Best of
Birds

2005

National Geographic Complete Birds of North America


Jonathan Alderfer - 2005
    More an encyclopedia than a field guide, National Geographic's Complete Birds is a browsable treasure trove of facts. This comprehensive volume profiles every bird observable in the continental United States and Canada, featuring species accounts with details that include calls and songs, breeding behaviors, molting patterns, and the vast extent of their polar and neotropical migrations. The precision maps, illuminating photographs, and more than 4,000 exquisite pieces of annotated art make this the biggest and best bird book ever.This third edition, thoroughly updated, includes:Information on more than 1,000 species and subspeciesOverviews of every familyOrganization reflecting current taxonomy850 range maps, more than half updated since the last editionSidebars on identification challenges such as distinguishing between Bay-breasted and Blackpoll Warblers in fall or separating the various species of white egretsThese 752 pages add up to a lifetime of learning for all devoted birders, from those just beginning birders to those who have been building their life lists for decades. Bird lovers will appreciate many other titles from National Geographic, including:Field Guide to the Birds of North AmericaBackyard Guide to the Birds of North AmericaHow to Know the Birds Birds of the Photo Ark

The Singing Life of Birds: The Art and Science of Listening to Birdsong (with CD)


Donald E. Kroodsma - 2005
    Read stories of thrushes and thrashers, wrens and robins, warblers and whip-poor-wills, bluebirds and cardinals, and may more birds. Learn how each acquires its songs, how songs vary from bird to bird and place to place, how some birds' singing is especially beautiful or ceaseless or complex, how some do not sing at all, how the often quiet female has the last word, and why. 9.25 inches tall x 7.50 inches long x 1.50 inches wide

Birds Britannica


Mark Cocker - 2005
    British customs, more than 1,000 years of English literature, the very fabric of society, even the landscape itself, have all been enhanced by the presence of birds. Now, at last, here is a book which pays tribute to the remarkable relationship forged between a nation and its most treasured national heritage.Birds Britannica is neither an identification guide nor a behavioural study (though both these subjects enter its field), it concentrates on our social history and on the cultural links between humans and birds. It includes observations and experiences from more than 1,000 naturalists and bird lovers. These contributions from the public touch on aviation ecology; the lore and language of birds; their myths, the art and literature they have inspired; birds as food; and the crucial role they play in our sense of place and the changing seasons.The book has taken eight years to research and write, and has been assembled by a team which includes some of the finest writers and image-makers of British wildlife. On one level, it is a remarkable collection of humorous stories, field observations and tales of joy, wonder and occasional woe; on another, it is a nationwide chronicle. Scholarly and wide-ranging, a mix of the traditional and the contemporary, Birds Britannica is a comprehensive record of birdlife in the early years of the twenty-first century.

Bad Birdwatcher's Companion


Simon Barnes - 2005
    There are simply too many birds in them. This book introduces the reader to Britain's most obvious birds. But it does more than that: it also explains them. It explains the way that different birds do different things, eat different food, sing different songs and live different lives, and it explains why they are different. If you are a would-be birdwatcher but don't know where to start, A Bad Field Guide is for you. It will help you understand birdwatching: but far more important, it will help you begin to understand birds. Robin...But have you ever wondered what a red breast means to a robin? A red breast is not just the way a human can recognise a robin when it comes a-calling, when it sits on a spade or a Christmas card. The red breast is not just a bit of chance colouration. No: the red breast is the core of the robin's being. The red breast is the love, the honour and the glory of a robin. Have you noticed that a robin positively flaunts it? It is as if he is telling the world: for God's sake, I'm a robin!

Hawks from Every Angle: How to Identify Raptors in Flight


Jerry Liguori - 2005
    Across North America, tens of thousands of people gather every spring and fall at more than one thousand known hawk migration sites--from New Jersey's Cape May to California's Golden Gate. Yet, as many discover, a standard field guide, with its emphasis on plumage, is often of little help in identifying those raptors soaring, gliding, or flapping far, far away.Hawks from Every Angle takes hawk identification to new heights. It offers a fresh approach that literally looks at the birds from every angle, compares and contrasts deceptively similar species, and provides the pictures (and words) needed for identification in the field. Jerry Liguori pinpoints innovative, field-tested identification traits for each species from the various angles that they are seen.Featuring 339 striking color photos on 68 color plates and 32 black & white photos, Hawks from Every Angle is unique in presenting a host of meticulously crafted pictures for each of the 19 species it covers in detail--the species most common to migration sites throughout the United States and Canada. All aspects of raptor identification are discussed, including plumage, shape, and flight style traits.For all birders who follow hawk migration and have found themselves wondering if the raptor in the sky matches the one in the guide, Hawks from Every Angle--distilling an expert's years of experience for the first time into a comprehensive array of truly useful photos and other pointers for each species--is quite simply a must.Key Features? The essential new approach to identifying hawks in flight Innovative, accurate, and field-tested identification traits for each species 339 color photos on 68 color plates, 32 black & white photos Compares and contrasts species easily confused with one another, and provides the pictures (and words) needed for identification in the field Covers in detail 19 species common to migration sites throughout the North America Discusses light conditions, how molt can alter the shape of a bird, aberrant plumages, and migration seasons and sites User-friendly format

The Parrot Problem Solver: Finding Solutions to Aggressive Behavior


Barbara Heidenreich - 2005
    Many parrot owners face these problems and need guidance on how to solve them. this is one of the only books on the market to focus on aggression in pet parrots. The author has many years of experience training birds and other animals in a wide range of settings, including Disney's Animal Kingdom, Six Flags Marine World and the Chicago Zoological Society.

Birds of Maryland & Delaware Field Guide


Stan Tekiela - 2005
    There's no need to look through dozens of photos of birds that don't live in your area. This book features 111 species of Maryland and Delaware birds—including birds in Washington, D.C., and Chesapeake Bay—organized by color for ease of use. Do you see a yellow bird and don't know what it is? Go to the yellow section to find out. Fact-filled information, a compare feature, range maps and detailed photographs help to ensure that you positively identify the birds that you see.

Return to Wild America: A Yearlong Search for the Continent's Natural Soul


Scott Weidensaul - 2005
    They traveled from Newfoundland to Florida, deep into the heart of Mexico, through the Southwest, the Pacific Northwest, and into Alaska's Pribilof Islands. Two years later, Wild America, their classic account of the trip, was published.On the eve of that book's fiftieth anniversary, naturalist Scott Weidensaul retraces Peterson and Fisher's steps to tell the story of wild America today. How has the continent's natural landscape changed over the past fifty years? How have the wildlife, the rivers, and the rugged, untouched terrain fared? The journey takes Weidensaul to the coastal communities of Newfoundland, where he examines the devastating impact of the Atlantic cod fishery's collapse on the ecosystem; to Florida, where he charts the virtual extinction of the great wading bird colonies that Peterson and Fisher once documented; to the Mexican tropics of Xilitla, which have become a growing center of ecotourism since Fisher and Peterson's exposition. And perhaps most surprising of all, Weidensaul finds that much of what Peterson and Fisher discovered remains untouched by the industrial developments of the last fifty years. Poised to become a classic in its own right, Return to Wild America is a sweeping survey of the natural soul of North America today.

Martha


Gennady Spirin - 2005
    The veterinarian told the boy that it would never fly again. "Put it to sleep!" he urged the parents. But the wild crow-Martha, they called her-was full of surprises. She most certainly made their home, her home, and one day she did fly! Would there be one more surprise? When she flew away that fall, would she return again? With Gennady Spirin's beautiful and delicate watercolor illustrations and the sweet memory of Martha's year as his guide, Martha takes flight once again.

Identify Yourself: The 50 Most Common Birding Identification Challenges


Bill Thompson III - 2005
    Combining clear, easy-to-understand text with beautiful illustrations that show key field marks, Identify Yourself is the solution to identifying many of North America's hard-to-distinguish birds..

Bateman's Backyard Birds


Robert Bateman - 2005
    The book opens on an autobiographical note, describing how, at the age of eight, the author stopped to watch a chickadee's gymnastics in a hedge. As an adult, Bateman has sketched and painted birds in every corner of the world, and has developed deep insights into bird habitats, behavior, and survival skills. This book's stunning illustrations, supplemented with descriptive notes, show a variety of familiar birds in their natural settings. Readers who study these vivid illustrations of the black-capped chickadee, the nuthatch, the downy woodpecker, the sparrow, the cardinal, the robin, and other species will come to see these fascinating birds in a new light. The more than 65 color illustrations, supplemented with simple, direct text and interesting sidebars, make this unusual volume the perfect introduction to birding for nature lovers of all ages.

Caw of the Wild: Observations from the Secret World of Crows


Barb Kirpluk - 2005
    By befriending the birds and gaining their trust, Kirpluk shares many observations on subjects such as: the language of crows; crow habits and social relationships; the endearing personal relationships that evolved and allowed her to learn from the birds.Kirpluk brings to life the unforgettable characters of these birds by combining anecdotal tales and recent scientific literature. Her quest eventually leads her to the world of wildlife rehabilitation where, for a year, she studies and catalogues a group of captive crows.Caw of the Wild is an honest and heartfelt portrayal of a misunderstood bird, and may just encourage you to take a new look at the American crow.

Woodpeckers of North America


Frances Backhouse - 2005
    Woodpeckers of North America specifically covers all species of woodpeckers found in the United States, Canada and northern Mexico.Woodpeckers are renowned for their cavity-excavating abilities. Although trees and telephone poles are the choice of most woodpeckers, desert dwellers frequently excavate nests in cacti. While all eat insects, many drink tree sap, eat acorns, and consume other surprising foods.Woodpeckers are distinguished by several anatomical features, including:short legs and long toes to assist in climbing a head built to withstand repeated hammering a long, straight bill designed for chopping wood a long tongue with a barbed end to extract hidden prey nostrils covered with feathers to keep them free of wood debris. 100 color photographs capture the intriguing woodpeckers in their natural environments. Woodpeckers of North America is a handy, well-written reference covering the biology and environment of these fascinating birds.

Waterfowl of Eastern North America


Chris G. Earley - 2005
    It is home to an astonishingly large variety of ducks, geese, and other waterfowl.Waterfowl of Eastern North America is a richly illustrated pocket-sized field guide for birders and naturalists. Full-color photographs show these birds in their natural habitats in each season.Comparison pages group similar-looking birds on a single spread for quick reference. Concise and accurate information on each species includes:Common name Biological classification Identifying features Seasonal changes to plumage color. The detailed information on each species is concisely organized and includes the differences between male and female, seasonal and immature plumage, morphs and distinctive markings.The coverage includes:Ducks and geese Swans and pelicans Loons, grebes and cormorants. Waterfowl of Eastern North America also features essential information for birders who want to support conservation groups that protect waterfowl and their quickly disappearing habitats.

Birds of Central Park


Cal Vornberger - 2005
    It is also, according to the New York City Audubon Society, one of the top ten birding spots in America. More than 200 species pass through the park on their migratory routes each spring and fall, close to one third of the bird species found in the United States. For the past two and a half years Cal Vornberger has been in the park every day photographing these feathered park residents. The best of those images are now collected in this gorgeous volume. Vornberger's photos capture birds engaged in all types of activities: feeding, bathing, caring for their young, flying, singing. Among the more than 100 species featured are warblers, egrets, herons, kingfishers, a boreal owl, and hawks (including the famous Pale Male, whose eviction last December from its ritzy Fifth Avenue perch sparked nationwide news stories). Packaged inside the book is a removable foldout pocket guide. Vornberger's spectacular photography, interspersed with his comments about birds, the park, and photography, will appeal to all bird-watchers, nature lovers, photography aficionados, and visitors to New York's Central Park.

Florida's Birds: A Field Guide and Reference


David S. Maehr - 2005
    Maehr and Herbert W. Kale II, illustrated by Karl Karalus, is a major event for Florida birders, new and old. Each section of the book is updated, and 30 new species are added. Also added are range maps for certain species and color coded guides to months when the bird is present and/or breeding in Florida. Now with color throughout, each bird is illustrated three times: with the text about the bird, in the index listing, and on a plate with similar species for help in identification. Thus, Florida's Birds is now an even better field guide.Unlike the other books available on the birds of Florida, Florida's Birds is also a reference that goes beyond its usefulness in the field. Sections on bird study and bird feeding provide practical advice for enjoying Florida's birds; and sections on bird habitats, threatened and endangered species, exotic species, and bird conservation will assist the reader in understanding the ecological and cultural landscapes that have created one of the world's unique avifaunas.

Birds of Ontario


Andy Bezener - 2005
    It contains full-colour illustrations and detailed descriptions of 318 species, with each account including information on: *Size * Status * Habitat * Nesting * Feeding * Voice * Similar species cross-referenced * Best sites for viewing * Range maps showing seasonal occurrences of the bird and migration routes. * Colour-coded header bars and a quick reference guide make finding information fast and easy. Also includes a glossary of terms and a birder's checklist. Technical review by Ross James, former Curator of Ornithology at the Royal Ontario Museum.

Birds of a Feather: Tales of a Wild Bird Haven


Linda Johns - 2005
    She and her "saner half," Mack, have gone so far as to transform their living room into an indoor forest, complete with two dead trees providing a variety of perches and a screened porch making do as a practise flyway. Johns nurses her feathered convalescents day and night, helping them to drink and bathe and hunt, and gaining deep insights into their highly individual personalities. Most she attempts to release back into the wild but a few, inevitably, move in to stay.Birds of a Feather: Tales of a Wild Bird Haven is a warm and funny account of eight months -- from May to December -- in the life of this caring wildlife rescuer. Fans of Johns's earlier wildlife books will relish her humorous descriptions of the antics of such irresistible characters as Blossom, the media-savvy chicken, and the goats Mower and Munch. Enhanced by line drawings of her avian housemates, this delightful collection of anecdotes in the tradition of James Herriot and Farley Mowat celebrates some of Nature's smallest and most awe-inspiring miracles.

Rare Bird: Pursuing the Mystery of the Marbled Murrelet


Maria Mudd Ruth - 2005
    This curiosity of nature, which flies like a little brown bullet at up to 100 miles an hour and lives most of its life offshore, is seen onland only during breeding season, when each female lays a single egg high on a mossy tree limb in the ancient coastal forest.Ruth traces reports of the bird back to Captain Cook’s ill-fated voyage of discovery on the Pacific Ocean in 1778, and explores the mindset of 19th- and 20th-century naturalists who — despite their best efforts — failed to piece together clues to the whereabouts of the bird’s nest. Ruth ventures to coastal meadows before dawn and onto the ocean at midnight to learn firsthand how scientists observe nature. She interviews all the major players in the drama: timber company executives and fishing fleet operators whose businesses are threatened by conservation measures, as well as the so-called cowboy scientists who are devoted to saving the marbled murrelet from extinction. And, ultimately, Ruth puts her curiosity and passion for this rare bird onto the page for readers to savor.

Where Do Chicks Come From?


Amy E. Sklansky - 2005
    Learn how chicks develop,how they get the food they need to grow, and how a mother hen helps keep them safe in this simple introduction to the life cycle of a baby chick. This nonfiction picture book is an excellent choice to share during homeschooling, in particular for children ages 4 to 6. It’s a fun way to learn to read and as a supplement for activity books for children.This is a Level One Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out Science title, which means the book explores more challenging concepts for children in the primary grades and supports the Common Core Learning Standards, Next Generation Science Standards, and the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) standards. Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out is the winner of the American Association for the Advancement of Science/Subaru Science Books & Films Prize for Outstanding Science Series.

Reader's Digest: Book of North American Birds


Reader's Digest Association - 2005
    It includes some 600 species in all - more than 450 of them presented in the Gallery section, which is divided into eight groups according to type and habitat. Each page features a full-color painting, usually of a male in breeding plumage, since in most species the male is more colorful than the female. The portrait is accompanied by text that is meant to be not so much an ornithological profile as a brief essay or narrative â?? sometimes focusing on a key aspect of the bird's behavior, appearance, or lifestyle, sometimes simply evoking the delight of glimpsing it in the wild. "Whether you are already hooked on birds or not, you will find this collection of attractive bird portraits and lively essays an informative supplement to your favorite field guide -Roger Tory Peterson

The Far-Flung Adventures of Homer the Hummer


Cynthia Furlong Reynolds - 2005
    Homer, a ruby-throated hummingbird no bigger than your index finger, journeys from the lush, tropical rain forests of Costa Rica to an artist's garden in Michigan. His journey and his life are full of danger, distance, and delightful friendships. Renowned wildlife artist Catherine McClung and award-winning writer Cynthia Reynolds bring Homer's journey to life. Why would a tiny fellow like Homer risk such a long and perilous flight? What adventures await him on his journey and what brings him home to the same spot each summer? Take flight with Homer and find out!

Iowa Birds


Ann Johnson - 2005
    145 of Iowa's most abundant or notable bird species 145 range maps Quick reference guide Map of best birding sites Glossary of terms color-coded guide to the bird groups on back cover

National Geographic Field Guide to Birds: New Jersey


Mel Baughman - 2005
    The introduction by expert birder Mel Baughman offers guidance on how to look for key birds in the region, where to look for them, and what to focus on when you find them. Each guide features 150 specimens, grouped by family with quick-reference alphabetical and color-coded indexes that provide easy ways to identify a bird quickly. Each entry has a vivid photograph showing the bird in its native habitat. On the facing page, a list of bulleted points confirms at a glance the bird''s identity. Special field notes give additional information about what to look for in a bird''s behavior, and detailed maps show the range of each bird''s habitat. With comprehensive coverage of the region and valuable advice from experts, these user-friendly guides will quickly become favorite companions on the journey to lifelong birding. New Jersey, a favorite among birders, is home to urban birds, suburban birds, and shore birds alike.

Field Guide To The Waders Of Europe, Asia And North America


Stephen Message - 2005
    The superb plates show birds at rest and in flight, in every plumage variant likely to be encountered in the region. Species have been grouped, especially on the flight plates, so that similar species are shown close to each other. Facing text summarises key identification pointers to complete a quick-reference, field-friendly guide to this difficult and challenging group.

The Nature of Florida: An Introduction to Familiar Plants, Animals & Outstanding Natural Attractions


James Kavanagh - 2005
    ??This beautifully illustrated guide highlights more than 380 familiar plants and animals and dozens of Florida’s outstanding natural attractions. It is an indispensable single reference for amateur naturalists, students and tourists alike.

Birds of Southeast Asia


Craig Robson - 2005
    It is a complete field and reference guide to the birds of Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia. It also covers a wide range of species found in the Indian subcontinent, China, Taiwan, Sumatra, Java, Bali, Borneo, and the Philippines. More than 140 full-color plates All 1,270 species covered in detail Up-to-date text covers the identification, voice, habitat, behavior, and range of all the region's species and distinctive subspecies Complete coverage of some fifteen Southeast Asian countries and regions

Chimney Swifts: America's Mysterious Birds above the Fireplace


Paul D. Kyle - 2005
    These sleek birds with crescent-shaped wings and acrobatic flight patterns migrate to North America from the Amazon River Basin each spring to breed and raise their young. But by the late 1980s, changes in chimney construction and homeowner attitudes had contributed to a major decline in the numbers of Chimney Swifts. Authors Paul and Georgean Kyle have worked ceaselessly in an attempt to alter that trend. The Kyles’ eight-acre homestead has become a world-renowned Chimney Swift sanctuary and research station, with more than a dozen Chimney Swift towers of various designs located throughout their property. The swifts return each spring to many of these towers, where they rear their young and where their home life is observed and recorded in previously undocumented detail. In Chimney Swifts, the Kyles share the knowledge they have gained, providing readers with an unprecedented peek into the secret life of these beneficial, insect-eating birds. With a non-technical narrative, numerous photos, and original drawings, they explore Chimney Swift natural history and provide practical guidelines for homeowners to coexist peacefully with these remarkable spring and summer guests.