Birding Across North America: A Naturalist's Observations [Illustrated] [Hardcover]

Philip E. Keenan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 27, 2002

From the author of the award-winning Wild Orchids Across North America comes an informative, beautiful—and at times poetic—summary of one man’s life as a birder. Journeying from the swamps of Alabama to the icy waters of Québec’s Gaspé Peninsula, from the sky islands of Arizona to the birdfeeder in his New Hampshire backyard, Keenan describes the remarkable pageantry of North American birdlife. More than a mere journal or travelogue, however, Keenan’s book offers the incisive observations of a passionate naturalist for whom no question pertaining to birds is insignificant or irrelevant. With more than 100 color illustrations, it is as much a treat for the eyes as it is for the mind.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Keenan, author of Wild Orchids across North America (1998), based this informative book on nearly 60 years of birding. The author explores "certain historical, ecological, and personal aspects of a life with birds," focusing on their extraordinary beauty and incredible diversity. Keenan begins with a chapter on attracting birds to the backyard. In subsequent chapters, he depicts the lives of warblers, redstarts, hummingbirds, wrens, sparrows, roadrunners, ducks, and woodpeckers--to name just a few--in such places as Alabama, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Florida, California, Delaware, Quebec, and Newfoundland. Keenan also describes the functions of bird songs, the variety of nests, and the evolution of bird painting. He offers a list of his favorite birds, books, and photographs. In a final chapter, Keenan warns of the dangers of extinction. Enriched by 110 gorgeous color illustrations by the author, Birding is one of the most important nature books to appear in years. George Cohen
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"Birding Across North America: A Naturalist's Observations" is a fascinating account of the author's many years of birding. -- Marty Figley "Michigan Observer and Eccentric" (08/29/2002)

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 260 pages
• Publisher: Timber Press; 2 edition (January 27, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0881925284
• ISBN-13: 978-0881925289
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,501,043 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Any who love birds will find it most accessible, February 11, 2003

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Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Birding Across North America: A Naturalist's Observations (Hardcover)

Birding Across North America: A Naturalist's Observations could be called a memoir of birding years, but it also holds plenty of practical details unique to the field guide, and description common to the travelogue. It may be hard to properly categorize this title, but any who love birds will find it most accessible. Individual chapters cover migration, reflections on domestic cats and wild birds, and basic elements of birdwatching in the East. A fascinating, revealing guide.