This beautiful book is as much an art book as it is a natural history, something readers have come to expect from Julie Zickefoose. More than 400 watercolor paintings show the breathtakingly swift development of seventeen different species of wild birds. Sixteen of those species nest on Julie's wildlife sanctuary, so she knows the birds intimately, and writes about them with authority. To create the bulk of this extraordinary work, Julie would borrow a wild nestling, draw it, then return it to its nest every day until it fledged. Some were orphans she raised by hand, giving the ultimate insider’s glimpse into their lives. In sparkling prose, Julie shares a lifetime of insight about bird breeding biology, growth, and cognition.   As an artist and wildlife rehabilitator, Julie possesses a unique skill set that includes sketching and painting rapidly from life as well as handling delicate hatchlings. She is uniquely positioned to create such an opus, and in fact, nothing like it has ever been attempted. Julie has many fans, and she will gain many more with this unparalleled work.

    Everything about it is superb. Highly recommended." -- The Bookbag.co.ukBeing able to identify a bird's song is a skill that brings joy and fosters an appreciation of nature. Learning how to differentiate between the songs of a house finch and a goldfinch, however, is not easy. That is where this enchanting book comes into its own. It features recordings of twelve bird songs from some of the best-known garden bird species seen and heard across North America.This is an interactive board book designed for any age with features for young readers. The board pages are easy to turn. The twelve song buttons are easy to activate and each bears a portrait of the singing bird. The high-quality sound module is encased in durable plastic, and the one-inch (3 cm) speaker makes it easy to hear and differentiate the elements of a bird's song, like pitch, tempo, whistles, trills and buzzes.All twelve birds have winter or summer ranges in the United States and Canada. This means that readers are sure to see most if not all the birds.The song birds are:House Wren Red-winged Blackbird House Finch Great Horned Owl Blue Jay Northern Cardinal American Crow Song Sparrow American Goldfinch Killdeer American Robin Mourning Dove. This charming book is a fun (and potentially addictive) way for all ages to delight in nature's winged singers. It's a winning gift for any occasion, from a child's birthday to a hostess gift.

    Why do crows have this ability? What does the crow know and what does it tell us about brain size, the evolution of intelligence, and just who is the smartest creature on the planet? In the latest addition to the Scientists in the Field series, the creators of The Frog Scientist take us to a beautiful Pacific island, where a lively cast of both crows and scientists is waiting to amuse and enlighten us.

    It was there, on the island of Kaua'i, where she happened upon a few courting albatross and felt an inexplicable attraction to the birds—an attraction too powerful to be explained by their beguiling airbrushed eye shadows, enormous wingspans, and rollicking dances.   In Hawaiian mythology, ancestors may occupy the physical forms of animals known as 'aumakua. Laysan albatross—known as moli—are among them. Smitten with these charismatic creatures, Osterlund set out to learn everything she could about moli. She eventually came to embrace them as her 'aumakua—not as dusty old myths on a museum bookshelf, but as breathing, breeding, boisterous realities.   Albatross sport many superlative qualities. They live long—sometimes longer than sixty years—and spend the majority of their time airborne, gliding across vast oceanic expanses. They are model mates and devoted parents, and are among the only animals known to take long-term same-sex partners. In nesting season, they rack up inconceivable mileage just to find supper for chicks waiting on the islands of the Hawaiian archipelago.   It is from the island of Kaua'i that Holy Moli takes flight.  Osterlund relates a true tale of courage, celebration and grief—of patience, affection and resilience. This is the story of how albatross guided the author on her own long journey, retracing distances and decades, back to the origin of a binding bargain she struck when she was ten years old, shortly after her mother’s death.  Holy Moli is a natural history of the albatross, a moving memoir of grief, and a soaring tribute to ancestors. Within its pages are lyrics of wonder—for freedom, for beauty, and for the far-flung feathered creatures known to us as albatross.

    The 550 most commonly seen birds are pictured with plumage variations, and images of subspecies and information on similar birds are provided to make differentiation easy, from game birds and waterfowl to shorebirds and swifts to owls, flycatchers, finches, and more. You can even discover which species to expect when and where with up-to-date, color-coded maps highlighting habitation and migratory patterns.Written by a team of more than 30 birders and ornithologists with expertise in particular species or families, and produced in association with the American Museum of Natural History, this updated and refreshed edition of American Museum of Natural History Birds of North America is the ultimate photographic guide to every bird species in the United States and Canada.Author Bio:Editor-in-chief Francois Vuilleumier has a long association with the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, having served first as the Chairman of the Department of Ornithology before becoming a Curator Emeritus. He is the author of 250 papers and one book and once taught ornithology at the College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor, Maine. His research has taken him all over the world, with a focus on South America, allowing him to watch birds from the Canadian High Arctic to Mexico; his life list numbers around 4,000 species. He lives in Piermont, NY.Reviews:"A massive, authoritative reference book that belongs in every birder's library." - BookPage"[A] massive and spectacular photographic guide: what Audubon would have done if he had used a camera." - Harvard MagazineAwards:An American Library Association CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title

    This book is the ultimate flight-identification guide for the raptors of the Western Palaearctic, covering Europe, North Africa, the Middle East (including Arabia) to Central Asia. It provides identification information for all 60 species that regularly occur in the region. going to subspecific level wherever needed. The text covers every plumage and age in detail, with each species account accompanied by a range of photographs covering all the principal plumages.Based on this stunning photographic coverage, most of which has never been published before, this book represents a landmark in bird identification books and a major work for all raptor enthusiasts.

    For those needing just one general bird reference, this might be it. Summing up: Highly recommended. All levels/libraries." -- Choice"An outstanding achievement" -- Quarterly Review of Biology"It's the photographs that will keep readers turning pages" -- Publishers WeeklyThe World of Birds focused primarily on the taxonomy of birds with coverage of the 32 orders and 195 families of birds. It included information on avian biology but not comprehensive coverage. Birds: A Complete Guide to their Biology and Behavior does exactly that, in a shorter, more affordable book.Highly respected ornithologist and wildlife expert Jonathan Elphick begins by defining the distinguishing features of birds before going on to describe their evolution since the age of the dinosaurs. With the aid of fact boxes and clear photographs, he explores in greater detail each of the significant elements of bird life:bird biology including anatomy walking and swimming plumage calls and songs flight techniques and styles food and feeding bird lifestyles and social relationships breeding, growth and development bird geography and habitats the mysteries of migration. He also considers human attitudes towards birds through the ages.With special photography from award-winning wildlife photographer David Tipling and many other top bird photographers, this book is a unique insight into the world of birds and essential reading for all ornithologists, bird watchers and natural history enthusiasts.

    Pretty frightening! Now, imagine that you (as a human) come across two such owlets. What do you do? Well, that’s the question Cheryl Aguiar had to answer when faced with two such owlets. With the help of her husband, Cheryl attempted to relocate the owlets and provide the entire family with a new nest site. Find out how this dangerous experiment turned out! Cheryl shares her emotions in this personal narrative as she observes this family and witnesses these two adorable owlets grow and experience life in the wild. She documents the details of the rescue, the journey of the two owlets which she names Wisdom and Willow, and the heartwarming outcome of a courageous and remarkable rescue. Cheryl has always had a strong connection with wildlife and a great love for exploring nature. Her devotion and determination to help this family of owls turns out to be one of the most gratifying decisions she has ever made. Through this experience, she learns the struggles of survival, the amazing bond of a family and the gift of gratitude. What makes this story special is to see how animals and humans from two different walks of life can co-exist and discover that we are not so different after all. By trusting each other, working together and showing each other respect, the family of owls allow her into their lives; now, they have become a part of hers. Together, Cheryl, her family and these magnificent birds have proven ever more, the statement... Where There's a Will, There's a Way.Narrative Non-Fiction (Quick, easy read for ages juvenile to adult)A heartwarming story of trust, love, respect and the gift of gratitude.