Customer Reviews

Wild Bird Guide: Northern Cardinal (Wild Bird Guides)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.)

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.

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.

Enjoyable, thorough primer with excellent photos. I've read three of these Wild Bird Guides and they're all good.

This is a book on Cardinals that adults would more be interested in because of the details about their behavior.I was astounded when I found out that female cardinals change their nestlings' diapers,that is they remove the fecal sacks from the nests.There's alot of this type info in the book and the photography is superb.I actually found myself staring at the detailed,plentiful photos,particulary the mother feeding the nestlings.The cardinal is far from being a simple creature with simple habits and this book highlights their complex behaviors.A child would appreciate the photos but the text although very readable is more to the adult bend.I'm familiar with the cardinal's "chip chip" noises at the birdfeeder,but now I also know a little about their numerous and varied songs as well.I'm also more aware of where they are and know alittle about what they're doing when they're not at the feeder---(year round too.including those bitter winters they have so well adapted to-with a little help from generous humans.)

There is a lot of interesting information for the average backyard birder that wants to know more about the life of the cardinal.

I recommend any book from the series. Currently I own 6 of these wild bird guides and they have all been fascinating to read. The pictures are outstanding as well.