Customer Reviews

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

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"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.

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.

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.

I've had this book since it first got published in paperback (late 90's I think). As a forest biologist who often finds broken eggshells at the base of trees I need a reference like this. It is the first book I go to and the pictures are invaluable. Like other reviewers have already stated- I wish the pictures were all life size--I often hold up the egg fragments to the egg picture and for those that are shown lifesized- it's amazing how they match. I also agree with others that this is a reference and not a guide per se. It needs to be more complete to be a guide and needs more photos--especially of the nests which are hand drawn in this book-- It truly is a sorely needed reference book-but I'm hoping the publishers are reading---I've introduced this book to many biologist who upon first seeing it are in awe that there is such a book out there and we all found it useful- but after the initial puppy love syndrome is over, we're all left wishing there were a more complete book out there.

While I have the publisher's attention(I hope)- can we get a guide to feathers? If not of all birds....at least raptors (including owls)??

Thanks for reading

This book provides 16 color plates of nestlings and 48 of eggs. There is also summary information on each species referencing plates and illustrations. It is a well organized and helpful book. My only small problem is that it is a little larger and heavier than I expected, which makes it a little harder to use in the field.

I find it hard to believe that anyone else out there could be as interested in nests and eggs as me, but if you are, this book is a wealth of information that must have taken quite a lot of research to compile.

I work as a biologist and sometimes do breeding bird surveys, and this book is my first stop for info on what a nest looks like, what an egg looks like, or the breeding biology and nesting behavior of certain birds.

I haven't yet tried to ID a nest by shape, size, and construction alone, and I'm a little leery of the idea that an inexperienced person could properly ID a nest without seeing the bird. I don't know if this book could really help you with that.

For anyone who owns the second edition with the tern and chick on the white cover, this is just a re-covering of that book. Same good, useful, unchanged reference content, different cover.

This is not a book to sit down and read. It is a great reference for any nature lover, beginner to expert, who may find a nest or egg and wonder whose it is. Illustrates subtle differences between species. Well organized.

I was hoping for something that offer a greater selection of birds. Very limited on varities, species.

A field guide to....WHAT?????

Nestlings?! You gotta be kidding, Paul. Let me tell you something about nestlings. If you see one you don't recognize, just wait for Mother to show up. Then you'll know what kind of nestling it is, trust me.

How do I know? Well, let's just say that I work in an industrial zone considered gull territory by the local gulls (common gull, black headed gull and lesser black backed gull, to be exact). They seem to lay their eggs pretty much anywhere, and the other day their nestlings started running around at "our" parking lot, just outside the company building. Did we reach for a field guide to nestlings? Nupe, not exactly. Rather, we were busy trying to get away from the attacking adults!!! Common gulls, definitely. Mother Common even blocked our entrance. Later, the common gulls decided that blue collar shift workers aren't worthy of their attention, so they (and the nestlings) moved across the street, giving the white collar office workers the screaming & diving treatment. Thank god we don't have skuas on our front porch! As for eggs, nobody in his or her right mind would as much as touch an egg at that parking lot.

Besides, I thought egg collection was illegal, immoral and plain wrong??!!

And now, let's all run for cover!!! :D