The Birds of Pandemonium

August 4, 2014
Raffin, Avicultural Bulletin columnist and founder of the Pandemonium Aviaries bird sanctuary, describes the trajectory of her accidental career as a breeder of endangered species in this anecdotal, entertaining memoir. In 1996 a random encounter and subsequent rescue of a wounded dove on the Lawrence Highway led Raffin to Louis Brown, a local bird breeder, who took Raffin and her newfound avian interest under his wing. At the time, the Wild Bird Conservation Act of 1992 had given rise to a surfeit of homeless doves and pigeons throughout the U.S. (in the words of the author, “From the late 1990s until around 2010, it was raining birds,”)—many of which Raffin went on to adopt. She recounts her experiences over the years providing shelter to a of variety birds, including a red-headed, potty-mouthed Amazon parrot called Amigo, a quail named Sweetie, and Harli and Peeki, a pair of gay lorikeets. Raffin’s passionate advocacy for birds is reminiscent of Jane Goodall’s support for great apes. The author emerges as a knowledgeable and, above all, endearing champion of animals, who practices what she preaches.

September 1, 2014
Raffin recounts how a chance encounter with an injured dove proved to be a life-changing experience. Fifteen years ago, the author, now a conservation columnist for the Aviculture Society of America, was a stay-at-home mom who had put her career as a Silicon Valley executive on hold in order to care for her sons. When her trainer showed up late for their appointment at the gym, he explained that he had stopped to move an injured dove to the side of the highway. Raffin went back with him to pick up the bird and take it to a veterinarian; though it eventually died, the seeds of her new vocation were planted. A newspaper advertisement led to her agreeing to take in a pet dove in need of a home, and she was hooked. More birds followed, and she became a volunteer at a local bird shelter and then a certified aviculturist, after which she joined an informal network of experts. Raffin had found her calling, opening her home to a wide variety of birds. The author describes how, over the years, she has gained expertise in housing rare, endangered species-some of which have been illegally captured in the wild-and taken on the additional task of breeding them in captivity. Not only did the learning process prove "daunting," it also required strategic planning-finding mates, "incubating eggs, hatching them, and caring for the babies." By 2010, Pandemonium Aviaries, which had begun on a whim (fostering birds in need of a home), was a premier conservation-breeding operation playing an important global role in saving endangered species. "I've learned that their behavior is far more fascinating than their plumage..." writes the author, "and that 'birdbrain!' is the finest of compliments." A charming memoir about birds and the people who love them.

COPYRIGHT(2014) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

August 1, 2014

Raffin, a former venture capital consultant, channeled her deep connection with animals into the development of "Pandemonium," a San Francisco area exotic species aviary. The author's initial focus involves bird rescue; demand for her care is strong enough that within a decade her single coop will grow into a multiaviary complex sheltering some 300 birds and 40 species. Learning as she goes, Raffin shares many insights into her birds' behavior and needs. Avian "personalities" predominate in the book, but there are human angles, too, such as how Raffin manages the ups and downs of her demanding calling, the funny family dynamics as she wheedles yet one more bird into the menagerie, and the backstory exposing the secretive "boys' club" of bird breeders with which she contends. The author's mission eventually shifts to imperiled species conservation, and the book closes triumphantly with the birth of a rare green-naped pheasant pigeon chick, a notoriously difficult bird to breed in captivity. Raffin's self-deprecating humor endears but hackneyed diction spoils her effort. Dialog peppered throughout the text is often lame, leading the reader to wonder: Do people really talk like that? VERDICT Animal lovers will likely forgive the author her stylistic lapses and read appreciatively of her many strong works.--Robert Eagan, Windsor P.L., Ont.

Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2014
Oscar, the flightless Gouldian finch, was the inspiration for aviculturist Raffin's conservation aviary, Pandemonium Aviaries. Though unable to fly, Oscar's determination to get up to higher perches taught Raffin to observe his behavior, improvise a solution to his problem, and ultimately achieve success, with Oscar not only perching up where he wanted but also able later to get to a nesting area and produce chicks. Oscar's story is the theme of this lovely memoir-cum-how-to manual for starting an aviary from scratch. There was the rescue of an injured white dove, which led to Raffin's lifelong love affair with the pigeon family and her eventual successful breeding of endangered Victoria crowned pigeons. An Amazon parrot, the victim of too many previous owners, decided he loved Raffin's son, which opened the door to more rescued parrots and to learning how to work with emotionally damaged birds. Learning from the birds, Raffin has made Pandemonium into a true sanctuary.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)