The Private Life of Birds by Stephen Moss
This book gives the reader an introduction to the wonderful life of birds. It's devided into 6 chapters:- Movement
- Migration
- Feeding
- Breeding
- Where Birds Live
- Birds and People
In those six chapters the author explains the reader a lotabout the life of birds. The reader will learn many fascinating facts, for example how dippers run underwater, the courtship dance of Great Crested Grebes, the tail of the Peacock, "weird waders" like the Wrybill or the Spoon-billed Sandpiper, the amazing breeding behavoir of hornbills and much more.
The bock is written from a British and European point of view, but also covers birds around the world, including North America.
The text is easy to follow and very readable. The author really knows how to write. Another highlight of the book are the very good photographs all over the book. Some show amazing behavior like one picture showing a cormorant steeling a fish out of a pelican's bill!!!
There are some small flaws in the book. On one page the author writes below a picture of the Pied-billed Grebe that it is a strong flyer, while in the text the bird is described as a poor flyer. Also, the Pied Kingfisher is not the only Kingfisher species using hovering to catch it's prey. Other species like the Belted Kingfisher also hover from time to time. The chapter on conservation is a little short in my opinion. The list of usefull addresses at the end of the book should also be longer. If gives only addresses of some British websites and organisations. It would be better to at least include Birdlife International and some other organisations from English speaking countries.
But all those complaints are only minor problems which should not keep you away from this beautiful book.
The book will be most useful to beginning birders and those who do not yet know much about the life and biology of birds. But even those birders who already know a lot about birds will find something new and interesing in this book. It would also make a great gift if you want to show someone how fascinating birds really are.
Book details:The Private Life of Birds Stephen Moss New Holland Publishers 208 pages ISBN-10: 1845374223 ISBN-13: 978-1845374228 |