Customer Reviews

Cornell Lab of Ornithology Handbook of Bird Biology

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I recently purchased the new "Handbook of Bird Biology" (hereafter, HBB) and would like to share my views of it. Published by Princeton University Press, this massive volume is a tour de force from the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology. I have taught university classes in ornithology for the past several years using Gill's "Ornithology" and Proctor & Lynch's "Manual of Ornithology" (both outstanding books), so I spent some time comparing HBB to these works. HBB consistently exceeded my expectations. It routinely (although not invariably) provided more details than Gill or Proctor & Lynch, and it also included topics that the other books omit. These topics (e.g. selecting binoculars, FAQs about backyard bird feeders) were typically geared more towards birding than towards classroom-based ornithology. Indeed, this was one of the main objectives of the Cornell Lab in compiling this book, to appeal to birders and not simply to students of ornithology. For example, the book includes a CD of various bird sounds (nothing that will replace proper "birding by ear" song/call guides, but useful for illustrative purposes). However, HBB is not light reading in any sense of the word. Weighing in at nearly seven pounds, it represents the proverbial "too much information" for casual birders. In addition, the book is costly (approximately $95 + tax, but that is still cheaper than purchasing even used copies of both Gill and Proctor & Lynch). It is not without its copy-editing flaws (particularly in figure captions). Its figures are solely in black-and-white (a major disappointment for me--try explaining structural colors without color examples), and many figures are taken directly from Gill or Proctor & Lynch (appropriately credited). The copy I bought (through Amazona) was missing its sound CD (sent to me by Princeton U.P. after I alerted them). The chapters are written by various authors, with little stylistic continuity (e.g. active voice in some chapters, passive in others).

These negatives do not take the luster off of a highly recommended book. If you are interested in birds but do not own an ornithology textbook, you really owe it to yourself to invest in one. I will likely require HBB instead of Gill and Proctor & Lynch in my future ornithology classes. The "Handbook of Bird Biology" will be a single source for valuable and fascinating information for years to come.

The folks at Cornell have done it again. This is a huge book, packed full of information, but it is also a joy to read. Even though it supplies plenty of the "encyclopedic" material, it's a bit reminiscent of David Attenborough's "Life of Birds" DVD, in that it highlight some of the "gee-whiz" aspects of birds, such as egg mimicry, artistic bower construction, lymphatic penises in ducks, and so forth. There was a surprising section on nocturnal birding by ear, which I had never seen addressed. They seem to have covered every topic and then some.
If you have only a casual interest in birds, this book may be overkill, but if you are a birder or ornithology student I'm sure you'll enjoy deepening your appreciation and understanding of birds with the help of this book.

When the book arrived I was pleasantly surprised that it looked practically new. It did have a few notations in it, but not a lot, and the audio cd was also included, which was not even mentioned in the description! I have not started it yet as I need it for a course, but it is exactly what I wanted. I would definitely buy from this seller again!

This is a fabulous, definitive, and easy to read text. Don't buy it through these sellers, what are they thinking when they ask over $200? It is available online directly from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology for $99.50.

The most complete and well illustrated book on bird biology that I have ever seen! The quality of the binding, material, and presentation makes this hefty dictionary sized book a great coffee table curiosity and conversation starter!

This is a good compendium of ornithology. It contains general information on bird biology, however it is to general for university teaching. Probably it should be used together with Gill's "Ornithology".