A Guide to the Nests, Eggs and Nestlings of North American Birds, Second Edition (Natural World) [Paperback]

Paul J. Baicich (Author), Colin J.O. Harrison (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0120728311 | ISBN-13: 978-0120728312 | Publication Date: July 30, 1997 | Edition: 2

A Guide to the Nests, Eggs, and Nestlings of North American Birds, Second Edition provides a thorough, species-by-species guide to the breeding biology of the birds of North America. Some 669 breeding species are described in full, covering the birds of a vast area, from the Arctic to the southern boundary of the continental United States. The main text presents complete basic information on the breeding cycle of each species, summarized in a natural sequence: nest habitat, nest-site, nest construction, breeding season, eggs, incubation and nesting and nestling period. More than 700 color and line illustrations provide valuable information on the identification of the nests, eggs, and nestlings of 597 species. The book covers perhaps the most fascinating aspects of North American birdlife, their reproduction and the care of their young, essential elements in the survival of any species. The book summarizes all that is known of this crucial part of a birds life cycle, and by omission, points to what is yet unknown and may yet be discovered by the scientific ornithologist and birder alike. If your fascination in the nests, eggs, and nestlings of North American birds centers on identifying them in the field, you will find this book essential. If conservation is also a concern, you will appreciate the value of understanding the breeding requirements and biology of even the most common of species. This book will prove invaluable whatever your interest in North American birds.

Key Features
* Describes nests, eggs, and nestlings and gives basic biological information on nesting and breeding biology
* Includes up-to-date coverage of all North American breeding species, including Alaska and Canada in one comprehensive volume
* Contains more than 700 color and line illustrations of nests, eggs, and nestlings

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This is a fine guide and I certainly would not be without it if I lived in North America."
--Humphrey Q.P. Crick in BRITISH BIRDS
"[The first edition of this book was] far better than the guide to birds nests by Hal Harrison in the well-known Peterson field guide series. All told, this book will be of great usefulness to field ornithologists, and, if larger than most field guides, it nonetheless is well worth hauling along in a knapsack or glove compartment. It also belongs in personal and institutional libraries, especially those lacking the earlier edition."
--Paul A. Johnsgard in THE AUK
"This good quality paperback provides a thorough species by species guide to the breeding biology of the birds of North America."
--BIRD NEWS: SCOTTISH ORNITHOLOGIST'S CLUB NEWSLETTER
"A valuable asset to anyone interested in nesting biology and the identification of eggs, nests and young."
--BIRDERS JOURNAL
"I believe that biologist and general reader alike will benefit from this revision of Nests and I am relieved to see this book back in print, so that the information contained within is again widely accessible."
--Stacy Small in WESTERN BIRDS
"In all, a job well done, and highly recommended as a concise and up-to-date summary of matters associated with bird nests and nesting."
--Clive E. Goodwin in THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST (July 1999)
"...the book is back! It has a nice new format but still contains all the great information found in the first edition. This book's second edition is every bit as good as the original one. Be sure to buy a copy - it will be one of the most useful books in your wild bird rehabilitation library!"
--Bea Orendorff in THE NWRA QUARTERLY JOURNAL (1999)
"If your wildlife rehabilitation work includes birds, from the Arctic circle to the Southern border of the United States, this book is a must for your library. It is a much improved edition over the original 1978 version, which was in itself a very useful book. This book will not only help you identify birds that are brought to your center, but those with wildlife helplines will use it until the pages fall out, advising callers on specifics such as incubation times or how long young will stay in the nest. By sharing even a tiny part of the natural history information given, you may be successful in preventing young birds from being removed from their natural site, while educating the public and yourself in the process."
--Marge Gibson in JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE REHABILITATION (1999)

From the Back Cover

Perfect for both the scientific ornithologist and the amateur birder, A Guide to the Nests, Eggs, and Nestlings of North American Birds provides a thorough, species-by-species guide to the breeding biology of the birds of North America. Some 669 breeding species are described in full, covering the birds of a vast area, from the Arctic to the southern boundary of the continental United States.
The main text presents complete basic information on the breeding cycle of each species, summarized in a natural sequence: nest habitat, nest-site, nest construction, breeding season, eggs, incubation and nesting and nestling period. Over 100 black-and-white drawings of nests and nestlings and identification keys provide valuable information on the identification of the nests, eggs, and nestlings of the species. Sixteen color plates show a wide range of typical young, mostly of species with precocial, or downy nestlings. A further 48 color plates show the eggs of 597 species (some with examples of the natural variations commonly encountered).
If your fascination in the nests, eggs, and nestlings of North American birds centers on identifying them in the field, you will find this book essential. If conservation is also a concern you will appreciate the value of understanding the breeding requirements and biology of even the most common of species. This book will prove invaluable whatever your interest in North American birds.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 347 pages
• Publisher: Academic Press; 2 edition (July 30, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0120728311
• ISBN-13: 978-0120728312
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,614,422 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

56 of 56 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb reference, May 30, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: A Guide to the Nests, Eggs and Nestlings of North American Birds, Second Edition (Natural World) (Paperback)

"A Guide to the Nests, Eggs, and Nestlings of North American Birds" by Baicich and Harrison is a sorely needed reference to a subject familiar and interesting to both casual birdwatchers and serious ornithologists. Up to now, the standard reference was Hal Harrison's "Birds' Nests" (one for the eastern U.S., another for the west), Peterson Field Guides published in 1975. As the title indicates, these books feature photographs of nests (one picture per species), most with eggs. Many nests (and eggs) look alike, and these books are not especially helpful in identifying nests or their contents. While the Peterson Guide to eastern nests, for example, covered only 285 species, the Baicich and Harrison book covers 669 species nesting in North America.

Baicich and Harrison have created a book that is both practical and beautiful. The first 16 color plates portray dozens of nestling birds -- even the most un-anthropomorphic of us will find many of them cute! A number of the plates show the distinctive "gapes" or open mouths of the nestlings. The rest of the nearly 50 plates are eggs, carefully rendered to show subtle characteristics in color and pattern and displayed to show relative size. For some species, more than one egg is shown to demonstrate variety. These plates are so well done that the varying degrees of gloss are captured, an extremely useful detail. Opposite each plate is a short description of the eggs of the family, a key to the species, and the page number of the text.

The text section contains additional black-and-white sketches of nestlings and nests of many species. Text is concise but thorough, covering breeding habitat, a description of the nest including materials and placement, dates of the breeding season, a description of the eggs including measurements, details on the incubation and nestling periods, and a description of the nestling.

The introductory material is worthwhile as well. A short section on the legal and ethical considerations of studying nesting birds is wisely included. Discussions on each of the items included in the text are presented. These go beyond a simple definition and into some detail. For instance, the paragraphs on eggshell color tell us that newly laid eggs can briefly have a pinkish hue; the types of pigments that color eggshells; that while there might be variation within the species, each female usually lays consistently-colored eggs; and what causes abnormally colored eggs. The mechanics of hatching and the types of nestlings and their anatomy are also covered. Next, there is fine text on responsible nest-finding techniques and an overview of nest monitoring and recording schemes. Finally, there are three keys: Nests, Eggs, and Young nestlings and chicks.

As a professional ornithologist, I rarely cracked open my Peterson Guide to nests. However, I often browse "A Guide to the Nests, Eggs, and Nestlings of North American Birds," even when I am not in need of an immediate reference. This is a book with a place on any bird lover's shelf.

24 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Good Reference Book, NOT a Field Guide., February 16, 2002

By 

Tracy L. Powell (Bangkok, Thailand) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Guide to the Nests, Eggs and Nestlings of North American Birds, Second Edition (Natural World) (Paperback)

First of all, let me stress to potential buyers that this book is NOT a field guide. It is however a rather thourough reference book. The authors describe what kind of habitat the birds breed in, what the nests look like, the eggs, incubation, the nestlings, and nestling period. They also tell when the breeding season is. There are very, very few drawings of nests. There are sixteen pages of color plates showing paintings of nestlings. And another forty-seven pages of color plates showing photos of eggs. The smaller eggs are shown actual size, but the larger eggs are shown 3/4's or 9/10's of actual size. Why not go ahead and make them actual size even if it means adding a few more pages? I think this book is a good companion to the Peterson guides to bird nests (where you will see actual bird nests with eggs.) It would be great if David Allen Sibley would write or at least illustrate the ultimate guide to bird nests.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Guide to Nests, Eggs and Nestlings of North American Birds, March 17, 2009

By 

Marianne (Pinellas County, FL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Guide to the Nests, Eggs, and Nestlings of North American Birds (Princeton Field Guides) (Paperback)

This is the most-often used text on the subject matter. Offers detailed descriptions as well as beautiful color figures of eggs. A must-have for anyone interested in the subject or conducting research in breeding ecology of North American birds.