Orders & Families of Birds
Non-Passerines

 

 

I want to order this book
Seabirds: An Identification Guide
Peter Harrison
$23.96
448 pages - Paperback

This is the definitive book on the identification of seabirds. It covers virtually all the known species, including sea ducks, loons, and grebes. Each species is beautifully illustrated in color, with different plumages, postures, and views shown to provide visual information not previously available in any book. The clearly written species descriptions include every detail needed for precise identification: plumage (adult breeding, adult nonbreeding, subadult, immature, and juvenile), flight habits and jizz, distribution and movements, similar species, subspecies, alternate names, and other important characteristics. Line drawings and identification keys amplify points made in the text and on the color plates. Color range maps show the distribution of each species throughout the world, The introduction gives a brief survey of the world's seabirds, describing in detail and illustrating the main identification characters that distinguish the different groups of seabirds.
Seabirds: An Identification Guide features: 312 species of seabirds, 88 color plates showing over 1600 birds, with captions on the facing pages, 324 color range maps showing breeding, nonbreeding, and migratory distribution, clear and accurate text treating each species in depth, with an emphasis on distinct color forms and a close examination of subspecies.

 

Skuas & Jaegers I want to order this book
Skuas and Jaegers: A Guide to the Skuas and Jaegers of the World
Klaus M. Olsen, Hans Larsson (illustrator)
$35.00
156 pages - Hardcover

Skuas and jaegers are a fascinating group of seabirds that make up a subfamily of just seven species. The individual plumage variation in some species is enormous, creating one of the most fascinating challenges in modern field identification. This is the first complete identification guide to the skuas of the world. It is designed to enable species identification and correct aging, and the information presented is based on years of study in the field, detailed examination of photographs and museum skins, and extensive research of the relevant literature. The comprehensive text is accompanied by twelve color plates by Hans Larsson, illustrating a wide range of plumages. In addition, there are eight pages of color photographs and numerous black and white photographs and drawings that show key identification features.

 

I want to order this book
Shorebirds : An Identification Guide to the Waders of the World
Peter Hayman, John Marchant, Tony Prater
$23.96
412 pages - Paperback

Shorebirds, or waders, are among the most attractive and popular groups of birds in the world. Their appeal is international, since their widespread migration means that vagrants can occur virtually anywhere in the world. Shorebirds: An Identification Guide is the first comprehensive review that enables birdwatchers throughout the world to identify any species of wader in the field. It provides the information to help both the advanced observer and the careful beginner to identify not only the species but also, where possible from field characters, the age, sex, or racial origin of the bird. A number of important identification features are described for the first time in this book, and both text and illustrations point out the essential details needed to make a positive identification of any species.
An authoritative text -- the result of eight vears' research -- is fully complemented by 88 superb color plates, painted by Peter Hayman. Over 1600 birds are shown and each plate has a facing caption that is cross-referenced to the main body of the text. In addition, four-color maps clearly show breeding, nonbreeding and migratory distribution. This unique handbook belongs to a new generation of field guides. Its concise but thorough and scientifically accurate treatment of every species in the world will ensure that it remains the definitive work for many years to come.

 

I want to order this book
Cormorants, Darters, and Pelicans of the World
Paul A. Johnsgard
$49.00
445 pages - Hardcover

This book covers all of the Cormorants, Darters and Pelicans of the World.

 

Waterfowl I want to order this book
Waterfowl: An Identification Guide to the Ducks, Geese and Swans of the World
Steve Madge, Hilary Burn (Illustrator)
$23.96
298 pages - Paperback

Covers 150 species of ducks, geese and swans, illustrating all major plumages and subspecies in color. Plumages, voice, population, range, habitats and behavior are covered.

 

Field Guide to Hawks I want to order this book
A Field Guide to Hawks: North America
William S. Clark, Brian K. Wheeler
$17.47
198 pages - Hardback

This book is part of the Peterson Field Guide series. Every race and color morph for 39 species of diurnal raptors is included. The key field marks for perched as well as soaring birds are covered. There are 24 color plates and 240 black and white photos. Status, distribution and range maps are also included.

 

Hawks in Flight I want to order this book
Hawks in Flight: The Flight Identification of North American Migrant Raptors
Peter Dunne, David Sibley, Clay Sutton, David Sutton
$9.56
254 pages - Paperback

This is the first holistic bird guide. The classic field-guide approach emphasizes field marks - physical features that can be used to identify a dead bird as well as a live one. The holistic approach focuses on the bird as a living organism, with identifications that are based on behavior, flight style, and relationship to the environment, as well as classic field marks. Hawks are ideally suited to the holistic method. They are most often seen hundreds of yards away against the sky, where plumage details and body size are hard to determine even with binoculars. Most hawk watchers identify birds the way the rest of us recognize friends at a distance: by the way they move, their general body shape, and the places they are most likely to be seen. But it is much more difficult to teach this method of identification than the traditional fieldmark system. It is a matter of the overall impression rather than a few key details, and until now, no one had captured the method in a book. One reason, as Pete Dunne writes in his introduction to Hawks in Flight, is that "until recently, the information simply did not exist."
Hawks in Flight covers the twenty-three species of diurnal raptors (birds of prey that fly in the daytime) that are most likely to be seen over most of North America, including buteos, accipiters, falcons, kites, eagles, vultures, and the osprey and harrier.

 

 

Kingfishers I want to order this book
Kingfishers, Bee-Eaters & Rollers: A Handbook
C. Hilary Fry, Kathie Fry, Alan Harris (illustrator)
$49.50
324 pages - Hardback

A comprehensive treatment of the world's 123 species. Includes 40 color plates with 350 portraits showing every species, all main subspecies and most sex and age vartations. Color maps appear opposite the plates. The text emphasizes behaviour, field characheristics and identification. Species accounts include many line drawings.

 

I want to order this book
Woodpeckers: A Guide to the Woodpeckers of the World
Hans Winkler, David A. Christie, David Nurvey
$28.00
406 pages - Hardcover

Comprehensive, definitive treatment of the world's 198 species of woodpeckers. Includes 70 color plates. Species accounts cover identification, similar species, distribution, migration, habitat, geographical variations, voice, food and breeding behavior.