ home environment for the challenges older birds face. As with “Preparing for My First Cockatiel,” “Senior Cockatiel” is filled with personal stories and science, exploring what a cockatiel is and how to live a long and very happy life with your best friend. Includes detailed nutritional data on popular bird food brands, including ZuPreem, RoudyBush, and LaFeber’s Nutri-berries.
Available at Amazon, Apple, Smashwords, Barnes/Noble, and at a retailer near you. Also available in audio edition at Apple and Audible.
Mithril and Me, A Love Story
Mithril and Me is the true story of the special bond that forms between human and bird. Beginning with her first bird, a budgerigar (parakeet) named Luke and across the decades since, Laurel A. Rockefeller takes you on a special journey as only she can, learning and growing as a person along the way and loving each bird that comes into her life. Heartfelt, affectionate, and honest, “Mithril and Me” will warm your heart, make you cry, and inspire you along the way. Filled with personal photos from forty years of life with birds. Perfect for the animal lover in your life.
Available in digital, paperback, hardcover, and audio.
Available at Amazon, Apple, Smashwords, Barnes/Noble, and at a retailer near you. Also available in audio edition at Apple and Audible.
Show Me the Pretty Bird
Cockatiels are amazing birds. Beautiful, social, and never predictable, they make life fun for those blessed with their presence. In this two act comedy play, Laurel A. Rockefeller shows moments in her life with her birds in Act I and with people in Act II to show everyone what life is like as a bird person in a world that isn’t. True to Laurel’s habit for singing, there’s plenty of music and poetry celebrating the beauty and wonder that comes each day when you give your heart to birds.
Perfect for educational and community theater settings, especially those seeking material for a strong female lead.
Available in digital and paperback at a library (including Hoopla) and retailer near you including Apple, Amazon, Smashwords, Barnes/Noble, Everand, and Kobo.
Laurel A. Rockefeller 