Nicely published (apparently with subsidy) by the Wildlife Management Institute, Washington, D.C. Comprehensively deals with the most numerous, widespread, and heavily hunted of North American gamebirds. Among the topics covered in 29 contributions: classification and distributions, migration, nesting, reproductive strategy, growth and maturation, feeding habits, diseases, survey procedures, population trends, care of captive mourning doves, and hunting. The final chapter identifies research and management needs. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

The bestselling natural history of birds, lavishly illustrated with 600 colorphotos, is now available for the first time in flexi binding.

Produced in association with the National Audubon Society, Audubon Birdhouse Book explains how to build and place safe, species-appropriate bird homes for more than 20 classic North American species, from wrens to raptors. A visit to almost any home or garden center presents birders with numerous cute and colorful contraptions that are sold as bird homes. But the fact is, many of these products provide anything but a safe refuge for your feathered friends. Each of the easy-to-build boxes and shelves within is accompanied by cut lists, specially created line diagrams, and step-by-step photography, making the projects accessible to those with even the most rudimentary woodworking skills. In addition, this practical and beautifully presented guide is packed with color photography and profiles and range maps for the bird species covered—including titmice, chickadees, nuthatches, phoebes, swallows, waterfowl, and even kestrels and owls—to help the reader properly place and maintain the homes to attract birds. And because these projects are the product of years of experience and field-testing, you can be sure you’re getting the best advice regarding proper design, safe construction materials, and correct home placement to mitigate exposure to elements, pests, and predators. Finally, beyond the birdhouses, you’ll find out how you can contribute to the larger birding community and even enhance your birding experience with the aid of new technologies. Build an Audubon-approved home for these species: Bewick’s, Carolina, or House Wren; Prothonotary Warbler; Eastern, Western, or Mountain Bluebird; Ash-throated or Great Crested Flycatcher; Tree Swallow or Violet-green Swallow; Juniper, Oak, Black-crested, or Tufted Titmouse; Barred Owl; Eastern or Western Screech-owl; Barn Owl; Northern Flicker; American Kestrel; Black-capped, Carolina, or Mountain Chickadee; Wood Duck; Hooded Merganser; Purple Martin; Mourning Dove; Barn Swallow; American Robin; House Finch; and Eastern or Say’s Phoebe.

Spiritual seekers across faith traditions share a fierce yearning for mystical unity with their God. While beliefs and practices differ, what ignites the human heart to quest for the mystical, the unknowable, the holy just beyond understanding, is the same. The Call of the Mourning Dove: How Sacred Sound Awakens Mystical Unity offers a new paradigm, the Sonic Trilogy of Love, that details how sacred sound, embedded in the ancient canons across faith traditions, creates just such a portal into this unmitigated experience of God. Because the experience is ubiquitous across faith traditions, it does not matter whether a seeker has embarked on an eclectic quest for God or remains deeply committed to questing within one particular faith tradition. All seekers, known as Lovers within the Trilogy, discover that by intoning the sacred sounds, the Love embedded in the ancient languages, the conditions are set to experience unity with God, the Beloved. This unity occurs in unforeseen moments, as love, the core organizing principle of the Trilogy, circles in on itself, dissolving all distinctions, leaving the Lover filled with only the silent wonder of God. And, graciously, nothing is the same.