Choiniere, Joseph & Golding, Claire Mowbray. What's That Bird?: Getting to Know the Birds Around You, Coast to Coast.

CHOINIERE, Joseph & GOLDING, Claire Mowbray. What's that bird? A beginner's guide to backyard birding. Workman. 117p. illus, index, c2005. 1-58017-554-6. $14.95. JSA*

I was quickly won over by this charming, informative book. Filled with clear descriptions of the science of birding, this beautifully designed and illustrated volume also includes numerous sidebars and captions that offer intriguing bits of information on some of the 9,500-10,000 species of birds the authors tell us exist on our planet. For example, we find out that a bird's knees are actually tucked under its feathers, and what we see that looks like a backwards knee is actually a part of the bird's foot that doesn't touch the ground, because birds walk on their toes! The center part of the book contains detailed descriptions of 60 birds, chosen from the 800 species that live in North America, as well as advice on how to watch and identify them. A chapter on biodiversity, migration, and endangered species is offered, along with a fun chapter on "Birds and You," which includes advice on how to make your home--whether backyard, balcony, or window--safe and inviting for birds. Instructions on how to construct a nesting box and a bird arbor are also included. Another entertaining section features "incredible" birds that are extreme in some way: the tallest and heaviest trumpeter swans, best dancer cranes, most talkative magpies, and the least-likely-to-succeed eagles, among many others.

The annotated resource list suggests books (grouped by age appropriateness), CDs, videos, DVDs, and websites, as well as providing addresses for the National Audubon Society and the American Birding Association, and there's a helpful quiz at the end. Ultimately, this is an educational book that is a lot of fun to read and use as a guide. Rhonda Cooper, Dir., Univ. Art Gallery, Stony Brook, NY