Birding Across North America

the long version

"Journeying from the swamps of Alabama to the icy waters of Quebec's Gaspe Peninsula, from the sky islands of Arizona to the birdfeeder in his New Hampshire backyard, Keenan describes the pageantry of North American birdlife. More than a mere journal or travelogue, however, Keenan's book offers the incisive observations of a passionate naturalist, for whom no question pertaining to birds is insignificant or irrelevant: Why do ovenbirds lay colored eggs? How frequently have humans recorded witnessing the natural death of a bird? What weather conditions make for the best warbler viewing? What is the smallest possible size of a warm-blooded animal? (Hint: it's a bird.) What do the relative sizes of birds of different sexes tell us about their love lives? This remarkable book cannot always answer these questions, but it never fails to fascinate the reader with the details, large and small, Keenan observed in his "life with birds."". "With more than 100 color illustrations, Keenan's book is as much treat for the eyes as it is for the mind. With commentary on ornithological literature, painting, history, and conservation, Birding Across North America contains a wealth of information that belies its modest size."--BOOK JACKET.