Contents

Introduction

PART ONE
For the Birds: Feeding, Watching and Protecting Our Feathered Friends

Chapter 1: Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner? The Art of Bird Feeding

Feeding Backyard Birds

If You Build It, They Will Come

What’s On the Menu?

Adaptations for Eating

Bird Behavior at the Snack Bar

How to Keep a Hummingbird Happy

Coping with Unwanted Guests

Housekeeping for the Birds

Chapter 2: Birding for Fun and Science: The Sport of Bird-Watching

Using Binoculars Like a Pro

Beyond Binoculars: Do I Need Fancy Equipment?

Learning More about Birds

The Ins and Outs of Bird-Watching

Chapter 3: Living with Our Feathered Friends: Solving Bird Problems

The Birds — Not Just a Movie

Outdoor Hazards

Helping Birds in Trouble

Chapter 4: Looking to the Future: Protecting Bird Populations

Making Way for Plovers

The Effects of the Environment on Birds

Extinction Is Forever

PART TWO
Bird Brains: Avian Behavior and Intelligence

Chapter 5: Actions Speak Louder in Birds: Bird Behavior

How to Think Like a Bird

Parasitic Parenting and the Mysteries of Imprinting

Learning about Food

Birds Do the Strangest Things

Species Specific

Chapter 6: Singin’ in the Rain: Bird Vocalizations

Making Beautiful Music

What Do Birds Sing About, Anyway?

More than Just Melody

Chapter 7: Do You Know the Way to San Jose? Bird Migration

The Mysteries of Migration

Taking the Night Flight

Following Directions

What Birds Do in the Winter

Chapter 8: The Birds and the Bees: How Birds Reproduce

The Mating Ritual

Birds of a Feather

Location, Location, Location: Defending Territory

Building the Best Nest

The Family Life of Birds

All About Eggs

PART THREE
All About Birds, Inside and Out

Chapter 9: The Inside Story: How Birds Work

From the Inside Out

Digestive Issues

Facts about Feet

Coping with the Cold

Chapter 10: Of Eagle Eyes and Ultrasound: How Birds Perceive the World

A Bird’s Eye View

Hear and There

The Nostrils Know

Extra-sensory Perceptions

Chapter 11: On Angels’ Wings: Fascinating Feathers

Fine Feathered Facts

Let’s See Some Identification

Colorful Characters

Health and Beauty Aids

Chapter 12: Those Magnificent Flying Machines: How Birds Fly

How Do They Do That?

The Highs and Lows of Flight

Flocks and Formations

Appendixes

Scientific Bird Names

Glossary

Resources

Index