Swift and iridescent, hummingbirds are found only in the New World, and
encompass an amazing variety of specializations. No other family of
birds can lay claim to so many superlatives, including smallest size,
most rapid wingbeat, and most specialized plumages. While many species
can be attracted to feeding stations and backyard flower gardens, others
can be found only in the wild.
Paul A. Johnsgard's Hummingbirds of North America is the only book
devoted to the identification, distribution, and biology -- both
individual and comparative -- of all hummingbirds that breed in North
America. First published in 1983, this acclaimed volume now has been
revised and expanded to include twenty-five Mexican species, such as the
long-billed starthroat and the fork-tailed emeralds, thereby more than
doubling the species coverage of the original edition. Full
species-by-species accounts survey the evolutionary history, anatomical
and physiological specializations, and comparative ecology, behavior,
and reproductive biology of this largest family of nonpasserine birds.
Individual accounts are complemented by 24 full-color paintings.
Including updated range maps, identification keys, and a bibliography
that has been broadened to include literature on the little-known
Mexican species, the book is both accessible to amateur birders and an
authoritative volume for ornithologists.
