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Peterson Reference Guide To Bird Behavior (Peterson Reference Guides) Kindle Edition
Both casual and serious bird watchers can take their skills to the next level with this detailed consideration of bird behavior. This book makes it possible to move beyond identifying birds to understanding some of the underpinning and meaning of what birds do, how they do it, and why. Written in an easy-to-understand style, with an abundance of photos illustrating the behaviors, the book shows how flight, molt, migration, feeding, predation, social dynamics, courtship, and nesting shape birds’ actions. Birds are everywhere and easy to observe; this introduction to elements of bird behavior will connect readers more intimately with these remarkable and beguilingly perceptive animals.
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherMariner Books
- Publication dateSeptember 1, 2020
- File size273.7 MB
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This option includes 4 books.
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"This intriguing guide to bird behavior may turn "bird brain" from an insult into a compliment...This nicely crafted guide is captivating, informative, and often amusing. It deserves a spot on the bird shelf of school, public, and academic libraries."—Booklist —
About the Author
JOHN KRICHER is Professor Emeritus of Biology at Wheaton College, Norton, MA, where for 48 years he taught ecology, ornithology, and vertebrate evolution. He is a Fellow in the American Ornithologists Union and is past president of the Association of Field Ornithologists, the Wilson Ornithological Society, and the Nuttall Ornithological Club. He has served on the board of the American Birding Association.
Product details
- ASIN : B08FMB2VT6
- Publisher : Mariner Books (September 1, 2020)
- Publication date : September 1, 2020
- Language : English
- File size : 273.7 MB
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Not Enabled
- Word Wise : Not Enabled
- Print length : 363 pages
- Best Sellers Rank: #256,221 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #29 in Outdoor & Nature Reference
- #33 in Bird Watching (Kindle Store)
- #338 in Outdoors & Nature Reference
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

I am a Professor of Biology at Wheaton College, Norton, Massachusetts. A graduate of Temple (B.A.) and Rutgers Universities (Ph.D.), I teach courses in ecology, ornithology, and vertebrate evolution.
I have conducted Earthwatch-sponsored research on migrant birds on their wintering grounds in Belize and I am the author of over 100 papers and articles in scientific journals, magazines, and newspapers. My most recent book, The Balance of Nature: Ecology’s Enduring Myth, was published by Princeton University Press in spring of 2009. I have also authored Galapagos: A Natural History, published in hard-cover by Smithsonian Institution Press in 2002 and in soft-cover by Princeton University Press in 2006. Other books include A Neotropical Companion, and three ecology field guides (Eastern Forests, Rocky Mountain and Southwestern Forests, California and Pacific Northwest Forests) in the Peterson series. I have also done two recorded lecture series, one on dinosaurs and one on ecology, published by Modern Scholar. I have even authored coloring books and first guides on various aspects of nature ranging from dinosaurs to seashores.
My current writing project is a comprehensive book on Tropical Ecology to be published by Princeton University Press in 2011.
I am a Fellow in the American Ornithologists Union and have served as president of the Association of Field Ornithologists and president of the Wilson Ornithological Society.
I have led numerous trips to many places including Cape May, Block Island, coastal New England, Arizona, the Pacific Northwest, Belize, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Peru, Ecuador, Galapagos Islands, Panama, and Trinidad. I have lectured for Linblad Tours of the Galapagos Islands, for Society Expeditions trips to Venezuela, Brazil, and Indonesia, and for Glacier Bay Cruise Lines in Alaska. My travels have also taken me to Tanzania, Antarctica, and numerous other places where wildlife abounds.
I spend a lot of time writing about where I have been and what I have learned in my travels. I have been an avid birder for just over a half century.
My wife Martha Vaughan and I divide our time between Pocasset, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod and Sunbury, Georgia.
Customer reviews
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Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the book's content fascinating and informative. They describe it as a great resource for beginners to understand bird biology and behavior. The writing quality is praised, with clear explanations without jargon. Readers appreciate the author's personable and knowledgeable style.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find the book's content interesting and well-written. They say it's a great book for beginners to understand bird biology and behavior. Many readers consider it their favorite bird book and a required text for Master Birders classes. The book provides a wealth of diverse bird behavior in an organized reference.
"...My favorite bird book so far. It may not be my husband’s, though, because every few minutes I say to him, “omg, did you know …?”..." Read more
"...He has packed a wealth of diverse bird behavior into this well-organized reference...." Read more
"...The pictures are fantastic and I'm loving how well-written and informative it is. So glad I purchased it!" Read more
"Almost like a quick course on ornithology. Scientifically based and the result of many years studying birds and natural systems...." Read more
Customers find the book well-written and engaging. They appreciate the author's clear explanations without excessive jargon. The book is organized in an accessible manner and the author is knowledgeable about bird behavior.
"...He has packed a wealth of diverse bird behavior into this well-organized reference...." Read more
"I heard about this book on ABA's podcast, and the author was so personable and knowledgeable, that I decided to purchase the book. I love it!..." Read more
"I absolutely love this book! It’s so well written and the content is fascinating!!" Read more
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on January 22, 2023This is one of those books that I am reading slowly because I don’t want it to be over. It’s packed with interesting info about birds but doesn’t read like a boring textbook. My favorite bird book so far. It may not be my husband’s, though, because every few minutes I say to him, “omg, did you know …?” If you love birds, you will love this book.
- Reviewed in the United States on November 7, 2020I like John Kricher's style; he explains things well without undue jargon. He has packed a wealth of diverse bird behavior into this well-organized reference. It gives anyone who reads it a greater appreciation for the flexibility of response to their environment that birds have evolved. They are certainly not hard-wired automatons!
We may not always know WHY they are doing a certain behavior, but it's fascinating to watch them and try to figure it out.
- Reviewed in the United States on January 26, 2021I heard about this book on ABA's podcast, and the author was so personable and knowledgeable, that I decided to purchase the book. I love it! I think it should be the required text for Master Birders classes! The pictures are fantastic and I'm loving how well-written and informative it is. So glad I purchased it!
- Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2021Almost like a quick course on ornithology. Scientifically based and the result of many years studying birds and natural systems. It all comes together quite well.
- Reviewed in the United States on April 17, 2021A great book for beginner birders to understand bird biology and behavior.
- Reviewed in the United States on December 6, 2020I absolutely love this book! It’s so well written and the content is fascinating!!
Top reviews from other countries
- AlReviewed in Canada on January 21, 2021
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book
The book is very informative and well written. I enjoy the author's writing style and I am very happy with my purchase.