The Hummingbird Handbook: Everything You Need to Know about These Fascinating Birds

by John Shewey

“Captures the spirit and allure of these captivating birds in every fascinating fact, historical tidbit, amusing anecdote, species profile and plant pick.” —Birds & Blooms Hummingbirds inspire an unmistakable sense of devotion and awe among bird lovers. Gardeners, too, love the company of hummingbirds, not only for their beauty, but also for their role as pollinators. Brimming with astonishing facts, practical advice, and important ecological information, The Hummingbird Handbook is a must-have guide to attracting, understanding, and protecting hummingbirds. From advice on feeders to planting and landscaping techniques that will have your garden whirring with tiny wings, lifelong birder John Shewey provides all you need to know to entice these delightful creatures. An identification guide makes them easy to spot in the wild, with stunning photographs, details on plumage variations, and range maps showing habitats and migration patterns. Need more joy in your life? Let this guide and nature’s aerial jewels help you create a lively haven.

• ISBN10: 1643260189
• ISBN13: 9781643260181
• Publish Date: 27 April 2021
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Timber Press
• Format: Paperback (UK Trade)
• Pages: 240
• Language: English

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

The Hummingbird Handbook is a layman accessible collection of facts and pictures of these beautiful and fascinating birds written by John Shewey. Due out 27th April 2021 from Workman Publishing on their Timber Press imprint, it's 240 pages and will be available in paperback, and ebook formats.

This is a beautifully illustrated and well presented book and will be especially relevant for birders. The author is an experienced birder and nature journalist and writes engagingly about these beautiful little animals.The first chapters give a good introduction and history and lots of interesting trivia as well as representations of the hummingbird in media, on stamps, and from Native American petroglyphs. I especially liked reading about their physiology and behavior; they're such captivating and fascinating creatures. Following chapters give a good overview on landscaping with hummingbird friendly plants (and coincidentally as habitat for other pollinators and wildlife), picture/species galleries and profiles of North American hummingbirds as well as hummingbird species elsewhere in the Americas (North, South, and Central). There is also a cross referenced index and a useful abbreviated resource and links list for further reading.

I would recommend it for readers of nature and conservancy writing, birders, gardeners, and anyone who has ever been enchanted by hummingbirds' incredible aerial gymnastics. I still remember when I was living in West Virginia, seeing one of "my" tiny fearless little male ruby throated hummers checking out a bowl of tomato peels I was preparing to toss into my compost. He quickly decided they weren't sweet or yummy for hummingbirds, chirped me a *distinctly* unimpressed raspberry and zoomed off back to the feeders.

Five stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.