Reviews (4)

Decoys and Proven Methods for Using Them
If you want information on decoys, how to use them, and methods, this book is the best. This, in my opinion, is the where, why, and how of decoys!!
Birds Beware Decoys Which Move and Yell!
Duck season is upon us and now the wildlife agencies allow Canadian geese to be killed; they are no longer considered an endangered species.Bald Eagles are, and you will be punished with a fine and perhaps time in jail ifyou even accidentally kill our National Bird.
A must have for hardcore Duck Hunters
This is the best Duck hunting decoy book I have ever seen! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Birds & Birdwatching - General    2. Decoys (Hunting)    3. Hunting - Bird Hunting    4. Hunting - General    5. Nature/Ecology    6. Sports & Recreation    7. Sports & Recreation / Hunting   

Reviews (10)

Massive Monograph of All the World's Parrots.
There have been 7 editions of this landmark work by Joseph Forshaw and William Cooper that I know of, all of which are out of print. Shopping for a copy of "Parrots of the World" on the secondary market can be confusing. The book was originally published in 1973 and had 584 pages. Landsdowne Press was the Australian publisher (ISBN 0701800240), and Doubleday was the US publisher (ISBN 0385056281). In 1977, TFH Publications, with the cooperation of Doubleday, published another edition that is distinguished by not having a dust jacket (ISBN 0876669593). The cover artwork is part of the slick, white cover. Ease of locating and identifying the illustrations was improved. A year later, in 1978, TFH further improved upon the book by expanding the indices. The 1978 edition has the same ISBN and cover art as the 1977 edition, but says"Improved 1978 Edition" on the cover. A "Revised Second Edition" with 616 pages came in 1980 (ISBN 0701806907) from Eastview Editions. A "Revised Third Edition" was published by Avian Publications in 1989 (ISBN 0701828005). The 3rd edition has 672 pages and includes new plates illustrating differences in the plumage of mature and immature birds. Second and third editions were also published in Australia, and perhaps the UK, with different publishers and ISBNs. In 2000, a "Limited Edition", still with 672 pages, was published by Avian books. All of the editions (not including the foreign editions) have different cover art. All have dust jackets except the 1977 and 1978 editions.
The quintessential parrot reference
It's unfortunate that this book is out of print, as it's a parrot fanatic's ultimate reference to parrots in the wild. Beautifully illustrated with full-color plates, it covers every known species of parrot, and some that are sadly extinct since its printing. It provides information on all aspects of psittacines in the wild as far as they are known, from size to range to breeding habits to habitat, but it's really the illustrations that make this book so valuable. If you're at all interested in wild parrots, this book is among the best.

Note the size!
If you are a collector of books on parrots, and simply must have them all, then by all means get this book.Otherwise, beware, this is a large book that does not fit on an average height bookshelf!It also has the look and feel of an older book, compared to some of the many fancy guides that have come out in recent years. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Birds & Birdwatching - General    2. Nature    3. Nature/Ecology   

Subjects:  1. Biodiversity conservation    2. Biological diversity conservat    3. Birds    4. Birds & Birdwatching - General    5. Conservation    6. Environmental Conservation & Protection - General    7. Environmental Science    8. Life Sciences - Genetics & Genomics    9. Nature    10. Nature / Field Guide Books    11. Nature/Ecology    12. Wildlife    13. Birds, Protection of    14. Conservation of wildlife & habitats    15. Nature / Environmental Conservation & Protection   

Reviews (4)

GREAT ADDITION TO YOUR LIBRARY - RECOMMEND HIGHLY
I have been a "birder" for over 45 years and a gardener (in a very sloppy, haphazard way) for just about as long.This is a wonderul work that fits well into my hobbies.It is simple, practical and a joy to work with.As another reviewer pointed out, the ideas put forth in this book actually work!I was also thrilled that most of these projects were ones that my four grandsons were more than able to help with and in doing so, actually taught them something.I happen to live in a rural area, infact, I live in the middle of the woods.Most of the projects in this book were non-intrusive and blended in well with the natural look that my wife and I strive for.Recommend you add this one to your library.Now if I can just train my nine barn cats......

Useful and detailed
This book is full of easy projects, some of which kids can do with little supervision.Very detailed with pictures. Love it!

Kicked up amateur bird nut
I have been feeding birds for the last four years, but decided that this was the year that I kicked it up. I wanted to learn more about what types of feeders are best, which foods attracted the birds I most enjoy, etc.
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Subjects:  1. Bird feeders    2. Birdbaths    3. Birdhouses    4. Birds & Birdwatching - General    5. Design and construction    6. Garden Furnishings    7. Gardening    8. Gardening / Horticulture    9. Gardening to attract birds    10. Gardening/Plants    11. General    12. Birds & birdwatching    13. Natural & wild gardening   

Reviews (1)

Oft Quoted; Seldom Read
I'm a bit surprised to be the first reviewer of this classic. When I began my career in Wildlife Management over 30 years ago I was surprised at how many people quoted this work, but admitted to have not actually read it. I had read it in graduate school and was amazed at how prescient Leopold had been. He accurately predicted where Wildlife Management would go in the future and what would be necessary for success. (As a side note, Leopold used the two word term `Wild Life' meaning plants, animals, the soil; i.e. ecosystems. The term was changed to one word by the Wisconsin Legislature and defined as certain animals only.)
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Subjects:  1. Environmental Conservation & Protection - General    2. Game and game-birds    3. Nature    4. Nature / Field Guide Books    5. Wildlife Management    6. Animal husbandry    7. Management of land & natural resources   

Reviews (2)

Wow, what a great find
I recently aquired this book and inside, you'll find a sintilating selection of latin names and meanings of all the animals you study and love.Things that make common sense and others that will blow your mind.Things that you have to memorize for classes become easy when you read their meanings and roots.Excellent for trying to remember the scientific names of all animals.From parrots to lizards to gerbils, you'll find it all here.Big book!

A Plethora of Information for Anyone in Love with Zoology
I first saw this book in my high school library about 2 years ago.Assoon as I laid eyes on it, I knew that I had to get it.Now a sophomore incollege, for as long as I can remember, Zoology for me was the mostinteresting thing to study.But there was always this obstacle of notbeing able to fully participate in the "-ology" of the"zoa," if you will, due to me not understanding most of the Latinlanguage.One thing I will say about this book, is that not only does itremove this hinderance, but it also showed me how many english words havetheir roots in Latin, the most common ones in my opinion being dent=teeth,pod=foot and derm=skin.Anyway, I can go on forever, but I'll stop here.If you are interested in Animals, this book is definitely for you!!! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Birds    2. General    3. Life Sciences - Zoology - General    4. Mammals    5. Nature    6. Nature / Field Guide Books    7. Nomenclature    8. Reference    9. Reptiles    10. Science    11. Taxonomic Zoology    12. Vertebrates    13. Taxonomy & systematics    14. Zoology & animal sciences   

Subjects:  1. Birds & Birdwatching    2. General    3. Nature/Ecology    4. Ornithology    5. Reference    6. East Africa    7. Reference works   

Subjects:  1. Bird Watching    2. Birds    3. Birds & Birdwatching - General    4. Europe    5. Great Britain    6. Identification    7. Nature    8. Nature / Field Guide Books    9. Nature/Ecology    10. Birds & birdwatching    11. Nature / Birds & Birdwatching   

Reviews (10)

The best field guide to any avifauna
This book emerged onto a highly competitive market already burgeoning with numerous field guides covering the region, most by renowned authors and many having benefitted from improvement over several editions. Quite simply though, this book won instant recognition as the best field guide available for Europe - and perhaps a model for field guides everywhere. Its authors are well known experts in their field having spent many years studying and publishing on the birds of the region. However, the key to the guide's success is the fact that so much more useful information has been condensed into a guide which is much the same size as existing books. The book boasts excellent illustrations, succinct text and handy maps, all presented on a the same page. Small enough to fit into a pocket (about the same size as the National Geographic guide) and cheap, it is a must for anyone visiting Europe. As one reviewer has already pointed out, it is indispensable in Alaska too - not just for Palaearctic vagrants, but for regular shorebirds and some residents. Don't hesitate!

Great Field Guide
This is what a field guide ought to be.
Bestfield guide for Europe can be improved.
This is the best field guide for Europe, according to most birdwatchers. I completely agree.
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Subjects:  1. Birds    2. Birds & Birdwatching - General    3. Birds & Birdwatching - Guides    4. Europe    5. Identification    6. Nature    7. Nature/Ecology    8. Ornithology    9. Biological Sciences    10. Birds and Natural History    11. Nature / Birds & Birdwatching   

Subjects:  1. Bird Watching    2. Birds    3. Birds & Birdwatching - General    4. Birds & Birdwatching - Guides    5. California    6. Identification    7. Nature    8. Nature / Field Guide Books    9. Nature/Ecology    10. Birds & birdwatching    11. Nature / General   

Reviews (8)

A better guide for Argentina...
I found this guide to be occasionally inaccurate and lacking much needed info for any serious birding, though it is useful as a backup/reference for other area guides. Instead of this book, I recommend you consider "Birds of Argentina & Uruguay" by Tito Narosky and Dario Yzurieta. If not easy to find on Amazon, try Birdlife International, or just pick up a copy in Buenos Aires.

A good area guide
This book is a very good guide. The thing I like most about it is its size. It is actaully smaller than "Birds of North America". It is a field guide not a desk reference like Howell and Webb "Birds of Mexico", that is about 3x larger or Hilty "Birds of Venezuela" 4x larger. These two books are actually too large to use as field guides. Many rip out the illustrations and bind them separately, because the books are too big to lug around. The only reason it did not receive 5 stars is because the range maps are in the back of the book.But "Birds of Costa Rica" does not even have range maps and it is considered excellent by many.

There Is A Better Choice for Antarctic/South GeorgiaBirding
I was extremely frustrated using this book on my recent trip to Antarctica and South Georgia.Some of the plates do not do an accurate job of depicting the birds and the distribution maps are also not entirely accurate.The professional ornithologist on my tripagreed with my observations and recommended that I purchase another book: "Birds of Patagonia, Tierra del Fuego, and the Antarctic Peninsula" by E. Couve and C. Vidal. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Antarctica    2. Birds    3. Birds & Birdwatching - General    4. Birds & Birdwatching - Guides    5. Nature    6. Nature/Ecology    7. Southern Cone of South America    8. Birds & birdwatching    9. Birds and Natural History    10. Nature / Birds & Birdwatching    11. South America   

Reviews (5)

Not quite worthless, but almost
I took this guide to Oaxaca to carry in the field, as the Howell guide is so heavy.I almost threw it over the cliff at Monte Alban.It will help you remember which euphonia is which, but for anything more subtly marked it is almost no help at all.Furthermore, there are no range maps, no details on alternate plumages, little to no information on vocalizations.I would have done better to bring the old Peterson guide, even though it is out of date.

Substandard in almost every regard
To be sure, this field guide is better than having no field guide.If birds posed for observation, it would be a great field guide.But for the real world this guide is disorganized in text and illustrations beyond excuse.I'm not sure this is the author's fault.It may be due to the publisher cutting costs.Still, no excuse.A birder will pay a premium for a great field guide.Illustrations are jammed together on each plate with no regard to proportionate size, or to other birds on that plate.For example, kingfishers are intermixed with trogons, motmots, swallows and woodpeckers on 3 separate plates.The amazon kingfisher is on one plate; the similar green kingfisher is 2 plates later.Quick comparison is impossible.Seven trogons are together on one plate, but the elegant trogon is 2 plates later.Some woodpeckers are on each of plates 20, 21 & 22; the imperial woodpecker is on plate 45.First I cried, then I laughed.

Nice pictures, but disorganized
This book has what Peterson's "Mexican Birds" lacks: good colour pictures of (nearly) all birds of Mexico and adjacent areas and their Spanish names. However, the presentation of the pictures is a mishmash. The descriptions of the birds are not detailed but very short. It is a pity that there is no information about the behaviour of the birds, often very important for identification. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Birds    2. Birds & Birdwatching - General    3. Birds & Birdwatching - Guides    4. Central America    5. Identification    6. Nature    7. Nature / Field Guide Books    8. Nature/Ecology    9. Ornithology    10. Belize    11. Birds & birdwatching    12. Mexico    13. Nature / Birds & Birdwatching   

Subjects:  1. Birds & Birdwatching - General    2. Birds of prey    3. Ecology    4. Migration    5. Nature    6. Nature/Ecology    7. Animal ecology    8. Birds (ornithology)    9. Conservation of wildlife & habitats   

Reviews (3)

Only book we needed
We bought a second reference because it's hard to know which plates will help amateurs like us identify the species in a place we've not previously visited. However, with the plates, the maps, and the generally brief, but accurate descriptions, this was the only book we needed to quickly identify the over 100 species we spotted on our trip. The soft cover made it easier to stuff into one of our binocular bags.

The birder's companion to India
Going to India? BUY THIS BOOK. Truly a definitive guide to the birds of India, absolutely user-friendly in the field. Accurate slates and distribution diagrams will help you determine, very briskly, the bird you are looking at. This is important in India because there are tons of birds. Morphological and behavioural characteristics are also defined in this intense field guide. Importantly, this is easy to access, it doesn't make you bounce back and forth 3 times from the slate. Pointers on the slate also help you to quickly make distinctions between similar birds. This field guide makes birding fun and an ease. Colourful slates, smart layout, if only all field guides could be this good.

At long last...
Finally, a complete, comphrensive FIELD guide to the birds of India! Gone are the days of hauling 2 or 3 hardcover bird books to the subcontinent just to be able to identify relatively common species. The drawings in thisbook are excellent, the descriptions very detailed, and the range maps veryhelpful. My two criticisms are that birders familiar with the common namesin Salim Ali's "The Book of Indian Birds" will be confused withthe revised nomenclature in this guide (based on the Inskipp's IndianChecklist); some changes are relatively minor, while others are sodramatically different (and frankly puzzling) that cross-referencing is achore. The second involves the seperation of many of the range maps fromthe plates and descriptions, sometimes by many pages. This was due to thelarge number of species featured on some plates- there just wasn't enoughroom for the maps also. A better strategy might have been to put them allin the back of the book. But the benefits of this book far outweigh theshortcomings- my next trip to India promises to be more rewarding andproductive bird-wise (as well as easier on my back)due to this excellentand overdue field guide. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Birds    2. Birds & Birdwatching - General    3. Birds & Birdwatching - Guides    4. Identification    5. India    6. Nature    7. Nature/Ecology    8. Ornithology    9. Pictorial works    10. Biological Sciences    11. Birds and Natural History    12. Nature / Birds & Birdwatching   

Reviews (2)

Hand Guide to the Birds of New Zealand
Great book.There are excellent pictures and useful information.Information on where you are likely to find the birds...Fun to read while planning a trip.

The only bird book I carry
I had no experience with ornithology or bird-watching and I wanted to learn. I bought every NZ bird book in the store. This is the one I found most usefull, with its detailed descriptions and detailed images. The binding is robust enough to survive being carried in my pack since 2002. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Birds    2. Birds & Birdwatching - General    3. Birds & Birdwatching - Guides    4. Identification    5. Life Sciences - Ecology    6. Nature    7. Nature/Ecology    8. New Zealand    9. Ornithology    10. Animal ecology    11. Birds (ornithology)    12. Life Sciences | Vertebrate Zoology | Ornithology    13. Nature / Birds & Birdwatching    14. Popular science   

Subjects:  1. Asia - Southeast    2. Birds & Birdwatching - General    3. Birds & Birdwatching - Guides    4. Life Sciences - Zoology - Ornithology    5. Nature    6. Nature / Field Guide Books    7. Nature/Ecology    8. Reference    9. Biological Sciences    10. Birds & birdwatching    11. Birds (ornithology)    12. Birds and Natural History    13. Nature / Birds & Birdwatching    14. South East Asia   

Subjects:  1. Birds & Birdwatching - General    2. Life Sciences - Biology - Marine Biology    3. Nature / Field Guide Books    4. Nature / Fish    5. Science    6. Science / Marine Biology    7. Science/Mathematics    8. Anatomy    9. Fishes    10. Identification    11. Laboratory manuals    12. Marine Biology   

Reviews (2)

Woodpeckers of North America
Vast amounts of information on the behavior, lifecycle, habitat, conservation outlook, calls and drums, and every other imaginable aspect of North American woodpeckers. Includes Mexican and extinct species. Written in a style suitable for general audiences. Not an identification guide, but the detailed physical descriptions may be of use. Gorgeous photos, but I would have liked more.

A comprehensive woodpeck overview
A top recommendation is Frances Backhouse's WOODPECKERS OF NORTH AMERICA: college-level collections strong in science and nature as well as general-interest public libraries will want a copy. Chapters provide a comprehensive overview of the anatomy, behavior and ecology of woodpeckers throughout North America, considering common puzzles about their patterns and relationships, describing different behaviors and habitats, and packing in the color photos. Very highly recommended.
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Subjects:  1. Birds & Birdwatching - General    2. Birds & Birdwatching - Guides    3. Individual Species Of Birds    4. Nature    5. Nature/Ecology    6. Nature / Birds & Birdwatching    7. Woodpeckers - North America   

Reviews (6)

Still a Solid Beginning Guide for Young Birders
Zim's Golden Guide series was my standard back when I was very young.I eagerly awaited the next title and one of the earliest books was the "Golden Guide to Birds." While in no way a definitive field guide it did (and does) introduce a young birder to the most common birds found in the United States.The illustrations are charming and are among those I remember with fondness from my early days of interest in natural history.
A nice way to introduce kids to birding...
My kids find the Fandex format easy to use, and the information on them accessible. We have several, and they're fun for all of us to use together. A good guide for beginners.
This was either the first or second guide that I started out with when I was very young.I will always have respect for it.It contains full-color drawings of the most common birds that a person is likely to see.A total of 129 of the most common American birds is included.Text and range maps are also included in this pocket-sized guide.The drawings display spring plumages of adult male birds, and normally females or young if they are very different.The text is good and gives the common name, length, description, behavior, verbal descriptions of vocalizations, and sometimes abundance.The text also points out the differences between males and females, and related birds that are similar.This guide contains some nice introductory information.Some of the information deals with how to use the guide, how to identify birds, equipment, where to look, bird classification, and attracting birds.There are also two illustrations that detail the parts of a bird.I find all of the drawings throughout this guide to be pretty good.Most of the drawings share the same page as the text and range map, but a few of the drawings are on the right page, while the text and range maps are on the left page.This guidehas some very useful information that is located in the back.For each bird that is illustrated, there is information dealing with migration, eggs, nests, and feeding habits.The back of the guide also contains a listing of scientific names for the birds illustrated and an index.I used to take this guide out with me when I first started birdwatching.I still have the older and also the newer edition.Whenever I would identify a particular species of bird, I would write all of the important information about it on the page.Even though I don't take this guide into the field anymore, it's not because I don't like it.I feel confident with the organization, drawings, and information; however, this guide does not contain all of the birds of North America--only the common ones.That aside, I still think that this guide is a good choice and starting point for beginners. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Birds    2. Birds & Birdwatching - Guides    3. Juvenile literature    4. Nature    5. Nature/Ecology    6. United States    7. Nature / Birds & Birdwatching   

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Birds    3. Birds & Birdwatching - General    4. Collection and preservation    5. History    6. Nature    7. Nature / Field Guide Books    8. Nature/Ecology    9. Ornithologists    10. Ornithology    11. Birds (ornithology)