Trogons, Laughing Falcons, and Other Neotropical Birds (Louise Lindsey Merrick Natural Environment Series) [Hardcover]

Alexander F. Skutch (Author), Dana Gardner (Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Venerable 94-year-old Skutch, author of over 25 books (Orioles, Blackbirds, and Their Kin, LJ 3/1/96), has observed nature in the tropics for 70 years, decades before "the rainforest" became the routine high-school assignment it is now. Aside from being a first-rate naturalist, he writes well, at times philosophically, andAdangerous for a scientistAemotionally. His new book has 19 chapters on a potpourri of subjects: various hummingbirds, flycatchers, snake-eating birds, and such unusual topics as "birdlike monkeys," "the strenuous lives of migratory birds," and "the birds I love." Much of the action centers around Skutch's farm in Costa Rica. Like his other books, this one has abundant insight and unique, first-hand observations of the lives of tropical animals and plants. For academic and larger public libraries.AHenry T. Armistead, Free Lib. of Philadelphia
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews

Skutch (A Naturalist Amid Tropical Splendor, 1987, etc.) has had the chance, the curiosity, and the resolvefor over 70 yearsto observe the habits of little-known tropical birds, and the gleanings here add random, intelligent insights to our stock of avian wonder. Now 94 years old, Skutch has spent most of his life in the tropics observing animals, and for the most part birds. This collection of essays concentrates on bird behavior that runs counter to form: raptors that nurse-maid small birds of other species, birds that make their home in the nests of arboreal termites or treetop vespiaries, the hunting peculiarities of the swallow-tailed kite (it gathers insects with its feet). He covers courtship activities of long-tailed hermits and adorable coquettes, the nesting ways of snowy-breast, beryl-crown, and violet-headed hummingbirds, and birdsong (his wife once heard a grayish saltator sing ``look now, you're a great big girl''). He knows his birds like other people know their cousins: Take the piratic flycatcher, which ``announces its presence by a variety of thin, breezy whistles that suggest a careless, easygoing, vagabond nature.'' His piece on the resemblance of marmosets and tamarinds, two primates, to tropical birdscoloration, grooming, vocalizations, diurnalityis a stretch: it fails to coalesce into a meaningful, let alone provocative, picture. But on the whole, the observations are keen fruits of a lifetime spent behind binoculars, and the writing is dignified and unadorned. A typical leisured and place-setting lead runs: ``As I walked along a woodland trail, a startled Great Tinamou rose from the ground ahead of me.'' Admittedly, there is material here that falls a few sparks short of explosivethe scant depth of the rufous piha's nest, for examplebut Skutch always invests his findings with the high purpose of bell-clear scholarship, even when of the footnote variety. (27 line drawings) -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: TAMU Press; 1st edition (March 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0890968500
• ISBN-13: 978-0890968505
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #694,611 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Insights on some interesting neotropical bird species., June 15, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Trogons, Laughing Falcons, and Other Neotropical Birds (Louise Lindsey Merrick Natural Environment Series) (Hardcover)

This may be Skutch's last book--the culmination of seven decades of careful observation of hundreds of bird species. Here he has selected some very interesting neotropicals and offers his own detailed, thoughtful insights into their habits, often citing other sources to round out the reader's appreciation of his subjects. His narrative style is objective yet personal--spoken as though he were standing right next to you while birding together. This book deserves a place in your library. It is a wonderful reference source as well as a good read. Skutch is truly a master and this is another important contribution to his body of excellent work.