Michigan Bird Watching: A Year-Round Guide [Paperback]

Bill Thompson III (Author), The Staff of Bird Watcher's Digest (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 29, 2005

There are no state-specific books on how to appreciate birds and learn more about them. Like gardening, bird watching is a regional hobby, and the birds that frequent the backyards of Missouri differ from the birds found in Michigan. This series targets beginning and intermediate bird watchers from each Midwestern state.

The books are state-specific and highlight the birds that are found in each state. In addition to the profile, each bird entry includes a map to identity the specific range covered by the bird.

100 birds are presented via full-color photographs for accurate identification.

Full-color seasonal section informs the reader of: the migrating birds that can be seen that month, the foods that attract those birds, the plants that can assist in attracting birds.

Our partner, Bird Watcher's Digest, has sold more than 4 million copies of their booklets on bird varieties, bird habitat, feeding, and related outdoor topics.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Thompson is the editor of Bird Watcher's Digest, a bimonthly magazine with seventy thousand subscribers.

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson (March 29, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1591861675
• ISBN-13: 978-1591861676
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 6.8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,673,001 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

BILL THOMPSON III is the editor of Bird Watcher's Digest and the author of the Peterson Field Guide Young Birder's Guide to Birds of Eastern North America and Identify Yourself: The 50 Most Common Birding Identification Challenges. He lives with his wife, author and illustrator Julie Zickefoose, and their two children in Ohio.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended, October 27, 2005

By 

E. A. Lovitt "starmoth" (Gladwin, MI USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Michigan Bird Watching: A Year-Round Guide (Paperback)

I was one of the participants in the second edition of "The Atlas of Breeding Birds of Michigan" and counted a total of 44 birds on my assigned patch of territory. This book features 100 of the 'most commonly encountered birds' that can be spotted in Michigan (not all of them breed here). Most, but not all of the birds appear in color photographs (one notable absence is the red-breasted nuthatch).

Before the listings for the individual birds begin, "Michigan Bird Watching" lays out the state's ecoregions, followed by very useful information on bird watching by season.

There are all sorts of useful lists in this book. "Michigan's Ten Best Bird Watching Spots," a page of "Resources for Michigan Bird Watchers," and "Ten Tips for Beginning Bird Watchers" are some examples.

There is a chapter on feeding and housing birds, plus other tips for attracting birds to your property. In the "Nest Box Tips for Landlords," I was surprised to learn that perches by the entry into the nesting box are unnecessary, and may even attract predators.

Instructions on how to use this book precede the hundred bird listings. Each full-page listing includes a color photograph, and sections labeled, "All about," "Habitat and Range," "Feeding," "Nesting," and "Backyard and Beyond."

I've only seen ONE of the birds in this book's "Michigan's Ten Must-See Birds" so I've got a long way to go.

If I could have requested just a few more items in this book, they would have been: male/female and or summer/winter color differences within a species; and photographs of the species' nests and eggs. Otherwise this is an excellent, fact-filled introduction to Michigan birds.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bird Watching, June 14, 2007

By 

Jane Austin (Michigan) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Michigan Bird Watching: A Year-Round Guide (Paperback)

I highly recommend this book to anyone in Michigan with a Bird Feeder in their yard. This book is very informative and is easy to use. The birds in this book are definately the types you will see in your yard and on local waterways. We are thrilled with this product!

4 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars BIRD BOOKS AND IDENTIFICATIONS, January 9, 2007

By 

Linda K. Manikas "GRANDMA LINDA" (HARRISON TOWNSHIP, MI) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Michigan Bird Watching: A Year-Round Guide (Paperback)

THIS BOOK WAS IMMEDIATELY HELPFUL IN IDENTIFICATION OF SEVERAL BIRDS IN OUR BACK YARD. I WILL USE THIS BOOK FOR THE YEAR ROUND MIGRATION ID.