Reviews (4)

Glad I Got It
I had this book pop up quite awhile on Amazon, probably based on prior crow searches I'd done, but it took me awhile to order it. Once I did, two things got me right away.The first was the author's dedication to her grandmother, and the memory of herbeloved canaries, for didn't my own granmother gently hold her canaries (each suceeding bird always named Dickie bird) in her hand as she trimmed their nails? Then, the first line of the introduction grabbed my attention: "I loved crows even before I knew I did." Me too! And though my love for them didn't take me as deeply into their lives as Barb went, their presence on the periphery of mine was certainly profound, as they lived around me in my busy suburban life, and quite confidently swaggered their way into my writing, ending up as pivotal characters in my fantasy series. It's just like them, they're there and they let you know it, one way or the other!
A passionate observer of the crow shares knowledge
CAW OF THE WILD: OBSERVATIONS FROM THE SECRET WORLD OF CROWS arrived nearly simultaneously to CROWS and provides an intriguing contrast in style and approach. Barb Kirpluk is a passionate observer of crows and here shares her findings while tracking three urban crow families through their daily routines. She's befriended them, gained their trust, and thus provides a more personal observational style on crow habits and social relationships, including a healthy dose of scientific literature but adding a personal touch which brings the crow family to life.
A poignant and fascinating personal study of crow behavior
With a beautiful and engaging style, the author tells of her personal experiences with 4 families of crows from her neighborhood.The details she gives are so thorough and heartwarming, you will come to know her crow friends as if you were actually there with her, experiencing what she did.You'll be drawn in and captivated as the human relationship with them evolves and strenghthens.You'll also learn much about crow behavior, and when you're not sure why the crows are behaving a certain way, the intuitive author offers her theories, which are quite plausible.
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Subjects:  1. Birds & Birdwatching - General    2. Environmental Conservation & Protection - General    3. Nature    4. Nature/Ecology    5. Wildlife    6. Birds & birdwatching    7. Conservation of the environment    8. Nature / Birds & Birdwatching   

Reviews (13)

AMAZING BOOK
This book is one of the best field guides I have ever had on African birds. It is extremely detailed and has pictures of so many birds, it is just AMAZING.

Excellent though a bit on the heavy side !
I simply had to acquire this one when I saw it in a bookshop in Nairobi. I had another field guide, but wasn't happy with it. Great illustrations. It is now my faviourite souvenir from Kenya. Its only fault is its weight, but I carry it in a shoulder bag. The book also has usefulness outside the target zone: Several birds seen in Cameron are illustrated in it. I always like to compare illustrations and was glad to have it with me when in Yaounde. A book to make others jealous by. You can set it on the coffe table as a conversation piece or to get the children interested without coaxing them.

A Companion for All Kenya Safaris
The greatest field guide advance in my nearly 20 years of organizing East African safaris, this book is to birders what Amazon.com is to shoppers.If illustrations are the backbone of a field guide, this is the "vertebral" archetype.It features better illustrations of more species than do any of its rivals.Although this and its major competitor, "Field Guide to the Birds of East Africa: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi", are somewhat hefty volumes, take both on safari as the latter is better organized with key descriptions and range maps appearing opposite its illustrations.To effectively use "Birds of Kenya and Northern Tanzania," you must turn to the back half of the book to find range maps as well as much of its key diagnostic text.Keeping your fingers wedged in two different parts of the book while focusing binoculars on a bird in the field requires great concentration and dexterity.I use both books, but consider the Zimmerman team's illustrations unparalleled. ... Read more

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

Editorial Review

Tireless explorer of the natural world and wide-ranging traveler, documentary filmmaker and writer David Attenborough has delighted readers and viewers with such productions as Read more

Reviews (23)

A truly wonderful and fascinating read...
Not only does this book explain the "what" and "where," more importantly, it answers the "how" and "why" of so many bird species around the world starting with their first discovery.The amount of information presented is astounding and well worth your time!

A Joy to Look At; Fascinating Read
LIFE OF BIRDS is a gorgeous journey into the evolution, behavior, and unique characteristics of hundreds of species of birds, varying from Antarctic-dwelling Emperor Penguins to amazing little hummingbirds (and everything in between).The photos are striking, and almost all the birds in the photos are discussed individually in the reader-friendly text.The author knows how to make bird facts fascinating.Every once in a while, I had to put down the book just so I could share with others whatever amazing bit of information I had learned about birds.
Quite a Lot of Reviews Already; Let's Keep it Brief.
I have recently reviewed The Life of Mammals, also by David Attenborough, and I liked that book so much I had to go out and find this book, in which the author tells us about birds.Read more

Subjects:  1. Behavior    2. Birds    3. Birds & Birdwatching - General    4. Nature    5. Nature/Ecology    6. Ornithology +    7. Biological Sciences    8. Birds & birdwatching    9. Birds and Natural History    10. Nature / Birds & Birdwatching   

Reviews (4)

Great and compact
The great void of high-quality field guides for South America is gradually shrinking. This book is undoubtedly most useful way beyond the boundaries of Chile. I wish I had had this book for my trip to southern Peru in 2000. The attempt to identify yellow-finches with the only field guide I had for that area (de la Pe�a and Rumboll) was an exercise in sheer frustration. The new book shows clear differences between the species. I can't judge the accuracy for most species, but this is a book that gives you confidence that the author and the illustrators got the vast majority right. As had been mentioned in earlier reviews, the quality of the plates is a bit variable, but they all seem at least usable, and the majority is downright excellent. The many flight pictures are particularly welcome. Sexual differences and even some geographical variations are clearly depicted as well. What a fine and compact guide book! And it is so affordable (at least here at Amazon!)that any traveller could really take a second copy along for local birders, as had been suggested.

A Mandatory Field Guide for Chile
This is a fantastic field guide.The plates are excellent and the descriptions detailed.I'm no expert birder, but with this guide I've been able to clearly ID far more birds than what was possible using Sharon Chester's guide (which is a great quick-start for spotting, but otherwise not detailed enough), or the Collins book "Birds of Southern South America" (which is good, but too expansive for focus solely on Chile).It is obvious that a lot of work has gone into "Birds of Chile", yet it is an infinitely user-friendly guide.Thanks to this book, I find I try to get out more to see what's around. Birds of Chile: a long time needed book
Backcover statement for Jaramillo's "Birds of Chile" as the first bird fieldguide for the country is false: back to 1986 Araya and colleagues published "Guía de Campo de las Aves de Chile". But it was a quite simple work, all black & white drawings, succint descriptions, and almost nil encroachment with ID problems. So for practical purposes Jaramillo's guide is really the first reliable one for Chilean birders... and visiting foreigners as well.Read more

Subjects:  1. Birds & Birdwatching - General    2. Birds & Birdwatching - Guides    3. Nature    4. Nature/Ecology    5. Biological Sciences    6. Birds (ornithology)    7. Birds and Natural History    8. Chile    9. Nature / Birds & Birdwatching   

Reviews (4)

Great waterfowl identification guide
"Waterfowl : An Identification Guide to the Ducks, Geese and Swans of the World" is a wonderful guide for waterfowl identification, withbeautiful colored plates of all 155 species of ducks, geese, and swans. Areally nice book for everyone who likes wild waterfowl. The only thing Imiss are the screamers which are also a part of the anseriformes(waterfowl).

Poor reprint quality ruins a great series
Make a plate-by-plate comparison of the new Waterfowl or Shorebirds guides with the original hardcover editions and you'll see that the sofcover illustrations look like cheap color photocopies.All of the subtlety anddetail that made the originals the best field guides of their kind has beenlost.Save your money for the used bookstores.

Steve Madge delivers again
Maybe i'm a little biased but this is a great book.However trying to find a copy was something of a wild goose chase ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Birds    2. Birds & Birdwatching - General    3. Birds & Birdwatching - Guides    4. Ducks    5. Geese    6. Identification    7. Nature    8. Nature / Field Guide Books    9. Nature/Ecology    10. Swans    11. Waterfowl    12. Birds & birdwatching    13. Nature / Birds & Birdwatching   

Reviews (2)

Most Useful
This was the most useful book for learning to draw birds that I have found to date. It was easy to follow, the drawings were accurate without being overly ornate, and the diversity of birds was perfect. I would recommend this book to anyone trying to learn to draw, and especially for those who want to draw birds.

Very good
good book. when Lee J. Ames draws with someone else it is a bit harder.still easy and fun. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Animal painting and illustrati    2. Animals - Birds    3. Art - Drawing    4. Birds in art    5. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Nonfiction    6. Children: Grades 4-6    7. Drawing    8. Juvenile literature    9. Technique    10. Art / Drawing    11. Birds (ornithology)    12. Drawing & drawings    13. Iconography, subjects depicted in art   

Reviews (2)

Quick, three beers!
I've been listening to the predecessor of "More Birding by Ear," i.e. "Birding by Ear (Eastern and Central North America)" for over a year now, and the music-processing regions in my brain are finally sorting the symphony of bird song in the woods and swamps around our house into individual melodies.I strongly recommend that you start with Walton and Lawson's "Birding by Ear" as it has recorded the songs and calls of eighty-five common species."More Birding by Ear" provides recordings of ninety-six additional Eastern and Central North American species, many of them, such as the shore birds, not often heard outside of their specialized habitats.
VERY HELPFUL
MORE BIRDING BY EAR is the follow-up to BIRDING BY EAR.BIRDING BY EAR presented 85 species of birds.MORE BIRDING BY EAR presents 96 additional species.MORE BIRDING BY EAR follows the same format as BIRDING BY EAR.Species are grouped according to similar types of vocalizations.Primary songs and calls are presented.In some cases, other songs and calls are also presented.Vocalizations are analyzed, and comparisons are made to other, similar sounding birds.Phonetics and tips are suggested to help the listener to remember the vocalizations.It is suggested that you complete BIRDING BY EAR before going on to MORE BIRDING BY EAR.
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Subjects:  1. Audio Adult: Other    2. Birds & Birdwatching - General    3. Nature    4. Unabridged Audio - Misc.Nonfiction    5. Nature / Birds & Birdwatching   

Reviews (16)

Delightful book
Though it's not as long as I would like, the pictures are fabulous and the information is great.It's a must-read for anybody who likes corvids.

Was that Aunt Rose?
A good part of my childhood was spent on an upstate New York farm. We had lots of corn and many other vegetables; many birds - and one extra-special crow. He quickly adopted us and often spoke to my uncle and me by name in my aunt's voice and exact intonations. The vegetable farm, barn, shop-garage, and chicken coop were at the top of a fairly steep hill and the house was at the bottom. Aunt Rose ruled the household; the crow ruled the farm area. Sometimes he would deliver small things up or down the hill. My uncle and I never tired of his antics and wisdom. We were happy to do the work orchestrated by the crow and I was ready for J. Allen Boone's work years in advance.
pictures 4 stars and text 2 stars
I must have bought this book without reading the reviews. I wanted savvy text; I opened the package and found a coffee table book. And on the coffee table it will be stored. Four stars as a coffee table book. Two for content.
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Subjects:  1. Animal intelligence    2. Birds & Birdwatching - General    3. Corvidae    4. Life Sciences - Zoology - General    5. Nature    6. Nature/Ecology    7. Psychology    8. Subjects & Themes - Plants & Animals    9. Science / Biology   

Features

• Illustrated

Reviews (2)

excellent clinical reference
This title is by far the best reference on this subject on the market today.It is thoroughly referenced and has excellent pictures.Any practice dealing with pet, zoo or wild birds will benefit greatly by havingthis book on the shelf.

Solid, colorful reference
This book is a handy clinical reference, and should be in every exotic or avian clinician's reference library. This is probably THE most useful technical reference on this subject, and the 2nd Edition is a slight improvement from the first. Alan Fudge's Book is similar and perhaps more affordable, but this is by far a more thorough reference. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Birds    2. Diagnosis    3. Diseases    4. Medical    5. Medical / Nursing    6. Science/Mathematics    7. Veterinary Anatomy And Physiology    8. Veterinary Medicine - Food Animal    9. Veterinary Medicine - Small Animal    10. Veterinary Medicine Practice For Specific Animals    11. Veterinary cytodiagnosis    12. Veterinary hematology    13. BIRDS_DISEASES    14. Birds (ornithology)    15. CYTODIAGNOSIS    16. Medical / Veterinary Medicine / Small Animal    17. Veterinary pathology & histology   

Reviews (1)

Used book in great condition . . .
Arrived in a timely manner, well shipped, good price. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Animals    2. Bird watching    3. Birds    4. Birds & Birdwatching - General    5. General    6. Identification    7. Nature    8. Nature/Ecology   

Reviews (5)

From a non-New Yorker
I have not yet heard from my sister and brother-in-law, who were the recipients of this Christmas gift.They have an apartment on Central Park, but also have a place in Key West and may not yet have received the present.I thought it was a handsome book.

Simply AMAZING
Just one look at the images of the beautiful Warblers amongst the tree limbs will melt your heart... This is one to definately have on your coffee table!!!

In Central Park without Binoculars
Birds flying up and down the Atlantic flyway inevitably encounter a huge patch of concrete, asphalt and brick.In the center they see a large patch of green, with plants and insects.That's why Central Park in New York City is one of the best birding spots in North America.Several hundred avian species can be found there.In addition, there is another species there in large number, Homo sapiens birdwatcher and still another smaller subspecies, Homo sapiens bird photographer.
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Subjects:  1. Bird Watching    2. Birds    3. Birds & Birdwatching - General    4. Nature    5. Nature Photography    6. Nature/Ecology    7. New York    8. New York (State)    9. Pictorial works    10. Subjects & Themes - Plants & Animals    11. Nature / Birds & Birdwatching   

Reviews (5)

Loved having it
We've traveled to Alaska more than once, and both times enjoyed having this guide book along to help identify birds, especially those not seen in the lower 48 states.
Guide to the Birds of Alaska
This guide help me to eliminate some of the birds that are not in Alaska.The pictures are not real clear, so it was difficult to use for identifying purposes.The script did suggest possible other bird that are similar, and was helpful it that way.

A truly beautiful book but not necessarily enough
Armstrong's book is filled with beautiful photographs and covers all the regular species that you will see in Alaska.It is a great introduction to the birds that inhabit the area.Every Alaskan birdwatcher should have a copy.
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Subjects:  1. Alaska    2. Birds    3. Birds & Birdwatching - General    4. Birds & Birdwatching - Guides    5. Identification    6. Nature    7. Nature/Ecology    8. Ornithology    9. Birds & birdwatching    10. North America   

Reviews (1)

Excellent overview
Ian Newton yet again is successful in giving a wonderful overview of a complex environmental issue ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Birds & Birdwatching - General    2. Life Sciences - Zoology - General    3. Nature    4. Nature / Field Guide Books    5. Ornithology    6. Population Biology    7. Science/Mathematics    8. Social Psychology    9. Birds (ornithology)    10. Nature / Birds & Birdwatching   

Reviews (1)

birds gone wild
This is the perfect book to put in your pocket or backback. Its small and compact with excellent pictures and diagrams. Itsa good book for beginners and for anyway in Florida who sees an amazing bird and asks, "I wonder what that is?" ... Read more

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

Reviews (1)

BRIEF AND CONCISE GUIDE
Considering how many tourists are attracted to the southern African region by its bird-rich Okavango Delta, Namibian endemics or larks of Karoo, this new aid in bird identification is a most welcome sight. Unlike its South African namesakes (namely Newman's and SASOL), this new edition has one major advantage: it's a pocket-sized book that successfully avoids the bulkiness of its predecessors. Not only the text, illustrations and maps of distribution are of decent quality, but the size of volume is also of importance in the eyes of an average tourist - most likely, his or her bags are already overfilled. Read more

Subjects:  1. Bird Watching    2. Birds & Birdwatching - General    3. General    4. Nature    5. Nature/Ecology    6. Birds & birdwatching    7. Reference works    8. Republic of South Africa    9. Southern Africa   

Reviews (9)

There's more to birding than found in the standard Field Guide

The best introduction I've seen
This is the best instruction I've ever seen, printed or otherwise, on learning how to bird.It includes not only basic visual identification skills, but also the basics of how to bird by sound.Sibley teaches the feather groups and anatomy, plumage variations, molting patterns, and effects of lighting that make some indentifications so difficult.I would recommend it to any aspiring birder.

Excellent but strikes me as somewhat odd
Let me depart a bit from the other glowing reviews to point out something I think is slightly odd about this book. While the book has many outstanding features, I'm not sure it is the ideal "birding basics" book. Read more

Subjects:  1. Bird watching    2. Birds    3. Birds & Birdwatching - General    4. Identification    5. Nature    6. Nature/Ecology    7. Reference    8. Nature / Birds & Birdwatching   

Features

• Illustrated

Subjects:  1. Bird Diseases    2. Birds    3. Birds & Birdwatching - General    4. Diseases    5. Life Sciences - Biology - General    6. Pets    7. Science    8. Science/Mathematics    9. Veterinary Medicine - Small Animal    10. Veterinary clinical pathology    11. pathology    12. BIRDS_DISEASES    13. Medical / Veterinary Medicine / Small Animal    14. VETERINARY PATHOLOGY    15. Veterinary pathology & histology   

Reviews (15)

good book
I had a peterson for over 25 years, dragged it everywhere, finally thought I should up grade my books to just western, since I live in oregon. still love the pictures and details, but the range maps have strangely gone to the back of the book! Horrible.
Wonderful Guide!But a few quibbles...
A wonderful guide, as expected!I live in the eastern US and use my Peterson guide to the birds of eastern North America almost daily -- it is, in my view, a perfect field guide to birds.I bought this guide for use when traveling on the west coast.
Best Bird Bang for the Buck!
I've got the Stokes guides - Western Birds, Hawks and Buteos, and Nests of Western Birds.I have borrowed some other books that have photos instead of artwork.I FAR prefer the Peterson guide.With photos you have to worry about color-rendering, trueness, et al.
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Subjects:  1. Birds    2. Birds & Birdwatching - General    3. Canada    4. Canada, Western    5. Identification    6. Nature    7. Nature/Ecology    8. Ornithology    9. West (U.S.)    10. Birds & birdwatching    11. Birds (ornithology)    12. Nature / Birds & Birdwatching   

Reviews (3)

Gave as a gift- the recipient LOVED it.
I gave this book to a friend of mine who volunteers "banding" hummingbirds. She raved about the book, telling me that the book was excellent. Excellent birthday gift.

A Gorgeous Book
I charged this book out of the Beaverton, Oregon, library and may buy it for a friend who loves hummingbirds.It's beautiful. It contains many interesting facts and was an easy read. Some of the information could be used by school teachers to do a nice lecture for their students with a subsequent homework assignment to learn more about birds.

Packed with both color photos and fascinating facts
There have been many books written on hummingbirds; so why another? Robert Burton's World Of The Hummingbird provides a focus on the science of the hummingbird more than its coffee-table predecessors, considering the bird's survival tactics, daily patterns, and habitats. From feeding to migration patterns, this is packed with both color photos and fascinating facts easily accessible to lay readers. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Birds & Birdwatching - General    2. Ecology    3. Hummingbirds    4. Life Sciences - Zoology - General    5. Nature    6. Nature/Ecology    7. Pictorial works    8. Birds & birdwatching    9. Nature / Birds & Birdwatching   

Reviews (2)

I use it regularly
Any birder is familiar with the format that even the best guides use to convey the likelihood over time of finding a given species in a particular location.Because of the scope of those guides, they are limited to conveying the timing to seasons and the locations to regions. An outstanding companion to a Peterson field guide
This book is an ideal companion to a field guide to Eastern birds.Primarily designed as a reference guide (it contains no pictures, descriptions, or field marks) it contains a wealth of information on thelikelihood of finding a particular species by county and time of year inWisconsin. Based on at least 15 years of birding reports, the book isorganized in standard order of species with one bird species per page. Each page contains the probability of spotting the species somewhere in thestate in a given year, a map of the frequency of reports by county, a chartof the reporting frequency by week for the year, and a trend line by yearof the total relative number of reports.I would recommend the guideprimarily to the intermediate or advanced birder who is knowledgable abouteach bird species and their likely habitats already, but needs to know whatis likely to be foundin a given part of the state.Read more

Subjects:  1. Bird Watching    2. Birds    3. Birds & Birdwatching - General    4. Birds & Birdwatching - Guides    5. Geographical distribution    6. Maps    7. Nature    8. Nature / Field Guide Books    9. Nature/Ecology    10. Wisconsin    11. Birds & birdwatching    12. Reference works    13. USA