Smithsonian Field Guide to the Birds of North America

by Floyd, Ted

• ISBN13: 9780061120404
• ISBN10: 0061120405
• Edition: DVD
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-01-01
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publications

Summary

This field guide to North American birds, written by the foremost birding writers, delivers a power-punch of innovation and usability never before brought to together in one reference. With 730 new color maps based on the latest range information (more than any other previous field guide). An emphasis on bird behaviour and a "whole bird" philosophy of field identification. Informative essays on each bird group giving vital information regarding behavior and id tips and robust introduction to birds and birding precedes the species accounts with sections on species I.D., conservation, bird morphometrics, topography, and migration. Vocalisations on the accompanying CD are clearly organised in separate tracks for each species--this is a fantastic advantage that no other collection like this has ever provided. In the past, CD recordings ran species vocalizations together in one long track. The DVD format allows for hundreds of separate tracks--users can listen to a particular vocalization easily and quickly. This is key for learning to I.D. birds by song and for use in the field.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. 1
Identifying Birds	p. 1
Coverage	p. 2
Group Accounts	p. 4
Species Accounts	p. 5
Names	p. 5
Measurements	p. 5
Natural Variation	p. 5
Habits and Ecology	p. 5
Vocalizations	p. 7
Range Maps	p. 7
Photographs and Caption Text	p. 7
Natural History of Birds	p. 8
Where to Look for Birds	p. 8
Forests and Woodlands	p. 8
Prairies and Meadows	p. 9
Deserts and Shrublands	p. 10
Alpine and Arctic Tundra	p. 10
Wetland and Aquatic Habitats	p. 11
Human Habitats	p. 13
Bird Behavior	p. 13
Food and Foraging	p. 13
Bird Vocalizations	p. 14
Courtship and Breeding	p. 15
Flight and Migration	p. 16
Parts of a Bird	p. 17
Parts of a Duck	p. 17
Parts of a Songbird	p. 18
Parts of a Raptor	p. 18
Parts of a Gull	p. 20
Parts of a Shorebird	p. 20
Plumage and molt	p. 21
Sex-related plumage differences	p. 21
Age-related plumage differences	p. 21
Seasonal plumage differences	p. 21
Molt strategies	p. 22
Other differences in appearance	p. 23
How to Identify Birds	p. 24
Conservation and Ethics	p. 28
Waterfowl	p. 29
Whistling-Ducks, Geese & Swans, and Ducks
Upland Game Birds	p. 57
Chachalacas, Grouse & Allies, and New World Quail
Loons	p. 71
Grebes	p. 75
Tubenoses	p. 80
Albatrosses, Shearwaters & Petrels, and Storm-Petrels
Pelicans & Allies	p. 94
Tropicbirds, Boobies & Gannets, Pelicans, Cormorants, Darters, and Frigatebirds
Herons, Ibises & Spoonbills, and Storks	p. 104
Flamingos	p. 114
Escapes from Captivity or Natural Vagrants?	p. 114
New World Vultures, Hawks, and Falcons	p. 116
Rails, Limpkin, and Cranes	p. 138
Plovers	p. 145
Oystercatchers, Stilts & Avocets, and Jacanas	p. 152
Evolutionary Relationships	p. 152
Sandpipers & Phalaropes	p. 155
Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	p. 183
Skuas & Jaegers	p. 207
Polymorphism	p. 207
Auks, Murres, and Puffins	p. 212
Pigeons & Doves	p. 222
Parrots & Parakeets	p. 229
Documenting Exotic Birds	p. 229
Cuckoos & Allies	p. 233
Owls and Nightjars	p. 238
Swifts and Hummingbirds	p. 252
Trogons and Kingfishers	p. 263
Biogeography	p. 263
Woodpeckers	p. 267
Tyrant Flycatchers	p. 282
Mobbing	p. 295
Shrikes	p. 301
Population Dynamics	p. 301
Vireos	p. 303
Patterns of Geographic Variation	p. 310
Jays & Crows	p. 311
Larks	p. 322
Subspecies	p. 322
Swallows	p. 324
Chickadees, Verdin, Long-tailed Tits, Nuthatches, and Creepers	p. 330
Wrens and Dippers	p. 341
Bulbuls	p. 347
Established Exotics	p. 347
Kinglets and Old World Warblers & Gnatcatchers	p. 348
Thrushes	p. 352
Nocturnal Migration	p. 361
Babblers	p. 363
Mimic-Thrushes and Starlings & Mynas	p. 364
Wagtails & Pipits	p. 371
Waxwings and Silky-Flycatchers	p. 375
Olive Warbler and Wood-Warblers	p. 378
Long-distance Migration	p. 397
Tanagers	p. 409
Sparrows & Allies	p. 413
Buntings & Allies	p. 445
Conservation Goals	p. 452
Blackbirds & Allies	p. 452
Brood Parasitism	p. 453
The Diversity Paradox	p. 467
Finches	p. 468
Weaver-Finches	p. 479
Acknowledgments	p. 481
Recommended References and Resources	p. 483
Photo Credits	p. 484
Smithsonian Field Guide to Birds of North America Birdsong DVD	p. 491
Glossary of Terms	p. 495
American Birding Association Checklist	p. 499
Species Index	p. 505
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

Excerpts

Smithsonian Field Guide to the Birds of North America

Chapter One

Waterfowl

Whistling-Ducks, Geese & Swans, and Ducks

Order Anseriformes

Waterfowl—the familiar ducks, geese, and swans—are widespread and well represented in North America. All species are affiliated with aquatic habitats during some or all of their life cycle, and most are legally hunted across large swaths of the continent. Waterfowl classification is in a state of flux, with three subfamilies currently recognized as occurring in North America: the goose-like whistling-ducks (Dendrocygninae) of the southern states; the large-bodied geese and swans (Anserinae) of chiefly northern climes; and the widespread and remarkably diverse ducks (Anatinae).

Favored habitats for waterfowl are sprawling wetland complexes both in coastal districts and inland. Every high-quality marsh in the northern Midwest, it seems, harbors a dozen or more species of breeding ducks. Twenty or more species of waterfowl are easily found in a day afield in fall or winter along the Pacific and Atlantic coasts. But it would not be accurate to say that waterfowl are habitat generalists, indiscriminately accepting any aquatic habitat. On the contrary, knowledge of microhabitat preferences plays an important role in identifying waterfowl.

The breeding biology of waterfowl is more easily observed than in most other birds. Courting is conspicuous, and the precocial young are frequently seen paddling furiously behind dutiful parents—hens only, in most species. Nesting always takes place in the general vicinity of water, but actual nest placement is often in surprisingly non-aquatic microhabitats: Gadwalls out in sagebrush flats, Canada Geese atop tall office buildings, Common Mergansers in caves on sheer cliffs. Most waterfowl species are intermediate-distance migrants, and a few can legitimately be classed as long-distance migrants. Migration is typically by day, and passages along the coast can be spectacular. Daily movements of species wintering along the coast are likewise impressive.

Waterfowl population health has been well studied for two reasons: first, wildlife agencies carefully monitor populations that are legally hunted; second, waterfowl are high-fidelity indicators of wetland quality, and their numbers provide an important baseline for conservation action. Some species—particularly in the subfamily Anserinae (geese and swans)—are enjoying sustained population growth, but many duck species are worrisomely declining, notably the American Black Duck and King Eider. The overarching threat to waterfowl populations is habitat loss. Bioaccumulation of toxins such as selenium is a local threat, and climate change may eventually prove to be a serious challenge for species with substantial arctic-breeding populations.

Smithsonian Field Guide to the Birds of North America. Copyright © by Ted Floyd. Reprinted by permission of HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved. Available now wherever books are sold.

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Excerpted from Smithsonian Field Guide to the Birds of North America by Ted Floyd
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.