Best of
Birds

1997

Kingbird Highway: The Biggest Year in the Life of an Extreme Birder


Kenn Kaufman - 1997
    Maybe not all that unusual a thing to do in the seventies, but what Kenn was searching for was a little different: not sex, drugs, God, or even self, but birds. A report of a rare bird would send him hitching nonstop from Pacific to Atlantic and back again. When he was broke he would pick fruit or do odd jobs to earn the fifty dollars or so that would last him for weeks. His goal was to set a record - most North American species seen in a year - but along the way he began to realize that at this breakneck pace he was only looking, not seeing. What had been a game became a quest for a deeper understanding of the natural world. Kingbird Highway is a unique coming-of-age story, combining a lyrical celebration of nature with wild, and sometimes dangerous, adventures, starring a colorful cast of characters.

Edwina the Emu


Sheena Knowles - 1997
    This sequel to the popular Edward the Emu is an excellent choice to share in the classroom or at home—both adults and kids will laugh at and sympathize with the Emu family.

Stokes Field Guide to Bird Songs: Eastern Region


Donald Stokes - 1997
    You'll find: * All the identification information on a single page-color photographs, range map, and detailed description. No more fumbling to match photos with text! * For fast reference-a compact alphabetical index inside the front and back covers. * More than 900 high-resolution color identification photographs. * An illustrated Quick Guide to the most common backyard and feeder birds. * Convenient colored tabs keyed to each bird group. * Concise and comprehensive text, with information on habitat; plumage variation; feeding, nesting, and mating behavior; bird feeder proclivity; and-for the first time in any guide-population trends and conservation status.

Identification Guide to North American Birds, Part I: Columbidae to Ploceidae


Peter Pyle - 1997
    The data includes plumage, molt patterns, measurements (wing, tail, bill, tarsus, mass), sexing, and ageing information.

All the Birds: American Bird Conservancy's Field Guide: A Revolutionary System Based on Feeding Behaviors & Field Recognizable Features


Jack Griggs - 1997
    Using the color bar and key number, locate the group of birds within the pages of the book.

Equinox: Life, Love, and Birds of Prey


Dan O'Brien - 1997
    A story about his decision to devote himself to his greatest loves - falconry, his bird dogs, and the prairie he calls home.

The Field Guide To The Birds Of New Zealand


Barrie Heather - 1997
    Up to date and featuring the latest research, this handy volume represents every bird species of New Zealandin seventy-four stunning, original, color paintings by a leading New Zealand bird artist, including rare and recently extinct species. Renowned New Zealand bird experts Barrie Heather and Hugh Robertson have written a brief and informative identification guide which provides the reader with a summary of what is known about the birds of New Zealand. Each page contains a color plate and accompanying distribution map on the facingpage. The maps provide sufficient plumage and behavioral details that should help identify the species, sex and/or age of the bird in the field as well as where species breeding in New Zealand may be found in suitable habitat. An additional handbook section provides details on distribution,populations, conservation, breeding, behavior, and feeding habitats of each species. Maps for vagrants, stragglers, and non-native seabirds, and for migratory waders (which can turn up in any estuary around the coast) are also included in this section. The only field guide to New Zealand birds officially endorsed by the Ornithological Society of New Zealand, the Field Guide to the Birds of New Zealand is a wonderful addition to the libraries of birders, nature enthusiasts, and travelers alike.

Penguins of the World


Wayne Lynch - 1997
    Faced with global warming, invasive tourism, pollution and loss of habitat, penguins -- if they are to survive -- need protection more than ever.Over the past 18 years, Wayne Lynch has traveled to Antarctica, the Galapagos Islands, Argentina, Chile, New Zealand and a dozen remote island clusters in the tempestuous Southern Ocean, studying and photographing all 17 species of penguins in their natural habitats. In Penguins of the World, he documents the extraordinary life cycles of these tough, resourceful and beautiful animals in the harshest environments imaginable.This second edition has been revised, redesigned and expanded, with detailed information and the latest facts and statistics on:Anatomy Egg and chick development Mating and feeding habits Predators Habitats Climate change Changes to food levels. Through his engaging text and on-location photographs, Wayne Lynch captures these birds in their wide variety of activities and behaviors. Penguins of the World will appeal to anyone interested in birds, nature and science.

Birds of the Pacific Northwest Coast


Nancy Baron - 1997
    Each account includes a full-color and detailed illustration, along with information about habitat, nesting, feeding, voice, similar species, as well as a range map. Also included are a glossary of terms, a birder's checklist and separate indexes for scientific and common names. A map features the best birding sites and describes the most notable viewing locations. Perfect for beginner birders and beyond.

Flute's Journey: The Life of a Wood Thrush


Lynne Cherry - 1997
    During his journey Flute encounters many perils, including natural predators and devastating habitat loss. “Cherry has a gift for sharing her knowledge through engaging fictional stories.”--Booklist

Birds of Forest, Yard & Thicket


John Eastman - 1997
    In this illustrated book, each species entry proceeds by season, explaining in non-technical language, how the bird nests, mates, and rears its brood in spring to how the bird survives in winter. Each bird's evolutionary adaptations, place in culture history and name origin also appear.

Loon at Northwood Lake


Elizabeth Ring - 1997
    Children discover that they do not have to travel great distances to see great things as they read about amazing animals, insects, and birds that live in backyards across North America.-- A Parents' Choice Approval for 19 title book and tape series.-- Glossary highlights key plant and animals terms.-- Read-along cassettes include page-turning tones and authentic sound effects.-- Toys authenticated by Smithsonian Institution curators for realism.

Watching Water Birds


Jim Arnosky - 1997
    The magnificent color and detail make this a dazzling guide for young bird watchers. The drawings help kids identify water birds and where they live. Full color.

The King Of The Birds


Helen Ward - 1997
    Who will be king of all birds: the bird with the biggest beak...or the biggest feet...or the most colorful plumage? These feathered friends are in for a surprise when a tiny wren outwits them all and claims the crown right before their eyes!

Hatch Guide for Western Streams


Jim Schollmeyer - 1997
    Now, thanks to Jim Schollmeyer, the guessing is over.Hatch Guide for Western Streams is the third in Jim's successful Hatch Guide series. Jim covers all you need for a productive trip on Western streams: water types you'll encounter; successful fishing techniques; identifying the major hatches, providing basic background information about these insects. Information is presented in a simple, clear manner. A full-color photograph of the natural is shown on the left-hand page, complete with its characteristics, habits and habitat; the right-hand page shows three flies to match the natural, including effective fishing techniques.

A Fall of Woodcock


Tom Huggler - 1997
    Tom Huggler has devoted this book to the woodcock and to those who await his return to their favorite coverts each autumn.

Birds of San Diego


Chris Fisher - 1997
    Introduces the fascinating and popular pastime of bird-watching. Includes advice on building feeders and birdhouses. Color illustrations help you identify birds quickly while the text provides interesting information about each bird. These books are easy-to-use references for the urban birdwatcher.

Dexter's Journey


Chris d'Lacey - 1997
    All of the other ducks are found and distributed by seagulls, rock climbers, fishermen, an explorer, and a hunter, leaving Dexter all alone until he, too, is found.

Birds and Birding at Cape May: What to See and When and Where to Go


Clay Sutton - 1997
    Throughout the year thousands of birders travel to Cape May from around the country--and across the ocean--to witness the arrival of tens of thousands of raptors, songbirds, shorebirds, and seabirds. In this guide, Cape May birders can find out exactly when and where in the region to go, what birds they're likely to see, why the birds are there, and what factors could affect the birds' behavior. Filled with the authors' photos, this book offers insider information that will help any birder make the most of a visit. It features a complete Cape May bird list and a description of the region's history complemented by images that show how Cape May has changed over the years, and how it has stayed the same.

Mistaken Extinction: Dinosaur Evolution and the Origin of Birds


Lowell Dingus - 1997
    An epic tale of beautiful and terrible beasts and explosions that block out the sun, The Mistaken Extinction is a 65-million-year-old evolutionary murder mystery with a fascination that has yet to die out. 300 illustrations.

The Raven: A Natural History in Britain and Ireland


Derek Ratcliffe - 1997
    This book presents a thorough summary of the current state of knowledge regarding the Raven's natural history, describing its present distribution, habitat requirements, calls, feeding habits, social behavior, and population centers. The text focuses on the Raven's ecology in the United Kingdom, but is of interest worldwide to both amateurs and professionals. It contains useful comparisons of the Northern Hemisphere species. Brought to life through beautiful detailed illustrations, maps, and tables, this is a valuable study on one of the most spectacular and romantic of British birds.Key Features:Provides a rare glimpse into Raven ecology/biology in the U.K.Features beautiful illustrations, along with useful maps and tablesEmphasizes the long association of the bird with humansContains current information on feeding habits, breeding, territorialism, intelligence, and distribution

The Company of Swans


Jim Crumley - 1997
    Crumley watches, year in and year out, as a pair of mute swans struggle, against the odds, to raise their young on a wild patch of loch. But the pen starts to lose her eggs to predators and the cob begins to disappear for longer and longer periods. One day a third swan, younger and stronger than the first pen, appears at the other end of the loch.This beautiful record, on fine paper, is Crumley's homage to these noble creatures, but it is also an elegy, a love song to one swan whose silent tragedy he watched from one season to the next.

Caring For Australian Wildlife: A Practical Guide To The Captive Management Of Australian Native Animals


Sharon White - 1997
    

Shrikes: A Guide to the Shrikes of the World


Norbert Lefranc - 1997
    Their Latin name, Lanius, means butcher, and shrikes are commonly known as "butcher-birds" for their habit of impaling insect prey on the thorns of bushes. This book is the first complete guide to the thirty-one species in three genera of the family Laniidae. Along with superb illustrations and range maps to facilitate successful field identification of all the shrike species, this useful book contains the most recent information on the entire shrike family.Shrikes are found throughout most of the Palearctic region and North America. The smallest member of the family, Emin’s Shrike, lives in central Africa and is about the size of a house finch or greenfinch. The populations of many shrike species—including the Great Grey Shrike, the Lesser Grey Shrike, the Woodchat Shrike, and the Red-backed Shrike in Europe and the Loggerhead Shrike in North America—have declined alarmingly, in large part due to changing farming methods. To conserve their numbers, all are now legally protected. This thorough book discusses terminology, classification, the general biology of shrikes, and conservation issues. Its baseline data on the shrikes of the world will provide a solid foundation for all future work on the species.