This is the most complete and up-to-date dictionary of names of American birds available. With more than 900 entries, all the resident birds of the 50 states are included, as well as escaped, exotic, and rare visitors. Including the etymologies and meanings of scientific and common names, it will be an indispensable reference for both scholars and amateur birders. The dictionary is the only work of this type that brings the derivation of scientific bird names back to the original Greek. Other names are traced, for example, to Old English, French, Portuguese, or native languages. Names sometimes reflect the birds' behavior, physical appearance, habitat, or the sound of their calls. Some names refer back to ancient myths and local folklore or were bestowed to honor a great naturalist, a world traveler, or a patron of the sciences. The author also discusses errors that arose in the naming of some birds. Crisply written and extensively cross-referenced for ease of access, the book is graced by more than 25 striking pen-and-ink drawings by renowned ornithologist and bird artist George Miksch Sutton.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Book Description
This is the most complete and up-to-date dictionary of names of American birds available. With more than 900 entries, all the resident birds of the 50 states are included, as well as escaped, exotic, and rare visitors. Including the etymologies and meanings of scientific and common names, it is the only work of this type that brings the derivation of scientific bird names back to the original Greek. The book is graced by more than 25 striking pen-and-ink drawings.
About the Author
George Miksch Sutton was born on May 16, 1898 in Bethany, Nebraska. By the age of twelve he was taking taxidermy lessons at the Northwestern School of Taxidermy. Sutton worked at the Carnegie Museum while attending Bethany College in West Virginia. He became the State Ornithologist of Pennsylvania but later left the position to attend Cornell University, where he became its Curator of Birds. After he fought in World War II, Suttton taught at the University of Michigan and the University of Oklahoma. After a few expeditions, Sutton wrote the books Eskimo Year and Birds in the Wilderness. He later wrote the book Icelandic Summer and designed an Icelandic Postage Stamp, for both of which he was awarded the Knight Cross Order of the Falcon by the Icelandic Government. George Miksch Sutton died on December 7, 1982.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Just another book on bird names?,
By
This review is from: Dictionary of Birds of the United States: Scientific and Common Names (Hardcover)
A nice book with birds listed alphabetically by their scientific names. While James Jobling (Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names) offers an exhaustive explanation for ALL Latin bird names, therefore maybe a better pick to buy, if you want to get into details of vernacular names or interested in scientific names of North American birds only, than go for it. I found very soon some little mistakes or weak points (in the References section Jobling's name was misspelled; Streptopelia decaocto DOES have a call similar to the pronounciation of its species name; to my regret I did not find Middendorff's Grasshopper-Warbler on the list, etc.)but this is the only reason I gave only 4 stars to the book.
So is it just another book in this topic? If you already have a library on bird names you may not find much new in the book, although the b/w illustrations are still nice. On the other hand, if you are looking for the first or only book on American and scientific names in the Nearctic it is a well compiled book for the purpose. As a person keeping my eyes open for information on nomenclature and etymology of bird names I can also recommend to all those with a similar interest.
3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hosting over 900 entries,
By Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Dictionary of Birds of the United States: Scientific and Common Names (Hardcover)
A significant and core contribution to personal and professional ornithology reference collections, Joel Ellis Holloway's Dictionary Of Birds Of The U.S. is the most complete, updated dictionary of names of American birds available, hosting over 900 entries and including both resident birds and escaped and exotic visitors. Scholars and amateur birders receive a work which brings the derivation of scientific bird names back to original Greek and source languages, providing an important focus on both scientific and common name origins.
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
All about scientific names,
By C. Cook "LIVE..........LOVE........AND.......... (East Coast U.S.A. Ct..) - See all my reviews (VINE VOICE) (REAL NAME)
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This review is from: Dictionary of Birds of the United States: Scientific and Common Names (Hardcover)
This is a great book---if you are looking for a listing of scientific names...I didn't know this when I bought it..and was surprised to find out that there was no way to really identify birds....it all about the scientific names.
Nicely made book however.........and I do suggested this book to those looking for that list of scientific names !
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