The National Geographic Guide to Birding in North America

244 Pages·2017·15.51 MB·English

by  James Currie

Topic Subtopic
Better Living Hobby
The Guide to Birding
in North America
Course Guidebook
James Currie
Birding Expert
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The National Geographic Guide to Birding in North America
JAMES CURRIE, M.S.
Birding Expert
Alifelong birding enthusiast and
native of South Africa, James Currie
is one of the most recognizable
faces in birding in North America. He
hosts Nikon’s Birding Adventures
TV, a popular birding show airing on
Discovery Communications’ Destination
America. Mr. Currie also hosted the
action-birding show Aerial Assassins on
Nat Geo WILD, which aired worldwide
in 2012, and appeared in the reality
birding show Twitchers, which aired on
the National Geographic Channel in
2014. He has led professional wildlife and birding tours for many years,
and his passion for birding, adventure, and remote cultures has taken him
to nearly every corner of the globe. Mr. Currie has appeared as a special
guest on various television shows and radio programs, including Martha
Stewart Living Radio and WGN-TV, and has been the subject of several
newspaper articles in such periodicals as The Wall Street Journal, The
Palm Beach Post, and the Orlando Sentinel. He provided footage and
consulted for the 2011 Hollywood birding movie The Big Year, starring
Steve Martin, Jack Black, and Owen Wilson.
Mr. Currie is a highly sought-after public speaker who has spoken to
sold-out audiences at various venues, including the prestigious Explorers
Club in New York City, The G2 Gallery in Los Angeles, the National
The National Geographic Guide to Birding in North America i
Audubon Society headquarters in New York City, Zoo Miami, humanitarian
fundraisers and international conservation conventions, birding shows, the
Educational Travel Consortium’s Annual Conference, and the Travel &
Adventure Show.
Mr. Currie is an expert in the fields of sustainable development and
environmental management, holding a bachelor’s degree in African
Languages from the University of Cape Town and a master’s degree in
Sustainable Environmental Management from Middlesex University
London. His dissertation, which he presented to the Icelandic government
in 2001, received a distinction and has been used as a model for assessing
the relationships between wildlife areas and local communities. One of Mr.
Currie’s passions is forging links between local communities, wildlife, and
international travelers. From 2004 to 2007, he worked as the managing
director of Africa Foundation, a nonprofit organization that directs its efforts
toward uplifting communities surrounding wildlife areas in Africa.
Mr. Currie has contributed to several birding and wildlife publications,
including the acclaimed Southern African Birdfinder and Wildwatch. His
first book, When Eagles Roar: The Amazing Journey of an African Wildlife
Adventurer, details his life as a birding guide.
In 2007, Mr. Currie immigrated to the United States with his American wife
and three children, and he currently resides in West Palm Beach, Florida. ■
ii Biography The National Geographic Guide to Birding in North America
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
Professor Biography ............................................................................i
Scope .................................................................................................1
LECTURE GUIDES
Lecture 1
Birding Basics: Bird Origins and Taxonomy ..................................3
Lecture 2
Basic Bird Anatomy .....................................................................12
Lecture 3
Size, Shape, and Color as Birding Tools .....................................22
Lecture 4
Bird Distribution, Status, and Endemism .....................................31
Lecture 5
Habitat and Season as Birding Tools...........................................39
Lecture 6
Introduction to Birding Optics ......................................................48
Lecture 7
Tactics for Better Birding ..............................................................56
Biography The National Geographic Guide to Birding in North America iii
Lecture 8
Using Bird Behavior to Identify Birds ...........................................65
Lecture 9
Understanding Variations in Plumage .........................................74
Lecture 10
Birding by Ear ..............................................................................83
Lecture 11
Essentials of Bird Migration .........................................................91
Lecture 12
Birding at Night ..........................................................................100
Lecture 13
Pelagic Birding ..........................................................................108
Lecture 14
Waterbirds, Shorebirds, and Game Birds ..................................118
Lecture 15
Diurnal Raptors .........................................................................128
Lecture 16
From Doves to Kingfishers ........................................................137
Lecture 17
Passerines: From Flycatchers to Thrushes ...............................147
Lecture 18
Passerines: From Thrashers to Warblers ..................................157
Lecture 19
Passerines: From Tanagers to Finches .....................................166
Lecture 20
Photography for Birders ............................................................181
Lecture 21
Birding Sites in Eastern North America .....................................190
iv Table of Contents The National Geographic Guide to Birding in North America
Lecture 22
Birding Sites in Western North America ....................................200
Lecture 23
Birds and People .......................................................................210
Lecture 24
Birding Ethics and Conservation ...............................................218

SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL

Bibliography ....................................................................................226
Image Credits .................................................................................234
Table of Contents The National Geographic Guide to Birding in North America v
vi Scope The National Geographic Guide to Birding in North America
SCOPE
Every year millions of people across North America take
out their binoculars or set up their spotting scopes
to get a closer look at birds. What is it about birds that
intrigues so many people? This course will answer this
question in a comprehensive lecture series on the birds of
the continent that focuses not only on the identification of
the continent’s diverse bird species but also on the best
birding tools to use to see these birds.
This course will provide you with the tools you need to
observe, identify, and enjoy the birds around you. The
course begins with the origins of birds and birding, the
basics of bird anatomy, and the tools required for basic
bird identification. Lectures are also devoted to tips on
using optical equipment and bird photography to enable
birders to observe birds more closely than ever before.
Besides optics, there are many tactics that experienced
birders use to observe birds more closely; using sound,
blinds, technology, and native gardening are just some of
the useful tips that are disclosed.
This course will make your backyard a much more interesting place both
for you and for birds. But the course will also expand your horizons with
some fun excursions into less familiar territory. You will go birding after dark
to observe the nightlife of beautiful birds ranging from the cute northern
saw-whet owl to the large and pugnacious great horned owl. And you
will set out to sea, where you will encounter a host of pelagic species,
including magnificent frigatebirds and whiskered auklets. The series will
Scope The National Geographic Guide to Birding in North America 1
also introduce you to some of the best birding sites on the continent—from
Amherst Island in Ontario to the Channel Islands off the coast of California.
But your expedition won’t stop there. In fact, it will take you all over North
America—east, west, north, and south—and in the process, you will meet
an astounding array of species, including raptors, hummingbirds, warblers,
wading birds, phalaropes, and sparrows. You will delve into the fascinating
world of bird migration and explore the close relationship between birds
and people, discovering the dichotomous role that humans can play in both
bird conservation and bird extinction. Every step of the way, the course
will help you hone your skills so that you can meet even the toughest
identification challenges. Whether you’re a novice birder or someone who’s
been observing birds for years, this course will give you the skills you need
to turn every day into a birding adventure. ■
2 S Sccooppee The National Geographic Guide to Birding in North America