Lives of North American Birds
by Kenn Kaufman
hardcover; 675 pages; published Oct, 2001
Although there is a plethora
of field guides for identifying birds, there are few single
volume books covering the natural histories of each North
American bird species. The natural history of birds is
all about breeding, displays, nesting, eggs, diet, conservation
and other behaviors. There are single books covering a
single bird family, such as Hummingbirds
of North America, and sets made up of multiple
volumes such as the now ancient, yet useful, Life
Histories of North American Birds by A.C.
Bent, or the new classic North American Birds: Life
Histories for the 21st Century (at $2800 plus).
Over past years we have
recommended The
Birder's Handbook by Ehrlich, Dobldn, and
Wheye. This is a unique book in that natural history
species treatments are on the left pages, while on the
right pages there are bird biology essays. For example,
on page 124 the natural history of Bristle-thighed and
Long-billed Curlews are covered, while opposite, on
page 125, there is a narrative on shore bird feeding.
For its compactness and for the content of the essays,
we still recommend this reference for any birder's library.
Several years ago, Kenn
Kaufman authored Lives of North American Birds.
This excellent reference is organized differently (as
Kenn is refreshingly prone to do). The first 25 pages
cover the natural history of the Class Aves (birds)
in general. He then progresses through the bird families.
Each section begins with a general natural history of
that family, then each North American species' in that
family, accompanied by a photo and range map, is thoroughly
explored.
When and how does a
birder use this book? Hopefully birders want to know
about birds they see. Further, if one is preparing for
a field trip, either near or far, it is important to
know about the birds one might see that day - for identifying
birds in the field is as much dependent on knowing their
natural history as it is to know what the bird looks
like. Although a heavy, large format 675 page book,
and a bit pricey at $35 (check out Amazon.com's significant
discount!), this is a useful, excellent natural
history reference for serious birders. A thumbs-up.
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