Birding for Beginners [Paperback]

Sheila Buff (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1993

Birdwatching is for everyone. No other outdoor pursuit yields so much enjoyment of nature's ways with so little effort, and BIRDING FOR BEGINNERS is the ideal introduction to the pleasures to be found from birdwatching.

All the essentials for the beginner to enjoy birdwatching are covered:

         ¸         equipment
         ¸         identification techniques
         ¸         field guides
         ¸         optics for birders
         ¸         birding by 'ear'
                and much more.

Making this guide uniquely valuable for the novice are chapters on viewing bird behaviors such as feeding, flight, feather care, nesting, and migration so the birder understands not just what kind of bird it is, but what the bird is doing. Clear black and white illustrations as well as an exquisite four-color photographic insert, bring this exciting world vividly to life. In addition, a selection of appendices cover everything from birding organizations to birding publications.

The most important qualification for birdwatching is a desire to do it--and BIRDING FOR BEGINNERS is just the guide to help make that desire a pleasurable reality.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"--an excellent introduction to the pleasures of watching birds. Accurate and entertaining, full of practical advice, it covers all the essentials in a clear and readable style." American Birds Magazine --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Inside Flap

Birdwatching is for everyone. No other outdoor pursuit yields so much enjoyment of nature's ways with so little effort, and BIRDING FOR BEGINNERS is the ideal introduction to the pleasures to be found from birdwatching.

All the essentials for the beginner to enjoy birdwatching are covered:

         ¸         equipment
         ¸         identification techniques
         ¸         field guides
         ¸         optics for birders
         ¸         birding by 'ear'
                and much more.

Making this guide uniquely valuable for the novice are chapters on viewing bird behaviors such as feeding, flight, feather care, nesting, and migration so the birder understands not just what kind of bird it is, but what the bird is doing. Clear black and white illustrations as well as an exquisite four-color photographic insert, bring this exciting world vividly to life. In addition, a selection of appendices cover everything from birding organizations to birding publications.

The most important qualification for birdwatching is a desire to do it--and BIRDING FOR BEGINNERS is just the guide to help make that desire a pleasurable reality. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: The Lyons Press; 1st edition (April 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1558212094
• ISBN-13: 978-1558212091
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,345,881 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not "just for the birds"!, December 2, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Birding for Beginners: A Comprehensive Introduction to Birdwatching (Hardcover)

This bird book is for you! I saw it at a friend's home and knew it was the beginner's book for me. The illustrations are colorful and the information on the many birds is well organized. I found it not to be overwhelming, but easy to use. This is the book to inspire you to start birding--alone or with a friend or child, at your window or outdoors. With this book as a reference you can satisfy your curiosity and develop your skills at identification.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent introduction to birding!, September 26, 2003

By 

Candace Scott (Lake Arrowhead, CA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Birding for Beginners: A Comprehensive Introduction to Birdwatching (Hardcover)

I am a neophyte birder and this book was perfect as a beginning guide in identifying and recognizing common birds in the western region. The other bird guides I have purchased (National Geographic and Audubon) were exceptional, but for a novice, they presented too much information and too many birds. This book struck a nice, comfortable compromise. The photos of each bird are excellent and provide you a good look at the features and characteristics of each. They also tell you succinctly where the habitat would be and where you would most likely see each bird.

The best feature was that each bird was divided by color. So if you see a Wilson's warbler in your backyard but don't know for certain if your call is correct, you can quickly thumb to the "yellow" section of the book and see all the yellow birds. Thus you can quickly confirm your identification.

This book would have limited, or no value to an experienced birder, but for the beginning birder, this is a fine introduction to the hobby of birding.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great for Complete Beginners!, January 29, 2010

By 

Minty Russell "Starlet" (East Coast, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Birding for Beginners: A Comprehensive Introduction to Birdwatching (Hardcover)

Of which I definitely am in the birding arena. Shelia Buff claims to be an advanced beginner herself, and therefore knows what it's like to be starting out at square one. Have only read a few pages, but really enjoy the simple language and her approach to the subject, and therefore want to read and learn more about the creatures flying naturally about in the friendly skies. Which says a lot coming from someone who can get easily overwhelmed by all of the details of a new hobby. If you have the slightest interest in birds, get this book, I can tell it's going to lay a good foundation of knowledge for me.