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Rating: 
Summary: Excellent, valuable technical resource but not a photo book
Review: I am thrilled with this purchase. I already own several coffeetable photograph books on hummingbirds so was looking for one with more technical, scientific information. Since this book is published by the Smithsonian, in its second printing, and got excellent reviews from scientific publications (see the reviews listed on the back cover when you "look inside the book"), I figured it would meet my need for more in-depth information. I was right. However, be advised, the color plates are beautiful paintings but not photographs. In fact, there isn't a photograph in the entire book, so if that's what you're searching for, buy a different book. If you want an in-depth study of North American and Mexican hummingbirds, complete with range, identification information, habitats, breeding etc., this is your book. And while it is based on scientific and technical references, the writing style is interesting and accessible for us lay people. By the way, according to this book, the Portuguese name for "hummingbird" literally means "flower-kisser," while the literal translations for Central and South American names for "hummingbird" include: "rays of the sun" and "tresses of the day-star." If you're interested enough in hummingbirds to be researching books on them, I thought you'd enjoy knowing this.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent, valuable technical resource but not a photo book
Review: I am thrilled with this purchase. I already own several coffeetable photograph books on hummingbirds so was looking for one with more technical, scientific information. Since this book is published by the Smithsonian, in its second printing, and got excellent reviews from scientific publications (see the reviews listed on the back cover when you "look inside the book"), I figured it would meet my need for more in-depth information. I was right. However, be advised, the color plates are beautiful paintings but not photographs. In fact, there isn't a photograph in the entire book, so if that's what you're searching for, buy a different book. If you want an in-depth study of North American and Mexican hummingbirds, complete with range, identification information, habitats, breeding etc., this is your book. And while it is based on scientific and technical references, the writing style is interesting and accessible for us lay people. By the way, according to this book, the Portuguese name for "hummingbird" literally means "flower-kisser," while the literal translations for Central and South American names for "hummingbird" include: "rays of the sun" and "tresses of the day-star." If you're interested enough in hummingbirds to be researching books on them, I thought you'd enjoy knowing this.
Rating:
Summary: Great technical guide to hummingbirds
Review: This is a truly fascinating book on hummingbirds. It is a must-have guide for anyone looking for complete technical information on these birds. Numerous charts, maps & b/w illustrations really help. The book starts out with 24 color plates of paintings showcasing a wide variety of hummingbird species. Next, hummingbirds are classified & their general attributes are described. Then distribution is covered. The evolution of the birds & how they became specialized in also explained. The following chapters compare anatomy, physiology, biology, ecology & reproduction of the different species. Over 40 different species are described in detail, including range, size, habitat, movements & foraging behavior. Identification keys for both North American & Mexican hummingbirds are a great bonus.
Rating:
Summary: Great technical guide to hummingbirds
Review: This is a truly fascinating book on hummingbirds. It is a must-have guide for anyone looking for complete technical information on these birds. Numerous charts, maps & b/w illustrations really help. The book starts out with 24 color plates of paintings showcasing a wide variety of hummingbird species. Next, hummingbirds are classified & their general attributes are described. Then distribution is covered. The evolution of the birds & how they became specialized in also explained. The following chapters compare anatomy, physiology, biology, ecology & reproduction of the different species. Over 40 different species are described in detail, including range, size, habitat, movements & foraging behavior. Identification keys for both North American & Mexican hummingbirds are a great bonus.
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