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Peterson Reference Guide
Peterson Reference Guide To Seawatching: Eastern Waterbirds in Flight
Seawatching is the challenging act of identifying waterbirds in flight. Since more than one hundred different species can fly past an observation point, often at great speed or in tightly packed, mixed-species flocks, identification of these distant shapes can be a mystery. The keys to the mystery—the subtle traits that unlock the identity of flying waterbirds, be it wingbeat cadence, individual structure, flock shape and behavior, or subtle flashes of color—are revealed in this guide.
Though commonly called seawatching, this on-the-fly observation and identification method is by no means restricted to the coast. There are impressive waterbird migrations on the Great Lakes, the Gulf of Mexico, and many inland lakes and rivers. Nor is it restricted to migrating waterfowl, as the principles of flight identification apply as effectively to ducks flushed off a pond as to distant migrating flocks. Like Hawks in Flight and The Shorebird Guide , the Peterson Reference Guide to Seawatching breaks new ground, provides cutting-edge techniques, and pushes the envelope in bird identification even further.
Though commonly called seawatching, this on-the-fly observation and identification method is by no means restricted to the coast. There are impressive waterbird migrations on the Great Lakes, the Gulf of Mexico, and many inland lakes and rivers. Nor is it restricted to migrating waterfowl, as the principles of flight identification apply as effectively to ducks flushed off a pond as to distant migrating flocks. Like Hawks in Flight and The Shorebird Guide , the Peterson Reference Guide to Seawatching breaks new ground, provides cutting-edge techniques, and pushes the envelope in bird identification even further.
624 pages, Hardcover
First published September 17, 2013
1 person is currently reading
37 people want to read
About the author
Ken Behrens
10 booksKEN BEHRENS has been a birder since the age of eleven. He was the ABA/Leica Young Birder of the Year in 1999. He spent three years counting birds in Cape May, New Jersey, where he developed his interest in seawatching. He currently works as a birding tour guide in Africa, based in Madagascar. He recently co-authored a site guide to Ethiopia called Birding Ethiopia.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 6, 2013
This review is from: Peterson Reference Guide to Seawatching: Eastern Waterbirds in Flight (Peterson Reference Guides) (Hardcover)
If you are serious about birding and want to step up your game to the next level in identifying and watching waterbirds, you must consider this book. Unlike the more familiar Peterson's guides with their gorgeous bird portraits, The seawatching guide uses more than 900 photographs to assist birders in identifying birds along the eastern seaboard.
I am not a big fan of photographs when trying to learn to identify birds and always felt that Peterson's highly color-saturated drawings provided the best, bar-none portraits that clearly showed the features a birder needed to pay attention to in order to identify species. But the purpose of the seawtching guide is slightly different and I believe the photos are the best choice in this case.
Photographs, just like watching birds in "real life" show the lighting and often difficult conditions one faces, particularly when trying to identify birds that are not very close. The point of this guide and photos is to help birders learn the techniques advanced birders use to spot the "anomalies" in a flock of birds and identify what that anomaly is. Drawings would not be as useful as the photos and two main kinds of photos are used: portraits and flock photos.
For example, let's say you are at the shore and you see a flock of Scoters migrating, but something tells you they may not all be Surf Scoters. The book shows a panoramic photo of a flock of Scoters that includes Surf and Black Scoters, Long-tailed Ducks, a Bufflehead, and a Hooded Merganser. The text then points out what to look for to identify the "strange birds" in the flock and the photo presents what is essentially the same view and conditions you would face in the field.
This helps you learn the techniques to spot the silhouette differences (e.g. does this one have a rounder head or longer neck than the others?) when looking at a flock or string of birds in flight.
The book covers the following waterbird families (this is from the book)
Anatidae - 44 species (swans, geese, ducks)
Phalacrocoracidae - 3 species (comorants)
Anhingidae - 1 specie (anhinga)
Gaviidae - 3 species (loons)
Podicipedidae - 2 species (grebes)
Alcidae - 6 species (alcids)
Procellariidae - 7 species (shearwaters and petrels)
Hydrobatidae - 3 species (storm-petrels)
Fregatidae - 1 specie (frigatebird)
Sulidae - 3 species (gannets and boobies)
Pelecanidae - 2 species (pelicans)
Stercorariidae - 5 species (skuas and jaegers)
Laridae - 18 species (gulls)
Rynchoptidae - 1 species (Black Skimmer)
Sternidae - 13 species (terns)
Note that this is not a field guide to ALL the species, it is intended as a way to provide much more information and build skills for birdwatching along the eastern seaboard of the U.S.
The depth of information is extraordinary and extremely helpful. There is information on seasonal arrivals of birds, along with very in depth information about the species included the book. There are extensive range maps and even quizzes intended to build skills when looking at a string of flying birds and identifying the "anomalies." For example, on the Cackling Goose (Branta hutchinsii) there are extensive descriptions about the appearance, silhouette, flight/flocking habits, dates of arrival, similar species and subspecies. There are a LOT of photos, on an average two-page "spread" when looking at the book, you may see four photos plus a range map. One of the photo is a portrait, one a flock relatively close up, another is a large flock in the distance with silhouette information and then there is another flock in "mid range" talking again about identifying points. It is the next best thing to standing at the shore with an expert at your side, describing how to pinpoint the identifying characteristics in the birds you are seeing.
It is unbelievable how much info is packed into this book (610 pages or so). And one thing I really liked was a section near the back that described specific places like the Outer Banks of North Carolina (where I bird a lot) with extensive information about the birds you can see there and when. They included 47 spots all up and down the seaboard and I found it incredibly useful. It really helps me to plan trips (when the best dates would be and the best places).
Honestly, this is a huge, thick book, but there is so much great information in it that I'm afraid I'm not giving it justice. Needless to say, while this may not be the best book for an "Intro to Bird Watching," it is a FANTASTIC resource for those interested in birds they may see along the coast. I highly recommend it.
If you are serious about birding and want to step up your game to the next level in identifying and watching waterbirds, you must consider this book. Unlike the more familiar Peterson's guides with their gorgeous bird portraits, The seawatching guide uses more than 900 photographs to assist birders in identifying birds along the eastern seaboard.
I am not a big fan of photographs when trying to learn to identify birds and always felt that Peterson's highly color-saturated drawings provided the best, bar-none portraits that clearly showed the features a birder needed to pay attention to in order to identify species. But the purpose of the seawtching guide is slightly different and I believe the photos are the best choice in this case.
Photographs, just like watching birds in "real life" show the lighting and often difficult conditions one faces, particularly when trying to identify birds that are not very close. The point of this guide and photos is to help birders learn the techniques advanced birders use to spot the "anomalies" in a flock of birds and identify what that anomaly is. Drawings would not be as useful as the photos and two main kinds of photos are used: portraits and flock photos.
For example, let's say you are at the shore and you see a flock of Scoters migrating, but something tells you they may not all be Surf Scoters. The book shows a panoramic photo of a flock of Scoters that includes Surf and Black Scoters, Long-tailed Ducks, a Bufflehead, and a Hooded Merganser. The text then points out what to look for to identify the "strange birds" in the flock and the photo presents what is essentially the same view and conditions you would face in the field.
This helps you learn the techniques to spot the silhouette differences (e.g. does this one have a rounder head or longer neck than the others?) when looking at a flock or string of birds in flight.
The book covers the following waterbird families (this is from the book)
Anatidae - 44 species (swans, geese, ducks)
Phalacrocoracidae - 3 species (comorants)
Anhingidae - 1 specie (anhinga)
Gaviidae - 3 species (loons)
Podicipedidae - 2 species (grebes)
Alcidae - 6 species (alcids)
Procellariidae - 7 species (shearwaters and petrels)
Hydrobatidae - 3 species (storm-petrels)
Fregatidae - 1 specie (frigatebird)
Sulidae - 3 species (gannets and boobies)
Pelecanidae - 2 species (pelicans)
Stercorariidae - 5 species (skuas and jaegers)
Laridae - 18 species (gulls)
Rynchoptidae - 1 species (Black Skimmer)
Sternidae - 13 species (terns)
Note that this is not a field guide to ALL the species, it is intended as a way to provide much more information and build skills for birdwatching along the eastern seaboard of the U.S.
The depth of information is extraordinary and extremely helpful. There is information on seasonal arrivals of birds, along with very in depth information about the species included the book. There are extensive range maps and even quizzes intended to build skills when looking at a string of flying birds and identifying the "anomalies." For example, on the Cackling Goose (Branta hutchinsii) there are extensive descriptions about the appearance, silhouette, flight/flocking habits, dates of arrival, similar species and subspecies. There are a LOT of photos, on an average two-page "spread" when looking at the book, you may see four photos plus a range map. One of the photo is a portrait, one a flock relatively close up, another is a large flock in the distance with silhouette information and then there is another flock in "mid range" talking again about identifying points. It is the next best thing to standing at the shore with an expert at your side, describing how to pinpoint the identifying characteristics in the birds you are seeing.
It is unbelievable how much info is packed into this book (610 pages or so). And one thing I really liked was a section near the back that described specific places like the Outer Banks of North Carolina (where I bird a lot) with extensive information about the birds you can see there and when. They included 47 spots all up and down the seaboard and I found it incredibly useful. It really helps me to plan trips (when the best dates would be and the best places).
Honestly, this is a huge, thick book, but there is so much great information in it that I'm afraid I'm not giving it justice. Needless to say, while this may not be the best book for an "Intro to Bird Watching," it is a FANTASTIC resource for those interested in birds they may see along the coast. I highly recommend it.
November 15, 2014
Excellent book, exceptionally useful.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews