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Canadian nature writer Harry Thurston provides an informative introduction to hummingbird biology and behavior. He explains the evolutionary dance between hummingbirds and plants that has produced the familiar syndrome of "hummingbird flowers," trumpet-shaped red flowers that provide copious amounts of nectar. Did you know that male hummingbirds provide almost no care for their young? Such details, excavated from the extensive scientific literature, enliven the text and complement the color photographs that are the heart of the book. Thurston's previous natural history writings, including Tidal Life: A Natural History of the Bay of Fundy, won several book awards. The writing here won't win Thurston any awards, but the book as a whole--especially the photographs--provides an enjoyable introduction to the world of the hummingbird. --Pete Holloran
Book Description
The author has spent many hours watching the antics of hummers that visit the feeders around his Nova Scotia home. The result is this affectionate and information-packed portrait. Skillfully interweaving his own observations with those of distinguished ornithologists, naturalists, and fellow hummingbird enthusiasts, Thurston offers reader a close-up view of the birds' physiology, as well as their habits and behaviors. The hummingbird's jewel-like color and constant hovering flight elicit wonder and delight, and a deeper examination of its behaviors--fastidious nector--sipping among flowers, elaborate courtship rituals, the building of nests delicately bound with cobwebs, even self-regulation of body temperature to conserve energy--only enhance our appreciation of this hardy little creature. It is small wonder that people in the Americas, from as early as the time of the Aztecs, have been drawn to the hummingbird as a religious symbol, as well as a source of simple delight. Perhaps, says the author, it is "our cumulative individual desire to have these beautiful birds as part of our environment" that has made them one of the success stories in our attempts to preserve wildlife.
Thurston's obvious delight in hummingbirds comes through on every page of this lively, fascinating account. Accompanying the text is a collection of stunning photographs that catch the birds in mid-flight, probing flowers with their slender bills, or feeding minuscule offspring in their nest. Together, text and photos offer a unique and fascinating look at these "feathered jewels in flight."
