1001 Secrets Every Birder Should Know: Tips and Trivia for the Backyard and Beyond
Stiteler has created an amusing and informative collection of advice and facts for bird lovers in this highly browsable and entertaining book. Birders everywhere love to not only “know stuff” but to be able to trot it out as needed, and Stiteler’s book is full of such “stuff.” Dividing the book into 10 chapters, the author groups her factoids by such topics as feeding birds, migration, bird love, and baby birds, but also allows her to answer common questions, explore why birding is hip, and follow the bird watching year. We learn how birds mate (quantity is the key word), the ten signs that you may need to cut back on bird feeding (neighbors refer to you as “bird lady”), why birds attack windows (they are trying to drive off a rival - their reflection), and the definitions of birding terms (a “lifer” is a new species to be added to your life list). Filling the text with myth-busting corrections, color photos illustrating topics, and ending each chapter with vacation ideas, Stiteler has created a wonderful potpourri for birdwatchers at all levels. --Nancy Bent