Pre-Owned World of the Hummingbird (Hardcover) 157805043X 9781578050437

Hummingbirds are photogenic marvels. The miniature avians inhabit bodies full of superlatives: a heart that beats faster than any other animal; breast muscles that are larger in relative terms than any other bird; wings that beat faster than any other bird. Hummingbirds, with well-tuned engines running on rocket fuel, thrill humans with their breathless antics and aerial acrobatics as they zoom about the backyard feeder for just a few pennies a day in sugar water. But they're always so far away! The delightful photographs in The World of the Hummingbird bring these colorful creatures right up close.

Canadian nature writer Harry Thurston provides an informative introduction to hummingbird biology and behavior. He explains the evolutionary dance between hummingbirds and plants that has produced the familiar syndrome of "hummingbird flowers," trumpet-shaped red flowers that provide copious amounts of nectar. Did you know that male hummingbirds provide almost no care for their young? Such details, excavated from the extensive scientific literature, enliven the text and complement the color photographs that are the heart of the book. Thurston's previous natural history writings, including Tidal Life: A Natural History of the Bay of Fundy, won several book awards. The writing here won't win Thurston any awards, but the book as a whole--especially the photographs--provides an enjoyable introduction to the world of the hummingbird. --Pete Holloran