Aviculturist Raffin introduced us to Sweetie, a special breed of quail with an outsized personality; Oscar the inspiring disabled Lady Gouldian finch; Victoria, Wing, and Coffee, sibling crowned pigeons ecstatic in reunion; and other rescued feathered friends that have been her life's work. Along the way she teaches us how conservationism is as much about saving ourselves as these rare birds.

Eighteen years ago, Stanford MBA Michele Raffin pulled off the road to help an injured dove, a momentary impulse that ignited in her a fervent commitment to saving vulnerable bird species. Today, her suburban home plays host to Pandemonium Aviaries, one of the largest avian rescue sanctuaries and endangered breeding facilities in the country, with a maze of fifty-four individual aviaries that house over forty species, fourteen of which are listed as threatened with extinction. Since its founding, Pandemonium has been savior to over one thousand birds from eighty-nine species.

The Birds of Pandemonium blends the remarkable tale of Raffin’s transformation from MBA/soccer mom to certified aviculturist with the stories of her amazing feathered charges, movingly revealing their unique personalities and complex social systems as they fall in love, mourn, sacrifice, and celebrate. Ultimately, The Birds of Pandemonium tells of one woman’s crusade to save precious lives, bird by bird, providing a rare insight into how rescuing others, regardless of species, can lead to true happiness.

Tamara Marston

Voz