Review of Pete Dunne on Bird Watching

Book: Pete Dunne on Bird Watching : The How-to, Where-to, and When-to of Birding
Author: Pete Dunne
Pages: 334

Pete Dunne is the author of numerous books about birding, including The Feather Quest: A North American Birder’s Year and Tales of a Low-Rent Birder. He is also the director of the Cape May Bird Observatory.

This guide to birding is useful, both to beginners and to seasoned birders. Dunne wrote the book to supply beginners with everything they need to know to maximize their success as birders, but it is an enjoyable read for more experienced birders as well. The book is divided into eight chapters, plus some appendixes. Dunne begins each section with anecdotes, all of which are amusing and entertaining. The anecdotes establish the author as a writer with true talent. The information that follows these little stories cements him as a true authority on birds.

By reading this book, a beginner will learn: what types of feeders and what types of food attract what types of birds, how to shop for the best pair of binoculars, tips on where to go to see a variety of species, and more. The appendixes include a checklist for birds found in North America and addresses to bird observatories and state Audubon organizations around the country.

This book is the next-best thing to bringing Dunne himself into the field with you. Since most of us can’t be lucky enough to have Pete Dunne teach us how to use our binoculars and explain to us how to identify the new bird we just spotted, this book is a great place to get you started. Even if you already know a lot about birds, this book is a fun read and a nice one to add to your bookshelf.

Rating:

Readibility: 9.5 out of 10 feathers

Usefulness: 9 out of 10 feathers

Note from Reviewer (SnowyOwl): This review is the first in a series of reviews about books related to birding and nature. Your comments are welcome. If you know of a book that you would like to see reviewed here, just let me know.