Life Histories of North American Woodpeckers

The all-encompassing series on North American birds prepared by Arthur Cleveland Bent forms the most complete, most comprehensive, most-used single source of information in existence on the subject. Bent was one of America's greatest ornithologists. His historic studies, published originally under the auspices of the Smithsonian Institution, have all now been reprinted by Dover, in their complete, unabridged version. These works rank as classics of our time. No ornithologist, conservationist, amateur naturalist or birdwatcher should be without them.

In this volume the reader will find an encyclopedic collection of information about 64 kinds of woodpecker (hairy, downy, pileated, red-headed, cactus, Nuttail's, white-headed, three-toed, etc.), sapsucker, and flicker. Not a group of generalized descriptions, but a compilation of detailed, specific observations of individual birds and flocks throughout the country, it describes in readable language and copious detail the nesting habits, eggs, young, plumage, food, range, behavior, field marks, voice, enemies, winter habits, distribution, courtship procedures, molting information, migratory habits--whatever you want to know about these birds.

Completely modern in approach, the study was made with the full recognition of the difficulties inherent in the observation and interpretation of wild life behavior. For that reason, the author utilized not only the reports of hundreds of contemporary observers all over the country, but also the writings of America's great naturalists of the past--Audubon, Burroughs, William Brewster. The complete textual coverage is supplemented by 39 full-page black & white plates, containing 74 photos of adults and young, nesting sites, the feeding of nestlings, eggs, woodpecker damage to trees, and the like.