 Common
Birds And Their Songs - This book-audio package provides a unique introduction to
fifty of the most familiar birds of North America and the songs
they sing. Each bird is described in vivid detail - its natural
history, habitat, voice, range, and field marks - and illustrated
in stunning color photographs. Range maps show where each species
is found in different seasons. The audio CD features original
high-quality field recordings of each bird's songs and calls,
which are track-coded for easy access. Common Birds and Their
Songs will be valuable to anyone interested in birds, from beginner
to expert. It's the perfect gift for any birder - or anyone
with a bird feeder. Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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 The
Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behavior -
This veritable bible to the world of birds is the collaborative
effort of 48 expert birders and biologists, who combine scientific
accuracy and detail with an easily readable and well-organized
format. How does a tiny chickadee survive subzero temperatures?
How do flocks of birds synchronize their flights? How can an
albatross cross miles of ocean without flapping its wings? Which
bird brains are actually intelligent? It's all here in essays
giving an overview of avian evolution, biology, and the aerodynamics
of flight and in chapters devoted to the 80 bird families of
North America, each one detailing taxonomy, habitats, feeding,
breeding, vocalizations, migrations, and more. Concerned about
declining populations, Sibley also discusses the conservation
status of each species and the factors that threaten them. This fascinating source of information is destined to be a well-thumbed
companion. Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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 The
Sibley Guide to Birds - The beautiful watercolor illustrations
(6,600, covering 810 species in North America) and clear, descriptive
text place Sibley and his work squarely in the tradition of
John James Audubon and Roger Tory Peterson; more than a birdwatcher
and evangelizer, he is one of the foremost bird painters and
authorities in the U.S. Still, his field guide will no doubt
spark debate. Unlike Kenn Kaufman's Focus Guide, Sibley's is
unapologetically aimed at the converted. Beginning birders may
want to keep a copy of Sibley at home as a reference, but the
wealth of information will have the same effect on novices as
trying to pick out a single sandpiper in a wheeling flock of
thousands. The familiar yellow warbler, for instance, gets no
less than nine individual illustrations documenting its geographic,
seasonal, and sex variations--plus another eight smaller illustrations
showing it in flight. Of course, more experienced birders will
appreciate this sort of detail, along with Sibley's improvements
on both Peterson and the National Geographic guide.
Rating:
4.5 out of 5 |
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 The Book of North American Owls: Sattler and Zallinger return to the successful format of The Book of Eagles (Lothrop, 1989) to showcase another raptor. Limiting themselves to those found in North America allows children to focus on those they might actually see in the wild, but still offers detail on a great variety of sizes, behaviors, and habitats. Sattler begins with a personal childhood story and often introduces a new topic with anecdotal narrative to draw in youngsters. Historical and scientific background information is given, followed by a clearly organized picture of the bird's life cycle and place in nature. At one point, the author veers too close to fiction, translating an owl's mating calls into English, and she espouses a positive view of its place in the ecosystem (a position some farmers and loggers take issue with). On the whole, though, this is a balanced, entertaining, and informative selection. The second half of the book is a pictorial glossary of owls that highlights each of the 21 species that live on this continent; it includes good range maps, specific behavioral and physical facts, and calls. The attractive drawings, clean format, and generous size contribute to this appealing treat for nature fans.?Susan Oliver, Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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 Owls: The most complete collection of visual reference material on North American owls including over 700 stunning photos of 16 species of owls. Physical features offer insight into hunting, feeding, flying, and communication. Renowned carver Floyd Scholz presents the much anticipated follow-up to his best-selling Birds of Prey. In this new book, hundreds of stunning full-color photos and useful line drawings offer detailed studies of 16 species of owls-from the tiny Elf Owl to the impressive Great Horned Owl. All are illustrated in full detail, with focus on body and wing design, plumage patterns, flight characteristics, and predatory behavior. Also includes a section on carving and painting techniques and a gallery of Floyd Scholz's finished carvings. A must-have reference for carvers, artists, ornithologists, naturalists-anyone interested in these magnificent birds. Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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 New
World Blackbirds - A guide to the 103 species of the family
Icteridae, which are also called troupals. In the western hemisphere
they range from Alaska to Cape Horn including the Caribbean.
The 39 color plates illustrate details of all the species and
many subspecies, including age types never shown before. Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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The Great Gallery of Ducks and Other Waterfowl
Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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The
Complete Book of Birdhouse Construction for Woodworkers
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 Toucans,
Barbets and Honeygides: Capitonidae, Ramphastidae and Indicatoridae : |
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Waterfowl Identification : The Lemaster Method
Rating: 4 out of 5 |
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 Swifts
: A Guide to the Swifts and and Treeswifts of the World - Extensively revised, the second edition of this highly acclaimed
book contains the most up-to-date information available on each
of the world`s 96 species of swifts and treeswifts. The author
includes recent findings, particularly about the neotropical
swifts, and the artist has revised several plates based on new
observations of these fascinating birds. Rating:
5 out of 5 |
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 Pigeons
& Doves - This book is the first full-color illustrated
guide to the field identification of the pigeons and doves of
the world. The authors incorporate much recent information about
this large family of birds that includes specialist frugivores,
seed-eaters, brightly colored tropical species, gregarious migratory
species, shy ground-dwellers, tree inhabiters, and more. Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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 Raptors
of the World - Raptors is the first complete identification
guide to all the birds of prey of the world. Each of the 313
species is described thoroughly and accurately, and every plumage
and variation is shown in more than two thousand color illustrations
plus hundreds of black-and-white drawings. Both large-scale
and small-scale range maps show in detail where each species
has been found. Rating: 4 out of 5 |
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 Thrushes - This is the first book in nearly one hundred years that is
solely devoted to thrushes, one of the most widespread and well-known
families of birds in the world. It treats comprehensively the
world's 162 species of true thrushes and covers some of the
best-known garden species as well as some of the rarest and
most elusive of all birds. It also includes some of the most
musically accomplished singers of any bird family. The book
contains a wealth of detailed information on identification
and distribution, with a full description of each species, including
reference to all recognized races. Emphasis is given to vocalizations-often
the key to identifying thrush species. Habitat and range for
all species, together with information on movements and breeding
behavior, are also covered. For the first time, all species
in the family of Turdidae thrushes are described and illustrated
in full color. These superb illustrations are complemented by
line drawings depicting particular aspects of shape or plumage.
The 60 color plates comprise approximately 540 images, covering
all but one, long-extinct species. The depictions differentiate
adults, immatures, and most of the distinctive races. The plates
are accompanied by color maps showing the breeding and wintering
range for each species. The detailed and accurate text and spectacular
color illustrations will make this book indispensable to all
ornithologists and birders. This will be, undoubtedly, the standard
work on thrushes for many years to come. Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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 Shrikes
and Bush-Shrikes - Shrikes are a group of spectacular predators,
many with brilliant colors and striking displays and sounds.
Located in North America, Eurasia, and Africa, they occupy a
wide spectrum of terrestrial habitats, from sparsely vegetated
deserts to tropical forests, and have diverse foraging and breeding
strategies. Capturing this diversity is the primary goal of
Shrikes and Bush-Shrikes, the first field guide to cover the
identification, biology, and relationships of all 114 species
of shrikes and their close relatives. All species are portrayed
in 41 beautiful color plates, consisting of over 480 illustrations
that depict differences in sex, age, geographical variation,
and flight pattern. Facing the plates are identification captions
and color distribution maps for at-a-glance reference. Detailed
species accounts provide current knowledge on field identification,
plumage descriptions, geographical variation, moult, distribution,
movements, foraging behavior, food, sounds, and breeding behavior.
The guide provides an explanation of the history of relationships
within the group, highlighting issues of conservation and species
identification. For each genus, acoustic and visual signals
are summarized and used to map similarities in an effort to
identify species from the perspective of behavioral communication.
Shrikes and Bush-Shrikes responds to the great interest in shrikes
that has developed over the last century, along with controversies
surrounding their origins and classification. It offers new
identification strategies as well as extensive information in
a format designed to please everyone from birders to conservationists
to ornithologists. |
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 A
Guide to the Identification and Natural History of the Sparrows
of the United States and Canada. Rating: 5 out of 5 |
Field Guide to Advanced Birding: Birding Challenges and How
to Approach Them
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 |
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| Sunbirds:
A Guide to the Sunbirds, Spiderhunters, Sugarbirds and Flowerpeckers
of the World - The dazzling insect- and nectar-eating sunbirds
in Asia and Africa are among the most glamorous of all bird
families. This comprehensive book is the first guide to all
sunbirds and to three other closely related families: the spiderhunters
and flowerpeckers of Asia and the sugarbirds of southern Africa.
This guide provides a full account of each species, including
a summary of identification criteria, differences between similar
species, descriptions of calls and songs, habitat, status, movements,
food, habits, and breeding biology. There are also detailed
distribution maps and forty-eight beautiful color plates. The
illustrations accurately portray both sexes of each species
and all major plumage variations, and in many cases depict the
176 species on their typical food plants. Readers will be able
to use this volume to identify any of these beautiful, often
iridescent plumed birds and to gain insight into their ecology,
behavior, and habits. |
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 Sylvia
Warblers - The culmination of more than a decade of work,
this is the most complete manual available on the large family
of insectivorous passerines, the Old World warblers Sylviidae,
native to Israel and other Mediterranean countries. The authors
include detailed information on the phylogeny, distribution,
ecology, appearance, and behavior of Sylvia warblers. They draw
on tremendous experience and expertise to sort out the complex
plumage variations of these notoriously stealthy birds, noting
coloration changes by distribution, age, and sex. Attention
is also given to the wide variation in song among Sylvia. The
volume contains an incredible amount of original data, compiled
from field studies and meticulous museum research. Importantly,
the authors use a novel approach to systematics, resulting in
the proposal of four new species splits. One of Europe's finest
bird illustrators contributed the beautiful color plates, and
a respected pioneer in field bird photography spent countless
hours in desert conditions to obtain the 546 remarkable color
photographs of these furtive warblers. No other book has provided
such an abundance of detail for one genus of birds, nor the
quality and number of illustrations showing individual and geographic
variation. All this, combined with DNA information on systematic
relationships, makes this book unique among modern identification
guides. It is that rare guide that constitutes both a major
contribution to ornithology and an excellent reference for birders.
It marks a new stage in ornithological literature and will set
the standard for future works. |
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 A
Field Guide to Warblers of North America. The Peterson Field
Guides series has added another weapon to its considerable arsenal
of bird-identification guidebooks: a field guide devoted solely
to the warblers of North America. Warblers. Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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 Field
Guide to Upland Birds and Waterfowl- Over 70 North American
upland game bird and waterfowl species are covered in this new,
one of a kind identification guide with text and full color
illustrations by noted wildlife artist Chris Smith. From the
American woodcock to the harlequin duck, comprehensive information
is provided for each bird, including special features that aid
in the identification of each species along with range, habits,
courtship, and preferred habitat. Distribution maps for each
bird are also included. Each waterfowl illustration includes
a separate wing illustration noting features that clearly identify
each species. For upland birds, key features of identification
between species and male and female are also clearly illustrated
for quick reference (such as the scapular feathers on the Hungarian
partridge). The beautiful and informative illustrations alone
are worth the price of this excellent guide, which is sure to
become a standard reference for game bird identification. Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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 Wrens,
Dippers, and Thrashers: A Guide to the Wrens, Dippers, and Thrashers
of the World - This is the first comprehensive guide to
the closely related families of wrens, dippers, and thrashers.
The book covers 75 wrens, 34 thrashers, and 5 dippers, almost
all of which are New World species. The wrens (Troglodytidae)
display great diversity, occupying almost every kind of habitat
in the Americas. The family probably originates in Central America
where the greatest number of species is to be found. The thrashers
(Mimidae) include the mockingbirds, catbirds, and tremblers.
The dippers (Cinclidae) are river specialists, although they
usually exhibit no obvious features for an aquatic existence.
The book describes the various forms within each group, their
distribution and breeding biology, as well as their flight,
moult, behavior, and ecology. The text is accompanied by maps,
diagrams, and color illustrations. |
