The wonderful pageantry of the most extraordinary birds of North America With more than 900 different kinds of birds in the United States and Canada, bird watchers bear witness to some incredible species. From the world’s smallest owl to the fastest of all animals, our bird population is both impressive and diverse. Stan Tekiela has been studying and photographing these birds for more than 30 years. Here, the award-winning author and naturalist showcases 28 of the most astonishing species in North America. His incomparable photography captures the birds in action and depicts behaviors that are sure to surprise and delight, while the book’s headings and small blocks of text make for easy yet informative browsing. Discover North America’s most interesting birds. Inside this coffee-table book, you’ll find remarkable, unusual birds stunningly photographed in natural settings. Turn to any page and you’ll be amazed by the colors, stop-action detail, and diversity of our feathered friends. Fast or slow, large or small, the birds and their behaviors are sure to surprise and delight. You’ll develop a new appreciation for their wild and wonderful world. Naturalist, wildlife photographer, and writer Stan Tekiela is the author of more than 175 field guides, nature books, children’s books, wildlife audio CDs, puzzles, and playing cards, presenting many species of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, trees, wildflowers, and cacti in the United States. With a Bachelor of Science degree in Natural History from the University of Minnesota and as an active professional naturalist for more than 25 years, Stan studies and photographs wildlife throughout the United States and Canada. He has received various national and regional awards for his books and photographs. Also a well-known columnist and radio personality, his syndicated column appears in more than 25 newspapers, and his wildlife programs are broadcast on a number of Midwest radio stations. Stan can be followed on Facebook and Twitter. OUR EXTRAORDINARY NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS Plain and simple, birds are amazing! When you think about it, many birds are brightly colored and sing marvelous songs. Most build incredibly intricate nests. Some swim to deep depths, while others fly high above our tallest mountains. Birds occupy nearly every habitat on the face of the earth, from the hot tropics to the frozen poles. And if that is not enough, let’s not forget the obvious―most birds have the ability to fly. There are over 10,000 species of birds in the world. This is more than double the number of mammals on the planet. North America has its own highly diverse group of birds, with more than 900 species in the United States and Canada alone. From the tiny hummingbirds, which are often mistaken for large insects, to the giant eagles and condors, with their huge wings spanning 7–10 feet across, the variety is mind-boggling. North America is also home to the smallest of all owls, the Elf Owl, and the fastest of all animals, the Peregrine Falcon. Just about every part of a bird’s anatomy is specialized and unique. Nearly all species have super-strong flight muscles and an extraordinarily strong heart, both of which are needed to fly. Their lungs and air sacs are nothing like a mammal’s and allow some birds to fly as high as 30,000 feet! At that altitude, a mammal would lose consciousness. A bird’s vision is greater than that of most mammals, and they see in a wider spectrum of light. This means they can see things that mammals, and certainly people, cannot. In addition, many bird species can hear way beyond the capability of people. Their navigational senses are unmatched in the mammalian world. The bills of birds are unique to the avian world. Birds use them for everything from building highly structured nests to procuring food. Some fight with their bills. Others use them to kill prey for meals. Birds also utilize these same bills to gently feed their babies. Birds communicate both visually and with sound. Bright feathers and bold patterns say much about a bird’s health and social status, and probably even more than we realize. Birds sing songs to express emotions, attract a mate, and communicate the ownership of a territory. Think of this as a complex song and dance show. Wild Birds celebrates some of our most outstanding wild birds in their richness and diversity. I have carefully selected 28 North American species to showcase in this book. They include unique birds that are the most unusual or entertaining, and those with fascinating behaviors. Some of these species have also set records as the fastest, slowest, largest or smallest bird in North America.