Endangered and Disappearing Birds of the Midwest

by Matt Williams

From the birds who wake us in the morning with their cheerful chorus to those who flock to our feeders and brighten a gloomy winter day, birds fascinate us with their lively and interesting behavior and provide essential services from controlling pest populations to pollinating crops. And yet for all the benefits they provide, many species across Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio are in danger of extinction due to loss of habitat, agricultural expansion, changing forest conditions, and interactions with humans.
In Endangered and Disappearing Birds of the Midwest , Matt Williams profiles forty of the most beautiful and interesting birds who winter, breed, or migrate through the Midwest and whose populations are most in danger of disappearing from the region. Each profile includes the current endangered status of the species, a description of the bird's vocal and nesting patterns, and tips to help readers identify them, along with stunning color images and detailed migration maps.
An exquisite and timely examination of our feathered friends, Endangered and Disappearing Birds of the Midwest is a call to action to protect these vulnerable and gorgeous creatures that enliven our world.

Genres: Birds

232 pages, Hardcover

Published August 1, 2018

Reviews

[Marzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Birds are vital members of our ecosystem and they are increasingly endangered by climate changes, habitat destruction, changing agricultural practices, loss of native plants that are vital food sources, environmental toxins, the presence of tall buildings with reflective glass, and a host of other factors, including simple human interaction. Why should we care? Birds serve a vital role in our ecosystem, from controlling pests that destroy agriculture, providing pollination, to simple enjoyment. This book seeks to promote awareness of the steep declines of bird populations in the Midwest along with explaining some of the possible reasons for these declines.

The population losses cataloged in Williams's book are simply stunning. Some birds, like the Greater Prairie-chicken, a bird in only moderate decline, have disappeared entirely from some Midwestern states. Habitat loss, with only 1% of the prairie habitat of the species remaining in the Midwest, has contributed to the decline of the species. Sadly other birds, like the exquisite Wood Thrush, have been in steeper decline, largely due to nesting preferences that include unfragmented forests with trees at least fifty feet in height. Increased fragmentation of forested areas has resulted in the nesting Wood Thrushes being more vulnerable to parasitic species of birds, like the Cowbird, seizing their nests. The beautiful grassland Eastern Meadowlark is in even steeper population decline, with almost 90% of the population lost since the mid-1960's, likely due to changes in agricultural practices.

This book is a wakeup call about sources of declining bird populations and the pressures on them. The declines reported in the book are truly disheartening. Although I live in the East, I plan on sharing this book with a friend in Michigan, in the hopes that she can help raise awareness for promoting bird-friendly environments and questioning rural overdevelopment.

I received a Digital Review Copy of this book from Indiana University Press via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a Sibley adherent so I don't normally like guides with photographs, but I loved the photography in this book, it really captured bird personality!

[Douglass Gaking · Rating 4 out of 5]

Descriptions of about 40 species, including their appearance, nesting and feeding behavior, where to find them, how they interact with their environment, and conservation concerns. Interesting facts and great photos.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. The photography was outstanding and the information about these endangered and disappearing birds was informative and easy to understand.

[Erin Field · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thinking Day Ireland 2024

[Carrie Laben]

I’m hardly the first person to observe that it’s all too easy to get overwhelmed by bad environmental news, and the title Endangered and Disappearing Birds of the Midwest sounds like a pretty major downer. Yet that is not the overall impression that I came away with while reading this solid and attractive new title from Indiana University Press... (full review here