The definitive study of North American birds (United States, Canada, Mexico), prepared under auspices of Smithsonian Institution. Contains practically everything known about birds: description, habitat, range, life history, habits, relation to man, etc. These books will never be surpassed in fullness and useability. Indispensable to every serious birds watcher. All are fully illustrated. 78 species. Nesting, plumage, courtship, migration, range, etc. 117 black-and-white photographs.

This is the fourteenth in a series of bulletins of the United States National Museum on the life histories of North American birds, with previous numbers issued as follows: 107, 113, 121, 126, 130, 135, 142, 146, 162, 167, 170, 174, 176. This bulletin deals with the Order Passeriformes, specifically the Family Cotingidae (Cotingas); Family Tyrannidae (Flycatchers) ; Family Alaudidae (Larks) and Family Hirundinidae (Swallows) of North America

This bulletin is a continuation of the work on the life histories of North American birds begun in Bulletin 107 and continued by Bulletin 113. The same general plan has been followed and the same sources of information have been utilized. This bulletin covers the Orders Turbinares and Steganopodes, Petrels, Pelicans, and their allies.