Birds
Get inspired by nature on your birdwatching journey Start your birdwatching journey in the safe hands of a lifelong birder. Through a series of chapters, you will build from an absolute beginner, exploring your own backyard, soaking up useful tips and insights gained from years of birdwatching. Whether you are in a city or deep in the country, birds are guaranteed and provide an easy doorway into nature. Learn where, when, and how to look and what to look out for. Find out what equipment to buy and how to use it. Discover the different characters and characteristics of birds--from the shy bittern to the bold robin and gymnastic red kite. As you build skills and experience, the book will help you expand horizons from walks with binoculars around your "local patch" to visiting remote wildlife reserves and other nature hot spots, with their contrasting birdlife and different demands, from dense woodland to expansive estuaries teeming with flocks of waders.
The ultimate reference book for birdwatchers and bird lovers--the first single-volume book to illustrate all of the world's bird species
This is a book like no other--the only truly comprehensive, one-volume illustrated guide to all of the world's birds, covering the complete International Ornithological Congress World Bird List. Featuring more than 300 stunning large-format, full-color plates, this accessible and authoritative encyclopedic reference presents incredibly detailed, accurate, and beautiful paintings of more than 10,700 species by some of the world's best bird artists, led by the legendary Norman Arlott and Ber van Perlo. In addition, The Complete Birds of the World provides detailed but concise identification information about each species on facing pages--including facts about voice, habitat, and geographic distribution. The result is a visual and verbal feast that captures the astonishing variety of bird life around the planet--and that will be cherished by any birder.
For all the bird lovers, the definitive collection of hummingbird illustrations by 19th-century naturalist painter John Gould, the "British Audubon". This sublime collection of 418 superbly detailed hand-colored lithographs of hummingbirds, created by John Gould, the "British Audubon," in the mid-1800s, represents all the known species at that time and is the most complete ever produced of hummingbirds. Unlike John James Audubon, whose work focused on the avifauna of a single country, Gould's folios illustrate species from around the world. His original set of folios--Family of Humming-Birds--reproduced here in its entirety, depicts the magnificent jewel-like birds together with botanicals native to their habitats in the most remote and exotic ecosystems of the Americas. In her essay for the book, co-author Laura Oppenheimer tells the story of Gould's colorful life and places his work in the context of a remarkable period when exploration and classification of the world's natural wonders was at the forefront of scientific discovery and universally celebrated in Victorian popular culture. Joel Oppenheimer details how Gould created the prints and presents an overview of nineteenth-century printmaking and lithography techniques. He also unravels the mystery behind the gold-leaf process that Gould employed to portray the iridescent quality of the hummingbirds' plumage, resolving a long-standing controversy regarding who should be credited for its invention. This Family of Hummingbirds will delight birdwatchers, fans of natural history art, and hummingbird lovers everywhere.
Get the New Edition of New Mexico's Best-Selling Bird Guide
Learn to identify birds in New Mexico, and make bird-watching even more enjoyable. With Stan Tekiela's famous field guide, bird identification is simple and informative. There's no need to look through dozens of photos of birds that don't live in your area. This book features 149 species of New Mexico birds 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.
Book Features:
This new edition includes more species, updated photographs and range maps, revised information, and even more of Stan's expert insights. So grab Birds of New Mexico Field Guide for your next birding adventure--to help ensure that you positively identify the birds that you see.
Identify bird tracks with this pocket-size booklet, organized by track shape for convenience of use.
Whether you're a tracker who studies animal tracks, a bird watcher, a gardener, or simply someone who appreciates nature and all of its curiosities, keep this convenient guide close at hand. Written by tracking expert Jonathan Poppele and designed for ease of use, the booklet is organized by similar track shapes and then by size for quick identification. Narrow your choices by shape, and view just a few bird tracks at a time.
The detailed illustrations cover 55 species of birds: backyard birds like the American Goldfinch, raptors like the Bald Eagle, game birds like the Ring-Necked Pheasant, and water birds like the Wood Duck. The illustrations are carefully drawn to resemble the track prints as you might see them in the field. Plus, size information, gait descriptions, and a step-by-step guide to track identification help to ensure positive ID. The tear-resistant pages make the booklet durable.
Quick Guide Features:
Bring this lightweight quick guide along on your next hike, camping trip, or walk in the park, and discover which birds have been there and which birds you still might see.
"Lovely, celebratory. For all the belittling of 'bird brains, ' [Ackerman] shows them to be uniquely impressive machines . . ." --New York Times Book Review
"A lyrical testimony to the wonders of avian intelligence." --Scientific American An award-winning science writer tours the globe to reveal what makes birds capable of such extraordinary feats of mental prowess Birds are astonishingly intelligent creatures. According to revolutionary new research, some birds rival primates and even humans in their remarkable forms of intelligence. In The Genius of Birds, acclaimed author Jennifer Ackerman explores their newly discovered brilliance and how it came about. As she travels around the world to the most cutting-edge frontiers of research, Ackerman not only tells the story of the recently uncovered genius of birds but also delves deeply into the latest findings about the bird brain itself that are shifting our view of what it means to be intelligent. At once personal yet scientific, richly informative and beautifully written, The Genius of Birds celebrates the triumphs of these surprising and fiercely intelligent creatures. Ackerman is also the author of Birds by the Shore: Observing the Natural Life of the Atlantic Coast.
"A lyrical testimony to the wonders of avian intelligence." --Scientific American An award-winning science writer tours the globe to reveal what makes birds capable of such extraordinary feats of mental prowess Birds are astonishingly intelligent creatures. According to revolutionary new research, some birds rival primates and even humans in their remarkable forms of intelligence. In The Genius of Birds, acclaimed author Jennifer Ackerman explores their newly discovered brilliance and how it came about. As she travels around the world to the most cutting-edge frontiers of research, Ackerman not only tells the story of the recently uncovered genius of birds but also delves deeply into the latest findings about the bird brain itself that are shifting our view of what it means to be intelligent. At once personal yet scientific, richly informative and beautifully written, The Genius of Birds celebrates the triumphs of these surprising and fiercely intelligent creatures. Ackerman is also the author of Birds by the Shore: Observing the Natural Life of the Atlantic Coast.
This fascinating guide book is a must-have for anyone looking to attract, understand, and protect hummingbirds.
Hummingbirds inspire an unmistakable sense of devotion and awe among bird lovers. From advice on feeders to planting and landscaping techniques that will have your garden whirring with tiny wings, lifelong birder John Shewey provides all you need to know to entice these delightful creatures. An identification guide makes them easy to spot in the wild, with stunning photographs, details on plumage variations, and range maps showing habitats and migration patterns. "Captures the spirit and allure of these captivating birds in every fascinating fact, historical tidbit, amusing anecdote, species profile and plant pick." --Birds & Blooms
This bestselling journey into the world of the hummingbird is a treasure and a gift for birdwatchers, gardeners, and anyone who loves these amazing little creatures. Lavishly illustrated with 45+ original ink-and-watercolor illustrations of the species most commonly found in the US and Canada. Hummingbirds are beautiful and mesmerizing. Did you know they can flick their tongue twelve times a second? Or that they "tile" their nests with pieces of lichen and moss (the nests themselves are spun from spiderwebs and thistledown)? Or that some species sing and dance as they woo their mates? Perhaps it's no surprise that hummingbirds elicit such enthusiasm from those who love them. This small-format hardcover book includes:
45 lifelike ink-and-watercolor drawings showcasing all the species commonly found in the US and Canada, as well as the most frequent visitors--often depicted with their favorite flowers. Includes all males and many females. Fascinating facts on cultural history, folklore, migration patterns, habitat, lifecycle, biology, and anatomy Information on creating your own hummingbird haven using feeders, flowers, water, and shelter Birdwatching tips and best places to visit to see hummingbirds
This book is part of the collectible mini book series Little Book of Natural Wonders, and makes a gorgeous gift (or irresistible treat for yourself) for all hummingbird lovers!
This book is part of the collectible mini book series Little Book of Natural Wonders, and makes a gorgeous gift (or irresistible treat for yourself) for all hummingbird lovers!
New Mexico has the 4th highest bird diversity of any state in the U.S. with nearly 550 species documented within its borders including over 300 species known to breed. At a biological crossroad between east and west and north and south, the state's birdlife is influenced by the Rocky Mountains, Great Plains, Great Basin and Chihuahuan deserts, and the sierras of northwest Mexico. An elevational range from lowland desert and rivers below 3,000 feet to alpine tundra over 13,000 feet also greatly contributes to its diversity. This Fourth Edition of the New Mexico Bird Finding Guide contains chapters covering each of the state's 33 counties addressing nearly 400 birding locations to explore. These include easily accessed, well known destinations as well as sites that are obscure and remote. Detailed maps, directions, and lists of expected and 'specialty' species accompany each location. The guide also includes an annotated checklist presenting the status, distribution, frequency, and abundance, for all species recorded in the state. This will be a valuable reference for resident and visiting birders alike.
Featuring as many as 175 birds apiece and nearly 300 photographs, illustrations and maps, this handy, informative book adds two Southwestern states to National Geographic's growing series of field guides. Like its predecessors, this guide provides birders with quick and easy access to the kind of specific facts and savvy advice that they need: a regional map of birding hotspots; a knowledgeable introduction by a local expert on which birds to look for, where to find them, and what to focus on when they appear; a section on birding basics, field identification, and how to make the best use of the guide and its resources; scores of individual entries with photographs of each bird, recognition tips, and notes on behavior, habitat, and particular sites; and two indexes: one color-coded, the other alphabetical with life list boxes. An ideal solution for visitors looking to make the most of limited time and a valuable reference for anyone who lives in the region, these books belong in every birder's library, beginner and veteran alike.
Arizona & New Mexico: these two year-round birding states boast some of the nation's top sites, including the number-one spot for hummingbirds, plus desert and mountain species galore, from the Elegant Trogon--which resembles the Resplendent Quetzal of Central America--to the high-speed sprinter, the Greater Roadrunner.
Arizona & New Mexico: these two year-round birding states boast some of the nation's top sites, including the number-one spot for hummingbirds, plus desert and mountain species galore, from the Elegant Trogon--which resembles the Resplendent Quetzal of Central America--to the high-speed sprinter, the Greater Roadrunner.