Atlas of Bird Migration: Tracing the Great Journeys of the World's Birds

The photos and illustrations in this large volume are so beautiful that one is tempted to skim the text, in part because there seems to be so little of it. That, however, would be a mistake: while brief, the text provides all the information readers need to understand the how, why and where of bird migration. The authors note that it would be impossible to cover every species on every continent and ocean, so they've chosen to discuss “index” species—e.g., swans or sandpipers as a group—to convey the general principles that govern all bird migration, as opposed to species-specific characteristics. The first section is a primer on bird migration and habitat usage patterns, consisting of short, illustrated essays on topics like the evolution of migration, the mechanics of flight, birds' navigational methods and how human development affects migration patterns. Succeeding sections examine different families of migrating birds according to geographical distribution, and each has carefully designed maps that show birds' seasonal ranges and migratory routes. The use of color to describe, clarify, distinguish and compare migration patterns is exceptional, and clear explanations of complicated topics (e.g., how birds fly) make it an excellent text for middle and high school students as well as adults. Beautiful and functional, this is a worthwhile read for bird lovers. (May)