Rare Birds of North America Author: Steve N. G. Howell | Language: English | ISBN:
B00F8MIIJA | Format: PDF
Rare Birds of North America Description
Rare Birds of North America is the first comprehensive illustrated guide to the vagrant birds that occur throughout the United States and Canada. Featuring 275 stunning color plates, this book covers 262 species originating from three very different regions--the Old World, the New World tropics, and the world's oceans. It explains the causes of avian vagrancy and breaks down patterns of occurrence by region and season, enabling readers to see where, when, and why each species occurs in North America. Detailed species accounts describe key identification features, taxonomy, age, sex, distribution, and status.
Rare Birds of North America provides unparalleled insights into vagrancy and avian migration, and will enrich the birding experience of anyone interested in finding and observing rare birds.
- Covers 262 species of vagrant birds found in the United States and Canada
- Features 275 stunning color plates that depict every species
- Explains patterns of occurrence by region and season
- Provides an invaluable overview of vagrancy patterns and migration
- Includes detailed species accounts and cutting-edge identification tips
- File Size: 23821 KB
- Print Length: 448 pages
- Publisher: Princeton University Press (February 16, 2014)
- Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
- Language: English
- ASIN: B00F8MIIJA
- Text-to-Speech: Enabled
X-Ray:
- Lending: Not Enabled
- Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #74,317 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
- #7
in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Nonfiction > Sports > Outdoors & Nature > Birdwatching - #53
in Books > Science & Math > Biological Sciences > Animals > Birds & Birdwatching > Field Guides - #72
in Books > Science & Math > Nature & Ecology > Field Guides
- #7
in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Nonfiction > Sports > Outdoors & Nature > Birdwatching - #53
in Books > Science & Math > Biological Sciences > Animals > Birds & Birdwatching > Field Guides - #72
in Books > Science & Math > Nature & Ecology > Field Guides
My pre-ordered copy of Howell et al.'s Rare Birds of North America showed up early! Thoughts:
- It's basically a field guide supplement. Goes in depth on how to ID each of these species. Also has really interesting info on possible vagrancy routes and timing, habitat and behavior in their native range, etc.. The illustrations are awesome, and apparently this guy (Ian Lewington) is working on a full North American field guide, which I'm looking forward to now.
- Really great introduction, on different causes of vagrancy in birds.
- What I was really hoping for, but is kinda missing, is a region-by-region write-up. So, in the Northeast, what should you keep an eye out for in each season? What kinds of weather patterns might bring interesting things? There's no central place to get that, you have to go species-by-species. It's almost addressed in the introduction, but not quite how I was thinking (it goes region-by-region for their native range, ex: when do most landbird vagrants from Western Europe show up?). And that part's clumsily done. So I was a little disappointed by that.
- There are some absolutely crazy records that I had no idea about. Humboldt Penguin has showed up off Canada and Alaska four times?! But all of those records were rejected, because it seems physiologically impossible. More likely is that sailors kept them illegally as pets or something. There is a record of Magellanic Penguin from El Salvador that could be legit though.
- A Double-striped Thick-Knee in Arizona was being kept by a Guatemalan immigrant as a watchdog/bird. Another one from S TX might've been wild though. Awesome.
- An apparently legendary snipe hunter in Oregon has shot three separate Jack Snipe, which is most of the lower 48's records.
BASICS: hardcover; a thick reference book with multiple high-quality illustrations for each of 262 "ultra" rare vagrants in the US and Canada; text for each bird covers normal distribution ranges, historical sightings and trends in North America, detailed field identification to include similar species as well as age and sex, and, notes on habitat and behavior
THE REVIEW
This relatively large book (10x7x1.5 inches) is an exceptional, first-of-its-kind resource for a niche of birding not well covered. This book will be greatly appreciated - and eagerly studied - by avid birders and twitchers who've jumped in a car (or plane) to see that nemesis rarity; or, by the travelling birder trekking to Arizona and Texas in search of those borderline rarities. However, the detailed nature of the material along with historical records might be a little dry (and overwhelming) to some people that gain sufficient pleasure and excitement from the local birds coming into the backyard feeders. Also, the book does not, and could not, tell one where to go find those rarities that are truly random.
There are a four things that define the scope of this book...
One: It is an identification guide but definitely not a field guide due to the book's size and weight; and, to the large amount of information in the book not related to identification in the field.
Two: A summary is provided of when and where the rarities were seen along with notes on the bird's status. Additional resources are also given for further research.
Three: A plethora of multi-decade experience of identifying these birds is given (in writing and illustrations) to any eager birder who wants to learn about rare birds that are more often seen in dreams than in the field.
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