Into the Nest

See the intimate lives of birds as never before! Laura Erikson and Marie Read document the family lives of more than 50 common North American birds through breathtaking close-up photography. Stunning images of hummingbirds, owls, tanagers, and more showcase different stages of avian development and capture the loving bond that exists within each bird family. Bird enthusiasts of all feathers will cherish these beautiful images of courting, nest construction, eggs, nestlings, feeding time, and much more. Documentary photography and intriguing facts provide a close encounter with the domestic lives of North American birds found in backyards, city neighborhoods, forests, fields, and waterways, from first flirtation to the final fledgling's departure from the nest. Laura Erickson is the author of The Love Lives of Birds and The Bird Watching Answer Book, and is coauthor of Into the Nest. A recipient of the American Birding Association's prestigious Roger Tory Peterson award, she has served as science editor at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, an editor of Bird Scope magazine, and a columnist and contributing editor for Birdwatching magazine. She produces For the Birds, a long-running public radio program and podcast, and lives in Duluth, Minnesota. 


Marie (pronounced "Maury") Read's photographs and articles have been featured in numerous magazines, including National Geographic, Bird Watching, Birds & Blooms, and Bird Watcher's Digest. Marie previously worked at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology as photo/illustrations editor for the Home Study Course in Bird Biology, and later as photo editor/content developer for the All About Birds website. She lives in Freeville, New York. Part One

The Facts of Bird Life



Courting and Mating

Enter the Egg

Nesting and Parenting



Part Two

The Family Lives of Selected Species



Mallard

Great Blue Heron

Red-Tailed Hawk, Bald Eagle, and Turkey Vulture

Killdeer

Herring Gull

Rock Pigeon and Mourning Dove

Great Horned Owl

Hummingbirds

Woodpeckers

Peregrine Falcon

Phoebes

Blue Jay

American Crow

Tree and Barn Swallows

Chickadees and Nuthatches

House Wren

Bluebirds and Robins

Northern Mockingbird

Cedar Waxwing

Yellow Warbler

Chipping Sparrow

Tanagers

Northern Cardinal

Blackbirds and Orioles

American Goldfinch



Appendix

  Nesting Facts at a Glance

  Glossary

  Acknowledgements

  Index THE HIDDEN LIVES OF BIRDS REVEALED



From grand flight displays to the quiet pipping of an egg, this intimately photographed book offers a rare glimpse into the breeding and nesting cycles of birds, including the fascinating details of courtship, mating, and parenting that are so often hidden from view. With the support of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, authors Laura Erickson and Marie Read bring the diverse personal lives of raptors and hummingbirds, woodpeckers and wrens, into stunning focus.