Waterfowl of Eastern North America

by Chris G. Earley

Overview

This is an attractive handbook for novice birders, new hunters, and others wanting to name waterfowl. Summing Up: Recommended.
--Choice

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 although many of them may be sighted both to the west or to the south at times in the year.

Illustrated with over 400 photographs of waterfowl in their natural environment, this essential field guide illustrates the rich diversity among these birds. It is designed specifically to help birders identify ducks, geese and shorebirds and become familiar with the features and colors to look for upon sighting a bird. Species information is concisely organized and includes the differences between male and female, seasonal and immature plumage, morphs and distinctive markings.

Waterfowl of Eastern North America covers ducks, geese, loons, pelicans, swans, grebes, coots, cormorants, and moorhens. The sections are:

• Classification A list of the birds in the book, how they are classified, notes similar shapes and behaviors of the dabblers; the divers; the mergansers; and the loons and grebes.
• Identification Annotated photographs show notable physical features used to aid identification.
• Waterfowl Look-alikes: Comparative photographs of Gulls, Phalaropes, Aquatic Seabirds, and Rails.
• Table of Seasonal Status of Waterfowl in Point Pelee National Park One of North America's most important migration stopovers this is an outstanding place to see and identify waterfowl.
• Bird Profiles Double-page spreads of essential information and descriptions to aid in identification.
• Features Comparisons Photographs of 33 species that are frequently misidentified and what to look for.
• Flight Comparisons Photographs of Dabblers, Geese and Swans, and Divers in flight.

Finally, Chris Earley shares how readers can help waterfowl wherever they live, from a simple nesting box to bird counts. Birders and naturalists who want to support conservation groups that protect waterfowl and their quickly disappearing habitats will want to add this book to their library.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780228102472
Publisher:	Firefly Books, Limited
Publication date:	05/15/2020
Edition description:	Second Edition
Pages:	160
Sales rank:	217,082
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Chris G. Earley is the Interpretive Biologist of the Arboretum, University of Guelph, where he teaches bird identification workshops. He is the author of Hawks and Owls; Sparrows and Finches; and Warblers, all specific to the Great Lakes Region and Eastern North America region. His most recent book is Feed the Birds: Attract and Identify 196 Common North American Birds.

Table of Contents

Wonderful waterfowl 7

How to use this book 8

A note to beginners 10

The quotes 11

Taxonomy 11

Classification 12

Waterfowl groups 13

Identification features 14

Waterfowl look-alikes 15

Seasonal status of waterfowl for Point Pelee National Park 16

Bird profiles

Snow Goose 18

Ross's Goose 20

Greater White-fronted Goose 22

Canada Goose & Cackling Goose 24

Brant 26

Mute Swan 28

Trumpeter Swan 30

Tundra Swan 32

Wood Duck 34

Blue-winged Teal 36

Cinnamon Teal 38

Northern Shoveler 40

Gadwall 42

Eurasian Wigeon 44

American Wigeon 46

Mallard 48

American Black Duck 50

Northern Pintail 52

Green-winged Teal 54

Canvasback 56

Redhead 58

Ring-necked Duck 60

Tufted Duck 62

Greater Scaup 64

Lesser Scaup 66

King Eider 68

Common Eider 72

Harlequin Duck 76

Surf Scoter 78

White-winged Scoter 80

Black Scoter 82

Long-tailed Duck 84

Bufflehead 88

Common Goldeneye 90

Barrow's Goldeneye 92

Hooded Merganser 94

Common Merganser 96

Red-breasted Merganser 98

Ruddy Duck 100

Pied-billed Grebe 102

Horned Grebe 104

Red-necked Grebe 106

Eared Grebe 108

Western Grebe 110

Common Gallinule 112

American Coot 114

Red-throated Loon 116

Common Loon 118

Double-crested Cormorant 120

American White Pelican 122

Vagrants and southern and coastal specialties

Black-bellied Whisitling-Duck 124

Fulvous Whistling-Duck 124

Barnacle Goose 125

Garganey 125

Mottled Duck 125

Steller's Eider 126

Smew 126

Masked Duck 126

Least Grebe 127

Clark's Grebe 127

Purple Gallinule 127

Pacific Loon 128

Yellow-billed Loon 128

Neotropic Cormorant 128

Great Cormorant 129

Anhinga 129

Brown Pelican 129

What can I do to help waterfowl? 130

Comparison pages

Female dabbling ducks 132

Canvasback/Redhead 134

Greater/Lesser Scaup 135

King/Common Eiders 136

Scoters 138

Goldeneyes 140

Female mergansers 141

Winter loons 142

Winter grebes 143

Flight 144

Female divers 148

Male ducks 150

A win for waterfowl: What can we learn from success? 154

References 157

Index 158

Editorial Reviews

[Review of earlier edtion:] A beautiful photographic guide to ducks and other waterfowl found in the eastern U.S... A handy section in the back provides photos of similar waterfowl species for comparison.

Wildlife Activist

This new version, designed both for beginners and experienced birders, is suddenly a must-see-and-have for anyone interested in the 40 species of geese, swans and ducks expected in eastern Canada and the U.S... The new edition is graced with dozens of new images that provide readers with a higher quality display of plumages.

OFO News - Bruce Kirkland

This book is meant for all birders, be they novices or experts... A nice feature is that each species receives one or two two-page spreads. The spreads feature a paragraph focusing on something special about the species, and several photos (of generally excellent quality) that attempt to cover all the different plumages.

Canadian Field-Naturalist Journal - Robert Alvo

Chris Earley's book Waterfowl of Eastern North America is an excellent resource.

Toronto.com - Glenn Perrett

Excellent photos of ducks, geese, swans, eiders, mergansers, grebes, loons, coot, gallinules, cormorants, and pelicans. Text is short and sweet, as are descriptive notes for seasonal plumage and distinctive markings. There are range maps, classifications, groups, look-alikes, and species status... A handsome, well-made book... This is the first bird ID book I've seen with maps using colors truly easily distinguished by people with color-perception deficiencies. Congratulations to Firefly! Other guide publishers please take note.

Minneapolis Star Tribune - Jim Williams

[Review of earlier edtion:] Filled with incredibly vibrant photographs of wildfowl in their natural habitat. Each bird and gender is described.

Ontario Sailor

[Review of earlier edtion:] A very useful field guide and birding primer... In fact, since many waterfowl are common to both coasts, this guide is useful for west coast observation as well... excellent color photographs showing the bird swimming and flying.

Wave Length Magazine - Diana Mumford

[Review of earlier edtion:] For each species the format is two full-color pages with excellent photographs, notes on distinctive features, and range maps... This is an attractive handbook for novice birders, new hunters, and others wanting to name waterfowl. Summing Up: Recommended.

Choice - C. Leck

[Review of earlier edtion:] Each species enjoys a step-by-step profile to facilitate precise identification, while brilliant color photographs reveal birds in their natural habitat.

E-Streams - Sue Reyna

[Review of earlier edtion:] A must-have book if you love watching our feathered friends. While the 400 magnificent color photographs will catch your eye, it's the anecdotes that keep even non-birders flocking back for more.

Good Times - Liz Grogan

[Review of earlier edtion:] An excellent field guide... illustrated with excellent photographs of both male and females... useful comparison photographs complete the guide.

Ibis [British Ornithologists' Union]