101 Ways To Help Birds

I wish I had written this book. I'm a professional bird conservationist, and this book really provides the best introduction to the many ways that our lifestyles impact birds and the environment. Its a beautiful little book, with great ideas, fresh writing, and a cheerful tone. Laura manages to suggest 101 ways to improve your lifestyle, without loading on the guilt. A bible for bird lovers. Very informative, inspiring, and motivating. If you are one of the 50 million Americans who watch birds in your yard, or you just want some practical ideas on how to make your lifestyle more sustainable, do yourself a favor--buy the book, find something new to try, then buy copies of it as a present for those you love.

I bought this as a gift for my wife, who just qualified our backyard as a National Wildlife Habitat. It is sensibly organized in five parts: Part I: Helping Birds at Home Part II: Enhancing the Natural Habitat of Your Backyard Part III: Supplementing Backyard Habitat Part IV: Helping Birds Away from Home Part V: Helping Birds on a Larger Scale As experienced bird lovers and supporters, I can readily say that there is a great deal in this book that I was unaware of. Parts III and IV were most interesting to me, and Part V I had never really thought about. If birds are the "canary in the coal mine" for the Earth, then this book, as other reviewers have suggested, of larger importance, but for me, it is quite simply a wonderful selection of 101 useful easy to read ideas that can make a difference. Very nice.

If everyone read this book and put into practice just a few of these suggestions, this world would be a much better place. Although written from the perspective of helping birds, many of these suggestions will help the world as a whole, one step at a time. As I read this book, I was surprised to learn the consequences of some of my actions that I had never even thought about. Now I'm thinking seriously about changing some of these seemingly innocuous behaviors since I know their big-picture impacts. While not purporting to have all the answers, Erickson has done an incredible amount of research and helps guide us to make responsible decisions on even the stickiest of issues. Anything but a dry read, and a book you won't soon forget.

This book is so useful because it gives all kinds of tips, from saving an injured bird to trying to solve the issue of birds flying into windows. They are tips on food loved by diffent species, ideas for youth helping birds, or advice for controlling rodents. There are addresses and internet links to birds associations, organizations, environment agencies. Did you know that orioles love orange marmelade ? Do you know when is best to clean your chimney and that it is dangerous to provide heated bird baths in winter ? Exquisite illustrations appear throughout the book. And then there are small personal stories that will touch your heart. If you are only mildly interested in birds, this book will make an avid and loving birder out of you, and life will sizzle even more !

This is the book you've been waiting for. Naturalist Laura Erickson sets out 100+ things we can do to ensure the survival of birds, from making our windows collision proof to choosing fuel-efficient cars to buying a duck stamp. Lively and well-researched, the book is a gold mine of information about the many hazards to birds and the things we can do about them. Instead of just feeling guilty about the impact we're having on the natural world, 101 Ways to Help Birds shines like a beacon of hope. We learn why garden store chemicals are bad for birds, why water looms as a major issue and how to conserve it, how to help an injured or sick bird and why shade-grown coffee is a boon for birds. Erickson cares so deeply about birds and their continued survival on this planet that she devoted three years of her life to researching and writing a book to help turn the tide. Readers may not wish to go quite as far as she does:, Erickson's been known to stop her car to toss a dead skunk off the road to save a hungry turkey vulture from feeding too close to traffic. But you'll find all sorts of suggestions, both big and small, for making the world a safer and better place for birds, written in Erickson's engaging style. This book occupies a unique niche-I know of no other like it--and 101 Ways to Help Birds belongs on the shelves of anyone who feeds birds, watches birds and just generally cares about birds. 101 Ways to Help Birds, by Laura Erickson, Stackpole Books, 2006