A Guide to the Identification and Natural History of the Sparrows of the United States and Canada

A Guide to the Identification and Natural History of the Sparrows of the United States and Canada provides comprehensive and up-to-date information on all the features that make possible identification of all 62 species of sparrows that occur in North America. The text gives detailed descriptions of the summer, winter, and juvenile plumages of each species, as well as comparisons with similar species. The species accounts are illustrated with range maps and superb line drawings showing behavioral postures and, where useful, fine features of tail feather patterns. The 27 color plates splendidly illustrate the various plumages of each species with the emphasis on the distinctive appearance of birds of different sex, age, and geographic regions. This beautiful and authoritative book will be a must for the library of all keen birders living in and visiting North America.



Species accounts include discussions of species?

• Identification


• Measurements


• Voice


• Habitat


• Ecology


• Nesting biology


• Distribution


• Taxonomy


• Geographic variations


• Historical and present status

"The book is well produced... The plates are generally of high quality and illustrate not only the standard poses found in field guides but also views of birds in flight."
--James Briskie in RECENT ORNITHOLOGICAL PUBLICATIONS
"Risings first-hand experience with the North American sparrows is apparent, especially so in his sections on voice, habits, and habitat. I highly recommend Sparrows of the United States and Canada to all birders and field ornithologists with any interest in these birds. It contains up-to-date information... as well as some of the best available illustrations of this difficult-to-identify group of birds, and all at a very reasonable price."
--Guy McCaskie in AMERICAN BIRDING ASSOCIATION; BIRDING
"The plates are, on balance, excellent, and the text is informative and easy to read."
--Jon L. Dunn in BIRDING WORLD
"The quality of the plates is excellent... I highly recommend this excellent book."
--Colin Bradshaw in BRITISH BIRDS
"In the future, I doubt that I will head into the field without (this guide)... (The color plates) are beautiful, and they complement the text descriptions... This book offers North American birders all that they need and a little more."
--GREG CHILTON, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada
"A birder's book in every sense of the word... a coming of age of experienced birding... The book will be of immense value to both beginning and experience birders faced with the challenge of sparrow identification."
--Barry Kent MacKay in THE TORONTO STAR
"An excellent companion for any birder with an interest in the sparrows of North America."
--Tim Harris in BIRDWATCH
"If you are interested in the finer points of identification, or love sparrows, or have been driven slightly crazy by them, this book will be a welcome addition to your library."
--BIRDWATCHERS DIGEST
"The plate illustrations of juvenal plumages, the line drawings of tail patterns, and the charts alone are worth the price. This book will help with many identification problems."
--NORTH AMERICAN BIRD BANDER
"...is worth buying and because of the information it contains is almost a must for the keen North-America birder."
--ALULA
"The greatest strength of the book is in its descriptions and illustrations of the various seasonal and geographical variations in this group of primarily 'little brown birds'. Rising and Beadle should be congratulated on producing a very useful and appealing volume on an interesting group of often overlooked birds."
--BRITISH COLUMBIA BIRDS (1998)