The American Crow & Common Raven (W. L. Moody Jr. Natural History Series) [Paperback]

Lawrence Kilham (Author)

Book Description

Series: W. L. Moody Jr. Natural History Series | Publication Date: October 1, 1990

Lawrence Kilham was a Fellow of the American Ornithologists' Union, professor of microbiology emeritus of Dartmouth Medical School, and a distinguished virologist. He passed away in 2000. "This definitive study is a gem for both American birders and serious ornithologists." --The Indianapolis News " . . . remarkable behaviors are reviewed and discussed with a rich assortment of anecdotes from the author's 8,000 hours of field observations. . . . This book explains especially the social systems of these birds, from cooperative breeding to predator mobbing. Difficult topics such as 'play' and 'thinking' in crows are interestingly and critically presented. . . . an appealing volume." --Choice " . . . his book is one of the best, most informative and engaging ones yet written about how some of these birds live, think, and feel. Kilham on crows compares favorably with Tinbergen on gulls, Goodall on chimpanzees, and Lorenz on dogs and jackdaws." --Smithsonian "The book has style and is outstanding in many ways. . . . His method is remarkable: He refuses to intervene and does not even mark individual birds. His intensive observation of birds used to the observer, however, allow him to follow the behavior and fate of particular individuals carefully. --Journal für Ornithologie "His interpretations and descriptions are also remarkable. --Journal für Ornithologie . . . Study of the text promises to be profitable because the author is well-read and displays an outstanding style. Enjoyment of his book is enhanced by its makeup with generous layout and black-and-white pictures. . . . The book could be an incentive for European scientists to re-examine the social systems of crows and other corvids, keeping in mind different conditions of habitat and interpreting results in the light of evolutionary-biological hypotheses. Kilham himself takes an initial step in this regard in a special summarizing chapter." --Journal für Ornithologie "Kilham's independent and somewhat unorthodox approach to research has particular value to amateur birders . . . The many citations in the text and an extensive list of references suggest Kilham has much confidence in his opinions and the 'chance observation' facts he reports. Readers will be motivated to rethink some conventional wisdom on how best to pursue studies of animal behavior. His research activities should inspire other retirees." --Jack DeForest "Kilham's work is a testament to the importance of amateurs to ornithology. . . . Amateurs will certainly enjoy his stories of interesting behaviors and exploits with pet corvids. The illustrations are wonderful and Kilham's insights into crow and raven sociality are important." --Auk "If you are interested in bird behaviour, you will enjoy reading this book. Joan Waltermire's sketches nicely complement the text." --C. Stuart Houston "This is a well-written, thoughtful, beautifully illustrated book that was a joy to read. . . . Kilham is to be congratulated for providing us with a greater level of insight into crows and ravens (particularly the former) than we previously had." --Quarterly Review of Biology " . . . simple, clear descriptive prose, a pleasure to read and fullof fascinating details of American crow and raven life. . . . This should be a prime book for collectors . . . beautifully illustrated in dramatic pen-and-ink drawings that even convey the glossiness of crows' and ravens' plumage." --Books about Birds " . . . an unusually detailed and sometimes inspiring account of the lives of the American Crow Corvus brachhrhrnchos and the Raven C. corax." --British Birds

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: TAMU Press (October 1, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0890964661
• ISBN-13: 978-0890964668
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 7.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #166,851 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

68 of 68 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't forget the illustrations!, March 28, 2000

By 

C. Moon (Valley Village, CA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The American Crow & Common Raven (W. L. Moody Jr. Natural History Series) (Paperback)

There are more than enough reasons to pick up this book if you have any interest in crows or birds in general or even seeing a good example of descriptive biological studies, however one point missed by others are the beautiful illustrations in this volume that are well above average for a science book.

There are very few books about Corvids, and even fewer based on North American research, but this wonderful volume is a solid step in the right direction that is both well informed while also personable, leaving one to hope that future volumes or at least more research on these birds will result.

Any Corvid enthusiasts should purchase this book without hesitation as it is a relatively inexpensive and irreplacible contribution to the literature.

42 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Educational and Enjoyable and AWSOME, February 11, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The American Crow & Common Raven (W. L. Moody Jr. Natural History Series) (Paperback)

This book illustrates great behavioral and environmental aspects of crow life within social groups. It was nice for me to read this book to familiarize myself more with Crows with my research. As a corvid researcher myself I found the book very interesting, educational, and informative. I suggest anyone interested in birds or corvids (crows, jays, ravens, magpies, etc.) especially should read this book. The author writes with passion about his research and he explains it in a VERY simple way, understanding is easy. All in all this book was AWSOME!

34 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Detailed observations of corvid behavior, March 30, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The American Crow & Common Raven (W. L. Moody Jr. Natural History Series) (Paperback)

With a keen observer's eye and a flair for marvelous prose, Kilham has written a book that is not only an important resource for researchers in behavioral biology, but also a delightful read for any nature lover.