Diane Grindol is the “Small Birds” columnist for BIRD TALK magazine. She lives with three cockatiels and a blue-headed Pionus parrot on the Monterey Peninsula along California’s Central Coast. In 1982, Grindol acquired a gray cockatiel hen, Dacey, and her life changed dramatically after that. She read about cockatiels, attended bird seminars and subscribed to magazines in an effort to learn more about taking care of Dacey and, subsequently, seven generations of Dacey’s descendants. Grindol has been intensely interested in companion pet bird education, and founded a bird club in Monterey. She also puts on seminars and writes for cockatiel newsletters and magazines. Grindol’ is author of the well-received book “Cockatiels For Dummies,” which aims to educate companion pet bird owners.
Grindol began writing feature articles for BIRD TALK in 1988. She published a magazine for two years in the early ’90s, which was acquired by BIRD TALK publishers. In 1995, Diane began writing a column for BIRD TALK. She has spoken at bird clubs and at national seminars throughout the United States.
Grindol was especially interested in cockatiel research at UC Davis, and interviewed the founders of the parrot research program there. Eventually, she travelled to Guatemala with UC Davis field biologists to study parrots in the wild.
Grindol has a bachelor’s degree in art, French and home economics. She did graduate work in French at the University of Missouri/Columbia, the Monterey Institute of International Studies and a translation institute in Paris. She has used her art background to take photos of birds and other animals. Well-honed observation skills entailed in doing artwork add color to her writing. Grindol has done the “Curriculum for Living” offered by Landmark Education Corp., and continues to take art classes through Carmel Adult School in Carmel, California.
At the very beginning of bird ownership, with one pair of cockatiels, Grindol made a commitment to do what she could with what she had. It turns out you can do a lot with motivation and interest. Her favorite quote is from Jonathan Swift: “May you live all the days of your life.”