A well-known naturalist and bird-watcher tells of some of his more memorable experiences during journeys through the wilds of Mexico and Central and South America in the 1930s and early 1940s

A Bird Watcher's Adventures in Tropical America

Skutch, Alexander F.

Science & Math

Univ of Texas Pr

ILLUSTRATED, 327 PAGES WITH INDEX; THE ADVENTURES OF THE WORLD'S FOREMOST BIRD WATCHER

A Bird Watcher's Adventures in Tropical America (Corrie Herring Hooks Series)

"This very readable book by one of the world's distinguished ornithologists reviews the existing literature on bird sleep, and also provides a wealth of new information based upon 50 years of observation in the American tropics and elsewhere. The resulting text is always interesting, often charming, and sometimes poetic. . . . A unique and important book. Highly recommended." --wildlife activist "Abundant anecdotes . . . reveal the author's patient attention to detail and fondness for his subjects, attributes that have made Skutch one of the greatest of twentieth-century bird naturalists." --natural history "The black-and-white line drawings by Schmitt are exquisite . . ." --quarterly review of biology Even though birds spend up to half their lives sleeping or resting, little is known about these behaviors. In Birds Asleep, Alexander Skutch draws on his own observations, as well as the reports of other birders, to offer the first comprehensive survey of the sleeping habits of the world's birds. A longtime resident of Costa Rica, Alexander Skutch is a widely respected ornithologist and philosopher of natural history. His many publications include Origins of Nature's Beauty, Birds of Tropical America, and A Bird Watcher's Adventures in Tropical America, all published by the University of Texas Press.

Birds asleep (The Corrie Herring Hooks series)

N. John Schmitt (illustrator)

Sports & Outdoors

University of Texas Press

Discusses the evolution of life on the planet earth from a philosophical viewpoint and examines earth's place in the universe

Life Ascending

Evolution

A lifetime's keen observation of the physical world has led Alexander Skutch to ask deeply philosophical questions about the nature of "nature." In this thought-provoking study, he turns his attention to the problem of how "quality"--beauty, goodness, morality--has arisen in a process of evolution that appears to favor sheer "quantity." Skutch draws his examples from the natural wonders he knows best--birds, butterflies, and flowers. He shows how each uses beauty to attract mates or pollinators and repel or hide from predators--all instances where quality serves the goal of increasing the quantity of a species. More than this, Skutch offers intriguing evidence that animals may possess an aesthetic sense and consciously choose beautiful objects, just as humans do. These views, running counter to prevailing mechanistic explanations of natural processes, offer food for thought to both specialists and the general public. It is Skutch's deeply held conviction that naturalists should try to discover and make widely known whatever is "fair and heartening" in nature, in contrast to the apparent randomness and violence of Darwinian natural selection.

Origins of Nature's Beauty: Essays by Alexander F. Skutch (Corrie Herring Hooks Series)

"A detailed survey ... of the family life and reproductive behavior of birds, from the formation of pairs to the young birds' attainment of independence."

Parent Birds and Their Young (The Corrie Herring Hooks Series ; No. 2)

"This very readable book by one of the world's distinguished ornithologists reviews the existing literature on bird sleep, and also provides a wealth of new information based upon 50 years of observation in the American tropics and elsewhere. The resulting text is always interesting , often charming, and sometimes poetic. . . . A unique and important book. Highly recommended." --wildlife activist "Abundant anecdotes . . . reveal the author's patient attention to detail and fondness for his subjects, attributes that have made Skutch one of the greatest of twentieth-century bird naturalists." --natural history "The black-and-white line drawings by Schmitt are exquisite . . ." --quarterly review of biology Even though birds spend up to half their lives sleeping or resting, little is known about these behaviors. In Birds Asleep, Alexander Skutch draws on his own observations, as well as the reports of other birders, to offer the first comprehensive survey of the sleeping habits of the world's birds. A longtime resident of Costa Rica, Alexander Skutch is a widely respected ornithologist and philosopher of natural history. His many publications include Origins of Nature's Beauty, Birds of Tropical America, and A Bird Watcher's Adventures in Tropical America, all published by the University of Texas Press.

Birds Asleep (Corrie Herring Hooks Series)

Winner, Western Books Exhibition, Rounce and Coffin ClubAntbirds and ovenbirds, two of the five largest families of birds found only in the Western Hemisphere, have been among Alexander Skutch's favorites for more than six decades. In this book, he draws on years of observations to describe the life cycle of these fascinating birds, which inhabit Latin America from tropical Mexico to Tierra del Fuego. Skutch covers all aspects of the birds' lives, including the various species in each family, food and foraging, daily life, voice, displays and courtship, nests and incubation, and parental care. He also recounts anecdotes from his own experiences, creating vivid pictures of antbirds foraging for the insects Skutch stirs up on walks through the rainforest and of ovenbirds repairing the observation holes that he opens in their elaborate nests. As some of tropical America's least studied birds, antbirds and ovenbirds surely merit the extensive treatment given them here by one of our most distinguished senior ornithologists. Over fifty line drawings by noted bird artist Dana Gardner make this book a delight for both armchair and field naturalists.

Antbirds and Ovenbirds: Their Lives and Homes (Corrie Herring Hooks Series)

Biological Sciences

Winner, Western Books Exhibition, Rounce and Coffin Club
Antbirds and ovenbirds, two of the five largest families of birds found only in the Western Hemisphere, have been among Alexander Skutch's favorites for more than six decades. In this book, he draws on years of observations to describe the life cycle of these fascinating birds, which inhabit Latin America from tropical Mexico to Tierra del Fuego. Skutch covers all aspects of the birds' lives, including the various species in each family, food and foraging, daily life, voice, displays and courtship, nests and incubation, and parental care. He also recounts anecdotes from his own experiences, creating vivid pictures of antbirds foraging for the insects Skutch stirs up on walks through the rainforest and of ovenbirds repairing the observation holes that he opens in their elaborate nests. As some of tropical America's least studied birds, antbirds and ovenbirds surely merit the extensive treatment given them here by one of our most distinguished senior ornithologists. Over fifty line drawings by noted bird artist Dana Gardner make this book a delight for both armchair and field naturalists.

Crafts, Hobbies & Home

Pets & Animal Care

Discusses house wrens, the size of animals, favorite bird foods, symbiosis, hummingbirds, trees, weeds, and other tropical wildlife

Nature Through Tropical Windows

Univ. Of California Pr.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Skutch, Alexander F.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Skutch, Alexander F.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Skutch, Alexander F.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

A Bird Watcher's Adventures in Tropical America

A Bird Watcher's Adventures in Tropical America (Corrie Herring Hooks Series)

Birds asleep (The Corrie Herring Hooks series)

Life Ascending

Origins of Nature's Beauty: Essays by Alexander F. Skutch (Corrie Herring Hooks Series)

Parent Birds and Their Young (The Corrie Herring Hooks Series ; No. 2)

Birds Asleep (Corrie Herring Hooks Series)

Antbirds and Ovenbirds: Their Lives and Homes (Corrie Herring Hooks Series)

Antbirds and Ovenbirds: Their Lives and Homes (Corrie Herring Hooks Series)

Nature Through Tropical Windows