Hummingbird books: which is your favorite? (1 Viewer)

[HouseFinch]

I love buying hummingbird books, not because I have trouble identifying hummers(I have mostly just Rufous anyway)but because I simply love hummingbird photography.

I was just looking at this one on Amazon: Hummingbirds of North America: The Photographic Guide. I wondered if anyone here has it, and if it is worth purchasing.

Anyway, here is my current list of hummingbird books I own and treasure:

The Hummingbird Book, Donald and Lillian Stokes

Hummingbirds: Beauty in Flight, Karen Krebbs (This one is my favorite, because it has big beautiful photographs--the book isn't thick, just 128 pages, but it's about fourteen inches square in width!

Beginner's Guide to Hummingbirds, Donald and Lillian Stokes(Just got this one today, again great photographs).

There are lots of hummingbird books out there: which do you have, and which are your favorite(s)?

 

[melaniecb]

I agree that there are many good books with beautiful photos...

However, purely for ID purposes/variety, I really love Sheri Williamson's book "Hummingbirds of North America"

No where else have I found such a variety of info and very detailed photos for IDing.

 

[Dave B Smith]

I haven't seen 'Hummingbirds of North America' that you mentioned, but I see it is by Steve Howell. If it's anywhere near as good as his Mexico Guide, it will be well worth having!

We also have Sheri's book and think it is very good. I also have (and find very useful) the Hummingbird CD from the Advanced Birding Video Series.

 

[Lisa W]

Must also agree with Melanie. I have Sherri's book - "Hummingbirds of North America" and think it is outstanding.

 

[Curtis Croulet]

Both Howell's Hummingbirds of North America: The Photographic Guide and Sheri Williamson's Peterson Field Guides: Hummingbirds of North America are complementary and essential IMHO. Don't choose between them. Get both.

 

[angelquasar]

Hummingbird books

I am lucky enough to own a copy of John Gould`s book simply called Hummingbirds containing 418 full page colour plates measuring 25 by 36 cm each.It is a true delight and will be one of the last books I would ever part with.Sadly not a first edition,rather a 1990 reprint but still wonderful.

 

[Hidde Bruinsma]

That reprint of Gould's monograph is indeed a beautiful publication. And a very sought-after one as well ! I'm lucky enough to own a hand-painted lithograph (Nr. 161) of his original Hummingbirds. But that's a different story.
Other monographs on hummers that I can recommend are:
"Hummingbirds" by Crawford H. Greenewalt. An older book first published in 1960 but republished by Dover in 1990. Greenewalt also published many of his wonderful photographs in a few National Geographic articles.
"Hummingbirds of the Caribbean" by Esther and Robert Tyrrell. These two also published another hummerbook entitled "Hummingbirds: Their Life and Behavior", first published in 1985. I don't have that one but I expect it to be as magnificent as their Caribbean book.
Another work is "Hummingbirds of Colombia" with amazing photographs by Luis A. Mazariegos.
There are several hummerbooks in German but they are mostly about hummingbirds in captivity. I've also seen (many years ago) a monograph in Danish with lots of photographs of hummingbird skins.
The first modern monograph on the entire hummingbird family still needs to be written. There's one supposed to be in preparation right now, which eventually is going to be published in the Oxford "Bird Families of the World" series. But I'm afraid that will take some time.

 

[HouseFinch]

Both Howell's Hummingbirds of North America: The Photographic Guide and Sheri Williamson's Peterson Field Guides: Hummingbirds of North America are complementary and essential IMHO. Don't choose between them. Get both.

That's convincing enough of an answer for me!

A book showcasing all hummingbird species? That would be a dream. But it seems it would have to be published in several volumes to have all of the species. Otherwise, it would be one massive book!

 

[Judybird]

Favorite hummer book..First Flight

I received this book for Christmas from my best friend.

Although this is not a reference guide, it is a sweet story of a mother hummingbird returning to her favorite nesting spot and adding to her little bird family. The Authors of the book moved into a new home complete with a Hummingbird nest on the clothesline. They set up a camera to monitor the day to day progress of the tiny nest. The photographs are just amazing and they document the nesting process before, during and after the eggs arrive.

It's a quick read and a lovely little book.

Title: First Flight, A Mother Hummingbird's Story, Authors/Photo Illustrators: Noriko and Don Carroll. Andrews McMeel Publishing.

 

[Chris D]

"Hummingbirds of Columbia", by Luis A. Mazariegos. Coffee table book. Mind-blowing. Bought it in Ecuador after watching the author photographing birds at Tony Nunnery's place for an upcoming Ecuador hummer book----- which might be out by now.

 

[Tz'unun]

"Hummingbirds of Columbia", by Luis A. Mazariegos. Coffee table book. Mind-blowing. Bought it in Ecuador after watching the author photographing birds at Tony Nunnery's place for an upcoming Ecuador hummer book----- which might be out by now.

Interesting. My husband and I spent a week with Luis in Colombia earlier this month, and I don't recall him mentioning a forthcoming book on Ecuadorian hummingbirds. In fact, his Colombia book is out of print (you can probably find one on eBay or through a used bookseller), and he told us that he's more interested in moving on to bigger projects (including developing conservation strategies for Colombian hummingbirds and photographing all the world's hummingbirds) than doing a new edition of it.

Many thanks to the folks who have recommended my book - it's the closest thing I've got to a retirement plan.

 

[Chris D]

"Small World" in action. Our visit and interaction was from Dec 02. I guess a tad out of date. My wife was fascinated with the process. Guess the Ecuador book didn't happen. After writing the above reply I went back and looked through the Columbia book. Incredible. Visitors to our house always enjoy. That is (as of 2 days ago) if they're not attacked in my yard by the newly arrived 'El Banditos de los Diablo Rojos'. -- Bad Latin intended.............. Never saw anything as vicious in Ecuador among the 57 species we encountered. Always great when they arrive. Luis was a kind and great guy..........Chris

 

[Tz'unun]

That is (as of 2 days ago) if they're not attacked in my yard by the newly arrived 'El Banditos de los Diablo Rojos'. -- Bad Latin intended.............. Never saw anything as vicious in Ecuador among the 57 species we encountered. Always great when they arrive. Luis was a kind and great guy..........Chris

Amen to both! We're hosting a succession of the little savages, too - my husband often says that if Rufous were the size of ravens no one would be safe in the woods. And Luis is indeed a great guy and dedicated to conservation - an unusually challenging mission in Colombia. A magnificent country with mountains of social, political, economic, and environmental issues to overcome (I won't go into the details here, but every American birder should read up on how our prodigious foreign aid to Colombia is spent).

 

[Chris D]

Indeed. Columbia is a shame. Any Columbians I've ever met were great. Proud of their heritage and realistic about today. If things were different, imagine their "Eco - Tourism" potential. 3 big mountain ranges, carribean, etc. As long as there's a demand for coccaine..............damn.

 

[Nanajojo]

I have "Hummingbird Gardens" by Nancy Newfield and Barbara Nielsen and The Stokes "Hummingbird Book" and both have been really helpful to me. I am getting a presentation together for my garden club that I am going to give in June. I love all the pictures and of course I have to focus on the plants that we want to plant in our gardens. I live in Bucks county PA and we have the Ruby Throat here.

 

[humminbird]

Have to join the endorsement of Sheri's book as well as that of Steve Howell. Both are excellent sources of valuable information on these little wonders.

mark

 

[drmuse]

Hummingbird books

I am lucky enough to own a copy of John Gould`s book simply called Hummingbirds containing 418 full page colour plates measuring 25 by 36 cm each.It is a true delight and will be one of the last books I would ever part with.Sadly not a first edition,rather a 1990 reprint but still wonderful.

FYI: My local library has this listed as "John Gould's Hummingbirds," not "Hummingbirds."