Song Birds And How To Keep Them

Presents the songs and calls of fifty North American birds that are common to residential settings, city parks, and urban areas.

Excerpt from Song Birds, and How to Keep Them In writing this little book for the use of those who, like myself, are fond of birds, and anxious to make their lives among us as joyous as their songs, I do not set myself up to be a scientific birdkeeper. My own birds have thriven and become extremely tame, and they seem as happy as little birds can be; yet mine professes to be simply a natural mode of treatment. My experience of birds' ways began when a child, in becoming familiar with them while in their wild state, and I have since gone on gathering from books, and friends, and personal observations, details of their habits when free; thus learning how to make them more happy in confinement. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

"In this elegant narrative, celebrated naturalist Ted Floyd guides you through a year of becoming a better birder. Choosing 200 top avian species to teach key lessons, Floyd introduces a new, holistic approach to bird watching and shows how to use the tools of the 21st century to appreciate the natural world we inhabit together whether city, country or suburbs." -- From book jacket.

The best ways to attract melodic birds, with insight into their rapidly changing habits The American robin and northern cardinal are two of the best-loved songbirds, but newer backyard arrivals, like rose-breasted grosbeaks and scarlet tanagers, quickly captivate with their vivid colors and unique songs. Bird lovers will learn to attract new visitors by offering treats that songbirds like best, such as soft, easy-to-peck foods that closely mimic caterpillars, their top food preference. And planting just a few carefree perennials and shrubs can provide opportunities for cover and nesting. Sally Roth's Attracting Songbirds to Your Backyard draws on the latest science and 50 years of observation to reveal these fascinating details: • In the wee hours, it's the robins that sing first, followed by the babble of house wrens and the whistle of cardinals • Some birds learn birdsongs throughout their lives, while others stop learning once they can mimic their parents' song • It's Dad, not Mom, who teaches the young birds to sing Simple tips, ideas, and recipes, as well as an understanding of why songbirds are coming from the treetops into the backyard, will help any bird enthusiast create a songbird sanctuary.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER SILVER MEDALIST for the National Outdoor Book Award for Natural History Literature From the bestselling author of H is for Hawk, a brilliant and insightful work about our relationship to the natural world Our world is a fascinating place, teeming not only with natural wonders that defy description, but complex interactions that create layers of meaning. Helen Macdonald is gifted with a special lens that seems to peer right through it all, and she shares her insights--at times startling, nostalgic, weighty, or simply entertaining--in this masterful collection of essays. From reflections on science fiction to the true story of an Iranian refugee's flight to the UK, Macdonald has a truly omnivorous taste when it comes to observations of both the banal and sublime. Peppered throughout are reminisces of her own life, from her strange childhood in an estate owned by the Theosophical Society to watching total eclipses of the sun, visits to Uzbek solar power plants, eccentric English country shows, and desert hunting camps in the Gulf States. These essays move from personal experiences into wider meditations about love and loss and how we build the world around us. Whether more journalistic in tone, or literary--even formally experimental--each piece is generous, lyrical, and speaks to one another. Macdonald creates a strong thematic undertow that quietly takes the reader along piece to piece and sets them down, finally, at a place they've never been before.