Hummingbirds of North America: Attracting, Feeding, and Photographing [Paperback]

Dan True (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1995

"Ace photographer Dan True conveys his passion for these buzzing aeronauts by describing all 16 species of North American hummers, listing their favorite flowers and going into detail about their habits, courtship, and distribution. He then tells us how to photograph them as he does with such consummate skill. Here in one book is all you could hope to know about our hummingbirds north of the border."--Roger Tory Peterson

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Hummingbirds are perennially popular, and True, a pilot, amateur naturalist, and retired meteorologist, offers a good addition to this genre of bird book. He devotes almost half his work to discussing hummingbirds' habits, biology, migration, colors (including their remarkable iridescence), and photographing them, and he includes a lengthy chapter on how to feed these jewels of the bird world. The rest of the book has accounts of the 16 regularly occurring species with measurements, photos of both sexes, range, habits, habitat, and other life history details. True's text is full of anecdotes as well as references to the scientific literature. His terminology is unorthodox ("habitation" vs. breeding range; "specifications" versus measurements). Appended are state/provincial lists of expected species plus rarer ones, their periods of occurrence, and lengthy lists of favored flowers. Recommended for larger natural history collections.
- Henry T. Armistead, Thomas Jefferson Univ. Lib., Philadelphia
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Inside Flap

A fully illustrated guide, keyed state by state, to all 16 species of North American hummers, including all of their personal quirks and habits.

Product Details

• Paperback: 221 pages
• Publisher: University of New Mexico Press (April 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0826315720
• ISBN-13: 978-0826315724
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 7 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #742,388 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the true joys of nature..., September 7, 2008

By 

John P. Jones III (Albuquerque, NM, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Hummingbirds of North America: Attracting, Feeding, and Photographing (Paperback)

...announced by that high-pitched hum that is the onomatopoeia origins for the bird's name. Dan True explains in his introduction that when he lived in the Palo Duro canyon, near Amarillo, he was actually trying to photograph the bird at the opposite end of the size spectrum - the bald eagle - when his obsession with the hummingbird began. This book is a distillation of his experiences with these magnificent creatures, valuable for the specialist, as well as those who simply hang a feeder in their backyard.

In this book he covers their migration, one of whose principal routes, no doubt due to the uplift provided, is along the Continental Divide. He raises reasonable speculation that the tiny Rufous might actually fly further than the known distance record set by the Arctic tern, which is 11,000 plus miles as it makes its way from the Arctic to the Antarctic. He also covers their colors, mating habits, nesting, and predators. He provides practical advice on feeders, the timing for placing them outside, and the recommended percentage of sugar, which my wife faithfully follows, with excellent results. He also identifies the flowers most likely to attract them. The section on feeding is a good fourth of the book.

Almost half the book is a specific guide to the 16 breeding species in North America. The guide includes their geographic distribution, with maps, excellent photographs of each, their winter locations and size specifications. Of the species, the Rufous is the most aggressive. He also includes a detailed chapter on how to photograph the birds, and appendixes on hummer "trivia" and geographical distribution by state.

This is an essential book for anyone wanting to expand one's knowledge about this most unique bird category.

5.0 out of 5 stars Hummingbird guide, December 23, 2011

By 

Naomi J. Waynee (Buckeye, AZ USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Hummingbirds of North America: Attracting, Feeding, and Photographing (Paperback)

I bought this book as a gift for a friend who is an avid hummingbird watcher. She loved it. It has listings for species with photographs, location guides, tips for feeding, trivia and how to photograph hummers. Worth the cost for anyone interested in hummingbirds.

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect for the Humming bird lover, November 13, 2009

By 

Marilyn S. Clark (Evergreen, Colorado United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Hummingbirds of North America: Attracting, Feeding, and Photographing (Paperback)

We really enjoy watching humming birds and have several books about them. This book, however, stands out as the best we've found to date! It is filled with lots of well organized information and pictures. We are pleased to have it in our library.