Guide to Hawk Watching in North America (Birding Series) [Paperback]

Donald S. Heintzelman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2004 | Series: Birding Series

Originally published in its first edition by the University of Pennsylvania Press, Guide to Hawk Watching in North America has been a trusted friend to thousands of birders. Now in this completely revised edition, veteran birder Don Heintzelman provides updated "where and when" information to guide birders to the best raptor-viewing sites on the continent.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Hawk migrations are among the most extraordinary animal spectacles in the world. Each year tens of thousands of raptors follow the Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific coastlines, inland mountain ridges, and northern and western Great Lakes shorelines en route to their ancestral wintering grounds. As they do, they offer birders, ornithologists, and naturalists opportunities to observe their flight at scores of watch sites.
With this comprehensive guide, veteran hawk watcher Donald S. Heintzelman provides detailed information on 460 watch sites throughout North America and profiles forty-one species of diurnal raptors and vultures, including the cosmopolitan Peregrine Falcon, the critically endangered California Condor, and the elusive Golden Eagle.
Inside you'll find:
* Descriptions and directions to each watch site
* Seasonal migration ratings
* Information on flight style, voice, habitat, nesting, and range
* Special sections on Bald Eagle viewing, hawk identification, field equipment, and the mechanics of hawk flight
Whether you are a biologist, conservationist, or simply looking for a new adventure, let Guide to Hawk Watching in North America lead you to the best raptor-viewing sites on the continent.

About the Author

Don S. Heintzelman is a professional naturalist and nature writer. This is his twentieth book. He lives in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Product Details

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: FalconGuides; 2nd edition (July 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0762726709
• ISBN-13: 978-0762726707
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,933,016 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Guide to Hawk Watching in North America (FalconGuide), November 9, 2004

By 

Danny R. Kunkle (Lehighton, PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Guide to Hawk Watching in North America (Birding Series) (Paperback)

Reprinted from my review in Wildlife Activist, Number 49.

Guide to Hawk Watching in North America by Donald S. Heintzelman. 2004. Paper. Globe Pequot Press, Guilford, CT. $16.95.

In 1979, Don Heintzelman published his first edition of A Guide to Hawk Watching in North America. This pioneering guide (based on his previous guides to eastern hawk watching) provided the hawkwatcher with the two major essentials of hawk watching: information on raptor identification, especially migrating (i.e. flying) raptors, and places and times to observe migrating hawks. A quarter century has passed, hawk watching has become one of the most popular branches of birding, and much has been learned about hawk migration and identification, leading to the need for this 2004 FalconGuide edition. Little is changed in the format from the first edition except that the section of raptor photo plates of the 1979 guide has been deleted. (This makes sense in light of the fact that several excellent raptor ID guides now exist and are referenced here, while none existed in 1979.) Although the format is unchanged, the text has been updated, especially with respect to raptor watch sites, with the number of sites nearly doubled (to 460) in the current guide. Each site account includes a description of the site, how to find it, and a rating for spring and autumn flights based on a unique rating system developed by the author. In addition to raptor migration sites, there are also sections of Bald Eagle observation sites and of other raptor viewing sites. The species accounts include wingspan and length, field recognition, flight style, voice, nest, eggs, longevity (this is new and quite interesting), food, habits, and range in North America.

For the novice hawk watcher, here is all you need to get started or improve your skill. For the veteran, the guide is a good refresher on hawk migration and gives you an endless supply of sites to visit in North America. So whether you are a relative newcomer or a seasoned veteran with a dog-eared copy of the 1979 book, it is well worth the affordable price to invest in this FalconGuide edition of Guide to Hawk Watching in North America. DRK

5.0 out of 5 stars Guide to Hawk Watching in North America, January 30, 2005

By 

Jean Iron (Toronto, Ontario) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Guide to Hawk Watching in North America (Keystone Books) (Paperback)

This review by Ron Pittaway was published in OFO News 22(3):2 October 2004, newsletter of the Ontario Field Ornithologists.

Guide to Hawk Watching in North America. 2003. Second Edition. Donald S. Heintzelman. The Globe Pequot Press, Guilford, Connecticut. ISBN 0-7627-2670-9. Softcover, 425 pages. US$16.95.

This guide gives descriptions and directions to 460 spring and fall hawkwatching sites in North America. It rates them as poor, fair, good, excellent. Fourteen sites are described for Ontario. Amherst Island is listed under other viewing areas. The Fisherville area for winter viewing should be listed in the next edition. Bald Eagle watching etiquette and viewing areas are described.

Every North American diurnal raptor is described under these heading: field recognition, wingspread, length, flight style, voice, nest and eggs, longevity, food, habitat, and range in North America.

Included is information on watching hawks such as judging size and shape, flight style and behaviour, distance from observer and viewing angle, light conditions, habitat, field equipment, owl decoys, etc. The chapter on migration seasons has excellent visual bar graphs showing the spring and fall migration periods for eastern North America and a fall bar graph for western North America. The chapter on mechanics of hawk flights discusses weather conditions, deflective updrafts, lee waves, thermals, thermal streets, squall lines, and leading-lines.

I highly recommend this informative and useful book. It is the hawkwatcher's companion.