A Field Guide to Little-Known and Seldom-Seen Birds of North America
Aficionados will find themselves squawking with laughter at the ingenuity and mock-seriousness of this engaging volume by three avid birders. Consider the Sills' commitment to jargon-free birding terminology: in their guide, "ill tempered," "nocturnal migration," "feed actively" and "flock" become "fowl behavior," "fly by night," "pig out" and "whole bunch." The 32 fanciful species described, complete with superb, realistic color drawings that reflect John Sill's considerable skill as a wildlife illustrator, range from the droll to the hilarious: Skia, or Sasquatch Yeti, recognized by their big, ski-type feet; Least Minitwit, or Awfulii Smallus Jr.a sampling of this "itsy bitsy" creature is obtained by covering a flyswatter with foam rubber "since squished birds cannot be legitimately added to a life list." The authors sustain their tongue-in-cheek approach through mock-scholarly apparatus: a bibliography ("Field Guide to Guano," by Fir T. Lizer) and authentic-looking graphs that correlate new species to UFO sightings, volcanic eruptions, night baseball games and the national debt.Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.