A Field Guide to the Birds of Hawaii and the Tropical Pacific

Customer Reviews:

Needs reformatting.......2007-01-11

This field guide has excellent sketches of birds but the layout is quite awkward. This guide like most if not all guides breaks down the birds by family groups. This works well for most areas but not Hawaii. As an example, on the first page for Crows and Honeycreepers there are six birds listed, three are extinct, the other three birds all exist on seperate islands, so if I am birding on Kauai and I look on this particular page there is only one bird I would have any chance of seeing but I still have five other birds on the page as a distraction. On the other pages there are on average 8-10 birds per page but once again some are extinct (and not boldly labled as such) while there may only be one or two birds from each island on the pages. My recommendation to make it easier to ID birds in the field would be to put all the extinct Hawai'ian endemic birds on two or more pages (since there are so many of them) for emphasis and then have seperate pages for each island. Since there are so few birds to be found on each of the Hawaiian islands versus say the tropical forests of Costa Rica, I beleive my recommended format would be much less frustrating than the current format of the book to use in the field.

Good and complete birding book.......2007-01-10

If ou go to Hawaii and you want to go birding, I can recommend this book. It is a comprehensive guide, with clear and accurate drawings, and checklists for each island. The only thing missing is a list of buirding sites.

The indispensible Tropical Pacific field guide........1999-07-11

Pratt, Bruner, and Dickinson have produced a superb field guide completely covering all the islands of the tropical Pacific from Hawai'i west through Micronesia. This is a true field guide: it gives the field marks of every species, notes problems in identification with special emphasis on distinguishing similar species, and wastes no space on matters not related to identification. (The exception is that Pratt, a significant ornithologist as well as an expert in identification, summarizes controversies in classification whre appropriate.)

The text is organized by order and family, not by region, so the flycatchers of Tahiti appear next to the flycatchers of Palau rather than near other Tahitian birds. But the illustrations are grouped by region: Samoan land birds appear together, regardless of relationships. This greatly facilitates use in the field.

The illustrations are paintings, not photographs, which allows the authors to show similar birds in identical poses as well as eliminating the accidental marks which appear in even the best photographs and can confuse the user.

The authors have chosen to include the extinct birds of the region as well as the living ones. This puts a certain amount of "deadwood" on the illustration pages, which may be detrimental. But, considering that more than one "extinct" bird has been found after being missing for nearly a hundred years, it is probably worth the minor inconvenience.

I have used the book extensively in Hawai'i and believe it to be the best guide Hawai'i's birds. I would not consider being without it anywhere in its area of coverage.

Bird of Another Heaven
Average customer rating:

Historical fiction with plenty of soul

A young man seeks his roots; discovers the small is ever swallowed by the big

powerful character study

Bird of Another Heaven
James D. Houston
Manufacturer: Knopf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 140004202X
Release Date: 2007-03-20

Book Description

From the author of Snow Mountain Passage, a saga of the Donner Party, comes a deeply engaging new novel, set in both our time and the late nineteenth century. It centers on a California woman, half Indian, half Hawaiian, who became consort and confidante to the last king of Hawaii.

The story is told by her great-grandson, Sheridan Brody, a Bay Area talk show host, whose life has reached an unexpected standstill. He can’t quite commit—he doesn’t know why—to his Japanese-American girlfriend and her five-year-old son. A corporate merger may soon threaten his job. But when he receives an on-air call from a woman claiming to be his grandmother, Sheridan feels compelled to uncover all he can about this previously unknown branch of his family, embarking on a quest that will change how he sees his future and his past.

What he finds, through the journals of his great-grandmother, Nani Keala (aka Nancy Callahan), and through his own investigations, is an almost mythic tale: how Nani, a shy girl from a remote Indian village, learns English at a local white rancher’s school and meets the Hawaiian king, David Kalakaua, on his grand progress by train across the United States in 1881, and returns with him to Honolulu. There, as his young ally and protégée, ever more assured and charming, she plays an integral role in his attempt to revive the monarchy and spirit of his people and, eventually, witnesses the mysterious circumstances surrounding his downfall.

Bird of Another Heaven is rich in historical scene and character, based in part on actual events. Nani’s life unfolds against the backdrop of the opening of northern California and America’s rising ambitions in Asia and the Pacific during the 1800s. It is also a story of emotional intensity and compassion, equally compelling for Sheridan’s contemporary journey of self-discovery and the beautifully imagined journey of Nani, a woman of extraordinary power and appeal.

Customer Reviews:

Historical fiction with plenty of soul.......2007-07-13

It's a captivating story, but even more rewarding to the reader is the exploration of values of the major characters.

A young man seeks his roots; discovers the small is ever swallowed by the big.......2007-05-05

Moving between his narrator's view in 1980s San Francisco and the narrator's great-grandmother's story a century earlier, Houston reels out a soulful tale of ruthless conquest and dying cultures in the context of a young man's search for roots and meaning.

Alternative-radio talk show host Sheridan Brody never knew his biological father. Sheridan Wadell died in the Korean War and his son was brought up by as good a stepfather as a boy could ask for. But when a woman claiming to be Sheridan's grandmother, Rosa Wadell, calls in to his radio show, he can't help but be intrigued.

In addition to pictures and stories of his dead father, Rosa has stacks of notebooks belonging to her mother, Nani Keala, a half Indian, half Hawaiian woman who was a friend and lover to the last king of Hawaii, David Kalakaua. She was a witness to the last days of her mother's tribal culture and her father's Hawaiian nation. She was with Kalakaua when he died in San Francisco and was always suspicious of the circumstances.

Nani was born in one of California's last Indian villages. The place slowly disappeared as elders died and young people moved off to find work and when Nani's parents died she was sent to a rancheria where Indian ways were preserved on a white man's estate.

There Nani lives a dutiful life, helping out in the Mistress' school, agreeing to marry a man she doesn't love. But then a Hawaiian kinsman comes to fetch her to see their king when he visits Sacramento. Her notebook entries are brief, stilted, even shy, but Sheridan fleshes them out with his own research and eager imaginings.

He recreates Nani's father's life, from his days exploring and establishing an outpost in the wilderness with Capt. John Sutter, through the gold rush, and his adoption into his wife's tribe. His exile from Hawaii remains to be explained and becomes part of the fabric of American conquest as the story goes on.

Sheridan imagines how Nani captivates the king with her mixed heritage, her quick mind, her languages. And her beauty, of course. She accompanies him to Hawaii where his extravagant coronation sparks the wrath of the white merchant community who see him as a wastrel. But Kalakaua's aim is to appear as a king among kings, to make his people proud of their island nation, now so encroached upon by the whites.

Houston weaves the history seamlessly into his narrative, illustrating to the reader how European and American greed and self-righteousness informed the times. The U.S. wants a Pacific port, Pearl Harbor, and pressures the king, exasperated by his resistance.

"Peabody's smile was almost derisive. He held degrees from Columbia and Yale. He had practiced in New York and in San Francisco. He saw himself as the voice of right reason and common sense."

"'What am I to do with such a man,'" the king says when Peabody is gone. "'He was born here and his father too. Yet their loyalty is not to me. It is to a roomful of senators six thousand miles away.'"

Nani becomes witness to the demise of her Indian and Hawaiian culture; her great grandson does not even know he has Indian or Hawaiian blood until he's told as an adult and he regards it as something exotic and romantic. This idealization never quite goes away, even when he becomes immersed in the history.

Inspired by the notebooks, the great-grandmother Sheridan envisions is a young man's creation. She is myth embodied, almost a saint. She owns an abundance of love, and is alive to everything, with a rich sexuality and a deeper modesty. Truly a young man's ideal.

His girlfriend, smart beautiful - but with a young son - is not quite so simple an icon.

Houston's writing is beautiful; his word-pictures are mesmerizing. The narrative has a hypnotic effect, fed by the mythical frame of it, the slow inevitable decline for the two halves of Nani's heritage.

In addition, in Sheridan's present, he too fights for cultural survival as his small radio station is swallowed by a conglomerate that will no longer be happy with niche markets. Not on the same scale as swallowing a culture perhaps, but emphasizing, nonetheless, that might and self-righteousness always wins in the end.

A lovely, moving word picture, though maybe a tad too long.

powerful character study .......2007-03-24

In 1980s Northern California radio host Sheridan "Dan" Brody has always wondered about his roots, but did nothing to learn more about the identity of his father. However, when he sees his birth certificate, it includes the name of his sire. He wants to know more about his paternal side.

Not long afterward, Rosa Waddell calls Dan while he is on the air to inform him she is his grandmother. He goes to meet her and she shares family stories and her mother's diaries that tell quite a heritage. His great-grandmother was Nani Keala who was the wife of Hawaii's last king, David Kalakaua. Now Dan seeks an audio of his ancestor's regal trip to the Palace Hotel in San Francisco.

BIRD OF ANOTHER HEAVEN is a delightful tale of a San Franciscan seeking his roots. Once Rosa contacts Dan, the story line becomes one sitting throughout as readers will want to more about his Hawaiian ancestry and that missing tape. This it behooves fans of remarkable family dramas to give this fine novel a chance; once Dan gets started there is no turning back for him or the audience. James D. Houston provides a powerful character study of a soul searching person looking for his unknown heritage.

Harriet Klausner

Enjoying Birds and Other Wildlife in Hawaii

Average customer rating:

Very informative information on the Birds in Hawaii
Excellent logistics guide
Informative, accurate, attractive

Enjoying Birds and Other Wildlife in Hawaii
H. Douglas Pratt
Manufacturer: Mutual Pub Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Birds | Animal Care & Pets | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Birdwatching | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Hawaii Birds: An Introduction to Over 140 Species of the Most Common and Distinctive Hawaiian Birds
A Field Guide to the Birds of Hawaii and the Tropical Pacific
The Birdwatcher's Guide to Hawai'i (Kolowalu Books)
Plants and Flowers of Hawaii
A Pocket Guide to Hawaii's Birds

ASIN: 0935180001

Book Description

Enjoying Birds and Other Wildlife in Hawaii is the new, expanded and updated edition of the popular Enjoying Birds in Hawaii guide. It provides the inside track on where to best see Hawaii's birds, mammals and other wildlife, as well as their unique habitats. Detailed road and trail directions, maps and site photographs enable the reader to explore national and state parks, wildlife refuges and private preserves, along with many hidden sites off the beaten path. Included are 74 sites on Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Maui, Hawaii, Midway Atoll and in offshore waters. Learn where and when to go, how to get there, what you can expect to see and logistical tips on accomodations, transportation and other services. Whether your main interest is birds, wildlife in general or just the great outdoors, Enjoying Birds and Other Wildlife in Hawaii is your key to Hawaii's exotic natural environment.

Customer Reviews:

Very informative information on the Birds in Hawaii.......2005-09-09

This was my first trip to Hawaii, and went to several islands, the birds are just beautiful and I took several pictures of the birds, and nowhere could I find what the birds were. This book had every single bird that we had seen there, as well as information on the birds. I recommend this book to everyone that goes to Hawaii, as a matter of fact, purchase it before they go. You'll enjoy it very much!

Charmayne

Excellent logistics guide.......2000-04-19

I found this book to be indespensible in identifying where to go and how to get there. A section on each of the major islands, and then regions on a per island basis makes it easy to use. Pratt identifies which birds you can expect to see in each of the birding spots identified. Although color plates of many of the species are included, this is not a species classification guide per-se. You'll need a separate guide for that. But you can't see them if you don't know where to go or how to get there, and that's where this book shines. I shutter to think of the time we would have wasted without it.

Informative, accurate, attractive.......1999-07-11

Pratt takes the reader island by island, site by site, through all the best spots to find birds in the islands. Illustrated with excellent color photographs, the guide tells you what to expect in terms of species to see, directions on getting there, and possible hazards (mud, rough roads, irritable hunters, etc.). Following the site descriptions, Pratt adds a section on each species to be found in the islands, listing the places it is most likely to be found. The emphasis is on clear information, but Pratt's lucid interesting writing style makes the book a pleasure to read as well. I have used it on Kaua'i and Hawai'i and would not think of birding the other islands without it. Indispensible!

Hawaii Birds: An Introduction to Over 140 Species of the Most Common and Distinctive Hawaiian Birds

Average customer rating:

Fold out card with pictures of birds
Handy and Quick
Good for quick reference, bad for bird watchers
"Hawaii Birds" Card -- Useful But Sad
Great for travel

Hawaii Birds: An Introduction to Over 140 Species of the Most Common and Distinctive Hawaiian Birds
James Kavanagh
Manufacturer: Waterford Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Birdwatching | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

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The Birdwatcher's Guide to Hawai'i (Kolowalu Books)
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ASIN: 1583551972

Book Description

This guide highlights the main wildlife viewing areas and most visible species. Offering exceptional value and utility, it's map-sized, lightweight, and laminated for wear-resistance.

Customer Reviews:

Fold out card with pictures of birds.......2007-02-19

I assumed this would be more of a book. It is a fold out laminated card with birds. For each bird there is a picture, scientific name, and size. It is grouped by perching birds, water birds etc.

I was hoping for some more text for a first time bird watcher going to Hawaii.

Handy and Quick.......2006-03-03

I kept this lightweight piece with me at all times while walking around. There were abundant birds and I liked knowing their names.

Good for quick reference, bad for bird watchers.......2005-03-16

This is a great, small, fold out card for beginning bird enthusiasts who want a quick reference to birds in Hawaii. But if you are a bird watcher, or even close, this little pamphlet might not be for you. There are no details on the birds, their habitats, calls, etc. The pictures are good, but I expected more from this item.

Don't buy this expecting a book; it's just a small pamphlet with photographs. Overall it'll be useful, but it could be better if used as a supplement with a real bird watchers book for Hawaii.

"Hawaii Birds" Card -- Useful But Sad.......2004-06-01

This 22"x8.5" "Pocket Naturalist" card folds into six two-sided panels of about 3.5"x8.5". It's copyrighted 2003. Overall, I think it serves the purpose stated in its subtitle: "An Introduction to Familiar Species." The paintings are fairly easy to grasp, both common and scientific names are given, maximum lengths are indicated, and some birds have helpful notes (e.g., for ring-necked duck, "bill has a white ring"). I count 142 different species or subspecies. The last panel has 22 "birding hotspots and sanctuaries" on 4 islands. It's not intended for serious birding, but birdwatchers may wish to carry it to show non-birders what they are supposed to be seeing.

If I could advise the author and Waterford Press, I would suggest: (1) Update the common names and species according to the "Checklist of the Birds of Hawaii - 2002" that is available on the Hawaii Audubon Society Web site. For example: "Warbling Silverbill (Lonchura malabarica) has been changed to African Silverbill (Lonchura cantans)." (2) Add more native Hawaiian names for the birds. (3) Delete birds that are fairly common all over the U.S. (e.g., mallards, rock doves [pigeons], and house sparrows). (4) Add a note or code to indicate which of the remaining species are endangered or threatened.* For example, Hawaiian Goose (Nene), Hawaiian Duck (Koloa), Hawaii Petrel ('Ua'u), Newell's Shearwater ('A'o), Hawaiian Coot ('Alae Ke'oke'o), Black-Necked Stilt (the subspecies listed is the Hawaiian Stilt, A'eo), Peregrine Falcon, Hawaiian Hawk ('Io), Hawaiian Crow ('Alala), 'Oloma'o, Kama'o, Puaiohi, Kauai 'O'o, 'O'u, Palila, Maui Parrotbill, Nukupu'u, 'Akepa, Hawaii Creeper, Oahu Creeper, 'Akohekohe, and Po'ouli are endemic birds that fall into this category. (5) Add the 'Oma'o (Hawai'i Thrush, Myadestes obscurus) and 'Akikiki (Kauai Creeper, Oreomystis bairdi), which are non-threatened endemic* Hawaiian birds found on the Big Island and Kauai respectively. Also add the endemic 'Elepaio (Chasiempis sandwichensis), whose Hawai'i and Kaua'i subspecies are not threatened.

Buy this from Amazon.com!

* BTW, it's sad that so few Hawaiian birds that are endemic (i.e., that evolved and breed in Hawaii but nowhere else) are neither threatened nor endangered. Besides the 'Oma'o, 'Akikiki, and 'Elepaio mentioned above, the ones on the card are: Hawaiian Noddy (Anous minutus melanogenys, native name Noio, a subspecies of Black Noddy); Hawaiian Owl (Pueo); 'Anianiau; various 'Amakihi's; Maui 'Alauahio (Paroreomyza montana newtoni, a.k.a. Maui Creeper); 'Akeke'e; 'I'iwi; and 'Apapane. The other birds neither threatened nor endangered are human-introduced "aliens," indigenous (i.e., arrived and established themselves on their own), or just visitors.

Great for travel.......2004-03-30

I recently went on a trip to Hawaii, and, having an interest in birds, I wanted to be able to take an identification guide with me that wouldn't take up too much room. Being a fold-out, laminated thing made out of card-stock, this fit the bill perfectly. I was able to keep it in my purse and didn't have to worry about it getting crushed or ruined by spills. It does have pictures of all the most common birds, as well as their length and some (but not all, which was a bummer) have images of both sexes which is nice. I was lucky enough to spot zebra and spotted doves, a resplendent male red junglefowl (don't let the name fool you, it looks just like your garden-variety chicken), a red-crested cardinal, red-vented bulbul, house finch, common fairy tern, and several others. I didn't get into the rainforest while I was there, but if I did, this guide would come with me. It is a wonderful buy, and even if you don't agree, it's only six dollars. One thing I would like is that there was a little more information about the birds, but this is after all just a pocket guide.

The Hawaiian Honeycreepers: Drepanidinae (Bird Families of the World)

Average customer rating:

The Hawaiian Honeycreepers: Drepanidinae (Bird Families of the World)
H. Douglas Pratt
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Evolution | Science | Subjects | Books

Organic | Evolution | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Birdwatching | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
ASIN: 019854653X

Book Description

The Hawaiian Honeycreepers are typified by nectar feeding, their bright colouration, and canary-like songs. They are considered one of the finest examples of adaptive radiation, even more diverse than Darwin's Galapagos finches, as a wide array of different species has evolved in all the different niches provided by the Hawaiian archipelago. The book will therefore be of interest to evolutionary biologists and ecologists, as well as professional ornithologists and amateur bird watchers. As with the other books in the Bird Family of the World series, the work is divided into two main sections. Part I is an overview of the Hawaiian Honeycreeper evolution and natural history and Part II comprises accounts of each species. The author has produced his own outstanding illustrations of these birds to accompany his text.

Average customer rating:

Non Fiction
Nice Intro for Tourists
Not for birders!
Excellent for the casual observer
Very good pictures,easy to read,informative,value for money!

A Pocket Guide to Hawaii's Birds
H. Douglas Pratt
Manufacturer: Mutual Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Travel | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1566471451

Customer Reviews:

Non Fiction.......2007-09-03

A short guide to the local flying guys, with emphasis on the problems they face.

Nice Intro for Tourists.......2006-12-24

...which is how I found this book and became interested in the subject. The book is ubiquitous in Hawaii in ABC Stores you see everywhere, especially in Waikiki. I'm not a birdwatcher, however I am interested in conservation of native species. This book gives some historical background behind previous conservation efforts, has colorful pictures of most of the birds you're likely to encounter while on vacation in Hawaii (most of which are introduced species) and includes some sad footnotes about birds endangered or thought to be extinct. The latter are largely due to destruction of habitat and introduction of predators/diseases/non-native species. It also includes a chapter with some better-known "hotspots", which may have led some readers to believe that this little book is trying to masquerade as a field guide for serious birders.

No, if you're an Audubon Society member or serious birdwatcher, this book won't sate you, and you should purchase a true field guide, as the other reviewers have suggested. And no, it is not perhaps as well organized as members of those aforementioned groups would like. But it is written in a personable style, and reads very well in a hotel room at the end of a long day of sightseeing. In fact, I've read it several times.

If you're interested in a more thorough treatise of Hawaii's birds, then I'd recommend the encyclopedic (but dated) Hawaiian Birdlife by Andrew Berger, also an interesting read. It's out-of-print, but still available used as of this writing.

Not for birders!.......2002-11-03

I bought this book in Hawaii because it was the only bird book I could find. It at least showed me some of the birds I would see, but the organization (if there is any--can't tell) is horrible. Next time I would go online ahead of time and buy an actual field guide to birds. It is a nightmare to find a bird in this book, and it doesn't give any information about them, such as their size, or male/female differences; also, it lists some birds more than once--weird. This book should be named differently...perhaps, "A glimpse into the history of birds in Hawaii." Overall, it did help me identify the birds I saw, so was better than nothing, but I would definitely not choose it again.

Excellent for the casual observer.......1999-07-27

This book is intended for the casual observer of birds, not the dedicated birder. (Serious bird-watchers should use Pratt's Field Guide to the Birds of Hawai'i and the Tropical Pacific together with his Enjoying Birds in Hawai'i or Rick Soehren's Birdwatcher's Guide to Hawai'i.) But within its limits, this is a fascinating and readable book. Pratt discusses the native birds, especially the endemic passerines, and illustrates the evolutionary processes which produced their astonishing variety. Then he describes the introduced birds, including their effect on the native avifauna when that is significant. The result is a clear though brief analysis of Hawai'i's avian world.

Pratt is a fine photographer and bird illustrator, and Jack Jeffrey is a true master of avian photography. The result of their collaboration is one of the best-illustrated books on birds I know.

Pratt's writing style is direct and clear. His straightforward narration of the destruction of a large part of the native Hawai'ian avifauna is heartbreaking in its simplicity.

This is an excellent introduction to Hawai'i's birds.

Very good pictures,easy to read,informative,value for money!.......1999-01-15

I need the scientific names, that unfortunately were not listed in the book. The development in the bird changes is also so quick, ( I did not see Frigate Birds over Waikiki. Also the colony of Laysan Albatrosses on Kaohikaipu Island deed not seem to be mentioned, even there was a picture of the island in the book. Maybe the colony is new???) that some changes should be maid, or foreseen in the possible next edition. I also saw a bird that was not listed in the book. I wonder if that could have been an apanane female. But the book does not indicate whether male and female are alike or not. The bird I saw was very alike the apanane in shape an bill. Bill a little shorter grey top of head and green on side. What bird could that have been? Seen in Hosmer Grove. The bird list in the back should be a clean bird list, which ought to be complete. (Ex. Mallard is not in the list. Geografic names should be kept in another list.

Customer Reviews:

A Must.......2007-07-13

The 5 star reviews are correct. This book is interesting from several perspectives:

Women's History; she was quite a gal. Single, traveling alone, great adventures on every page. "Rollicking good time!" is the cliche. She is quickly bored by Honolulu "society" and itches to get moving.

Mores of 19th Century Western (European, British, American) culture in respect to women. The changes Isabella makes as she adapts to new lifestyles.

Personal accounts and insight of historical figures, White and Hawai'ian, and her instincts and frustrations with self-serving individuals of all races. She meets history-altering people mentioned in Shoal of Time.

Detailed account of sugar production.

Detailed accounts of the landscape, especially of the Island of Hawai'i, before nearly everything valuable was obliterated. Sense of place.

Detailed accounts of flora and fauna.

Horse riding styles, quality and treatment of horses. Discussion of a variety of methods of post contact Hawaiian transportation. Foot, horse, ship.

Details of a variety of Hawaiian life styles.

Accounts of mission schools and second generation missionaries.

Enjoy and learn!

Six Months in the Sandwich Islands.......2006-05-01

Isabella Lucy Bird won fame in her own time as th most remarkable woman traveler of the nineteenth century, and Six Months in the Sandwich Islands, in which she describes her sojourn in Hawaii in 1873, is one of the gems of Pacific literature. It is safe to say that no other book about Hawaii surpasses it in fascination. Much of the charm of Isabella Bird's writing is due to her use of personal letters for conveying her experiences and her impressions. The thirty-one letters that compose the book were written to her beloved sister Henrietta, who dutifully stayed at home in Edinburgh to take care of the household while Isabella was away on her travels.
--- from summary inside book's cover

Adventurous Life.......2003-04-26

Every book by Isabella is an adventure. This book is wonderful to read during and after a trip to the islands. It makes great bedtime reading and is a book that you can stretch out for a long time and read again and again.

Quite enjoyable and I regretted the book ended.......2002-11-02

The steamer Nevada left Auckland New Zealand in January of 1873. Onboard are a number of travelers including Isabella Bird, who is traveling for her health. When another passenger takes ill, his Mother asks Isabella to disembark with them at Honolulu so they are not in a foreign land all alone. Thinking she will be there a short while, she actually begins a six-month journey, which she chronicles in a series of unabridged letters to her Sister back home. For those who have visited Hawaii or those who wonder what the islands were like before being annexed to the United States, these writings are pure joy.

Isabella arrives as a foreigner, but in a short time learns of the beauty of the various islands and begins to understand the diverse culture of the people.

She travels as an unescorted woman in a country, which has recently converted from aboriginal customs and inter-island wars, to the relatively peaceful paradise known in modern times. From simple observations of looking down at clouds on Maui at sunrise, to the unexpected earthquakes while standing next to a bubbling caldron of creation itself, you follow her adventures in well-written communications, which inform and entertain.

As she stood in snow, gazing down at the crater 800 feet below her, she wrote "The mystery was solved, for at one end of the crater, in a deep gorge of its own, above the level of the rest of the area, there was the lonely fire, the reflection of which, for six weeks, has been seen for 100 miles."

What she witnessed upon King Lunalilo's arrival in Hilo, brought tears to my eyes. Although they were beginning life under a form of government, the natives treated their king to a touching procession unlike anywhere else in the world. Many of the citizens had little or no money for clothes and wore what they had to meet him.

Some also brought gifts as Isabella writes: "One woman, sorely afflicted with quaking palsy, dragged herself slowly along. One hand hung by her side helpless, and the other grasped a live fowl so tightly that she could not loosen it to shake hands, whereupon the king raised the helpless arm, which called forth much cheering." A poor cripple who had only the use of his arms, drug himself two miles to lie for a moment at his kings feet. He too carried a gift.

Reading Isabella Birds' letters allows you to see first hand the magic the islands has on a visitor's soul and how easy it is to fall under the spell of the Hawaiian people.

I highly recommend the book with only one useful hint. That is to find a detailed map and refer to it during the travels. Unfortunately, the maps in the book are not clear enough to use for this purpose.

A must for anyone who loves hawaii.......1999-05-02

A beautifully written first hand description of the hawaii of the 18th. century. The book is a series of letters written by a 40 year old english women to her sister in england. During her stay in the islands, she had the opportunity to travel to all of the main islands, and the stories of her experiences are most vividly described. For those of us who love the islands, it's people and their culture this is the book for you.

The Birdwatcher's Guide to Hawai'i (Kolowalu Books)

Average customer rating:

Not for strangers in paradise
Useful and interesting
A must for birding in Hawaii!

The Birdwatcher's Guide to Hawai'i (Kolowalu Books)
Rick Soehren
Manufacturer: University of Hawaii Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Birdwatching | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Hawaii Birds: An Introduction to Over 140 Species of the Most Common and Distinctive Hawaiian Birds
A Field Guide to the Birds of Hawaii and the Tropical Pacific
A Pocket Guide to Hawaii's Birds
Hawaii's Birds
A Pocket Guide to Hawaii's Flowers

ASIN: 0824816838

Book Description

This is the first site-specific birding book written especially for the casual or novice birder. It is a fully illustrated look at more than 60 top birding sites on O`ahu, Kaua`i, the Big Island, Maui, Moloka`i, and Lanai. Every spot described offers something special--forest-dwelling birds unique to Hawai`i, seabirds that rarely visit the shore, or introduced birds found in city parks and gardens.

Birds of greatest interest and those most likely to be seen at each site are given particular attention, with information on seasonal occurrences to help visitors plan their birding trips. Site descriptions note activities and nearby points of interest, detailed directions to the sites, and available facilities for visitors. Helpful occurrence tables show at a glance where common and uncommon birds can be found. General information on birding in Hawai`i, a description of the processes that led to extensive speciation, and a review of the threats against Hawaiian birdlife are included.

Customer Reviews:

Not for strangers in paradise.......2003-03-10

Before our first visit to Hawaii I searched to find something that would serve as a useful guide for a trip that would permit only casual bird-watching. This book is really best for someone able to dedicate time to exploring the recommended hikes. Having said that, my main complaint about the book is that the illustrations are of little use to someone from the North American continent who is unfamiliar with Hawaii's birds, as the majority of readers probably are. After all, which would be more useful, good color photos of Northern Cardinals, or a photo of the 'Apapane? A photo of a Black-crowned Night Heron, or a photo of the 'I'iwi? The Birdwatchers Guide has very good photos of a male and a female cardinal and the heron, which are close to ubiquitous in the mainland USA, and none of the latter, which are totally unfamiliar to mainlanders. There are lots of black and white photos of things like people looking through binoculars, road signs, and trails, none of which are terribly useful to birdwatchers trying to ID unfamiliar species...

Useful and interesting.......1999-07-11

Rick Soehren knows Hawai'i and its birds, and this site guide is a great help to visitors. Soehren describes, island by island, where to find Hawai'i's birds, and in the process gives the reader some of Hawai'i's avian history. The book is illustrated with good black-and-white photographs. I have used the book on Hawai'i and Kaua'i and have found it clear, accurate, and very useful.

A must for birding in Hawaii!.......1998-07-27

This is not a field guide with pictures to help you identify the birds. It is a wonderfully insightful reference to the diversity of birds that may be found within the state of Hawaii. It is far more than just a birdwatching guide. It gives one a feel for the plight of the native Hawaiian birds and the beauty of the state and its avifauna.

Average customer rating:

Frohawk's Birds of Hawaii
Scott Wilson
Manufacturer: Book Sales
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

jp-unknown2 | Specialty Stores | Books
ASIN: 1555215122

Seeking the Sacred Raven: Politics and Extinction on a Hawaiian Island

Average customer rating:

A Somber but Important Tale
Saving a species and the natural world
Highly recommended.
A Balanced Analysis
Trouble in Paradise

Seeking the Sacred Raven: Politics and Extinction on a Hawaiian Island
Mark Jerome Walters
Manufacturer: Island Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Conservation | Environment | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

General | Conservation | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Wildlife | Conservation | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

General | Birdwatching | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Ecotourism | Specialty Travel | Travel | Subjects | Books

The Endangered Species Act at Thirty: Vol. 1: Renewing the Conservation Promise
The Endangered Species Act at Thirty: Vol. 2: Conserving Biodiversity in Human-Dominated Landscapes
Last Stand: George Bird Grinnell, the Battle to Save the Buffalo, and the Birth of the New West
Albatrosses, Petrels and Shearwaters of the World (Princeton Field Guides)
Birds of Peru (Princeton Field Guides)

ASIN: 1559630906

Book Description

Will the Â'Alala ever return to the wild? A bird sacred

to Hawaiians and a member of the raven family, the

Â'Alala today survives only in captivity. How the

species once flourished, how it has been driven to

near-extinction, and how people struggled to save it,

is the gripping story of Seeking the Sacred Raven.

For years, author Mark Jerome Walters has tracked

the sacred birdÂ's role in Hawaiian culture and the

indomitable Â'AlalaÂ's sad decline. Trekking through

HawaiiÂ's rain forests high on Mauna Loa, talking with biologists,

landowners, and government officials, he has woven an epic tale of

missed opportunities and the best intentions gone awry.A species that

once numbered in the thousands is now limited to about 50 captive birds.

Seeking the Sacred Raven is as much about people and culture as it is

about failed policies. From the ancient Polynesians who first settled the

island, to Captain Cook in the 18th century, to would-be saviors of the

Â'Alala in the 1990s, individuals with conflicting passions and priorities

have shaped Hawaii and the fate of this dwindling cloud-forest species.

Walters captures brilliantly the internecine politics among private

landowners, scientists, environmental groups, individuals and government

agencies battling over the birdÂ's habitat and protection. ItÂ's only

one species, only one bird, but Seeking the Sacred Raven illustrates

vividly the many dimensions of species loss, for the human as well as

non-human world

Customer Reviews:

A Somber but Important Tale.......2006-12-25

In the 1970s, when the environmental movement was at its height, stories of conservation were often presented as melodramas, in which idealist crusaders battled against greedy developers and public indifference. The story of the extinction of the alala, or Hawaiian raven, in the wild, as it is told in this book, could hardly be more different. Almost all parties share a concern about fate of the alala, and many people are obsessed with saving it. The cause of saving the alala is glamorized in the press, and government money is available, yet all of this helps little in the end.
Part of the problem is that those working to save the alala are constantly engaged in increasingly bitter conflicts with one another, which mirror the larger conflicts in the contemporary society. The various biologists, native people, landowners, and governmental officials may all care about the future of the bird, but they care in different ways and for different reasons. None of them can be entirely objective about the means to save the bird. The author details these conflicts in great, perhaps excessive, detail. Perhaps the greatest lesson of the history recounted in this book is the need for an inspiring vision, which might enable those working in conservation to put aside their diffenences.

Saving a species and the natural world.......2006-11-11

One might ask what is the importance of a crow whose ancestors reached the island of Hawaii long enough ago that they had time to separate from their close relatives of the genus Corvus. After all, it's still just a blackish crow. And one might ask why someone would trouble to write a well-researched treatise on what appears to be a fairly narrow subject. Words in the book's title hint at the answers: "sacred" and "politics". The `alalâ, as the Hawaiian crow is known, had spiritual significance to ancient Hawaiians, and it became a sacred quest for author Mark Jerome Walters. While human activities were contributing to the bird's progressive march toward extinction, numerous governmental organizations (federal, state, and local) and individuals (land owners, biologists, conservationists) attempting to resuscitate the species came to conflict over just what to do to help it. No one, despite best intentions, has had definitive answers. The species is fastidious in its habitat requirements--it never expanded its range much beyond the moist mountainous region of the southwestern portion of Hawaii, and that habitat has been substantially altered by human activities. The `alalâ is sensitive to nesting disturbance and susceptible to disease and predation. Captive breeding has been a matter of fits and starts, and released captive birds have failed their promise. The few remaining wild birds have been captured, and all `alalâ are now in captivity. But what is the future of a species that no longer knows the wild or its natural survival and breeding tactics, and which may in actuality no longer even have a habitat? While Walters's book concerns one species, impending extinctions are going on all over the world. "Seeking the Sacred Raven" shows us how much knowledge we need--and determination against our own selfish interests--to protect the sacred natural world before it is too late to save it and its remarkable diversity.

Highly recommended........2006-11-05

Written by Mark Jerome Walters (Professor of Journalism and Media Studies at the University of South Florida), Seeking The Sacred Raven: Politics and Extinction on a Hawaiian Island is the true story of the ill-fated effort to preserve the wild alala, a type of raven indigenous to Hawaii and venerated as sacred by the native populace - the alala is thought to be a guide that aids the souls of the dead in their journey to the hereafter. Yet as environmental pressures, diseases, and non-native predators decimated the alala population, the most valiant efforts of captive breeding and release programs were insufficient to halt its slow extinction. The problem was not simply population and genetic diversity of the alala, but that there was no safe habitat to release them into - cats, mongoose and hawks would eat them, among other mortal perils. With the deaths and protective recapturing of the last wild alala, the species forever lost the survival knowledge that parent birds had been passing to their chicks, and though approximately fifty captive alala remain, their breeding to survive in captivity rather than survive in the wild is sure to forever change the ecological signature of the species. A disturbing look at shortsighted species conservation efforts, the dire need to protect species by preserving their habitat, and human hubris as it trifles with the sacred. Highly recommended.

A Balanced Analysis.......2006-08-04

Hawaii probably has one of the most polarized and devisive environmental movements in the U.S. The islands' environmental media often reflect the highly biased and vitrolic nature of the movement itself. That is the real contribution of Seeking the Sacred Raven--a level headed look at the situation, in this case, the impending extinction of the Hawaiian sacred raven, the alala. The book dispels many powerful myths about Hawaii. It's not the place of paradise many people imagine but a land overrun with exotic plants and animals and of all things, cattle, pigs and sheep. We also learn that environmental scientists and activists are not always friends of conservation but sometimes unwittingly harm their own cause. The book debunks a common myth surrounding the indiginous belief in guardian spirits. Because the alala was adopted as a guardian spirit by some Hawaiians doesn't mean it was held sacred by all. While some Hawaiians prayed to it, others actually ate it. This paradox, which has dogged discussion of the alalas' sacredness to Hawaiian culture, is convincingly resolved by this book. The book is well written, carefully documented and well worth the read.

Trouble in Paradise.......2006-07-18

Your view of paradise will never be the same! Hawaii, revered as a land of tranquility, in this book becomes the scene of a bitter feud to save a native species of bird, the sacred alala. Invaded by alien species as well as by well-meaning environmentalists, both of which do their share to dim prospects for the bird's long-term survival, paradise begins to look more like the Wild West. Although it has lots of action, the book has moments of profound reflection, where it laments for the terrible human destruction of the islands' natural landscape and thousands of dwindling species whose receding tide no one seems able to stem. A touching and caring book that should be required reading for anyone concerned with environmental conservation.

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