A Great Blue Heron wades in the shallows of the Potomac River, scanning for unsuspecting prey. Sunlight turns the water translucent as a small school of fish rises to the water's surface. The heron strikes and moments later is swallowing its quarry'predation in action! This handsome Great Blue Heron is but one of the more than 400 bird species found in Delaware, Maryland, and the District of Columbia. He shares the mid-Atlantic with kingfishers, eagles, mergansers, wood warblers, and many more.
Exploring backyard birds, birds of prey, and birds of the open ocean, Smithsonian ornithologist Bruce Beehler and premier nature photographer Middleton Evans have crafted a comprehensive volume unparalleled in its beauty and captivating storytelling. Birds of Maryland, Delaware, and the District of Columbia invites readers to experience the birds' lives as they live them: where they nest, how they forage, their various behaviors, and the natural environments they need to survive.
Beehler offers practical advice on bird-watching, including how to find, attract, and even garden for birds, as well as the best places to see them in season. He also discusses the best birding apps, websites, and gear; provides advice on planning a birding field trip; and recommends ornithological institutions that will help you cultivate a lifelong birding hobby. Finally, Beehler challenges the reader to think about conservation efforts to preserve local bird populations.
With striking color photographs of more than 400 species, this book is a bonanza for nature lovers. A wealth of images immerse the reader in the world of these wonderful creatures. Marvel at the majesty of Ospreys, navigate the ocean with storm-petrels, and nest with Mourning Doves, all while learning about the richness of the birds' lives, the complexities of their habits, and how we can help keep their populations vibrant and aloft for generations to come.
Foreword, by Chandler S. Robbins Acknowledgments Terms, Abbreviations, and Acronyms
PART ONE. Introduction
1. Appreciating Our Birdlife and the Gentle Art of Birding 2. Natural Geography of the Region 3. The Birding Seasons 4. Birds in Urban, Suburban, and Agricultural Landscapes 5. The Gift of Wild Places 6. Landscaping for Birds and the Environment 7. Feeding the Birds 8. Conserving Birds and Their Habitats
PART TWO BIRD GROUPACCOUNTS Waterbirds 9. Waterfowl 10. Marsh and Wading Birds 11. Coastal Waterbirds 12. Shorebirds 13. Birds of the Open Ocean Landbirds 14. Birds of Prey 15. Birds of Countryside, Farm, and Field 16. Aerial Feeders 17. Neighborhood, Feeder, and Backyard Birds 18. Sparrows and Their Terrestrial Allies 19. Warblers and Look-Alikes 20. Orioles, Blackbirds, and Colorful Seed-eaters
PART THREE - BIRDING TOOLS 21. Best Birding Apps and Websites 22. Necessary Birding Gear 23. Planning Your Birding Field Trip 24. Important Institutions for Birds 25. Key Birding and Ornithological References
PART FOUR Bird-finding Guide 26. Photographic Atlas and Finding Guide 27. Birds Rarely Recorded in the Region 28. Coded Regional Checklist and Seasonal Occurrence Chart 29. Best Birding Localities
Contributors Photography Credits and Notes Addendum Index
""If you've never been able to fully appreciate the red poll, phoebe, towhee or great crested flycatcher, you might derive hours of pleasure from a new book from Johns Hopkins University Press, Birds of Maryland, Delaware and the District of Columbia. It's the size of a coffee table book and looks at first like one, heavily dependent on photographs. But it's far more than that. Part field guide, part birding atlas, part conservationist pleading, it is nearly 500 pages of photos by Middleton Evans and prose by ornithologist Bruce Beehler. It comes with charts, checklists and maps of birding hot spots... I can't imagine a more complete record of the birds of our region. It's an inspiration for anyone who has thought about ' but never got around to ' becoming a birder... The Beehler-Evans book is timely and important. It's an impressive accounting of what we have and what we could lose if we don't do more ' and fast ' to counter the effects of human behavior.""
