The Bird Watching Answer Book: Everything You Need to Know to Enjoy Birds in Your Backyard and Beyond (Cornell Lab of Ornithology)

There are more than 76 million birdwatchers in America - from casual backyard observers to seasoned birders. At some point, every bird-watcher has a question not answered in traditional field guides. How many feathers does a bird have? Do birds sleep while in flight?

When such questions arise, birders turn to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the world's leading authority on birds and an information clearinghouse for bird-watchers of all levels. Now, the lab's most often-asked questions about bird behavior are answered in a concise, friendly volume, The Bird Watching Answer Book, by the Cornell Lab's science editor, Laura Erickson.

This handy little reference answers real life questions that have been sent to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology by birders of all levels from across North America. Erickson's expert answers give readers the companionship of a professional ornithologist as they observe their avian companions. The book's tone is friendly and accessible, even as the answers demonstrate a tremendous depth and breadth of knowledge.

Many questions help birders keep their feathered friends safe and healthy - from the baby bird found lying on the sidewalk, to the flocks whose migration patterns can be disrupted by human activity. Some questions address bird quirks and curiosities, while others get to the truth about common myths, such as whether throwing rice at weddings is harmful to birds or whether albatrosses can actually stay airborne for two years. For every question, Erickson provides an answer that is practical, engaging, entertaining, and astute.

Science writer Erickson crams a lot of information about birds into this deceptively small book. Mainly using a Q&A format, she answers a huge number of the questions that beginning birders have about feeding and watching birds, bird behavior and reproduction, birdsong, and bird anatomy. (How do birds learn their songs? Is there really a bird that moonwalks?) Readers needing help with bird identification should look elsewhere, but those who want to learn a lot about birds very quickly will not be disappointed by Erickson's volume. Annotation ©2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Birdwatching enthusiasts often turn to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology for answers to their most pressing birding questions. Now, the lab's most often asked questions about bird behavior are answered in a concise, friendly volume.

How many feathers does a bird have? Do birds sleep while in flight? Why do Blue-Footed Boobies have blue feet? How do migrating birds know where to go and how to get there? For these and hundreds of other questions, The Bird Watching Answer Book has expert answers. Written by Laura Erickson, science editor at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, this book is the authoritative source for information on birds of all kinds.

Laura Erickson is Science Editor at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. She is the author of four books, including The Bird Watching Answer Book, and she also writes Twin Beaks, the first blog by birds and for birds. She migrates between her house and husband in Minnesota and her apartment and job in Ithaca, New York, where she lives with her dog, Photon; her indoor cat, Kasey; and an Eastern Screech Owl named Archimedes.

 

Part One     For the Birds: Feeding, Watching, and Protecting Our Feathered Friends
1. Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? The Art of Bird Feeding
2. Birding for Fun and Science: The Sport of Bird-Watching
3. Living with Our Feathered Friends: Solving Bird Problems
4. Looking to the Future: Protecting Bird Populations

Part Two     Bird Brains: Avian Behavior and Intelligence
5. Actions Speak Louder in Birds: Bird Behavior
6. Singin' in the Rain: Bird Vocalizations
7. Do You Know the Way to San Jose? Bird Migration
8. The Birds and the Bees: How Birds Reproduce

Part Three     All About Birds, Inside and Out
9. The Inside Story: How Birds Work
10. Of Eagle Eyes and Ultrasound: How Birds Perceive the World
11. On Angels' Wings: Fascinating Feathers
12. Those Magnificent Flying Machines: How Birds Fly