Amazon.com's Best of 2001
From the creator of the seminal field guide, The Sibley Guide to Birds, comes another indispensable book for bird watchers. 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. -- Lesley Reed
Book Description
“Once in a great while, a natural history book changes the way people look at the world. In 1838, John ames Audubon’s Birds of America was one...In 1934, Roger Tory Peterson produced Field Guide to the Birds...Now comes The Sibley Guide to Birds.”
Thus did The New York Times, in 1999, greet David Allen Sibley’s monumental book, which has quickly been established nationwide as the peerless, standard bird identification guide.
The Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behavior is the new landmark book from David Allen Sibley. Designed to enhance the birding experience and to enrich the popular study of North American birds, the book combines more than 795 of his full-color illustrations with authoritative text by 48 expert birders and biologists. In this new guide Sibley takes us beyond identification, to show us how birds live and what they do.
Introductory essays outline the principles of avian evolution, life cycle, body structure, flight dynamics, and more. The 80 family-by-family chapters describe the amazing range of behavior dictated by birds’ biology and environment. Among the subjects covered and illustrated are:
--molts and plumages
--habitats
--food and foraging
--vocalizations and displays
--courtship and breeding
--rearing of young
--migration and movements
--scientific groupings
--introduced species
--accidental species
--anatomy
--flight patterns
--nests and eggs
--conservation
--global distribution
Accessibly written, superbly designed and organized, and brilliantly illustrated, The Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behavior is an indispensable source of information on the avian life around us.
Customer Reviews:
Another Gem.......2007-07-28
Like all the Sibley books, this is comprehensive and well-written. A necessary and welcomed addition to any birder's library.
An informative book........2007-01-11
This is a useful book about bird behavior written by a true expert. It's a bit like a textbook the way it approaches broad topics and discusses various aspects.
Like any textbook, I suppose, if you go into this book with a specific question and hope for a specific answer, you may not find it. However, if you were trying to write a school report or something you would certainly find lots of useful tidbits of information in the general area of your topic.
I'd say that rather than thinking of this as a reference book, you should think of it as background reading, to be taken in small doses, for the above-and-beyond birding enthusiast.
From the perspective of a non-birder..........2006-08-24
I'm not a birder, though it seems like an interesting hobby. But I just look at the birds at the feeders and birdbath in the back yard and think, "I wonder what that one is?" So, I bought "The Sibley Guide to Birds" (which is outstanding) on the recommendation of a birder friend, and that led me to this book.
On the one hand, it's a long, dense, scientific work. The years of effort and study that went into it is astounding.
On the other hand, it's an extremely entertaining set of answers to all of those "Why do they do that?" questions that come up when you're watching birds. For example, why do bird knees seem to bend backward? Well, they don't; the knee is close to the bird's body, and what seems to be a backward knee is actually the bird's ankle. The birds are in effect walking around on their tip toes.
If hundreds of pages of information like that, coupled with beautiful illustrations and great maps, all wrapped in an easy-to-use organizational scheme sounds interesting and useful, then get this book.
For a non-birder like me, it's probably more information than I really need, but I found it fascinating.
The Sibley Guide to Bird Life & Behavior.......2006-08-08
Includes all the information our other guides - Audubon, Peterson's, the other Sibley's Guide -- have left undescribed. Devotes many pages for further study of bird species and sub-species.
Instructive, engrossing, delightful .......2006-05-04
Have you ever wondered how an owl navigates in the dark? Why the whip-poor-will has bristles around its mouth? How the kingfisher teaches its young to dive for fish? How the woodpecker can keep up all that drumming without getting a concussion?
If you have observed a phoebe building a neat cup-shaped nest on a ledge under a roof overhang, or if you have watched a green heron using bait to attract fish, you must have felt an urge to learn more about these creatures. How intelligent are they? Or do they just "follow their instincts"?
This book will answer most of your questions - whether you are an avid bird watcher or a curious novice; and where there are no definite answers, a number of working hypotheses are suggested.
The beautiful water color illustrations by David Sibley show the birds in characteristic postures and hone in on diagnostically important features; and the individual chapters by various authors on bird biology, evolution, classification, behavior, migration, habitats, populations and conservation are illuminating.
Recent DNA studies have shed new light on hybridization and mating systems and have led to some revisions in species and family classification. There is also a very helpful glossary: if you just want to browse, this may be a good place to start. Before you know it, you will be hooked; and every time you open this book you'll come upon new insights that will astonish and delight you.
Product Description
Barrons Books Guide to a Well Behaved Parrot
Customer Reviews:
A MUST READ for any bird owner!!!!.......2007-07-13
This is an amazing book! There are so many tips and suggestions for correcting or preventing bad behaviors in birds. The ideal time to read this would be before even bringing the parrot home, but it is a must read for all bird owners. The parrot world is evolving and new things are being learned all the time.....read it to learn!!!!
Great Learning Tool.......2007-04-10
I am new to parrots and this book literally takes you by the hand and addresses whatever issue you are having. I highly recommend it.
A very good beginner book!.......2007-03-26
My hubbie decided to petsit his uncle's macaw but we had no idea why she acted the way she did. She would screech loudly, try to bite us, & if we tried to get her down from our shoulder she would run to our back. We needed information. This book didn't disappoint! Chapter 2 was a treasure trove of information. It had games you could play with your parrot, also how to get your parrot to stop biting. The wobble correction method is what we have been using. Chapter 3 was about developing behavior patterns. This chapter was great in helping us realize height does matter. We were letting Baby D(parrot's name) get on our shoulder and also letting her roam on the top of her cage. She was getting very aggresive and we couldn't understand why.Letting her spend time in places that were high was making her think she was the boss. Chapter 5 Common behavior problems talks about dealing with screaming, chewing, and boredom in birds. It also talks more about the height factor. Chapter 7 talks about reading parrot body language and the pitfalls of leaving your parrot home alone all day.
I learned alot by this book. Parrots are alot of responsibility but they are also lovable. I know they have times when they screech and scream but if you follow this book you should you should have a better behaved parrot most of the time. I see some impovement already in baby D. This book has loads of information that should help you understand all about your new parrot.
EXCELENT.......2007-02-06
One of the best books with a thorough guidance how to treat your parrot and skills for a well behaved bird.
Help with problem parrots........2007-01-12
This book is filled with great ideas for how to deal with every crazy parrot behavioural problem you might encounter, as well as practical strategies to keep them from developing in the first place!
Product Description
A companion parrot is to a bird lover what a favorite lapdog is to its owner -- a friend through thick and thin. This book offers a wealth of advice on such topics as choosing between a young parrot and an older bird, selecting and training a talking parrot, modifying some of a companion parrot's behavior traits and periodically reinforcing behavior changes, keeping the bird groomed and away from household safety hazards, and virtually all other aspects of care. The author, a respected parrot expert, discusses ways of coping with occasional problems that include excessive screaming and feather chewing, and describes general differences in behavior among various companion birds - budgies, lovebirds, cockatiels, macaws, conures, lories and others. Paperback / 176 Pages / 6 1/2 x 7 7/8 / 1999
Customer Reviews:
good choice for parrot lover!.......2007-09-10
Together with the other parrot-thematic books from the same author it is the hardware of information I have used. I have an african grey for three years now and at the beginning I made a search for every available information about the topic.
So it happens that this books I liked most as they are easy to understand, easy to read and enjoyable illustrated.
African Grey is a parrot which needs time and you have to keep in mind that he may outlive you by years. So what you teach him now will be remembered in 60years when your children will keep him a company.
It is a responsibility but a nice one:)
Yes, I can recommend to you.
guide to parrot behavior.......2007-08-31
For the person interested in different species of pet birds,their care and personalities, this book offers a generic overview. As an experienced bird "person" I was looking for a more in-depth description of a specfic species. I almost put it down without finishing until I paged to the individual stories of the different parrots. I enjoyed reading the stories of the different birds, their experiences, histories and especially how the newer owners understood and created a more fulfilling environment (love,care and concern)for them. I learned new methods of dealing with birds and appreciate any new method for understanding bird behavior. I would recommend this book for the beginner/intermediate bird lover but for the very experienced bird lover, they would do better to find a publication that discribes just one species. However, they would miss the wonderful stories in this book!
Great guide for families with parrots or who want parrots........2007-08-26
This book really gives you a good introduction to the various kinds of parrots that are available. It describes their habits and tendencies so that it makes it easier to choose a new parrot or understand your current friend.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for their first parrot or for an addition to their family.
A home library must........2006-10-25
A well written, informative read, this book should be in all parrot lovers collections.
Informative descriptions covering size, habits and personality traits for most known parrots. A great feature is a wing clipping diagram for most of the breeds covered.
Also covered are some of the psychological aspects of parrots, including known issues such as feather chewing, biting and screaming. Detailed are tips on training, development & bonding with you as a member of it's flock.
Guide to Companion Parrot Behavior.......2006-06-27
Well written. A lot of information, especially about the social/emotional development of parrots.
Book Description
Robert Tyrrell, the world's foremost photographer of hummingbirds, has successfully captured on film the utterly fascinating day-to-day activities of our colorful North American species. Included among the 235 full-color pictures are never-before-photographed sequences such as nesting, molting, preening and territorial aggression, as well as an unprecedented portfolio of hummingbirds feeding from wildflowers.
Esther Tyrrell has written the accompanying illuminating text, by far the most complete and up-to-date information on hummingbirds ever assembled, which will make this book the definitive source for both scientists and the general reader for years to come.
This lavishly illustrated volume opens with an introduction to this lovely family of
Customer Reviews:
Stunning Photos!.......2006-05-06
Of course, everyone loves the feisty, peppy hummingbird with it's glorious colors. This book shows details that the average birdwatcher never sees. The close up photos, some in action sequence, are a delight and there are pictures even showing the nests made of cobwebs, feathers and lichens.
The text supplements the photos giving details of the author's observations on hummingbird behavior.
One section covers the different hummingbirds, giving each variety a two-page spread. There are several photos plus a listing of the field markings, range, breeding range, winter range, nesting, migration and habitat for each.
Additional graphics are quite useful, like the one showing the names for the body parts of hummingbirds. What a useful (and beautiful) book!
Unbelievable photography.......2000-12-29
This book conains the most amazing photography imaginable (the authors' companion book Hummingbirds of the Caribbean is just as wonderful). Dazzling colors and awesome stopped-action shots. I can't imagine how it was done.
Highest praise.......1999-03-16
The wife and husband team of Esther and Robert Tyrrell logged over 30,000 miles of travel to photograph and document the 16 species of North American hummingbirds. Using his own special high-speed strobe techniques, Robert has photographed the tiny colorful birds in a variety of activities flying, perching, and nesting. The book contains over 200 amazing photographs, reproduced in dazzling color. In her text, Esther has culled information from hundreds of sources and provides a comprehensive and well-written overview of the birds' anatomy and behaviors. A must for any bird lover!
Book Description
Training is a form of teaching. The subject learns when the trainer positively reinforces or rewards each small step the subject takes towards the desired behavior. In this book the author describes some typical problem behavior scenarios then offers a step-by-step explanation of how to address these problem behaviors using training techniques based on positive reinforcement. Chapters include Preparing the Companion Parrot Owner, Screaming, Biting, Bonding to One Person, Cage Bound Bird and Feather Picking.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent resource.......2007-01-30
This book, along with Ms. Heidenreich's other book, The Parrot Problem Solver, are the best books I've come across dealing with companion parrots. If you understood why your bird is behaving as it does, you can deal with it more effectively. Kindness and reward go far with a companion bird (and, even though Ms. Heidenreich didn't mention it, 11-12 hours of covered cage/darkness a day does, too) than all the reprimanding in the world (which a parrot does not understand). A parrot, much like a cat, is not going to do anything he doesn't want to do, but unlike a cat, you can convince a parrot to want what you want, too. Tell him he's a good bird when he's quiet. Give him a reward when he says something nice. Understand you are his teacher, not his mate and not his slave. Punish him by turning your back, reward him by giving attention and praise. Parrots are a lot like toddlers - they need to be constantly taught how to be good and their companions need to be able to recognize the behaviors (sometimes extremely hard to see) that signal overexcitement, frustration and anger. Excellent book I'd recommend to any bird "owner."
content unoriginal.......2006-11-02
Although the arrival/condition of the book was perfect, the content was very limited. I learned nothing new and feel I wasted my money. My parrot is still obnoxious. I had so hoped I would learn techniques to change his behavior.
For the beginner..........2006-08-18
To preface, I'm a bit biased as I am seemingly more in-tune with my birds than most folks are with theirs. Most birds seem to like me, and the behavior solutions in this book are mostly second nature to me. A good book for the flustered who need reassurance to follow the right path.
Good bird.......2006-03-22
This is a good book for advanced bird owners. Its not really clear enough alot of the time to understand from a beginners perspective. I would highly recommend this book to someone who already has some knowledge of companion birds.
Solving behavioral problems in Parrots.......2006-03-09
A must read for all parrot owners. The advice in this book works. Barbara Heidenreich is one of the very best behavioral consultants in the world. Get this book so you can have the best relationship possible with your companion parrot.Even if you think the relationship is good now, it will become better after you read the book.
Customer Reviews:
Helpful to someone moving south.......2007-07-13
I moved to Georgia 14 years ago, from Vermont. Talk about climate shock! I found THE BIRD GARDEN to be quite helpful in getting me started in Zone 7. It is certainly not a completely comprehensive book, nor does it pretend to be. The sketches of sample bird gardens based on the varying climate areas of the USA gave me an easy to follow template for turning my yard into a bird and butterfly sanctuary. The year I had twenty-six chrysalises on the side of my house, I knew I'd done something right. Creating a bird garden, after all, cannot help but benefit the other welcome species, too.
My (indoor) cats and I love bird-watching now.
Disappointingly sketchy.......2003-01-16
Steve Kress is a great ornithologist and I greatly admire the work he's done in wildlife species and habitat preservation--but this book is not one of his best achievements. Basic and sketchy, at best it might give you a few ideas, but you won't be able to really implement them from this book--you'll have to get much better and more complete references. Look on the audabon web site or other birdwatchers web sites for ideas, and donate the money you save from not buying this book to audabon.
Bring beauty and life to the garden!.......2002-05-11
As an avid gardener with an extensive collection of gardening and reference books, this is the most cherished and most consulted of any book in the house. It brings the garden to an interactive level and a site of much learning for adults and children! Inspiring and informative, The Bird Garden also carries the endearing beauty of presentation one would expect with an Audubon Society publication. Wonderful gift for gardener or birder alike. I keep a few copies on hand for birthdays and house-presents. Finally, with enough inspired souls...the birds and butterflies will stand a better chance in the world. Read all about it!
Hatch your bird garden using this book!.......2002-04-30
I have used this book in the winter and the spring of 2002, and the results have been more than I could have expected. The book is well written, nicely illustrated, and well organized. If you want to have one reference book on hand, then you would be wise to consider this one.
If you only buy one book on the subject..........2002-01-30
Make it this one. It's full of detailed information on all aspects of creating a garden that will attract birds. It's well written and clearly illustrated.
Product Description
My Parrot, My Friend is a straightforward book that addresses a growing need for parrot owners and their birds. When difficulties develop in the home, or a clash in avian and human natures makes for unhappy birds and angry owners, many times the sad consequence is painful termination of what could have been a long-term, joyful relationship. Happily, there is an effective remedy and it lies in a program of behavior modification. That program is fully detailed in this well-written, wonderfully detailed text. In addition, the text helps readers to find the right bird so problems can be sidestepped altogether, and it explains which birds not to consider and why. My Parrot, My Friend shows how parrots grow and develop, and how behavioral problems can start. The book explains behavioral modification, how it works, and how to apply it in specific situations. Case studies and an examination of pertinent issues add considerable interest to the text. These and other special features make this one of the most indispensable reference books you will ever use. My Parrot, My Friend is the first book to approach the subject in such depth for the lay reader. It will make a significant difference in how pet owners view and relate to their birds and will point the way to happy endings where once there were none.
Customer Reviews:
Best Parrot Book!.......2007-03-26
Parrots - from budgies to Hyacinth Macaws - are nothing like dogs and cats. For one thing, most of them outlive us. When you get a parrot, you get an individual with the smarts of a 5 year old kid who's emotionally stuck at 2. My Parrot, My Friend gives you all the insight you'll need to get started in and maintain a healthy relationship with your fid (feathered kid). In my 40 years as a parrot companion, this is the first book that I found having everything necessary to ensure you have the proper understanding of the committment needed - time, money, patience, more time, humor - to have a healthy, happy parrot.
Good overiew and enlightenment.......2006-10-21
This book is a good read in bringing one's common sense understanding of parrots in general. I was able to formulate a more educated sense when working with my parrots... basically it gives scientific, common sense information.
A must for the home library.
BJBichon on "My Parrot, My Friend".......2006-07-08
This book was recommended by another bird site as the only book you will ever need to understand your bird. I think I was expecting too much. It reads a little like a clinical tome; too many words, too little said. Yet, the monochromatic photos and diagrams, editing errors, and misspelled words cause you to question the credibility.
Wow.......2006-04-26
This book is very thourough.
I recently got it "out of the closet" and it helped my boyfriend understand my two goffins cockatoos much better.
It's easy to read, entertaining, and full of useful information.
Well worth the money.
One must have book!.......2005-08-24
This book has saved me alot of trouble and pain on my part and the bird I almost got. I have learned more from this book then from any other. I suggest this book to anyone concidering getting a large bird!
Customer Reviews:
USEFUL BOOK - BUT WITH LIMITATIONS........2007-07-04
First, let me state that I am a big fan of Donald and Lillian Stokes and their many guide books. For the most part, these are all very useful guides and this team has done a great job of bring the wonders of our natural world to us. With this work though, and I consider it thier weakest work, they come up a bit short. I suppose the title "The Complete Birdhouse Book," I feel, is a bit misleading. It is far from "complete." The authors do give us some of the best work I have seen in this area as to bird house placement, care and maintenance. But they come up quite lacking in the area of actually building a bird house! The beginning woodworker will find the scant directions difficult to follow even for the most basic of houses. When they get into the area of "advanced" houses, well, forget it! There are dozens and dozens of books out there that cover this subject much better and are actually useful.
On the other hand, I did find this book to be quite useful in the placement of the house, and very informative as to the nesting habits of several of the birds that use houses to nest, so not all was lost. The book is well organized, the photographs are great and the text easy to read. I am giving this one four stars rather than three simply because of the apparent effort that went into writing this book and simply because these are the Stokes. I just wish they had been more adept in the area of birdhouse construction.
Superb for beginners!.......2007-03-26
Our [....] has recently become very interested in identifying birds. We have tons in our backyard after putting out a feeder, so we wanted to build a house so we can watch them nest--as a beginner, where do you begin?
We orderd this on a whim & because it was only 83 cents on amazon, The Complete Birdhouse Book--The Easy Guide to Attracting Nesting Birds by Donald & Lillian Stokes. When it arrived I was overjoyed with how wonderful this book is--it is full color, talks in-depth about the bird life-cycle with full color pictures & specifically what different birds need in a home--and thus, how to construct it! What beginner ever knew the hole size, hole to floor measurement & inside dimensions & total height were so important--not to mention where it is placed & what type of things to leave in your yard for nesting material! Also, how to control predators & pests & other useful information. Now we know what our titmice, cardinal, chickadees, & hairy woodpecker prefer! Full color pictures again & highly educational---a good companion for anyone wanting to attract birds to their yard!
Our favorite bird guide--the indexing is superb for my [....] trying to find a bird in it--is the Kaufman Field Guide to Birds of North America. It has good pics of male, female & juvenile & easy to understand maps. We supplement it with the DK Guide to Eastern birds of North America--it has great pictures & info on each bird, the eggs, nesting, food, etc--more detail than just the field guide--very educational! We're loving God's wild world in our back yard!
Just basic stuff...ok for a starter.......2005-04-01
Even though there's only 1 plan, you do learn what some specific needs of some specific birds are. You can buy simple kits to assemble at houses4birds.com
Always a pleasure but..........2002-01-28
I've always liked the Stokes books and CDs. Their love for birds is apparent in all their material. The photographs are rich and lively, and the books are simple yet elegant and informative.
However, if you're interested in building birdhouses, this book will fall short. There's only one plan for the simplest house you can imagine, and anyone who would appreciate the book's other charms probably won't think highly of such a simple birdhouse. There are some interesting houses pictured, but little about how to build them...
Great 4 the basics. Want detailed plans? Go elsewhere........1999-03-31
I want to know the basics...which birds use birdhouses, & what the basic dimensions for my targeted species are. What nesting materials do thew use...etc.. This book does a great job of doing that. I do NOT want my birdhouses to be clones of some boring plan out of a book. Get creative! Use this basic info & create your own unique backyard!
Sorry previous writer was so disapointed, but he's right in one respect......if you want assorted detailed building plans...go elsewhere.
Customer Reviews:
A Fascinating Look into Common Species.......2005-07-26
This first volume in the Stokes Nature Guide series offers detailed descriptions of species-specific wild bird behavior. The twenty-five birds covered here include the Canada goose, the tree swallow, the mockingbird, the eastern kingbird, the common flicker, and the American gold finch. For an example of the kind of detail this book contains, one needs only to turn to the section of pigeons; it contains a chart showing which behaviors occur during which months, an illustrated section on visual and audio displays as well as their meanings, territory, courtship, nest-building and breeding, plumage, seasonal movement, and feeder behavior. This is not a field guide designed for identifying species, but is more of a course in animal behavior.
Stokes's passion for bird watching is contagious; you'll never regard any of these species in the same manner after reading this. No other book I've read has broken down bird behavior by species to such an engrossing degree. The social nature of starlings and their roosting parties contrasts with the solitary habits of the American kestrel. The playful acrobatics of the chickadee and its complex song contrast with the more mysterious behavior of the robin.
Because each volume of this series contains birds without regard to grouping (i.e. songbirds, or birds of prey, or aquatic birds), readers must first check with the table of contents to see whether a specific bird is included. Volume one contains: Canada goose, mallard, American kestrel, herring gull, pigeon, chimney swift, hairy woodpecker, eastern kingbird, tree swallow, blue jay, common crow, black-capped chickadee, house wren, mockingbird, gray catbird, American robin, starling, red-eyed vireo, common yellowthroat, house sparrow, red-winged blackbird, common grackle, American goldfinch, and song sparrow. Many of these species are so ubiquitous that readers might stifle a yawn at the thought of reading about them, but Stokes goes so deeply into their behavior that they cease to be ordinary. One of the most fascinating chapters is on the starling - that noisy, speckled bird that has taken over the northeast U.S. since its introduction.
Because I've encountered no other book about birds quite like this one, I give it five stars despite its seeming random selection of species.
Good Information to Better Understand Your Feathered Friends.......2003-02-08
The Stokes Guides to Bird Behavior are great little references for backyard bird-watching. You may have to wander a little further than your backyard to observe some of these species, but the birds in your neighborhood are probably in one of the three Stokes volumes. Each Stokes Guide to Bird Behavior features 25 common North American bird species. For each species, the authors explain visual displays, auditory displays, territory courtship, nest-building, breeding, plumage and seasonal movement, and provide a calendar so that you can clearly see when these behaviors occur. I wouldn't take any generalizations about bird behavior too seriously because many birds are very individual, and their behaviors and social customs vary accordingly. But these books will give you a good basis for understanding and predicting the behavior of your avian neighbors. You'll enjoy watching your little feathered friends all the more with the added understanding the Stokes Guides provide.
My one complaint about these books is that the bird species are not in any particular order, and neither are they indexed. If you look at the table of contents you will see that the species are not in alphabetical or any other order, and there is no sense to which birds are in which volume or where they are placed in the book. In other words, you have to read through the entire list of 25 species in the table of contents, in each book, to locate the species you want. I have no explanation for this, and I made an index for the books myself to save me from the frustration involved every time I want to look up a species. That is the reason I gave the book(s) 4 stars instead of 5.
In Volume One: Canada Goose, Mallard (duck), American Kestrel, Herring Gull, Pigeon, Chimney Swift, Common Flicker, Hairy Woodpecker, Eastern Kingbird, Tree Swallow, Blue Jay, Common Crow, Black-Capped Chickadee, House Wren, Mockingbird, Gray Catbird, American Robin, Starling, Red-Eyed Vireo, Common Yellowthroat (warbler), House Sparrow, Red-Winged Blackbird, Common Grackle, American Goldfinch, and Song Sparrow.
Great information just not complete in one volume........1999-06-12
This book is part of a three volume set. Each volume covers 25 birds. The bird behaviors are described in detail and make fascinating reading. The illustrations are in black and white so this will not help you identify birds. Volume 2 contains more of the common backyard birds but if you want complete information you need to buy the set. The best books I've seen on bird behavior. Easy to read and covers all aspects of bird behavior.
Customer Reviews:
The birds ARE in order (contra the most recent review).......2004-04-16
Most books about birds present the species in 'phylogenetic' order, a conventional sequence intended to show the apparent relationships between species. This book, for example, begins with a loon (long considered the most primitive of extant North American species, though recently replaced by the waterfowl) and ends with a hummingbird (a relatively advanced family of 'pre-passerines'); the owls, for example, are kept together to show their relatively close evolutionary ties. Ordering the birds alphabetically, by color, or in any other of the artificial schemes one occasionally encounters, results in scattering closely related species throughout the book, and in the case of alphabetical order, requires revision with every nomenclatural change (does that funny-looking red-billed rallid go under 'm' for 'moorhen' or 'g' for 'gallinule'?).
It's great that the reviewer prepared an alphabetical index, but all birders eventually grow accustomed to phylogenetic order and use it without thinking about it at all.
Good Information to Better Understand Your Feathered Friends.......2003-02-08
The Stokes Guides to Bird Behavior are great little references for backyard bird-watching. You may have to wander a little further than your backyard to observe some of these species, but the birds in your neighborhood are probably in one of the three Stokes volumes. Each Stokes Guide to Bird Behavior features 25 common North American bird species. For each species, the authors explain visual displays, auditory displays, territory courtship, nest-building, breeding, plumage and seasonal movement, and provide a calendar so that you can clearly see when these behaviors occur. I wouldn't take any generalizations about bird behavior too seriously because many birds are very individual, and their behaviors and social customs vary accordingly. But these books will give you a good basis for understanding and predicting the behavior of your avian neighbors. You'll enjoy watching your little feathered friends all the more with the added understanding the Stokes Guides provide.
My one complaint about these books is that the bird species are not in any particular order, and neither are they indexed. If you look at the table of contents you will see that the species are not in alphabetical or any other order, and there is no sense to which birds are in which volume or where they are placed in the book. In other words, you have to read through the entire list of 25 species in the table of contents, in each book, to locate the species you want. I have no explanation for this, and I made an index for the books myself to save me from the frustration involved every time I want to look up a species. That is the reason I gave the book(s) 4 stars instead of 5.
In Volume Three: Common Loon, Great Blue Heron, Wood Duck, American Woodcock, Common Tern, Bald Eagle, Sharp-Shinned Hawk, Northern Goshawk, Broad-Winged Hawk, Red-Tailed Hawk, Osprey, Peregrine Falcon, Northern Bobwhite, Rig-Necked Pheasant, Great Horned Owl, Barred Owl, Eastern Screech Owl, Ruby-Throated Hummingbird, Pileated Woodpecker, Purple Martin, Common Raven, Eastern Bluebird, Dark-Eyed Junco, White-Throated Sparrow, and Bobolink.
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Books Index
Books Home
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General
| Birdwatching
| Outdoors & Nature
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The Sibley Guide to Birds
Sibley's Birding Basics
The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Eastern North America
The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Western North America
Kaufman Field Guide to Birds of North America
