Guide to Backyard Birds

by Mancini, Julie Rach

• ISBN13: 9780764126871
• ISBN10: 0764126873
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-09-30
• Publisher: Barrons Educational Series Inc

Summary

This entertaining and informative book is a primer for bird watchers--both those who trek the countryside armed with binoculars and camera, as well as those less nimble nature lovers who merely keep a bird feeder near their kitchen window. Supplemented with color photos and illustrations, this book gives pointers on how to identify birds by plumage and shape, how to select appropriate binoculars and spotting scopes, the best times of day to watch for birds, and how to recognize and interpret birds' activities. There is also information on feeding birds, making a backyard attractive to birds, building bird houses and nest boxes, and much more. Supplementary information includes a list of rare-bird hotline phone numbers, web sites that offer information on wild birds, and a recommended reading list. Hundreds of color photos and illustrations.

Table of Contents

Welcome to the World of Bird-watching!	1	(16)
Why People Watch Birds	2	(1)
What Is a Bird?	2	(6)
Special Feature: How to Use the Regional Information Features in this Book	6	(2)
How to Identify Birds	8	(4)
Learning the Lingo	12	(3)
Getting Started	15	(2)
What You'll Need to See Birds	17	(8)
Your Shopping List	17	(1)
Selecting Binoculars and Spotting Scopes	17	(3)
Choosing a Camera	20	(2)
The Importance of a Field Guide	22	(3)
Where You'll See Birds	25	(25)
Time of Day to Watch	25	(1)
In Your Backyard	25	(1)
In the City	26	(1)
How to Behave While Watching Birds	26	(20)
Special Feature: Who's Who in the North American Bird World?	28	(18)
Outdoor Health Hazards	46	(4)
What You'll See and Hear While You Watch Birds	50	(28)
Listening: A Valuable Part of Bird-watching	51	(2)
Useful Web Sites	53	(5)
Special Feature: Wrens Near You	54	(4)
Getting Physical	58	(1)
Eating	58	(1)
Who Eats What	58	(2)
Hunting	60	(1)
Preening/Caring for Feathers	61	(1)
Fighting	62	(1)
Timing	62	(1)
Courting	63	(4)
Building Nests	67	(1)
Laying and Hatching Eggs	67	(2)
Protecting the Nest	69	(1)
Caring for Chicks	70	(1)
Sibling Rivalry	71	(1)
Adapting to Temperature	71	(1)
Behaving Curiously: Oddities and Incomparables	72	(2)
Sleeping	74	(1)
Migrating	74	(4)
What to Feed Birds	78	(34)
Bird Food Basics	78	(5)
What Does My Bird Feeder Provide?	83	(1)
Who Eats What and When?	83	(1)
The Needs of Specialty Eaters	83	(1)
Types of Feeders	84	(6)
To Buy or to Build?	90	(1)
Feeder Cleaning and Maintenance	91	(1)
Making Treats for Birds	92	(1)
Storing Seeds	93	(1)
Common Feeder Problems	93	(2)
Feeder Placement	95	(1)
Year-round Feeding Tips	96	(16)
Problems in Paradise	112	(14)
Pests	112	(7)
Predators	119	(7)
Creating a Backyard Habitat	126	(31)
The Benefits of a Small Wildlife Habitat	126	(1)
Neatness Doesn't Count!	127	(1)
Predators and Prey	128	(1)
Pest Control	129	(3)
An Easy Beginning: Focus	132	(1)
Making a Plan	133	(4)
Other Plant Considerations	137	(1)
Birdscaping a Small Yard	138	(1)
An Apartment Habitat	139	(1)
Money, Money, Money	140	(1)
What About Water?	140	(16)
Special Feature: Fruit- and Seed-bearing Plants That Attract Birds	149	(7)
Invading Plant Species	156	(1)
Birdhouses and Nest Boxes	157	(11)
The Difference Between Houses and Boxes	157	(1)
Nest Box Specifics and Shapes	158	(2)
Handmade or Manufactured?	160	(1)
Material Choices	160	(2)
Make an Entrance: Hole Sizes and Perches	162	(1)
Enter the Birds	163	(2)
Placing the Houses	165	(1)
Cleaning Considerations	166	(2)
What to Do if You Find an Injured Bird	168	(5)
The Law	168	(1)
Who to Call	169	(1)
What to Do Until Help Arrives	169	(1)
Helping Escaped Exotic Cage Birds	170	(1)
Finding Help	171	(2)
Organizations that Help and Study Wild Birds	173	(5)
The Audubon Society	173	(1)
Birding Hotlines	174	(3)
Birding on the Web	177	(1)
Conservation	178	(15)
A Bit of Bird History	178	(1)
The Beginnings of the Conservation Movement	179	(2)
The End of the Line for Some Pigeons and Parakeets	181	(1)
DDT and Other Chemicals	182	(2)
Endangered Species	184	(1)
Making a Comeback: The Brown Pelican, Bald Eagle, and California Condor	184	(4)
Things You Can Do to Be a Conservationist	188	(4)
The Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary System	192	(1)
Bibliography	193	(2)
Index	195