Thank you for visiting BeautyOfBirds – one of the most extensive web resource on birds.
Content
- Background
- Veterinarians and Medical Professionals
- Writers, Avian Specialists, Species Consultants and Contributors
- Photographers (many skilled individuals have contributed photos to Avianweb / BeautyOfBirds – and the most proliferate are provided their own pages)
BeautyOfBirds – formerly Avianweb – is devoted to all things “feathered” and the protection of nature and all its creatures.
How it all began …
Avianweb started out as a website developed by Sibylle Johnson, an aviculturist of many years. Starting in 1997, she published research on bird diseases / bird health problems. At that time, this website was known as “Avian Health.”
Later on, bird care guidance (as an extension of “bird health”) and then bird species information was added over time. The website was then renamed “Avianweb” to incorporate the additional information that was made available about birds.
Since its inception, this website has grown to include close to 10,000 pages with articles on Bird Health, Husbandry, Breeding, Species and Conservation. BeautyOfBirds aka Avianweb has now grown to be one of the largest websites about birds.
Until recently, the website was static – and an expert was needed to update the website format, which takes us to the next step … the development of the interactive website now known as “BeautyOfBirds” and the technical expert who led the conversion (from static to interactive) …
Technical Resource:
The technical “brain” behind BeautyOfBirds.com is Abhijeet Sandil – an expert in Drupal (a sophisticated web development platform for online content and user communities) and cofounder of ShriResume .
Other than having distinguished himself on a technical level, his results-focused work ethics moved this highly complex project forward and he will continue to be the “brain” of the technical operations.
Veterinarians / Medical Staff Published on Avianweb/BeautyOfBirds:
Dr Jill M. Patt, D.V.M.
– Practicing Veterinarian in Mesa, Arizona
Dr. Patt is not only a renowned vet, but has been keeping birds for many years.
Dr. Patt has published in the areas of bird health and bird training / behavioral modification.
Those of you who are lucky enough to live in Mesa, Arizona not only have access to the best possible bird health care, but can also improve their knowledge of bird care by attending her free pet care classes held at the Alta Mesa Animal Hospital.
Registration through Mesa Community College. Dr. Patt’s commitment to bird welfare is second to none. AvianWeb is proud to list her as one of its Avian Ambassadors.
Foremost in this interdisciplinary effort is her passion for and commitment to working with companion parrots and their caregivers.
Dr. Rob Marshall – The Avian Veterinarian
Dr. Rob Marshall is a bird veterinarian in Australia with more than 25 years of experience in treating birds. He has kept birds since the age of eight.
He kindly shared his knowledge with AvianWeb visitors in the areas of avian health, bird training and species-specific information.
Writers, Avian Specialists and Species Consultants
Jeannine Miesle, MA – Allied Member, Association of Avian Veterinarians
Jeannine has contributed numerous articles to Avianweb / BeautyOfBirds. She is a professional writer with a Master’s degree in English and is a Certified Avian Specialist.
She is also heavily involved in the rescue and rehabilitation of abused and neglected birds and worked actively with the SPCA in Dayton, Ohio on an avian rescue project in 2012.
David Jones – Chairman of the International Turaco Society: http://www.turacos.org/.
Species Consultant: Mr. David Jones has been keeping and breeding Turacos in aviculture for 20 years and is committed to education and conservation efforts. He provided a lot of valuable information on turacos.
Laurella Desborough – Consultant – Eclectuses & Vasa Parrots
Species Consultant: Laurella has been breeding exotic birds for over 20 years, including amazons, greys, cockatoos, brownheaded parrots, hawkheads and mini-macaws.
She is specializing in Eclectus parrots and Vasa Parrots and has offered to share her expertise with less experienced pet owners. Her Website is: https://www.eclectusbreeder.com/.
She is the current Legislative Coordinator for the National Animal Interest Alliance Trust, www.naiatrust.org, and Past President of the American Federation of Aviculture – AFA, www.afabirds.org.
Mandy & Paul – Singing Wings Aviary
Species Consultant for and Breeder of rosellas, ringneck parrots, parrotlets, grasskeets, plumheads, canaries and finches (including rare mutations), doves – Tel. 479-293-4994 – Offers outstanding photos and great info on their website. Explains in detail the different mutations. Website: https://www.singing-wings-aviary.com – e-mail: mandy@singing-wings-aviary.com or singing_wings@centurytel.net
Ric Flowers – R&B Aviary
Shared many wonderful photos and valuable information with AvianWeb visitors. He breeds many exotic birds including Yellow Naped Amazons, Blue Fronted Amazons, Panama Amazons, Double Yellow Headed Amazons, Yellow Shouldered Amazons, Red-Lored Amazons, White Fronted Amazons, Tucuman Amazons, Black Headed Caiques, White Bellied Caiques, Bronze Winged Pionus, and African Greys.
Photographers
Photographers … Note: Many skilled individuals have contributed photos to Avianweb / BeautyOfBirds – some of which are listed below. The most proliferate are provided their own pages.
Ken Thomas contributed numerous beautiful photos to the Avianweb
He is a lifelong outdoorsman who enjoys hunting, fishing, kayaking and hiking. He was raised near Gauley Bridge in West Virginia, but now lives with his wife and son in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains outside of Lenoir, North Carolina. Ken is a veteran of the US Army Airborne Infantry, who spent several years as a whitewater raft guide on the New and Gauley Rivers in West Virginia before moving into the construction industry. He now works as an occupational safety and health consultant, specializing in technology infrastructure.
“My interest in bird photography started with an utter and complete inability to identify any of the birds I saw. I always found that by the time I’d dug out the bird book I wasn’t able to remember enough details for a positive identification, so I decided to start taking pictures of the birds instead of just looking at them – that way I could take my time figuring out what they were. I ended up enjoying the photos so much that photography became a new hobby for me. “
For Ken, the primary appeal behind photography is how well it ties in with his other hobbies. He’s outdoors as often as possible, and wherever he is and whatever he’s doing, his camera is his constant companion. His website: http://www.kenthomas.us/
Kristen Westlake – 
Fine Art Photographer of Nature & Wildlife
Kristen Westlake has devoted her life to holding the beauty of nature with her photography and sharing it with others. Westlake feels that her life has benefited greatly from the time and attention she has given to observing nature.
Her beautiful photos are breathtaking indeed and can be purchased in a variety of formats via her website. Any nature lover will be mesmerized by her spectacular presentations of nature itself.
Credits include: Wisconsin Trails Magazine, Nanpa’s Expressions 2007 print Journal, At the Lake Magazine, Whisper in the Woods Magazine, Lake and Country Magazine, Spirit Magazine, Outdoor Wisconsin television interview, 6 Degrees television interview.
Ron Toel – The Nature Photographer, Birding Consultant and Tour Guide
Ron knows everything there is to know about nature photography and birding, and – fortunately for us – he doesn’t mind sharing his expertise with AvianWeb visitors.
A sampling of his credits include Nature Photographer Magazine, many state DNR magazines including covers, Tropical Fish Hobbyist, Journal of Health and Healing, several calendars and many brochures.
Wayne Nelson – Stock Photography & Workshops of The Natural World
nelsonearthimages.com
Wayne contributed many wonderful photos as well as interesting tidbits about the different bird species. He also gives workshops and leads birding tours globally. His website (linked above) is worth a visit for those of us who share our deep appreciation for nature and photography.
He began doing commercial photography and weddings many years ago in Colorado. He moved on to sports editorial photography for several years with auto racing being his specialty. In the late 1980s he switched to his first love, nature photography. He currently has about 50 thousand images in stock including wildlife, landscapes, abstracts, flowers, insects and some historic architecture. A sampling of his credits include. Outdoor Photographer, Time Inc., Birder’s World, Wisconsin Trails Magazine (including entire portfolio section ), Ecology Magzine ( including cover collage ), Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Pace Communications, Exclusively Yours (cover), Dall Posters, Brown Publishing (books), Nature Photographer 1st Annual (including cover photo ), Omnus Greetings, Teldon Calendars ( including covers), At The Lake Magazine ( including cover ), Western National Parks Association Books, Wisconsin Natural Resources (including cover, Smithsonian Magazine, National Geographic Books, Rigby Education ( book ), Hardcourt Brace Books, Creation Magazine, Wisconsin Trails Calendars, The Humane Society, The Wilderness Society, Historic Preservation Magazine ( photo feature ), Birds & Blooms, Defenders of Wildlife, AAA Living and many others. Early auto racing credits included Stock Car Racing Magazine ( including cover) Open Wheel Magazine ( including two page spread) and thousands of newspaper credits.