How Birds Migrate

Paul Kerlinger was director of the New jersey Audubon Society's Cape May Bird Observatory for seven years and offers a revised edition considering migration. Case studies and drawings explain the basics of flight, flight strategy, and the science involved in bird migration processes, offering a survey of scientific investigations into bird patterns. Any general lending library will find this a fine acquisitions.

Kerlinger is a true scientist, and an avid birdwatcher with a passion for his subject. I don't share his passion, and found some of his case histories neither interesting nor illuminating. There is also a bit of needless repetition. I would still very much recommend this book. Bird migrations are remarkable, and most of us have at least some interest in the habits of the birds around us. This is a well organized book, and it is built around scientific inquiry, and observation, and the theories that result. There is still much to be learned, which is both good and bad. Sometimes there are interesting alternative theories, and sometimes Kerling has to simply point to gaps in knowledge. The production values are high, ie. the various typesets and illustrations. While "finding the way" is the most important chapter from my viewpoint, it turns out there are many other issues related to migration. Incidentally, in the "Finding the Way" chapter, there is one important omission: Kerlinger brings up the subject of straight line routes vs. great circle routes, gives evidence that at least sometimes birds use the longer straight line routes, then writes (p.149): "Some migrants do seem to use great circle routes, but ....". What follows the "but" is off topic, and in fact great circle routes never explicitly come up again.