The Bookshop

Home Study Course in Bird Biology

If you’ve wanted to expand your knowledge of bird biology but just can’t find the time to fit a course into your busy schedule, Cornell Lab of Ornithology (Lab) has the answer: the second edition of its Home Study Course in Bird Biology.

Twelve ornithologists, all an expert in their subject, wrote the course. It is designed to provide comprehensive, college-level information on birds and their environments in a manner accessible to wildlife professionals, teachers, college and high school students, home-schoolers, birders, and others. The course covers all major topics in ornithology, from anatomy and physiology to ecology, flight and migration, behavior, conservation, and more. One chapter covers vocal communication and is accompanied by a compact disc of bird vocalizations that illustrate the many elements of bioacoustics. Lab staff edited the text; incorporated more than 1,000 photos, illustrations, and graphs; and added sidebars to explain technical information, share human interest stories, and highlight interesting bird facts.

To successfully complete the course you must read the 10 chapters sequentially, complete exams at the ends of chapters, and mail them to the Lab for grading and comment. You may proceed through the course at your own pace. Throughout the course, staff are on hand to answer your questions by telephone or e-mail. While Cornell University does not offer college credit for this course, many students have received course credit through their local colleges or universities.

Two three-ring binders, more than 1,000 pages, one compact disc, exams with addressed envelopes for mailing. For more information, visit www.birds.cornell.edu/homestudy/ or call toll free (800) 843-BIRD [outside the United States, (607) 254-2452]. Introductory cost is US$250.00 for Lab members and US$285.00 for non-Lab members.

Inventario y Clasificación de Humedales en México: Parte 1

Mexico’s wetlands exhibit much of the country’s outstanding biodiversity and natural beauty. However, comprehensive information about these wetlands was long lacking, making it difficult to effectively conserve them. Therefore, in 1991, Ducks Unlimited de México (DUMAC) began inventorying, classifying, and assessing Mexico’s wetlands, region by region, and developed a geographic information system for managing the extensive datasets created.

Biologists Eduardo Carerra and Gabriela de la Fuente shared an overview of the multiphase project with Birdscapes readers in the winter 2002 issue. Now, on behalf of DUMAC and its many partners, the authors are back to announce the publication of Inventario y Clasificación de Humedales en México: Parte 1, summarizing the results from 1991 to 1999 of this wetlands inventory and classification project in the following regions: Laguna Madre, Tamaulipas; coastal Sinaloa; Marismas Nacionales, Nayarit; four bays along Baja California Peninsula: San Quintín, Ojo de Liebre/Guerrero Negro, San Ignacio, and Magdalena; coastal Sonora, including the Colorado River Delta shared with Baja California; and Northern Highlands, Chihuahua and Durango.

The authors also discuss wetlands definitions, the status of migratory waterfowl in Mexico, the satellite imagery and classification system used, and region-specific threats to wetlands. This visually stimulating, six-chapter compilation will be a valuable reference tool for those interested in conserving, managing, or researching Mexico’s wetlands.

Softcover, 8.75 x 10.5, 239 pages, in Spanish, 156 color photographs, 139 raw and classified Landsat images, 100 tables, and 26 graphs. ISBN 968-5822. Cost is US$23.00 or MX$180.00 (includes shipping). In the United States, call DUMAC at (011) (52) (818) 335-1212 or visit www.dumac.org/dumac/ingles/habitat/index.htm. In Mexico, call toll free at (800) 733-8622 or visit www.dumac.org/dumac/habitat/Libro.htm.

Wildfowling in Dakota, 1873-1903

This book’s title, Wildfowling in Dakota, 1873-1903, is a bit misleading. Yes, it’s about wildfowling in the Dakota Territory, but it’s much more. It’s a look at our history that you won’t find in textbooks.

Editor Harold Duebbert, an avid duck hunter, a retired prairie-ecology researcher, and a collector of classic wildfowling books, had an opportunity in the 1990s to review some of the most popular sporting publications of the late 1800s. After perusing 1,600 issues of Forest and Stream, published between 1873 and 1905, and 1,600 copies of The American Field, published between 1884 and 1904, Harold decided to share his finds with others.

Readers, whether hunters or nonhunters, will find themselves pulled into a time when game was abundant and landscapes were unfettered by “progress.” Each article’s author shares his hunt experience girdled by the customs, mores, and environment of the day. A description of a train ride from Chicago to the Dakota Territory, for example, leaves the reader wishing that the days of luxury travel by rail were still with us.

Old-time hunters will relate to these tales and may find themselves wistful: What was it like to see skies blackened by ducks’ wings? Newcomers to hunting will find still-meaningful tips for improving their experience, and history buffs and nonhunters will be fascinated with the descriptions of the land and life that was America.

Hardcover, 5.5 x 8.5, 366 pages, 3 photographs and 12 illustrations (all black-and-white), references cited. Order a signed copy from Harold Duebbert, P.O. Box 300, Fergus Falls, Minnesota 56538-0300. Cost is US$29.95, includes shipping and tax. Add US$6.95 for shipping to Canada. Check or money order only.

Project Bluestem

Are you a classroom teacher? A home-school teacher? An interpreter at a state or national park? Project Bluestem, a curriculum for teachers created by teachers and naturalists for use on field trips to tallgrass prairies or oak savannas and in the classroom, was made for you. Compiled onto a compact disc, the curriculum contains 200 activities for kids from kindergarten to 12th grade. The curriculum is not just science based, it also contains activities for subjects such as English, history, math, astronomy, art, and music.

While the curriculum focuses primarily on prairie and savanna habitats, most of the activities can easily be modified to work with other habitat types. The Seed Olympics segment, for example, has children making seed launching devices, trying to outdo nature. Keep on Trackin’ takes kids out in the field to learn how to identify an animal by its tracks. Wet and Wild takes students into streams to investigate the inhabitants. Prairie Post has budding journalists creating a prairie newspaper. Many of the activities may be altered to fit any grade or ability level. A Prairie Plant ID Wheel that provides pictures and descriptions of 32 of the most common prairie flowers and grasses of the Midwest accompanies the compact disc.

Compact disc, Prairie Plant ID Wheel. Cost is US$25.00, includes shipping. Add US$3.00 for shipping to Canada. Additional copies of the Prairie Plant ID Wheel may be purchased for US$6.00 each. Order from Sara Hollerich, Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge, P.O. Box 399, Prairie City, Iowa 50228-0399, (515) 994-3400, sara_hollerich@fws.gov. MasterCard and Visa accepted.

A Ducks Unlimited Guide to Hunting Diving & Sea Ducks

A Ducks Unlimited Guide to Hunting Diving & Sea Ducks provides the waterfowler with in-depth tactics for hunting these hardy, fast-flying birds. The book’s author, Gary Kramer, has more than 30 years experience hunting diving and sea ducks, and in this book, he shares his personal experiences and advice along with that of veteran guides and other waterfowlers.

Chapter highlights include the “Top Ten Diver and Sea Duck Hunting Destinations,” featuring a map and the sites’ habitat descriptions, birds found at each site, hunt seasons, hunt methods, and guide information. This is followed by “Hunting Tactics,” a discourse on hunting in marshes and swamps, lakes and reservoirs, coastal bays and estuaries, and rivers using layout boats and sink boxes, scull boats and sneak boats, and pass-shooting and jump-shooting. “Decoys, Rigging, and Calling” speaks to the ins-and-outs of decoy types, sizes, and species to use; decoy rigging and spreads for shoreline, offshore, and floating blinds, plus spread drawings; and calling in birds. “Duck Blinds” explains how to set up blinds and discusses the pros and cons of permanent, portable, and boat blinds. “Scouting” suggests a variety of means for gathering information needed before departing on your adventure, and “Shotguns and Loads” delves into equipment and shot features to consider for the hunt. Finally, “Planning a Duck Hunting Trip” relates the three elements needed to give you a complete experience.

Hardcover, 6 x 9, 216 pages, one map, 100 black-and-white photographs, 11 illustrations. Order a signed copy from Gary Kramer, P.O. Box 903, Willows, California 95988. Cost is US$24.50, plus US$4.95 shipping. Add US$6.95 for shipping to Canada. Check or money order only. Or, call Ducks Unlimited, Inc., toll free at (800) 45-DUCKS.

Bird Songs of California

For those of you interested in developing your “birder’s ear,” Cornell Lab of Ornithology (Lab) has recorded bird vocalizations on three compact discs (CD) and put them in a package called Bird Songs of California. More than 220 species found from California’s Great Basin Desert to its Mojave Desert, from the Sierra Nevada to the Golden State coastline, have been recorded in this audio guide compiled by Geoffrey A. Keller.

The CDs feature an array of vocal types, providing an ample collection that will indulge birders of all levels. Most of the recordings were made during the birds’ breeding seasons, and special attention was paid to eliminating background white noise in the recordings. The guide’s regional focus allows for a more sophisticated collection by showcasing regional dialects for many species.

Also included in the CD set is a booklet that provides the species’ common and scientific names, the CD and track numbers, and a written description of the song or call. Listen to sound samples at the Lab’s Web site: www.birds.cornell.edu.

Cost is US$29.95 plus shipping. Available online at the Cornell Lab Birding Shop, www.withoutbricks.com/clo, or from Wild Birds Unlimited at Sapsucker Woods at (877) 266-4928, or American Birding Association at (800) 634-7736, or Los Angeles Audubon Society Bookstore at (888) 522-7428, and at other birding supply stores.