Rare Birds of North America

by Steve N. G. Howell, Ian Lewington, Will Russell

Overview

The first comprehensive illustrated guide to North America's vagrant birds

Rare Birds of North America is the first comprehensive illustrated guide to the vagrant birds that occur throughout the United States and Canada. Featuring 275 stunning color plates, this book covers 262 species originating from three very different regions—the Old World, the New World tropics, and the world's oceans. It explains the causes of avian vagrancy and breaks down patterns of occurrence by region and season, enabling readers to see where, when, and why each species occurs in North America. Detailed species accounts describe key identification features, taxonomy, age, sex, distribution, and status.

Rare Birds of North America provides unparalleled insights into vagrancy and avian migration, and will enrich the birding experience of anyone interested in finding and observing rare birds.

• Covers 262 species of vagrant birds found in the United States and Canada
• Features 275 stunning color plates that depict every species
• Explains patterns of occurrence by region and season
• Provides an invaluable overview of vagrancy patterns and migration
• Includes detailed species accounts and cutting-edge identification tips

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780691117966
Publisher:	Princeton University Press
Publication date:	02/16/2014
Pages:	448
Sales rank:	1,040,384
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 9.60(h) x 1.30(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Steve N. G. Howell is a research associate at PRBO Conservation Science and a staff leader with WINGS, an international bird tour company. His books include Petrels, Albatrosses, and Storm-Petrels of North America (Princeton). Ian Lewington is one of the world's finest bird illustrators. His books include Rare Birds of Britain and Europe. Will Russell is cofounder and managing director of WINGS.

Table of Contents

Preface vii

Acknowledgments ix

How to Use This Book xi

Abbreviations and Terminology xv

Geographic Terms xvii

INTRODUCTION

WHAT IS A 'RARE BIRD'-AND WHEN AND WHENCE? 1

MIGRATION AND VAGRANCY IN BIRDS 4

MIGRATION 4

VAGRANCY 6

Drift 7

Misorientation 10

Overshooting 14

Dispersal 14

Association 16

Disorientation 16

False Vagrancy 16

WHERE DO NORTH AMERICAN VAGRANTS COME FROM? 16

OLD WORLD SPECIES 16

East Asia 19

Western Eurasia-Africa 22

NEW WORLD SPECIES 24

Mainland 24

Island 29

PELAGIC SPECIES 30

Temperate Southern Hemisphere 30

Subtropical and Equatorial 30

TOPOGRAPHY, MOLT, AND AGING 32

BIRD TOPOGRAPHY 32

MOLTS AND PLUMAGES 32

MOLT AND AGING 35

Waterfowl 36

Pelagic Seabirds 38

Gulls and Terns 39

Shorebirds 39

Wading Birds 39

Raptors and Owls 40

Larger Landbirds 40

Aerial Landbirds 40

Songbirds 41

SPECIES ACCOUNTS

WATERFOWL 44

OLD WORLD 44

NEW WORLD 65

SUNGREBES 70

ALCIDS 71

PELAGIC SEABIRDS 74

PETRELS 74

ALBATROSSES 92

STORM-PETRELS 104

TROPICBIRDS 111

FRIGATEBIRDS 112

BOOBIES 117

GULLS AND TERNS 124

SHOREBIRDS 141

OLD WORLD 141

Plovers 142

Oystercatchers 151

Stilts 152

Sandpipers 154

Pratincoles 189

NEW WORLD 190

Thick-knees 190

Plovers 191

WADING BIRDS 194

OLD WORLD 194

Herons 194

Cranes 203

Rails 206

NEW WORLD 210

Herons 210

Storks 211

Rails 213

Jacanas 215

RAPTORS AND OWLS 217

OLD WORLD 217

NEW WORLD 230

LARGER LANDBIRDS 237

OLD WORLD 237

Nightjars 237

Pigeons 238

Cuckoos 240

Hoopoes 243

Woodpeckers 244

Corvids 246

NEW WORLD 248

Pigeons 248

Cuckoos 251

Trogons 252

Kingfishers 254

AERIAL LANDBIRDS 255

OLD WORLD 255

Swifts 255

Swallows 259

NEW WORLD 260

Hummingbirds 261

Swifts 272

Swallows 274

SONGBIRDS 278

OLD WORLD 278

Old World Flycatchers 279

Shrikes 286

Accentors 288

Chats and Thrushes 289

Old World Warblers 303

Wagtails and Pipits 315

Larks 322

Old World Buntings 323

Finches 334

NEW WORLD 342

Tyrant-flycatchers and allies 343

Mimids 362

Thrushes 365

Silkies (Silky-flycatchers) 373

Wrens 374

Vireos 375

Wood-warblers 377

Grassquits 385

Tanagers 388

New World Grosbeaks and Allies 393

New World Orioles 398

Appendices

Appendix A. Species New to North America, Fall 2011-Summer 2012 403

Appendix B: Species of Hypothetical Occurrence 404

Appendix C: Birds New to North America, 1950-2011 408

Literature Cited 411

Index 425

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"Rare Birds of North America is splendid. There is warmth and humor in the prose, and the color plates are stunning and will ensure a strong audience for many years to come. Such a book is long overdue for North American readers."—Edward S. Brinkley, editor of North American Birds

"An excellent treatment of a fascinating topic."—Paul Lehman, field guide consultant and bird tour leader

Editorial Reviews

"This work pays homage to the books that have covered the same ground for the rarities in Europe and has been long overdue in North America. Rare Birds of North America is worth every cent of its price tag and deserves to find its way on the bookshelves of every North American birder plus a few other bookshelves elsewhere in the world."

Urban Birder

"Fascinating . . . browsing this book presents a perfect opportunity for armchair birders to daydream about rare birds and about traveling to where the birds might be found."

Dan Tallman's Bird Blog

"This will doubtless prove to be one of the most important birding books of 2014. It is a pleasure to browse through, an endless source of curious and surprising information and a key reference in the identification literature. So, a hearty approval from me. A wonderful book!"

Curious Naturalist

One of The Seattle Times 8 Books to Put under a Bird-Lover’s Tree 2014

One of the StarTribune/Lifestyle’s Best Birding Books of 2014

One of the Birder’s Library Best Bird Books of 2014

One of the Birdbooker Report's Best Bird Books of 2014

From the Publisher

"[T]his is a very interesting book especially for those who want to take their birding to a whole new level of challenge by seeking out rare and vagrant birds."

GrrlScientist

"This is a very nice book, which serious birders will own."

Choice

"If you have a hankering for understanding, or finding out more about some of the rarities that we profile on a monthly basis, Rare Birds of North America is the book for you. This is a unique and beautifully illustrated guide. . . . As a primer for understanding vagrancy and migration, the introduction is remarkable. . . . Rare Birds of North America should enrich the field experience of those interested in finding and observing rare birds, and it should serve as an encouragement to all."

Birding Community E-Bulletin

"This volume is sure to be a revered resource in any birder's library for the wealth of information it contains as well as the beauty of Lewington's paintings."

USA Today

"No North American lister should be without this book. The beautiful illustrations alone would make it a joy to own. But it would be the first port of call if you turned up something not in the North American guides. Here you will find solid information to help you identify the bird and judge the likelihood that it is what you think it is. The frequency and geographical pattern of rarity occurrences is invaluable in this respect. Nicely written and beautifully produced to Princeton's normal high standard."

Fatbirder

"This volume is sure to be a revered resource in any birder's library for the wealth of information it contains as well as the beauty of Lewington's paintings."

USA Today

★ 03/01/2014
Howell (Petrels, Albatrosses, and Storm-Petrels of North America), Ian Lewington (Rare Birds of Britain and Europe), and Will Russell (WINGS International Bird Tours) collaborate on the first comprehensive guide to rare birds occurring throughout the United States and Canada. "Rare" here means five or fewer individuals found annually since 1950. The book's introduction explains avian migration in general and vagrancy in particular; maps showing migratory routes (and paths taken in error) and tables listing patterns of occurrence by region and season make complex information intelligible. The authors' sifting of bird-sighting records for a period covering some six decades is impressive. Detailed accounts of 262 species comprise the bulk of the book. Lewington's lovely color illustrations are supported by the sort of information one expects to find in bird guides (e.g., key identification features, taxonomy, distribution, similar species, behaviors, etc.). VERDICT That we are enjoying a "golden age of bird [book] publishing," as another reviewer in these pages has said, is clearly exemplified by this work. The birding hobby's growing popularity means that its fervent fringe of "life-listers" is growing, too, and for them, or anyone with an eye for the unusual, this book will surely tantalize.—Robert Eagan, Windsor P.L., Ont.

Library Journal