PREFACE

While strolling through a piece of woodland, or perhaps along the marsh orseashore, we see a bird, a strange bird—one we never saw before. Instantly,our curiosity is aroused, and the question arises, “What is it?” There is the bird!How can we find out what kind it is? The Ornithologist of a few years ago hadbut one course open to him, that is to shoot the bird, take it home, then pore throughpages of descriptions, until one was found to correspond with the specimen. Obviously,such methods cannot be pursued today, both humane and economical reasonsprohibiting. We have but one alternative left us: We must make copiousnotes of all the peculiarities and markings of the bird that is before us. On ourreturn home, we get down our bird books, and there are many excellent ones. Aftercarefully looking through the whole library, we find that, although many of ourbooks are well illustrated, none of them has the picture of what we seek, so we adoptthe tactics of the “Old-time” Ornithologist, before mentioned, and pore over pagesof text, until finally we know what our bird was. It is for just such emergenciesas this—to identify a bird when you see it, and where you see it, that this littlepocket “Bird Guide” is prepared. May it be the medium for saving many of today’sseekers for “bird truths” from the many trials and tribulations willinglyencountered, and hard and thorny roads gladly traveled by the author in his questfor knowledge of bird ways.

INTRODUCTION

The study of the birds included in this book is much more difficult than thatof the small land birds. Many of the birds are large; some are very rare; all areusually shy and have keen eyesight, trained to see at a distance; in fact, many ofthem have to depend upon their vigilance for their very existence. Therefore,you will find that the majority of these birds will have to be studied at long range.Sometimes, by exercising care and forethought, you may be able to approach withina few feet of the bird you seek, or induce him to come to you. It is this pittingyour wits against the cunning of the birds that furnishes one-half of the interestin their study. Remember that a quick motion will always cause a bird to fly.If you seek a flock of plover on the shore, or a heron in the marsh, try to sneak upbehind cover if possible; if not, walk very slowly, and with as little motion as possible,directly towards them; by so doing you ofte

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