Birds of Minnesota Field Guide

by Stan Tekiela

Overview

Learn to Identify Birds in Minnesota!

Make bird watching even more enjoyable. With Minnesota’s best-selling bird guide, field identification is simple and informative. There’s no need to look through dozens of photos of birds that don’t live in your area. This book features 123 species of Minnesota birds organized by color for ease of use. Do you see a yellow bird and don’t know what it is? Go to the yellow section to find out. Crisp, stunning full-page photographs present the species as you’ll see them in nature, and a “compare” feature helps you to decide between look-alikes. Plus, Stan Tekiela’s naturalist notes feature fascinating tidbits and facts.

This new edition includes 14 new species, updated photographs and range maps, expanded information, and even more of Stan’s expert insights. So grab Birds of Minnesota Field Guide for your next birding adventure—to help ensure that you positively identify the birds that you see.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781591938989
Publisher:	Adventure Publications, Incorporated
Publication date:	04/09/2019
Series:	Bird Identification Guides
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	47 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Naturalist, wildlife photographer and writer Stan Tekiela is the originator of the popular state-specific field guide series that includes Mammals of Minnesota Field Guide. Stan has authored more than 190 educational books, including field guides, quick guides, nature books, children’s books, playing cards and more, presenting many species of animals and plants.

With a Bachelor of Science degree in Natural History from the University of Minnesota and as an active professional naturalist for more than 30 years, Stan studies and photographs wildlife throughout the United States and Canada. He has received various national and regional awards for his books and photographs. Also a well-known columnist and radio personality, his syndicated column appears in more than 25 newspapers, and his wildlife programs are broadcast on a number of Midwest radio stations. Stan can be followed on Facebook and Twitter. He can be contacted via www.naturesmart.com.

Read an Excerpt

Common Loon
Gavia immer

• Size: 28–36" (71–91 cm)
• Male: Checkerboard back, black head, white necklace. Deep red eyes. Long, pointed black bill. Winter plumage has a gray body and bill.
• Female: same as male
• Juvenile: similar to winter plumage, but lacks red eyes
• Nest: ground, usually at the shoreline; female and male build; 1 brood per year
• Eggs: 2; olive-brown, occasionally brown markings
• Incubation: 26–31 days; female and male incubate
• Fledging: 75–80 days; female and male feed the young
• Migration: complete, to southern states, the Gulf Coast and Mexico
• Food: fish, aquatic insects, crayfish, salamanders
• Compare: The Double-crested Cormorant (pg. 41) has a black chest and gray bill with a hooked tip and yellow at the base. Look for the checkerboard back to identify the Common Loon.

Stan’s Notes: Hunts for fish by eyesight and prefers clear, clean lakes. A great swimmer, but its legs are set so far back that it has a hard time walking. “Loon” comes from the Scandinavian term lom, meaning “lame,” for the awkward way it walks on land. To take off, it faces into the wind and runs on the water while flapping. Its wailing call suggests wild laughter, which led to the phrase “crazy as a loon.” Also gives soft hoots. In the water, young ride on the backs of their parents for about 10 days. Adults perform distraction displays to protect the young. Very sensitive to disturbance during nesting and will abandon the nest.

Table of Contents

Introduction

• What’s New?
• Why Watch Birds in Minnesota?
• Observation Strategies: Tips to Identify Birds
• Bird Basics
• Bird Color Variables
• Bird Nests
• Who Builds the Nest?
• Fledging
• Why Birds Migrate
• How Do Birds Migrate?
• How to Use This Guide
• Range Maps

Sample Pages

The Birds

• Black
• Black and White
• Blue
• Brown
• Gray
• Green
• Orange
• Red
• White
• Yellow

Birding on the Internet

Checklist/Index by Species

Observation Notes

More for the Midwest by Stan Tekiela

About the Author