The Birds Around Us

by Alice E. Mace

Gathers essays about bird-watching, avian evolution, American ecology, flight, migration, bird photography, birdbaths and bird feeders

Genres: Reference, Birds, Nonfiction, Nature

352 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2000

Reviews

[David Wurster · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a lifelong birder, this book is by far the most informative bird book I have ever read. It has nine fascinating narrative chapters, followed by a wonderful gallery of birds. If you are a serious birder, you will find that this book confirms and explains so many characteristics that you were intuitively learning from you own observations.
The book was published in 1986 and recently passed on to me from a good friend. The only chapter that is now seriously dated is the one on bird photography because it pre-dates digital photography. However, much of that chapter is still very helpful; the reader can adapt discussion of film to today's digital cameras and post-processing.
While this looks like a coffee table book, I highly recommend reading it slowly from cover to cover.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I love and appreciate the beauty of "the birds around us", from the majestic bald eagle to the speedy roadrunner, and I look to the sky every time I hear the screech of a hawk, I must say there is alot of information in this book that I don't give a hoot about. The circulatory system of birds, avian evolution and the mechanics of flight - who cares? Reading about the genus and the species, that'll really hold your attention. Parus Atricapillus - ok, I'll remember that tomorrow. I hope I don't ruffle any feathers here, but I'm not one to get out my binoculars and wade through the marshes and jagger bushes just to get a glimpse of a red-winged blackbird. My idea of bird watching is to sit on my back porch with a cooler full of cold beer and with the coo of a dove I'll take in the beauty of "the birds around us ".

[Janet C-B · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was well organized and quite informative. I especially liked the chapters on bird anatomy, bird behavior, and migration. Because the book was published in 1986, the information about endangered species is not current. I picked up this book at the library bookstore. As a birdwatching enthusiast, I learned a lot. I rate it 3.5, rounded up to 4 stars.

[John McJunkin V]

Eliana Marie, found and identified her first Church Street bird last summer looking North along the property tucked on the shrubbery along the drive-up.

The Northern Red Cardinal on the cover was the first bird she correctly identified.

[Cws]

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