WATCH THE BIRDIE!

When spring comes around, our area is inundated with migrating and local birds; so many that even I became curious. I put seed in one of my bird baths and water in the other so even though I have few trees as of yet, my garden is visited constantly by a flurry of different species.

What lead me to buy Reader’s Digest Book of North American Birds were the numerous hummingbirds that hover around my deck where the feeders hang. So tiny, yet so bold, these cheeky monkeys will hover in front of your face and stare you down. I have had as many as fifty hummingbirds around my feeders at one time. I also have a resident woodpecker that has taken a liking to my electric pole. Some of the different species that feed at my bird bath are magnificent and I took steps to find out exactly what they were.


The Book:

This 575 page book is contains 600 hundred species of North American birds, 450 of them presented in the gallery section. It is divided into the following sections:

Gallery:

1. Birds of Prey
2. Large Land Birds
3. Smaller Open Country Birds
4. Smaller Woodland Birds
5. Duck like Birds
6. Gull-like Birds
7. Large Wading Birds
8. Shore birds

Special Collection:

1. Traveler’s Guide
2. Parts of a Bird
3. Index of Scientific Names
4. General Index
5. Credits and Acknowledgments

This particular reference book was first printed in paperback in 2005. It’s kind of large, about 11” by 6” but I keep it handy on my coffee table. It features drawings and paintings by 23 different artists which are very detailed and colorful. 16 writers have pulled together to give us detailed descriptions in a couple of paragraphs. Also recognition features, habitat, nesting habits and the food they eat presented in a small section at the foot of the page. Along with the colorful drawing/painting, there is also a small black and white drawing with a comment, distinguishing the bird from other species. Topped off with a color-coded range map, this reference book makes it a lot simpler to find the bird you are looking for.

I bought this book at Barnes & Noble for $19.99. Money well spent.


My Experience:

At the beginning of each section is an index of the birds included so a quick scan through that helps tremendously in the search also. I knew I was looking for a woodpecker so I chose the “Smaller Woodland Birds” section. I found nine different species in the index all in successive pages so I went to the first page. The first step is to look at the range map. The range map has three different colors; yellow for summer, green for year-round, blue for winter. I found five woodpeckers native to my area. The paintings are so vivid that there is no mistaking the bird you are looking for. My woodpecker was a Hairy Woodpecker, one native to practically every state. Here are a couple of sentences from the first paragraph of the information given on this bird:

“The long, slow courtship of the hairy woodpecker begins in deep winter with the male drumming rapidly on a favorite post to announce to the world at large that he has set up his territory, and to inform any females in the area that he is looking for a mate. An interested female drums back.” Page 208.

It was easy to find my woodpecker but what if you have no idea what type of bird it is that you’re looking for? The sections should help. Consider the environment; for example, woodland, wading or large land bird. That is your first choice. Then the range map should be your second. Oh, you forgot some of your birds features. Well, I have my digital camera ready for any really magnificent discoveries.

Not all of your birds will show up in this book. Our area has developed a large flock of bright green Monk or Quaker Parakeets. Legend says they escaped from a sunken smuggler’s boat twenty years ago and settled here. Although, they are not native to the US, they have the ability to colonize outside their native country. I often wonder just how many birds have that ability also.


Conclusion:

The Reader’s Digest Book of North American Birds is an easy to use reference book for bird watchers and the curious alike. It features a wealth of information including small distinctions to help you identify different species. The drawings and paintings are spectacular helping you match your bird easily.

I, personally, use it regularly in the spring and summer. It is amazing just how many different birds visit your garden and I recommend this reference book to help you identify them.


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Thank you for reading.