Life of the Flycatcher Alexander F. Skutch., 1989

The 380 species of flycatchers make it the largest family of birds confined to the Western Hemisphere. The greatest number of the species is found in South America, and 35 species breed in North America. Skutch, an eminent ornithologist living in Costa Rica, begins this informative book with a general discussion of the flycatcher family, offering data on their size, color, feathers, and migration. Succeeding chapters cover such topics as food and foraging, daily life, calls and songs, courtship, nest building, eggs and incubation, young birds and their care, enemies, defense, nesting success, and longevity. This is the third volume in the impressive Animal Natural History series. Sixteen color illustrations and 32 black-and-white drawings by Dana Gardner complement the text. George Cohen