A Field Guide to North American Birders: A Parody [Paperback]

Margaret Harmon (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 10, 2001

Why watch a bunch of silly birds when you can watch a bunch of silly birdwatchers? That's the basis of this hilarious parody by Margaret Harmon. Packaged like an actual field guide, it's a bird's eye view of the people who watch the birds, featuring:

• Full-color illustrations of each birder
• The distinguishing characteristics, voice, range, and habitat of 39 "species" of birders, including: the Great Gracious Heron, Steadfast Quail, Ruby-Lipped Hummingbird, Opinionated Jay, Saturday Morning Kinglet, Scope-Weaseling Warbler
• A diagram of the birder body-in all it's full-feathered glory
• Tips on birder-watching-and how to attract them to your own back yard
• Specialized information on how to prevent birder-watching injuries
• The American Birder-Watching Society Code of Ethics
• And more

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Margaret Harmon is the author of The Man Who Learned to Walk in Shoes That Pinch, a collection of fables praised as "hedonistic and luxurious" by the Los Angeles Times. She has birded on three continents and nine islands, interviewing and observing birders from the internationally famous to local beginners. Her drawings frequently appear in birding periodicals.

Product Details

• Paperback: 113 pages
• Publisher: Berkley Trade (April 10, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425178358
• ISBN-13: 978-0425178355
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #535,256 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Add This To Your Life List!, July 10, 2001

By 

Barry D. Marsh (Baltimore, Maryland, US) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Field Guide to North American Birders: A Parody (Paperback)

Margaret Harmon's new book is fun and informative, and helped this birder finally identify himself (and add himself to his own Life List!). Birders of all experience levels will find themselves and their fellow birders here, and will take delight in each new sighting and positive identification they make. Written and illustrated like a "real" bird guide, this book gives our feathered friends everything they need to identify we humans by our field marks, calls, habitat, and other characteristics. I'll never again wonder why the birds I watch are watching me back - they must be using this book to identify me! Delightful!

5.0 out of 5 stars No binoculars needed!, April 19, 2010

By 

charlene Curry "Audubon's Solitaire" (EUGENE, OR, US) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A Field Guide to North American Birders: A Parody (Paperback)

This little guide is just plain fun as well as enlightening. After meeting the author by chance I knew I wanted to see her work. The "birder illustrations" are spot on and her insights into the personalities and habits of birders have come from years of close observation. I recognized myself immediately among the colorful species of North American birders. Lots of good laughs and an expert's help in identification of birders in this little gem.