Wild Bird Guide: Northern Cardinal (Wild Bird Guides) [Paperback]

Gary Ritchison (Author)

Book Description

Series: Wild Bird Guides | Publication Date: August 1, 1997

"Packed with information, the writing is clear and direct and accessible to bird watchers at every level." - -Eirik Blom, Birdwatcher's Digest

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Gary Ritchison is a professor at Eastern Kentucky University. He has been published in numerous ornithological journals and is the author of Northern Cardinal. He lives in Richmond, Kentucky.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Stackpole Books; 1st edition (August 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811731006
• ISBN-13: 978-0811731003
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #225,178 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fine handbook., July 30, 1998

By 

WD Grissom (Cabot, Arkansas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Wild Bird Guide: Northern Cardinal (Wild Bird Guides) (Paperback)

Here is the everything you want to know about America's most charming songbirds.
Their taxonomy and distribution, food and feeding habits, calls and songs (males and females both sing, unlike most species), behavior, breeding and development, and relations with humans (excellent, you will be happy to learn), are comprehensively but succinctly covered, in a highly readable narrative with a generous selection of excellent photos.
Professor Ritchison's work is highly recommended for libraries and students, and a fine gift for that birdwatcher.

(The "score" rating is an unfortunately ineradicable feature of the page. This reviewer does not "score" books.)

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Northern Cardinal, March 13, 2005

By 

K Scheffler (Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Wild Bird Guide: Northern Cardinal (Wild Bird Guides) (Paperback)

As one expects from books in the Wild Bird Guide series, the volume on the Northern Cardinal is well written, easy to read, and packed with essential information and beautiful color photos. Gary Ritchison is also the author of another volume in the series on the Downy Woodpecker. As with that book, the text is somewhat more substantial than in other books in the series, most notably that on the Black-capped Chickadee. Overall, an excellent book, and I look forward to reading others in the series.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars An impressive, informative guide, January 22, 2004

By 

sauerkraut - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wild Bird Guide: Northern Cardinal (Wild Bird Guides) (Paperback)

I think that this guide--Northern Cardinal--is a gratifying and educational tool to the natural history of the northern cardinal. It was published in 1997 and written by ornithologist Gary Ritchison. The guide is 122 pages and consists of 11 chapters. The color photos are pleasing and revealing. Examples of topics that are discussed are taxonomy and distribution, food and feeding habits, vocal behavior, the breeding season, the nonbreeding period, and relations with humans. Behavioral aspects of the northern cardinal that I find to be especially fascinating are the ability of both sexes to sing and the regional dialects that they display throughout their geographical range. Northern cardinals are interesting, pretty birds that I enjoy observing and attracting with birdfeeders and birdbaths. Actually, I rate this guide 3.5 stars--it is thorough and impressive.