Pete Dunne's Essential Field Guide Companion: A Comprehensive Resource for Identifying North American BirdsFrom the award-winning birder and author of Birds of Prey, an authoritative, information-packed guide to distinguishing North American birds. In this book, bursting with more information than any field guide could hold, the well-known author and birder Pete Dunne introduces readers to the “Cape May School of Birding.” It's an approach to identification that gives equal or more weight to a bird's structure and shape and the observer's overall impression (often called GISS, for General Impression of Size and Shape) than to specific field marks. After determining the most likely possibilities by considering such factors as habitat and season, the birder uses characteristics such as size, shape, color, behavior, flight pattern, and vocalizations to identify a bird. The book provides an arsenal of additional hints and helpful clues to guide a birder when, even after a review of a field guide, the identification still hangs in the balance. This supplement to field guides shares the knowledge and skills that expert birders bring to identification challenges. Birding should be an enjoyable pursuit for beginners and experts alike, and Pete Dunne combines a unique playfulness with the work of identification. Readers will delight in his nicknames for birds, from the Grinning Loon and Clearly the Bathtub Duck to Bronx Petrel and Chicken Garnished with a Slice of Mango and a Dollop of Raspberry Sherbet. |
From inside the book
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... flight. Some of these descriptions are cursory, and others are more detailed. In attempting to describe birds in flight, I found that I needed to differentiate between terms that are often used interchangeably in everyday usage. As you ...
... flight of most species is fairly consistent, and while not necessarily defining, it can be an important aid to identification. The fact is that many birds are seen mostly in flight (such as many pelagic species), and some are most ...
... flight so fast and maneuverable that it borders on reckless . Overall compact , Green - winged has a disproportionately large head , a short neck , an elfin - small bill , and a stocky body that seems somewhat dwarfish compared to a ...
... FLIGHT: Flies with neck extended and head raised; shows a short round-winged and long-tailed profile—not that you'll see it. Ruffed Grouse in flight are usually birds that have been flushed, and when flushed, they generally go straight ...
... flight). BEHAVIOR: During the nonbreeding season, forages in small flocks in sage or in open areas dominated by tall grass adjacent to sage flats. Most active at dawn and dusk, but also forages at midday. Flocks forage by walking and ...
Contents
LOONS | |
ALBATROSSES | |
STORMPETRELS | |
PELICANS | |
HERONS EGRETS AND IBIS | |
STORKS VULTURES AND FLAMINGOS | |
RAILS COOTS LIMPKIN AND CRANES | |
SHOREBIRDSPLOVERS AND SANDPIPERS | |
SKUAS AND JAEGERS | |
TERNS AND SKIMMER | |
ALCIDSAUKS MURRES AND PUFFINS | |
Other editions - View all
Pete Dunne's Essential Field Guide Companion: A Comprehensive Resource for ... Pete Dunne No preview available - 2013 |