The bird watching answer book: everything you need to know to enjoy birds in your backyard and beyond

Learn the how's and why's of bird behavior, from flirtatious mating practices and gorgeous birdsong to flying south for the winter. In this lively reference book, Laura Erickson addresses hundreds of real-life questions sent into the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the world's foremost authority on birds. With expert advice on bird watching techniques and equipment, feeding and housing birds, protecting habitats, and much more, Erickson guides you through the intricacies of the avian world with a contagious passion for our feathered friends. Part One For the Birds: Feeding, Watching, and Protecting Our Feathered Friends 1. Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? The Art of Bird Feeding 2. Birding for Fun and Science: The Sport of Bird-Watching 3. Living with Our Feathered Friends: Solving Bird Problems 4. Looking to the Future: Protecting Bird Populations Part Two Bird Brains: Avian Behavior and Intelligence 5. Actions Speak Louder in Birds: Bird Behavior 6. Singin' in the Rain: Bird Vocalizations 7. Do You Know the Way to San Jose? Bird Migration 8. The Birds and the Bees: How Birds Reproduce Part Three All About Birds, Inside and Out 9. The Inside Story: How Birds Work 10. Of Eagle Eyes and Ultrasound: How Birds Perceive the World 11. On Angels' Wings: Fascinating Feathers 12. Those Magnificent Flying Machines: How Birds Fly