An indispensable field guide and reference for birders. The eastern Continental Divide from Florida to Ontario contains the world's largest network of freshwater lakes, rivers, wetlands and coastal waters. It is home to an astonishingly large variety of ducks, geese, and other waterfowl. Waterfowl of Eastern North America is a richly illustrated pocket-sized field guide for birders and naturalists. Full-color photographs show these birds in their natural habitats in each season. Comparison pages group similar-looking birds on a single spread for quick reference. Concise and accurate information on each species includes: Common name Biological classification Identifying features Seasonal changes to plumage color. The detailed information on each species is concisely organized and includes the differences between male and female, seasonal and immature plumage, morphs and distinctive markings. The coverage includes: Ducks and geese Swans and pelicans Loons, grebes and cormorants. Waterfowl of Eastern North America also features essential information for birders who want to support conservation groups that protect waterfowl and their quickly disappearing habitats.

"This is the ultimate guide for anyone who wants to identify the ducks, geese, and swans of North America, Europe, and Asia. With 72 stunning color plates (that include more than 920 drawings), over 650 superb photos, and in-depth descriptions, this book brings together the most current information on 84 species of Eurasian and North American waterfowl, and on more than 100 hybrids. The guide delves into taxonomy, identification features, determination of age and sex, geographic variations, measurements, voice, molt, and hybridization. In addition, the status of each species is treated with up-to-date details on distribution, population size, habitats, and life cycle. Color plates and photos are accompanied by informative captions and 85 distribution maps are also provided. Taken together, this is an unrivaled, must-have reference for any birder with an interest in the world's waterfowl."--Publisher's description.

The best-selling and authoritative reference book on waterfowl has been fully revised and updated by one of the world’s most respected waterfowl biologists. Honorable Mention for the PROSE Award for Excellence, Multivolume/Science of the Association of American Publishers Ducks, Geese, and Swans of North America has been hailed as a classic since the first edition was published in 1942. A must-have for professional biologists, birders, waterfowl hunters, decoy collectors, and wildlife managers, this fully revised and updated edition provides definitive information on the continent's forty-six species. Maps of both winter and breeding ranges are presented with stunning images by top waterfowl photographers and the acclaimed original artwork of Robert W. (Bob) Hines. Originally authored by F. H. Kortright and later revised by Frank Bellrose, this latest edition, which has been meticulously updated by renowned waterfowl biologist Guy Baldassarre, continues the legacy of esteemed authors. Each species account contains in-depth sections on: • identification • distribution • migration behavior • habitat • population status • breeding biology • rearing of young • recruitment and survival • food habits and feeding ecology • molts and plumages • conservation and management To facilitate identification, the species accounts also include detailed illustrations of wings. An appendix contains comparative illustrations of ducklings, goslings, and cygnets. This edition of Ducks, Geese, and Swans consists of two volumes, printed in full color, and packaged in a slipcase, along with a CD containing references and additional maps.

Shorebirds of North Americacontains over 200 color photos of all the breeding and commonly occurring shorebird species found in North America. Species accounts show breeding and nonbreeding plumages when differences occur, as well as many immature and juvenile plumages. Some similar species are shown side by side to allow for easier ID comparison, such as the dowitchers, yellowlegs and willets.

This new field guide provides a suite of modern tools to effectively aid in the identification of more than 750 species of birds across North America. It introduces a "whole bird" approach by concisely gathering a collection of information about birds into one portable and well-organized volume. 2,000 stunning color photographs of birds in natural habitats show the most important field marks, regional population differences, life stages, and behaviors 700-plus detailed and up-to-date color range maps show summer, migration, winter, year-round, and rare but regular occurrences of every major species A DVD of birdsongs for 138 major species (587 vocalizations in all for 5½ hours of play); each high-quality MP3 file is embedded with an image of the bird, perfect to view on home computers and portable MP3 players Concise descriptions of habits and ecology, age-related and seasonal differences, regional forms, vocalization, and informative captions pointing out the most important aspects of the bird 46 group essays with information outlining taxonomy, feeding, migration, habitats, behaviors, and conservation status A thorough and accessible introduction to birds and birding includes sections on parts of a bird, plumage and molt, food and feeding, migration, habitats, conservation, tips on bow to become a better birder, and more A detailed glossary of terms, species checklist, and quick index The new Smithsonian Field Guide to the Birds of North America is perfectly designed to give birders the most powerful and user-friendly collection of information to carry into the field or wherever they enjoy learning about birds and nature.

A portable, comprehensive field guide--brimming with concise descriptions and stunning color photographs, and designed to fit into your back pocket--from the go-to reference source for over 18 million nature lovers. This streamlined volume contains an easy-to-use field guide identifying the most frequently encountered waterfowl in North America. Packed with information, it includes detailed photographs and diagrams, specific descriptions of each species, regional maps depicting nesting and winter ranges, a glossary of bird terms, and a guide to various bird family traits. An excellent and convenient reference guide to accompany any bird-lover.

This book is a richly detailed photographic guide to the Ducks, Geese, and Swans of North America, including the Hawaiian Islands, Greenland, Mexico and the U.S. Territories in the Pacific Ocean. The photographs, mostly by the author, were selected to highlight plumage phases, age classes and variation and behavioral postures. Brief text describes the different categories of waterfowl and brief bullet points highlight important identification features. Range maps and population estimates are noted in the text and some details of morphology are also provided in an Appendix.

This beautifully illustrated guide highlights North America' s most common waterfowl species. It features breeding pairs of ducks both on the water and in flight in addition to geese and swan species. Laminated for durability, this guide is ideal for field use by hunter education, conservationists, citizen science and outdoor education programs.

The past decade has seen a huge increase in the interest and attention directed toward sea ducks, the Mergini tribe. This has been inspired, in large part, by the conservation concerns associated with numerical declines in several sea duck species and populations, as well as a growing appreciation for their interesting ecological attributes. Reflec

The 21 species of sea ducks are one of the larger subgroups (Tribe Mergini) of the waterfowl family Anatidae, and the 16 species (one historically extinct) that are native to North America represent the largest number to be found on any continent, and also the largest number of endemic sea duck species native to any continent. Although generally not important as game birds, the sea ducks include some economically important birds such as the eiders, the basis for the Arctic eiderdown industry and a historically important food source for some Native American cultures. They also include what is probably the most northerly breeding species of all waterfowl and an icon of Arctic bird life, the long-tailed duck. The sea ducks also include species having some of the most complex and diverse pair-forming postural and acoustic displays of all waterfowl (goldeneyes and bufflehead), and some of the deepest diving species of all waterfowl (scoters and long-tailed duck). Sea ducks are highly prone to population disasters caused by oil spills and other water contaminants and, like other seabirds, are among the first bird groups that are being affected by current global warming trends in polar regions. This book is an effort to summarize succinctly our current knowledge of sea duck biology and to provide a convenient survey of the vast technical literature on the group, with over 900 literature references. It also includes 90,000 words of text (more than 40 percent of which is new), 15 updated range maps, 11 black & white and 20 color photographs, over 30 ink drawings, and nearly 150 sketches. Lastly, the North American sea ducks include the now extinct Labrador duck, the only northern hemisphere waterfowl species to have gone extinct in modern times. I have gratefully reprinted a Labrador duck watercolor by Sir Peter Scott. Considering recent population crashes in other sea ducks, such as the Steller's eider and spectacled eider, it should also offer a sobering reminder of the fragility of our natural world and its inhabitants, including us.