Peterson Reference Guide To Bird Behavior: Understanding What Birds Do and Why―Migration, Courtship, Nesting, and Feeding

by John C. Kricher

A fascinating look at what birds do and why they do it

Both casual and serious birdwatchers can take their skills to the next level with this detailed consideration of bird behavior. This book makes it possible to move beyond identifying birds to understanding some of the underpinning and meaning to what birds do, how they do it, and why they do it. Written in an easy-to-understand style, with an abundance of photos illustrating the behaviors, the book shows how flight, molt, migration, feeding, predation, social behavior, courtship, and nesting shape birds’ behaviors. Birds are everywhere, and easy to observe; this introduction to elements of bird behavior will connect readers more intimately with these remarkable and beguilingly perceptive animals.

Genres: Birds, Nonfiction, Nature

360 pages, Hardcover

Published September 1, 2020

About the author

John C. Kricher, Professor of Biology, Wheaton College, Norton, Massachusetts.

Reviews

[H (trying to keep up with GR friends) Balikov · Rating 5 out of 5]

You don’t have to be a “birder” (I’m not) to find birds interesting and want to know more about them. If you want to augment your observations with a book, I cannot recommend any other book more enthusiastically than this one. It assumes that you know little and the text is not filled with jargon. You can get information by topic (see below) or, in the electronic version, search by species or characteristics.

From the general:
"WHY ANATOMY MATTERS Flight, supported by a unique anatomy and physiology, affects everything about birds, including all aspects of their behavior. This chapter will enhance your understanding of bird behavior by providing an explanation of what birds really are, both structurally and functionally. As a friendly suggestion, you may want to have a tasty rotisserie chicken handy. You can enjoy dining on it and see many of the skeletal and muscular characteristics discussed below."

To the more detailed:
"There is one final, immense evolutionary dividend from endothermy as it affects brains, both mammalian and avian. Some animals have the potential to get smart. The adaptation known as intelligence is rooted in the high metabolic rates of millions of generations of what became birds and mammals. Not all birds are equally intelligent, just as not all mammals are. But we humans clearly owe our intelligence to our endothermic heritage. So do ravens."

Am I overly enthusiastic? Check out the chapter headings:
Learning to watch bird behavior
On being a bird – anatomy and physiology
A perspective on bird behavior
A bird’s brain and senses
Understanding bird diversity
The annual cycle of birds
Feathers and flight
Maintenance behavior of birds
Temperature and bird behavior
Social behavior
Provisioning and protection
The auditory bird
Real estate, mate attraction, and pair bonding
Nesting behavior
Migratory behavior
References and further reading

Full marks

5*

[Addie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh my goodness, this book took me much longer to finish than I initially planned, but I finished it! It's a great resource for bird behavior. There are plenty of large, colorful pictures that accompany the wealth of information that is packed inside this book. I learned so much from reading it. I'm glad I have it as a reference to continue to look things up again as I do my own bird watching & studying.

[Cole Butler · Rating 5 out of 5]

An informative and expansive introduction to bird behavior. While Kricher may not be the best writer, this text more than makes up for it in its density of information (complemented by refs for further reading). I think that the earlier chapters, which deal primarily with bird anatomy, would benefit from illustrations, similar to how related material is presented in Sibley's Birding Basics.

[Miranda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely wonderful and comprehensive overview of bird behavior. I went in expecting a book of “fun facts”, but this is essentially Ornithology 101, in an easy to read format. That said, lots of fun facts were included that I will definitely reference in the future. LOVED the annotated “further reading” section at the end. A great way to find more great bird books!

[CathyMW · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and readable. A number of chapters talked about the anatomy of birds and their related functions. It would have been extremely helpful to have some anatomical drawings in the book to aid in understanding.

[Grant Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Comprehensive, beautiful pictures, and well written.

My favorite part was the insistence on the intelligence of birds and the simultaneous insistence that their lives and works are compiled in ways we may never understand.

[Joshua Reiss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super cool book, definitely makes me want to go out and observe birds for longer durations as opposed to just taking a picture of them and moving on. Extremely interesting material about why birds do the things they do