Terns Of North America

A full-color photographic guide to these captivating and challenging birds This is the essential identification guide to the terns, noddies, and skimmers of North America. Covering every species and featuring hundreds of high-quality color images, this book is the ideal companion for anyone interested in this charismatic but sometimes challenging group of seabirds. Detailed species accounts describe the size of each bird as it appears in the field along with structure, behavior, flight style, vocalizations, subspecies, and North American and worldwide ranges. An incisive introduction lays out a remarkably simple approach to identification that focuses on key elements and addresses how to avoid getting bogged down in the variability of appearance. This state-of-the-art guide also provides additional in-depth coverage of the two most challenging groups of terns, Sterna terns and crested terns, aiding field identification while also highlighting the beauty and elegance of these marvelous seabirds. Features more than 325 stunning color photos, with side-by-side comparisons of similar species throughout Includes detailed captions for each image that describe age and key identification traits Covers 19 species found in North America, including the most frequent vagrants Presents a unique, simplified approach to field identification Explains the fundamentals of molts, plumages, and hybridization Provides in-depth coverage of Sterna terns and crested terns

Covering 22 species found in the Western Palearctic and North America, this guide lists each species under the sections of: field identification; moult; description; geographical variation; measurements; and weight. It includes a quick reference section summarising key identification features. Terns are elegant sea and marshland birds that live throughout the world. In Europe and North America a total of twenty-three species is represented, all of which are dealt with in this book. The variations among the species and their subspecies is great, and identification is therefore often highly problematic. Terns are long-distance migrants and can be seen regularly on passage between their normal breeding and wintering areas. Klaus Malling Olsen devotes much attention to the immature and winter plumages of these birds, which are generally inadequately described in most other field guides, while he also deals in depth with the problems of moult, species, and subspecies. The text covers the bird in the field, moult, and the bird in the hand. The author concludes each species account with extensive data on measurements and weight and an itemized key to identification. The text is accompanied by over forty color plates, which have been specially prepared for this guide by the talented Swedish bird artist Hans Larsson. The book is completed with a forty-eight-page representative photographic section.

Covering 22 species found in the Western Palearctic and North America, this guide lists each species under the sections of: field identification; moult; description; geographical variation; measurements; and weight. It includes a quick reference section summarising key identification features. Terns are elegant sea and marshland birds that live throughout the world. In Europe and North America a total of twenty-three species is represented, all of which are dealt with in this book. The variations among the species and their subspecies is great, and identification is therefore often highly problematic. Terns are long-distance migrants and can be seen regularly on passage between their normal breeding and wintering areas. Klaus Malling Olsen devotes much attention to the immature and winter plumages of these birds, which are generally inadequately described in most other field guides, while he also deals in depth with the problems of moult, species, and subspecies. The text covers the bird in the field, moult, and the bird in the hand. The author concludes each species account with extensive data on measurements and weight and an itemized key to identification. The text is accompanied by over forty colour plates, which have been specially prepared for this guide by the talented Swedish bird artist Hans Larsson. The book is completed with a forty-eight-page representative photographic section.

This volume of Life Histories of North American Birds is devoted to gulls and terns of the order Longipennes. Written by Arthur Cleveland Bent, one of the most respected ornithologists of the 20th century, this book provides detailed information about the nesting habits, behavior, and distribution of these fascinating birds. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Updated for the first time in decades, this unparalleled reference work is the most comprehensive and authoritative guide to the birds of North America and now includes the latest information on conservation status and the effects of climate change--from the world's most trusted name in birding, beloved by millions of backyard enthusiasts and experts alike “If you’ve ever wondered what birds show up in your backyard or which species you see when your family is on vacation, then this beautiful, freshly updated bird guide from the National Audubon Society is perfect for you.” —Portland Book Review Developed by the creators of the best-selling Audubon field guides, this handsome volume is the result of a collaboration among leading scientists, scholars, taxonomic and field experts, photo editors, and designers. An indispensable reference, it covers more than 800 species, with over 3,500 full-color photographs of birds in their natural habitat, often with four or five images of each species. For ease of use, the book includes a glossary, an index, and a ribbon marker, and is arranged according to the American Ornithological Society's latest Checklist of North and Middle American Birds—with birds sorted by taxonomic orders and grouped by family, so that related species are presented together. Range maps, reflecting the impact of climate change, accompany nearly every entry, along with a physical description and information on voice, nesting, habitat, and similar species. This guide also includes an important new category on conservation status and essays by leading scholars in each field who provide holistic insights into the world of birds. Whether trying to determine which owl is interrupting your dinner or successfully identifying all of the warblers that arrive in spring, readers will come to rely on this work of remarkable breadth, depth, and elegance. It is a must-have reference for the library of any birder, and is poised to become the number one guide in the field.

Describes and presents color illustrations and range maps for 967 North American bird species, covering their physical characteristics, behavior, habitats, and vocalizations.