Reviewed by Brendan Quigley
Every profession has its core texts, every industry its “bibles”. As nature photographers, when we want to identify a bird, it’s off to a Sibley Guide, an Audubon’s or the latest revised edition of the National Geographic Field Guide to Birds. But now let me introduce you to a man by the name of Stan Tekiela.
According to the marketing blurb on the back cover of this book, Stan is “...a naturalist and wildlife photographer who writes a syndicated column and appears on a number of nature radio shows.” He’s also much more than that.
Stan has gathered and processed a ton of information on the birds of North America, as well as trees and flowers for another group of books, and has created a series of field guides on birds. These guides are divided by state or region. He took that information and created a way for readers to use these field guides quickly to identify the bird in their viewfinder or scope.
The unique twist to these books is based on color. When we see a bird, its color is often the most noticeable characteristic. Stan has broken down these books by the most prominent color of the bird. For example, a Blue Jay is primarily blue, so start with a lookup in the Blue section of the book and narrow the identification from there. You’ll find a full-page image of the bird in question plus inset images of juveniles, and sexual and seasonal differences.
With each bird’s image, you’ll find descriptive text about that bird, including size, sexual differentiation, and breeding information including nest, egg, incubation and fledging data, migration details, food and comparable birds. This is most effective when in the field identifying birds. You’ll also find a state map with colored areas defining territories based on the season. Occasionally, birds are so differently colored that the males and females can be in different sections of the book and that information is provided as well. Additionally, Stan adds personal notes for each species with very specific information for birds which can help make or break identification. With some species you’ll find information on their call, nesting site choice, and often information on the history of the bird or unique attributes.
Stan also provides much of interest regarding Wisconsin birding, migration, weather, geography and habitat. There is also a section on bird watching which provides a detailed way to identify the birds you’ll find in the book. It’s a veritable “how to” for narrowing the field and determining just what you’re seeing and about to photograph. You’ll also find a section on Bird Basics covering bird anatomy, color variables, molting and color-related sexual differences.
A unique part of the book concerns nesting and young birds. From nest construction (both which bird builds the nest and what types of nests there are), to fledging and rearing of young and on to migration, Stan provides a wealth of information on the family lives of birds. The book devotes some time to the types of migrations (complete, partial and irruptive), as well as attempting to answer the question, “Why do birds migrate?”
Finally, one of the most appealing things about the book is its size. At 4-3/8” wide by 6” tall, it truly is a pocket-sized field guide. It’s light, easy to carry, doesn’t take up much space and is simple to reference at any time.
And this book has counterparts for other areas! Over the course of compiling all the data that Stan has gathered, he’s not only been able to gather birding information specific to Wisconsin, but also to Texas, Virginia, New York, New Jersey, Minnesota, Ohio, Colorado, Missouri and a host of other states and regions. I own a half a dozen myself, and find them invaluable as I travel around the country. And while much of the information, pictures and descriptions are the same from book to book, they are all state specific and invaluable tools in the field.
As a quick reference, Stan Tekiela has created a series of books no photographer, birdwatcher or naturalist should be without. Pack them with your scope or camera and keep them handy!
Stan Tekiela's field guides and other nature photography books can be purchased via Amazon.com through the NatureScapes.Net store.
