The Stokes have put out several books on birds, and definitely know their stuff. It shows in this book, which has just about everything you could ask for.

One section goes over the different types of feeders, and the various seeds that birds enjoy. Hummingbirds get their own special mention, as do squirrel baffle techniques. There's even a section on bird behavior - what to watch for, what certain things mean.

Then the book goes into the common birds found at backyard feeders. There are lovely photos of each bird, a map showing where they tend to live, how to tell them from other similar birds, how they act, what they eat, and much more.

This book is perfect for anyone who is thinking about putting up a bird feeder or another bird feeder like myself. The first section in this book deals with the different kinds of feeders, how to attract the bird, and troubleshooting problems. Following that section is a part on bird behavior. Finally, their is a long section of birds. For each bird, the Stokes identify what they eat and like. In the back of the book there is a list of resources for bird feeders and supplies. Finally, the last few pages show how to keep a bird feeder journal. I very well rounded informative book. I would recommend it to anyone who's feeding feathered friends.

I HAVE A BIRD FEEDER OUTSIDE MY OFFICE WINDOW-THIS BOOK IS EASY AND ADDS TO THE NATURAL INTEREST OF THE ACTIVITY OUT THERE- IT'S ACTUALLY REALLY SERIOUS FOR THE BIRDS__LIFE AND DEATH_AND THEY HAVE A SOCIAL ORDER__BUT IT ALL SEEMS TO WORK AND THIS BOOK HELPS TO DEEPEN THE OBSERVATION

This is by far the most detailed and enjoyable to read feild guide to amphibians and reptiles we could find. However, it does not include as many different species as some do, but it has much more information per species. I wish Thomas Tyning would write more nature books.

I have read many books on the flora native to the Eastern US and I would rank this book as one of the best. The book gives excellent descriptions of many interesting items and details, almost as if the author were writing a biography. After reading about each plant I felt compelled to go look at it growing in the wild and sure enough - the book was right!

The Stokes Guides to Bird Behavior are great little references for backyard bird-watching. You may have to wander a little further than your backyard to observe some of these species, but the birds in your neighborhood are probably in one of the three Stokes volumes. Each Stokes Guide to Bird Behavior features 25 common North American bird species. For each species, the authors explain visual displays, auditory displays, territory courtship, nest-building, breeding, plumage and seasonal movement, and provide a calendar so that you can clearly see when these behaviors occur. I wouldn't take any generalizations about bird behavior too seriously because many birds are very individual, and their behaviors and social customs vary accordingly. But these books will give you a good basis for understanding and predicting the behavior of your avian neighbors. You'll enjoy watching your littled feathered friends all the more with the added understanding the Stokes Guides provide.

My one complaint about these books is that the bird species are not in any particluar order in the books, and neither are they indexed. If you look at the table of contents you will see that the species are not in alpahbetical or any other order, and there is no sense to which birds are in which volume or where they are placed in the book. In other words, you have to read through the entire list of 25 species in the table of contents, in each book, to locate the species you want. I have no explanation for this, and I made an index for the books myself to save me from the frustration involved every time I want to look up a species. That is the reason I gave the book(s) 4 stars instead of 5.

The Stokes have produced a book describing the behavior of 25 birds. The catagories of information include: visual displays, auditory displays, territory, courtship, nest-building, breeding, plumage, seasonal movement, and behavior at the bird feeder. The 25 birds covered in this book include: Killdeer, Spotted Sandpiper, Mourning dove, Belted Kingfisher, Downy Woodpecker, Eastern Phoebe, Eastern Wood Pewee, Barn Swallow, Tufted Titmouse, White-brested Nuthatch, Marsh Wren, Cedar Waxwing, Yellow Warbler, Eastern Meadowlark, Brown-headed Cowbird, Northern Oriole, Scarlet Tanager, Northern Cardinal, Rose-brested Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, Rufous-sided Twohee, Chipping Sparrow, and Field Sparrow. This is not a bird identification book and the illustrations are not in color. Bird Behavior is a facinating book about why birds do the things they do. Donald and Lillian Stokes have provided a new way to look at birds.

The information in this book is a bit generic and lacking in interesting factual information. I find the chapters disappointing when I read about a particular insect. The text is not particularly inspiring and does not capture the fascination of the insects' natural history. The topic is a fine one but it is handled much better by classic works like Fabre and Linsenmaier's "Insects of the World". We need to encourage writing on this topic by our best natural history authors and entomologists.

This is a great reference! It has all sorts of insects that you come across in your lawn/gardens/woods. I use it constantly when i'm out looking at butterflies and get distracted looking at other insects. Its great. It breaks the insects down into those that you'll see in spring, summer, fall and winter. It has reference tables on where to look for the insects (e.g. ponds, fields, ground, etc) and tells about their lifecycles. Its just facinating. You can learn a lot without being heavy into the science of orders and classes and things like that. Really a great resource

Since the day I purchased this book I have not stopped consulting it's pages of clear, simple information. Accompanied by a drawing showing the kind of habitat where the insect is likely to be found, a brief description of the insect's life cycles and observable habits are touched upon. This book isn't going to make anyone an expert on the subject of entomology but that isn't its aim. What it will do is to help you in locating many different kinds of insects throughout the seasons and enrich the experience of observing their behavior. The perfect companion book to all your more scientific texts.

This book was a disappointment. I think it represents a classic example of a publisher using established authors' names to crank out a nice looking book that contains very little in the way of useful information.

The book has only 95 numbered pages to begin with. The first five of those are -- get this -- the title page, a page listing other Stokes publications, another title page. the publisher's information page, and the table of contents.

Okay. That leaves 90 pages for content, right?

Not really. The last 31 pages are given over entirely to glossy, full color bird identication photos. And approximately one third of the remaining pages are also devoted to pretty bird photographs. The book is almost entirely "boiler plate", in other words. What content there is is fine -- there just isn't much of it.

If information is what you want, get _The Bird Garden_ by Stephen Kress (The Nation Audubon Society) instead. It's much better.

As with other Stokes books, this one is quite a good reference. Lots of nsights in attracting wildlife, specifics on prefered plants, etc. A good book to have on hand when landscaping or planting new gardens.

This book is a wonderful starting point to help you learn about bird gardening. It starts with the four basic needs and then explains in a clear and simple fashion how to meet these basic needs, as well as other considerations. The book also has a small picture glossary of the most common birds and their "bio". This book is very well written, has charts that are easy to follow, full of gorgeous color photographs, and though they keep it short, it's crammed with helpful info!

The Stokes Guides to Bird Behavior are great little references for backyard bird-watching. You may have to wander a little further than your backyard to observe some of these species, but the birds in your neighborhood are probably in one of the three Stokes volumes. Each Stokes Guide to Bird Behavior features 25 common North American bird species. For each species, the authors explain visual displays, auditory displays, territory courtship, nest-building, breeding, plumage and seasonal movement, and provide a calendar so that you can clearly see when these behaviors occur. I wouldn't take any generalizations about bird behavior too seriously because many birds are very individual, and their behaviors and social customs vary accordingly. But these books will give you a good basis for understanding and predicting the behavior of your avian neighbors. You'll enjoy watching your littled feathered friends all the more with the added understanding the Stokes Guides provide.

My one complaint about these books is that the bird species are not in any particluar order in the books, and neither are they indexed. If you look at the table of contents you will see that the species are not in alpahbetical or any other order, and there is no sense to which birds are in which volume or where they are placed in the book. In other words, you have to read through the entire list of 25 species in the table of contents, in each book, to locate the species you want. I have no explanation for this, and I made an index for the books myself to save me from the frustration involved every time I want to look up a species. That is the reason I gave the book(s) 4 stars instead of 5.

This book is part of a three volume set. Each volume covers 25 birds. The bird behaviors are described in detail and make fascinating reading. The illustrations are in black and white so this will not help you identify birds. Volume 2 contains more of the common backyard birds but if you want complete information you need to buy the set. The best books I've seen on bird behavior. Easy to read and covers all aspects of bird behavior.

This is a wonderfully written and illustrated guide to animal tracks, signs and behavior. Written for the layperson, but packed with useful information, it is a must for any weekend trekker. Although there are no photographs, the illustrations are wonderful for identifying animal homes and signs such as deer rubs, nibbled twigs and of course animal tracks!

The Stokes Guides to Bird Behavior are great little references for backyard bird-watching. You may have to wander a little further than your backyard to observe some of these species, but the birds in your neighborhood are probably in one of the three Stokes volumes. Each Stokes Guide to Bird Behavior features 25 common North American bird species. For each species, the authors explain visual displays, auditory displays, territory courtship, nest-building, breeding, plumage and seasonal movement, and provide a calendar so that you can clearly see when these behaviors occur. I wouldn't take any generalizations about bird behavior too seriously because many birds are very individual, and their behaviors and social customs vary accordingly. But these books will give you a good basis for understanding and predicting the behavior of your avian neighbors. You'll enjoy watching your littled feathered friends all the more with the added understanding the Stokes Guides provide.

My one complaint about these books is that the bird species are not in any particluar order in the books, and neither are they indexed. If you look at the table of contents you will see that the species are not in alpahbetical or any other order, and there is no sense to which birds are in which volume or where they are placed in the book. In other words, you have to read through the entire list of 25 species in the table of contents, in each book, to locate the species you want. I have no explanation for this, and I made an index for the books myself to save me from the frustration involved every time I want to look up a species. That is the reason I gave the book(s) 4 stars instead of 5.

I've always liked the Stokes books and CDs. Their love for birds infuses in all their material. The photographs are rich and lively, and the books are simple yet elegant.

However, if you're interested in building birdhouses, this book will fall short. There's only one plan for the simplest house you can imagine, and anyone who would appreciate the book's other charms probably won't think highly of such a simple birdhouse. There are some interesting houses pictured, but little about how to build them...

This book contains only one simple plan. It is a good book for novice woodworkers or bird watchers. However (like all books from the Stokes') the book is very interesting and easy to read. It provides a good foundation from which to learn the basics of bird house construction. More experienced woodworkers will be disappointed with this book and would be better served by purchasing a book of bird house plans.

I want to know the basics...which birds use birdhouses, & what the basic dimensions for my targeted species are. What nesting materials do thew use...etc.. This book does a great job of doing that. I do NOT want my birdhouses to be clones of some boring plan out of a book. Get creative! Use this basic info & create your own unique backyard!

Sorry previous writer was so disapointed, but he's right in one respect......if you want assorted detailed building plans...go elsewhere.