Peterson Reference Guide to Bird Behavior - Hardcover

by John Kricher (Author)

A fascinating look at what birds do and why they do it

Both casual and serious birdwatchers 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 to what birds do, how they do it, and why they do it. 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 behavior, courtship, and nesting shape birds' behaviors. 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.

Author Biography

JOHN KRICHER is professor emeritus of biology at Wheaton College, where for forty-eight years he taught ecology, ornithology, and vertebrate evolution. His most recent book is The New Neotropical Companion. Kricher has also written Tropical Ecology, now the leading textbook on global tropical ecology. Among his other books are The Balance of Nature: Ecology's Enduring Myth, Galapagos: A Natural History, and A Field Guide to Eastern Forests. Kricher is a fellow of 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.