Wings of Paradise presents a spectacular collection of 150 photographs of the birds of Louisiana's wetlands. The images portray dozens of different species of shore birds, raptors, woodland songbirds, migratory ducks and geese engaged in a variety of activities -- swooping and skimming to soaring, preening, nesting, romancing, arguing and catching prey. Noted food writer Marcelle Bienvenu complements the photographic feast by reflecting on South Louisiana's cherished hunting rituals and offering twenty-four of her favorite duck and goose recipes. Wings of Paradise will inform and delight birders, naturalists, conservationists, sportsmen -- everyone who appreciates the beauty of nature and South Louisiana.
Make bird watching in Louisiana and Mississippi even more enjoyable! With Stan Tekiela's famous field guide, bird identification is simple and informative. There's no need to look through dozens of photos of birds that don't live in these states. This book features 140 species of Louisiana and Mississippi 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. Fact-filled information, a compare feature, range maps and detailed photographs help to ensure that you positively identify the birds that you see.
This candid and humorous chronicle shows how one woman goes from casual observer to obsessive bird nerd as she traverses Louisiana’s avian paradise. In Adventures of a Louisiana Birder, readers follow Marybeth Lima across her adopted state in search of 300 species of birds. Bisected by the Mississippi flyway and home to 400 miles of coast, Louisiana has a variety of habitats, which serve as a beautiful backdrop to this remarkable journey. In birding circles, some devotees attempt what is known as a “big year,” a bird-sighting challenge to identify as many bird species as possible in a particular geographical area over the course of one year. Lima’s initial effort amounted to 11,626 miles in sixty-one road trips to log an impressive 280 species. But on a subsequent quest to exceed her record, she endures elusive birds, embarrassing misidentifications, and hungry insects in an effort to reach her goal. In the midst of these obstacles, Lima celebrates the camaraderie and friendly competition among fellow birders, from novices to a world-renown ornithologist. Requiring both mental focus and physical agility, birdwatching becomes an active sport through Lima’s narration. She vividly conveys the elation over a rare species seen or heard and the disappointment when one is narrowly missed. An appendix provides the location and date of every species she identifies. Lima’s personal experiences are interwoven with the excitement of tracking down one intriguing species after another. She faces a near-fatal burn accident to her spouse, end-of-life care for her mother-in-law, and Louisiana’s great flood of 2016. In the midst of these situations, her devotion to birding provides a much-needed outlet. “Somewhere in the roiling confluence of birds, locales, and human personalities,” writes Lima, “the center of my heart sings with utter abandon.” Adventures of a Louisiana Birder is the author’s call to a deeper passion for and awareness of Louisiana’s unique natural beauty and vulnerability.
"If you like seeing large numbers of birds, you'll love Louisiana. Probably no state in the USA can compete with Louisiana in terms of bird spectacles. Bird density in general is higher here than almost anywhere in the country, and some of the concentrations are stunning. This birdfinding guide will help more people appreciate our state for the special birding area that it is." J. Van Remsen, Jr., Ph. D.
Unseen for more than sixty years and thought to be extinct, interest in the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker exploded in 2004 when two birders reported capturing the bird on film while searching a bottomland forest in Arkansas. STAKING THE GHOST BIRD examines the lengthy debate over the ivory-bill's status by examining the reported sightings and extensive efforts to find the rare bird in Louisiana. In this absorbing study, author Steinberg turns his lifelong interest in the majestic ivory-billed woodpecker into a tale that encapsulates both the mystery and intrigue surrounding the legendary bird.
Over the summer of 1821, a cash-strapped John James Audubon worked as a tutor at Oakley Plantation in Louisiana’s rural West Feliciana Parish. This move initiated a profound change in direction for the struggling artist. Oakley’s woods teemed with life, galvanizing Audubon to undertake one of the most extraordinary endeavors in the annals of art: a comprehensive pictorial record of America’s birds. That summer, Audubon began what would eventually become his four-volume opus, Birds of America. In A Summer of Birds, Danny Heitman recounts the season that shaped Audubon’s destiny, sorting facts from romance to give an intimate view of the world’s most famous bird artist. A new preface marks the two-hundredth anniversary of that eventful interlude, reflecting on Audubon’s enduring legacy among artists, aesthetes, and nature lovers in Louisiana and around the world.
Kaua'i is the place for birdwatching in Hawai'i. Let The Birds of Kauai be your guide! Written in an appealing, informal style, The Birds of Kaua'i offers readers an enjoyable look at the avifauna of Hawai'i's oldest island. Two of the most important and impressive sites for birdwatching in the State are located on Kaua'i: Kilauea National Wildlife Refuge and Alaka'i Wilderness Preserve. Kilauea, on the island's windward shore, boasts substantial populations of seabirds, which can be viewed up close; Alaka'i is the most pristine native rain forest in the Islands and until two short decades ago its valleys still echoed with the songs of every native bird historically known to reside there. Today many species continue to thrive in the lush ancient forest. Superbly illustrated with more than 80 color photographs, The Birds of Kauai covers every avian species that can be seen on the Garden Island. The author's knowledge and enthusiasm are evident on each page as he describes native forest birds, seabirds, alien birds, and migratory visitors. One of world's rarest birds is the Kaua'i 'O'o, the victim of predation and extensive changes to its environment. These and other threats to the Island's fragile bird populations are discussed.
