The Shorebird GuideWhen many birders go out looking at shorebirds, they see a distant mud flat full of grayish brown birds in various shapes and sizes and have no idea where to begin the identification process. When advanced birders look at that same flock of shorebirds, they can identify the vast majority of birds with a quick binocular scan. Experts use the simplest, most easily observed characteristics--size, structure, behavior, and general color patterns--almost subconsciously, and can identify most birds even before looking carefully at plumage details. Now birders of all levels can learn how to identify these wildly popular birds quickly and with much less effort. This guide provides more than 870 stunning color photographs, sequenced to give a general impression of a species first and progressing to a more detailed image of the bird throughout its life cycle. Captions list characteristics in order of importance, reflecting the thought process that experts use to identify birds. |
Contents
How to Use This Guide | 23 |
Pacific GoldenPlover | 40 |
Piping Plover | 54 |
Stilts and Avocets Family Recurvirostridae | 71 |
RARITIES AND REGIONAL SPECIALTIES | 225 |
Oystercatchers Family Haematopodidae | 245 |
Appendix | 455 |
Glossary | 462 |
469 | |
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Common terms and phrases
adults aged Alaska appear areas arrive Atlantic August begins Behavior bill birds body feathers breast breeding grounds breeding plumage central Coast coastal common complete molt dark depart differs display early east fall February feeding females fields flight call flight feathers flocks fresh head and body July June juvenal plumage juvenile larger late late July late June legs less longer look male March migration migration takes place molt to breeding molt to nonbreeding neck Nest nonbreeding plumage North America November occur October Pacific pale partial molt pattern Peak plain Plover plumage takes place population primaries primarily range rare retained Sandpiper scapulars seen Semipalmated Sept September shorebirds short shorter similar slightly smaller species spring Status Structure subspecies summer tail takes place tertials typically upperparts usually variable walks Western wing coverts wintering areas wintering grounds Yellowlegs