Search results for ""author bird"

Uh-oh! Some birds start building a nest on Perch Elementary’s flagpole. Then above the school’s doorway and even in the eaves spout! Finally, they find the perfect spot—the bald head of Basil Berkmeister, the school’s custodian! Should Basil get rid of his new hairdo...or adopt them as if they’re his own children? The birds do come to think of him as their father...and even give him a surprise on Father’s Day. Silly mixed-media illustrations complement this one-of-a-kind story.

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Part history, part travelogue, and part reportage, Yard Birds takes the reader on a tour-de-force journey across America, past and present, to profile its urban chickens housed in luxury coops or dying at yearly rituals. What emerges is a compelling picture of city chickens.

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From the tiny rufous hummingbird to the majestic bald eagle, Colorado is home to more than 496 types of birds, making it one of the finest birding destinations in the world. Preserved habitats created by local, state, and national authorities have helped foster and protect nesting sites for hundreds of species, 235 of which are featured in their natural habitats, from Great Plains to Rocky Mountains, in this ornithological guide. The birds are organized by type from waterfowl to finches and appear in beautiful color photographs accompanied by clear and concise introductions, identification tips, and habitat and birdsong descriptions. The book also includes a complete state bird checklist and a directory of birding destinations, making this field guide the perfect companion for anyone interested in learning more about the natural history of Colorado and the diversity of the state’s birds and where to see them.

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Flann O'Brien's innovative metafictional work, whose unruly characters strike out their own paths in life to the frustration of their author, At Swim-Two-Birds is a brilliant impressionistic jumble of ideas, mythology and nonsense published in Penguin Modern Classics.Flann O'Brien's first novel tells the story of a young, indolent undergraduate, who lives with his curmudgeonly uncle in Dubin and spends far too much time drinking with his friends. When not drunk or in bed he likes to invent wild stories peoples with hilarious and unlikely characters - but somehow his creations won't do what he wants them to. A dazzling work of farce, satire, folklore and absurdity that gives full rein to its author's dancing intellect and Celtic wit, At Swim-Two-Birds is both a brilliant comic send-up of Irish literature and culture, and a portrayal of Dublin to compare with Joyce's Ulysses.Brian Ó Nualláin, (1911-1966), better known by his pseudonym Flann O'Brien, was born in Strabane, County Tyrone, and studied at University College Dublin before joining the Irish Civil Service. Ifyou enjoyed At Swim-Two-Birds, you might like Vladimir Nabokov's Pale Fire, also available in Penguin Modern Classics.'This is just the book to give your sister if she's a loud, dirty, boozy girl'Dylan Thomas'That's a real writer, with the true comic spirit'James Joyce, author of Ulysses'A brilliant, beer-soaked miniature masterpiece'Time

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Take a dawn walk through the pages of Listen to the Birds and discover forty species of North American birds, guided by expertly informed text and gorgeous illustrations. Then, hold a phone with the paired app up to the art and watch—and listen—as the birds spring to life and sing. From the woods of the East to the deserts and plains of the West, and common species such as cardinals and robins to lesser-known birds such as the Western Wood-Pewee and the Black-Headed Grosbeak, ornithologist Donald Kroodsma showcases his unparalleled knowledge of each bird’s songs and calls, behavior, and habitat. With Léna Mazilu’s gorgeous artwork and the free, easy-to-use supplementary Birdie Memory mobile app, Listen to the Birds is a unique way for birders of all ages to experience the magic and delight of birdsong together with the incomparable knowledge of one of the world’s leading ornithologists.

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The first book about the Albatross Press, a Penguin precursor that entered into an uneasy relationship with the Nazi regime to keep Anglo-American literature alive under fascism The Albatross Press was, from its beginnings in 1932, a “strange bird”: a cultural outsider to the Third Reich but an economic insider. It was funded by British-Jewish interests. Its director was rumored to work for British intelligence. A precursor to Penguin, it distributed both middlebrow fiction and works by edgier modernist authors such as D. H. Lawrence, Virginia Woolf, James Joyce, and Ernest Hemingway to eager continental readers. Yet Albatross printed and sold its paperbacks in English from the heart of Hitler’s Reich. In her original and skillfully researched history, Michele K. Troy reveals how the Nazi regime tolerated Albatross—for both economic and propaganda gains—and how Albatross exploited its insider position to keep Anglo-American books alive under fascism. In so doing, Troy exposes the contradictions in Nazi censorship while offering an engaging detective story, a history, a nuanced analysis of men and motives, and a cautionary tale.

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The International Politics of Bird Conservation assesses international cooperation on migratory and endangered birds in different regions of the world. Robert Boardman illustrates that - although birds are protected in international treaties, by national legislation and through the projects of non-governmental organizations - the threats to many species have mounted. Threats arise from ecologically inappropriate agricultural and forestry practices, the spread of cities and the draining of wetlands, among other factors. The author focuses on regional cooperation between governments, NGOs and international organizations. It questions the effectiveness of international cooperation on the protection of birds, particularly migratory and endangered species. The rise of conservation-related scientific research and the historical evolution of bird protection efforts are discussed, as are regional developments in Africa, the Americas, the Arctic, Antarctica, Asia, Australasia, and Europe. The author concludes by identifying emerging trends in environmental governance and suggesting reforms to strengthen these arrangements.This book will prove a fascinating read for researchers, academics, organizations and specialists in a wide range of fields including: bird conservation and wildlife protection, environmental law and policy, global governance, regionalism and transborder cooperation.

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Free the Beasts. Live the Adventure.Battle Beasts and fight Evil with Tom and Elenna in the bestselling adventure series for boys and girls aged 7 and up!In the mysterious Netherworld, Tom and Elenna are following an enchanted map on their Quest to defeat their old enemy, the Evil Wizard Malvel. Four brave young adventurers have been kidnapped and now our heroes must face a giant two-headed bird-Beast as they battle to save the day!There are FOUR thrilling adventures to collect in The Netherworld series - don't miss out! Ossiron the Fleshless Killer; Styx the Lurking Terror; Kaptiva the Shrieking Siren and Velakro the Lightning Bird.If you like Beast Quest, check out Adam Blade's other series: Team Hero, Sea Quest, Beast Quest: New Blood and Space Wars.

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Soar through the sky with best-selling author Ben Hoare and discover some of the most exquisite birds on our planet.The seventh book in the bestselling Children's Anthologies series, An Anthology of Exquisite Birds explores some of the most impressive birds on our planet.Children aged 7-9 can marvel at the miniature bee hummingbird that flaps its wings 200 times a second or the oilbird that navigates pitch-black caves using echolocation, in this striking collection showcasing more than 90 birds.This impressive bird anthology for kids offers:- A wide selection of birds featured throughout, each accompanied by a beautiful photograph and an illustration.- The 7th book in the bestselling Children's Anthologies series, selling more than 39,000 copies in the UK.- A quality gift book, with metallic foil all over, a ribbon and striking photographs on every page.An Anthology of Exquisite Birds pairs photography with

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First published by the RSPB in 1998, this book is a practical guide to surveying and monitoring techniques for use in the breeding season - in assessing breeding success as well as population levels - and during the winter. It gives instructions for more than 120 UK bird species, mainly those of conservation concern. Methods used in the UK's main national bird monitoring schemes are also outlined with advice on how to participate in them. In addition, the publication provides advice on the reliability of the methods, sampling, statistics and species protection. An essential reference for all involved in bird monitoring programmes. This is a reprint edition of 1901930033 published in 1998.

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A comprehensive, fully illustrated field guide to the birds of ChinaChina is home to some of the most spectacular birdlife to be found anywhere in the world. This richly illustrated field guide covers every species found throughout the region, including numerous endemic and globally threatened species. Detailed species accounts cover everything from biometrics and habitat to behavior, distribution, and voice, and each one comes with illustrations of the species and a color distribution map. A landmark achievement, Birds of China is the ideal companion for travelers to China and a must for any birder’s bookshelf. The first complete English-language field guide to China’s wondrously diverse birdlife Covers nearly 1,500 species, including endemics and threatened birds Features a wealth of breathtaking color plates painted by leading Chinese artists Includes some 4,000 images that illustrate every species Discusses China’s geography and zoogeography Shares invaluable advice on birding practices and ethics

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A richly hued and hilarious story for all little Wakey Birds who can’t (or won’t) go to sleepThe jungle is a fascinating place full of strange and wonderful creatures, but the most interesting creature of all is the Wakey Bird. They are called Wakey Birds because they have trouble sleeping, and tonight the littlest Wakey Bird is finding it harder than ever. Neither the Soothing Shushers nor the Go-To-Sleep Leapers can lull this little bird to sleep. What will happen if she wakes up the Jungle Beast with her midnight cheeping?

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Even the most well-informed wildlife enthusiast will be entertained by the stories and fascinating facts in the beautifully illustrated book. Our ancestors hunted, tamed, worshipped and depicted birds, and even bestowed magical properties upon them. Why did ancient writers consider the sparrow a lustful creature? Which bird was killed and hung up to predict the weather? And what was an 'arse-foot'? Wildlife photographer and history journalist Simon Wills explores the intriguing and at times bizarre stories behind our relationship with birds. Find out why robins feature on Christmas cards, and how Mozart was persuaded to keep a pet starling. What bird did Florence Nightingale carry around in her pocket? How did the blue tit get its name? Whole careers have been created around birds - from falconers to ostrich farmers - and birds have had great symbolic importance too. Discover, for example, why Raleigh bicycles carry a heron logo and why church lectems are in the shape of an eagle. If you enjoy wildlife, then this book is full of surprises. Pigeons were trained to carry messages in wartime, but could gulls be taught to hunt U-boats? And which American president's parrot started swearing at his funeral?

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Maya Angelou's seven volumes of autobiography are a testament to the talents and resilience of this extraordinary writer. Loving the world, she also knows its cruelty. As a Black woman she has known discrimination and extreme poverty, but also hope, joy,achievement and celebration. In this first volume of her six books of autobiography, Maya Angelou beautifully evokes her childhood with her grandmother in the American south of the 1930s. She learns the power of the white folks at the other end of town and suffers the terrible trauma of rape by her mother's lover.

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A crack shot, expert skinner and tanner, seamstress, sculptor, and later writer—a list that only hints at her intelligence and abilities—Ella Elgar Bird Dumont was one of those remarkable women who helped tame the Texas frontier. First married at sixteen to a Texas Ranger, she followed her husband to Comanche Indian country in King County, where they lived in a tepee while participating in the final slaughter of the buffalo. Living off the land until the frontier was opened for ranching, Ella and Tom Bird typified the Old West ideals of self-sufficiency and generosity, with a hesitancy to complain about the hard life in the late 1800s. Yet, in one important way, Ella Dumont was unsuited for life on the frontier. Endowed with an instinctive desire and ability to carve and sculpt, she was largely prevented from pursuing her talents by the responsibilities of marriage and frontier life and later, widowhood with two small children. Even though her second marriage, to Auguste Dumont, made life more comfortable, the realities of her existence still prevented the fulfillment of her artistic longings. Ella Bird Dumont’s memoir is rich with details of the frontier era in Texas, when Indian depredations were still a danger for isolated settlers, where animals ranged close enough to provide dinner and a new pair of gloves, and where sheer existence depended on skill, luck, and the kindness of strangers. The vividness and poignancy of her life, coupled with the wealth of historical material in the editor’s exhaustive notes, make this Texas pioneer’s autobiography a very special book.

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The lives and habitats of two majestic bird species are shared through striking space, aerial, and surface photographs to artfully convey the fragile elegance of life on Earth.New perspectives can inspire us to think differently about our place in the universe. The first photos of Earth from space showed the home of all known life as a small “blue marble” in a vast darkness and are thought by many to have inspired the environmental movement. For Dr. Roberta L. Bondar, the first female Canadian astronaut and the world’s first neurologist in space, the rare perspective she enjoyed aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery enhanced her reverence for the world we share with non-human life— especially birds, the only animals also able to fly vast distances across the globe. In Space for Birds: Patterns and Parallels of Beauty and Flight, Bondar, also an accomplished professional nature and landscape photographer, focuses her lens on

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Eleven-year-old December knows everything about birds, and everything about getting kicked out of foster homes. All she has of her biological mum is the book she left behind, The Complete Guide to Birds, Volume One, and a photo with a message: 'In flight is where you'll find me.' December knows she's truly a bird, just waiting for the day she transforms and flies away to reunite with her mum. The scar on her back must be where her wings have started to blossom – she just needs to practise and to find the right tree. She has no choice; it's the only story that makes sense. When she's placed with Eleanor, a new foster mum who runs a taxidermy business and volunteers at a wildlife rescue, December begins to see herself and what home means in a new light. But the story she tells herself about her past is what's kept December going this long, and she doesn't know if she can let go of it ... even if changing her story might mean that she can finally find a place where she belongs.

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This children's book covers everything you need to know about birds, from eagles, owls, and parrots, to hummingbirds, penguins, and birds of paradise.Find out how birds from around the world fly, feed, sense the world, communicate, build nests, protect their eggs, raise chicks, keep their feathers in top condition, defend themselves, and travel in search of food and nesting sites.Packed with information, photographs, and colourful illustrations, DKfindout! Birds is the ultimate kids bird book.The DKfindout! series introduces children to a range of exciting topics in a fun, engaging way. Checked by specialist consultants and an educational expert this is not only a source of information you can trust, but one that is age-appropriate and supportive of schoolwork. Ranging from core topics, to more specialized subjects, the DKfindout! series will inspire and delight kids.

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Written by well-known birders and native Mainers, and based on their years of experience answering questions, leading bird walks, and teaching people about birds, Maine's Favorite Birds puts the focus on Maine's most-loved and best-known birds. This makes the book uniquely suited to bird enthusiasts who want to identify and learn more about the birds around them without the expense and confusion of more advanced field guides. Maine's Favorite Birds features each bird beautifully illustrated in large format, accompanied by clear and concise identification tips, habitat references, and easy-to-remember song descriptions. It also includes birding hot spots and ways birders can put their observations to use for science and conservation. Maine's Favorite Birds is perfect for everyone from kids to grandparents, parents to teachers, Mainers and tourists alike anyone who wants to know and better appreciate the birds they see in backyards, parks, wild areas, and nature preserves.

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Full of interesting facts and useful information, Birds of Georgia is a field guide geared to both the casual backyard observer and the experienced naturalist. The book features over 300 of Georgia's most abundant or notable bird species, each one illustrated in color.

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An Aviary of Small Birds is both elegy to a stillborn son and testament to the redemptive qualities of poetry as a transformative art. The book opens at the birth, which paradoxically becomes the moment of death when, after a long labour and an emergency caesarean, the baby's heart gives out. For the mother, her body flooded with endorphins, euphoria gives way to shock, followed by an intense and visceral grief. However, just as grief itself is not linear, so too the book follows an emotional rather than a strictly chronological arc, lyric rather than narrative. At the same time, McCarthy Woolf's formal experimentation allows an intellectual and metaphysical line of enquiry to emerge. Ultimately, it is a closely felt connection with the natural world, particularly with water and birds, that allows the author to transcend the experience and honour the spirit of her son.

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‘High from the earth I heard a bird’ - Emily Dickinson Eric Fitch Daglish (1892-1966) was a wood engraver, writer and illustrator. His book 'Woodcuts of British Birds' was published in 1925. Daglish learnt the art of wood engraving from Paul Nash and became known for his illustrations of the natural world. He illustrated an edition of Gilbert White’s 'Natural History of Selborne' and he both wrote and illustrated several books on natural history, including 'Birds of the British Isles', 1948. Beautifully produced in hardback with lined paper and ribbon marker, this makes a perfect gift for bird watchers and nature lovers.

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Lutwack looks at birds in poetry and as metaphor (the swan, the nightingale); birds and the supernatural; birds trapped and hunted; birds and the erotic (D.H. Lawrence's work); and birds in the future, in terms of environmental threat.

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Discover birds who survive winter against all odds in this poetic, gorgeously illustrated picture book Snowflakes whirling, snow-flocks swirling, streaks of white twirl through the night . . . You’ve heard of birds who migrate to warmer climates in the wintertime—but what about those who persevere through snowy weather and freezing temperatures? With elegant verse and striking illustrations, Snow Birds salutes the brave and resourceful birds who adapt to survive the coldest months.

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Birds have inspired people since the dawn of time. They are the notes behind Mozart's genius, the colours behind Audubon's art and ballet's swansong. In The Birds They Sang, Stanislaw Lubienski sheds light on some of history's most meaningful bird and human interactions, from historical bird watchers in a German POW camp, to Billy and Kes in A Kestrel for a Knave. He muses on what exactly Hitchcock's birds had in mind, and reveals the true story behind the real James Bond. Undiscouraged by damp, discomfort and a reed bunting's curse, Lubienski bears witness to the difficulties birds face today as people fail to accommodate them in rapidly changing times. A soaring exploration of our fascination with birds, The Birds They Sang opens a vast realm of astonishing sounds, colours and meanings - a complete world in which we humans are never alone.

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“Whether you are an experienced birder or just learning natural history, this book will deepen your sense of place and open insights to beauty, wonder, and connection to the natural world.”—John Muir Laws, author of The Laws Field Guide to the Sierra NevadaNow in paperback! This charming, full-color field guide to 25 birds easily found in Berkeley proves that even the city’s avian residents are a little quirky. Meticulously detailed illustrations capture each bird’s distinctive physicality and temperament. A Burrowing Owl faces you in a full head-on shot, perhaps having just raised its raspy, chattering alarm call as you trespass on its last remaining Bay Area foothold at the Marina. The Anna’s Hummingbird gives you a coy backward glance to assess if you’ve properly admired its flashing throat feathers, maybe having just performed its signature J-shaped courtship dive. While descriptions of identification and vocalizations are straightforward, author-illustrator Oliver James takes a delightfully creative approach to his write-ups of each species. A joy to read and pore over, Birds of Berkeley will enchant readers far beyond the city limits with its findings gleaned from painstaking and patient wildlife observation.

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With over 1800 species, Peru has the second richest avifauna of any country in the world. As a consequence it is one of the most popular birding destinations in South America. This will be the first comprehensive and fully illustrated field guide to the birds of Peru. Text is arranged opposite the plates, in conventional field guide manner. The combination of authoritative text and superb artwork will set new standards for South American field guides.

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Thomas Hardy notes the thrush’s ‘full-hearted evensong of joy illimited’, Gilbert White observes how swallows sweep through the air but swifts ‘dash round in circles’ and Rachel Carson watches sanderlings at the ocean’s edge, scurrying ‘across the beach like little ghosts’. From early times, we have been entranced by the bird life around us. This anthology brings together poetry and prose in celebration of birds, records their behaviour, flight, song and migration, the changes across the seasons and in different habitats – in woodland and pasture, on river, shoreline and at sea – and our own interaction with them. From India to America, from China to Rwanda, writers marvel at birds – the building of a long-tailed tit’s nest, the soaring eagle, the extraordinary feats of migration and the pleasures to be found in our own gardens. Including extracts by Geoffrey Chaucer, Dorothy Wordsworth, Richard Jefferies, Charles Darwin, James Joyce, John Keats, Charlotte Brontë, Emily Dickinson, Anton Chekhov, Kathleen Jamie, Jonathan Franzen and Barbara Kingsolver among many others, this rich anthology will be welcomed by bird-lovers, country ramblers and anyone who has taken comfort or joy in a bird in flight.

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The first book of its kind to be published for the Bluegrass State, The Birds of Kentucky is designed to provide an accurate and scientifically rigorous description of all the species of birds found in Kentucky. This comprehensive guide features a wealth of information, including abundance records, migration dates, and additional reference material, and indicates whether a bird is a permanent resident, winter resident, summer resident, visitant, or transient. Additionally, Monroe reviews the history of ornithologists who have worked in Kentucky and outlines the physiography of the state as it relates to birding.More than just a verbal portrait of Kentucky avifauna, The Birds of Kentucky includes fifty-one color paintings by the renowned wildlife artist William Zimmerman, whose work has been favorably compared to that of John James Audubon. In contrast to Audubon's romanticism and often tortuous style, however, Zimmerman offers us "comfortable" birds that look as if they are about to take wing and leave the page.Beautifully illustrated and based on a lifetime of field observation and research, this book provides an excellent guide to the natural history of the birds of the Bluegrass.

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Whether you’d like to wake up to a cheery robin’s birdsong or see hummingbirds in your garden, Jan Mahnken has you covered. In this colorful reference book, you’ll find simple tips to attract, feed, and observe 135 American bird species. Mahnken provides information on territory, courtship, nesting, parenting, and much more, while Jeffrey C. Domm brings each species to life with stunningly detailed paintings.

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Professor Cody's monograph emphasizes the role of competition at levels above single species populations, and describes how competition, by way of the niche concept, determines the structure of communities. Communities may be understood in terms of resource gradients, or niche dimensions, along which species become segregated through competitive interactions. Most communities appear to exist in three or four such dimensions. The first three chapters describe the resource gradients (habitat types, foraging sites, food types), show what factors restrict species to certain parts of the resource gradients and so determine niche breadths, and illustrate the important role of resource predictability in niche overlap between species for resources they share. Most examples are drawn from eleven North and South American bird communities, although the concepts and methodology are far more general. Next, the optimality of community structure is tested through parallel and convergent evolution on different continents with similar climates and habitats, and the direct influence of competitors on resource use is investigated by comparisons of species--poor island communities to species-rich mainland ones. Finally, the author discusses those sorts of environments in which the evolution of one species--one resource set is not achieved, and where alternative schemes of resource allocation, often involving several species that act ecologically as one, must be followed.

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The Must-Have Beginner’s Guide to Bird-Watching Stan Tekiela’s famous Birds of Arizona Field Guide has been delighting bird watchers for years. Now, the award-winning author has written the perfect bird identification guide for children! The Kids’ Guide to Birds of Arizona features 88 of the most common and important birds to know, with species organized by color for ease of use. Do you see a yellow bird and don’t know what it is? Go to the yellow section to find out. Each bird gets a beautiful full-color photograph and a full page of neat-to-know information—such as field marks, calls/songs, a range map, and Stan’s cool facts—that make identification a snap. Fun bonus activities for the whole family, like building a birdhouse and preparing your own bird food, make this the perfect introduction to bird identification for a new generation in the Grand Canyon State! Inside You’ll Find 88 of the most common and important Arizona birds to know Species organized by color for quick and easy identification Full-color photographs and a full page of information for each bird Field marks, favorite hangouts, range maps, Stan’s cool facts and more BONUS: Fun activities for the whole family to enjoy

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This fully updated edition of Birds of Nepal is the most comprehensive guide to the birds of this beautiful Himalayan country. Every species of bird recorded in Nepal is covered in this fantastic guide, including vagrants, with accurate distribution maps for most species. More than 790 species are featured with illustrations and concise text covering essential information for quick and easy reference. The comprehensive text covers voice, habits, habitats, altitudinal range, distribution and status to aid accurate identification. The texts have been completely re-written for this edition and many of the illustrations have been replaced. In addition, maps have been included for the first time.

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Birds & Words is a vintage collection of 60 illustrations of birds and 60 humorous stories about each one. This book is a lovely reissue of the charming and highly collectible 1972 classic by Charley Harper. Written and illustrated by the renowned illustrator. Harper's style has been referred to as "minimal realism." • Charley Harper was a prolific mid-century modern artist based in Cincinnati, Ohio. • Each bird was hand-painted in Harper's signature style. • Birds & Words brings together the beloved illustrator's gifts as both an artist and a writer. Charley Harper has illustrated numerous books, including the notable The Golden Book of Biology. This new version of this vintage gem features a cloth-bound cover with a tipped in image alongside the original vintage typography. • A great book for fans of mid-century modern aesthetics, and for designers, bird lovers, minimal art, and those who adore all things Charley Harper • Giftable to a wide age range—from children to retirees, Charley Harper's charming illustrations and sweet stories appeal to all. • Add it to the collection of books like Charley Harper: An Illustrated Life by Todd Oldham and Charley Harper and Smithsonian Handbooks: Birds of North America by Fred J. Alsop III.

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