Nests: Fifty Nests and the Birds that Built Them

by Sharon Beals (Photographer)

Sharon Beals' gorgeous photographs of nests offer a new window onto the life and beauty of birds. Drawn from the collections of the California Academy of Sciences, the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology at UC Berkeley, and the Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology, these birds' nests from around the world offer astonishing insight into the intricate detail wrought by nature's most fastidious architects. Lovely images of nests and eggs are set against rich black backgrounds, and are accompanied by fascinating and informative portraits—conveyed through words and illustrations—of the birds that built them. A beautiful volume, Nests is the perfect gift for birders, bird lovers, and anyone captivated by the fleeting and fascinating splendor of the natural world.

Genres: Nonfiction, Nature, Birds, Animals, Photography, Biology, Science

120 pages, Hardcover

First published May 11, 2011

Reviews

[Melody · Rating 3 out of 5]

The photos are stunning, if sterile. There were some puzzling errors in the text, including referring to egg laying as "hatching" in the African Palm Swift section and the misspelling of drey as dray. Lots of good information as well, but I always focus on the errors. Beals' writing style can be hard to follow, to wit: "Their feathers adorning the bonnets of the fashionable in the 1800s, it was this bird, not the egret, lamented in an editorial by George Bird Grinnell in an 1886 issue of Field and Stream, that led to the formation of the Audubon Society."

The photos are certainly interesting and detailed. What I thought I was getting, when I picked up the book, was a book of nests photographed in situ rather than collected nests with blown eggs.

[Carissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

The photography was beautiful. The accompanying text was... meh. It was like reading a concise Audubon text. I would have liked to read more about the nest itself.. where it was found, the different materials used, how this is different from other nests, etc. The ending paragraph was a bummer, as it told about how the birds are losing their nesting grounds due to habitat destruction and where they are located on the endangered species list.

Still, I am going to check out the suggested reading and look for snippets of the bird calls online.

[Gregory · Rating 4 out of 5]

Visually delightful and very informative. Makes we want to go build something arty.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous photos of nests. The accompanying texts are interesting and informative, although they give a little stab in the heart since most of them end with a comment on the perilous loss of habitat due to human expansion. My favorite nests came from the Spotted Nightingale-Thrush, Anna's Hummingbird, Pine Siskin, and the Green Heron (whose pile of twigs made me smile as I recognized an all-thumbs/no thumbs kindred spirit).

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

A series of photographs showing the outstanding range and capabilities employed by birds to build their nests. Focuses on birds native to the Americas so not many familiar to a European reader, but given the source of the nests for the photographs that's to be expected. Still a stunning look at these intricate works of art, with some information on their construction and the birds that built them.

[༺Kiki༻ · Rating 5 out of 5]

You might also enjoy:

✱ Bird Egg Feather Nest
✱ Egg & Nest
✱ Nesting Instincts: A Bird's-Eye View
✱ Into the Nest
✱ One Wild Bird at a Time: Portraits of Individual Lives
✱ America's Other Audubon
✱ One Wild Bird at a Time: Portraits of Individual Lives
✱ Sightings: Extraordinary Encounters with Ordinary Birds

[Juli Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not really worth reading, but worth looking at the pictures. The woman who put this book together photographed dozens of bird nests from natural history museum collections, oftentimes with the eggs that were collected with the nests. The photographs speak for themselves--carrying plenty of information about the inventiveness and ingenuity of birds, their variety. Text is sometimes informative--a little about the nesting habits of each bird, with a strong eye toward conservation--but more often unpleasantly didactic, in contrast with the delightful ness of the nests themselves.

[Julie Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

We are geeking out on bird information at our house right now since my daughter is doing her science fair project on what types of birdseed our local birds like best. We've fed the birds at our house for a few years, but just recently we've noticed many more types than usual gracing our yard. Sitting and watching them has become one of my favorite things to do. This book is beautiful- incredibly detailed photos of various types of bird nests with their eggs on a black background. Info about the bird type accompanies the photo along with an illustration of the bird type.

[Willow · Rating 4 out of 5]

{September 18, 2018}
This book is so fun to look through! We have not read the text but have found the photos intriguing...if not slightly disturbing. We wondered why the nests and eggs were not photographed in nature, where they were first found...why they were removed to a studio instead, and why the eggs were all taken only to remain unhatched. It seems sad. Perhaps the text explains. At any rate, we loved seeing the different types of nests and beautiful eggs!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

became aware of this title via the following www.boingboing.net post and immediately bought it for my mother who enjoys birding:

http://boingboing.net/2012/03/13/phot...

am pleased that these images are also available here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/planetci...

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

The photography's gorgeous and each nest is a work of art. Opposite each full-page photograph is a page of information about the type of bird that built it and a little color painting of the bird. This book is a gem.

[Tofu Fairy · Rating 5 out of 5]

another fascinating educational reading with wonderful pictures!!

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully designed photographic art and natural history book for bird lovers. But she needs to include a saguaro boot in the next edition!

[Polly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just love the photos and information in this book. The many kinds of birds and the ingenious variety of nests they build is a marvel.

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

The photos are absolutely beautiful, and the text is disappointing. Either awkwardly written or just oddly pedantic - didn't match the quality of the photos at all.

[Pamela Trunk · Rating 5 out of 5]

exqusite