In North America, between 30 and 40 million people purchase bird feed each year. For anyone who feeds birds, this book will be an indispensable companion. This book, based on years of study and surveys, offers more information on the feeding habits of birds than has ever before been available. Here we will find out what species frequent feeders in different parts of North America, how often these species visit feeders, and what they prefer to eat. We learn, for instance, that a red-winged blackbird may not try a novel food until it sees another try it first; that over 150 pygmy nuthatches have been reported roosting together in a single tree cavity; that redpolls can spend adjacent winters in sites over 1200 miles apart; and that crows post sentinels in feeding flocks to watch for danger. Unlike ordinary bird guides, this book focuses exclusively on birds that are likely to appear at your feeder. In addition to fascinating descriptions of each species there are clear, charming illustrations for identification as well as maps that show distribution and frequency of feeder visits. Amateurs and professionals alike will find this an engaging and necessary book. This superb book is distinguished from the dozens of others on attracting birds by its analysis of data from thousands of people who feed birds across North America and participate in Project FeederWatch, a survey begun in 1987 by Dunn and managed by Cornell University and other institutions. For the 93 most widespread feeder species, the authors present several pages of excellent commentary plus two range maps and four bar graphs. For each bird, there is textual and graphic information on its abundance (both geographical and through the yearly calendar), food preferences, behavior, habits, a drawing of the bird, and more. There is also some detail on birds and mammals found less frequently at feeders plus discussions of misconceptions about the perceived risks of feeders: concerns about dependency, disease, predation, and window collisions. A wealth of information is easily accessible here thanks to this massive cooperative programAa prime example of "citizen science." Highly recommended.AHenry T. Armistead, Free Lib. of Philadelphia Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. Erica H. Dunn, a research scientist for the Canadian Wildlife Service, is one of North America's leading experts on birds at feeders. She founded Project Feederwatch and has written widely on the subject of bird feeding. Diane L. Tessaglia-Hymes is a graphic designer for the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, home of Project Feederwatch.