OUTDOORS / NATURE
We love guidebooks. Well, all reference books are interesting here at Whistlestop, but guides and references to the natural world and how to get about in it with ever-increasing knowledge and familiarity are important to us. This page conveys our current holdings and whatever reliable Pennsylvania or regional books we carry. "Survival" books will be here, too, although we hope you won't find yourself in that extremity. Historical "survival" books have a deep interest as well, because they often re-create a sense of what the world was like when we did not depend so blindly on technology. Here's the world -- enjoy!
National Audubon Society Birds of North America
National Audubon Society Birds of North America
Updated for the first time in decades, this unparalleled reference work is the most comprehensive and authoritative guide to the birds of North America and now includes the latest information on conservation status and the effects of climate change–from the world’s most trusted name in birding, beloved by millions of backyard enthusiasts and experts alike
“If you’ve ever wondered what birds show up in your backyard or which species you see when your family is on vacation, then this beautiful, freshly updated bird guide from the National Audubon Society is perfect for you.” —Portland Book Review
Developed by the creators of the best-selling Audubon field guides, this handsome volume is the result of a collaboration among leading scientists, scholars, taxonomic and field experts, photo editors, and designers. An indispensable reference, it covers more than 800 species, with over 3,500 full-color photographs of birds in their natural habitat, often with four or five images of each species.
For ease of use, the book includes a glossary, an index, and a ribbon marker, and is arranged according to the American Ornithological Society’s latest Checklist of North and Middle American Birds—with birds sorted by taxonomic orders and grouped by family, so that related species are presented together. Range maps, reflecting the impact of climate change, accompany nearly every entry, along with a physical description and information on voice, nesting, habitat, and similar species. This guide also includes an important new category on conservation status and essays by leading scholars in each field who provide holistic insights into the world of birds.
Whether trying to determine which owl is interrupting your dinner or successfully identifying all of the warblers that arrive in spring, readers will come to rely on this work of remarkable breadth, depth, and elegance. It is a must-have reference for the library of any birder, and is poised to become the number one guide in the field.