Wading Birds

Janet Arnett is the former campus manager of adult education at Ontario’s Georgian College. She is the author of Antiques and Collectibles: Starting Small, The Grange at Knock, and 673 Ways to Save Money.

Vol. by volume, Mackenzie is putting together an informative and
attractive reference work on the world’s avian groupings. Wading Birds
follows the style, format, and high standards of his earlier volumes
(such as Songbirds; Waterfowl; Birds of Prey; and Seabirds). Each is
characterized by a brief but sound text packed with detail, and more
than 100 (in this case, 120) superb full-color, full-page plates, each
with a substantial caption giving even more detail.

The photos are technically perfect: identification shots presenting a
clean view of the bird, often in close-up, usually at the expense of
setting, mood, or other artistic factors. Buried in the list of photo
credits are several names Canadians will recognize: Fred Bruemmer and
Barry Ranford, for example.

Wading birds are among the most interesting birds on the planet. Their
colors, plumage, and feeding and courtship habits—and, especially,
their anatomy—make them intriguing. Although the group has its share
of inconspicuous small brown birds, many more are large, showy birds
with long legs, long necks, unusually shaped bills, and, sometimes,
bizarre plumage or coloring. All feed in shallow water—in marshes and
swamps, at shorelines, etc.

The group includes herons, cranes, bitterns, ibises, spoonbills,
flamingos, rails, jacanas, plovers, oystercatches, storks, sandpipers,
avocets, and stilts. They come from all parts of the world. For each
species, Mackenzie gives location and, when unusual or notable, mentions
adaptations for specialized feeding niches, breeding plumage, nesting
arrangements, migration patterns, etc.

Whether amateur birder, armchair naturalist, or student of world
wildlife, anyone with an interest in birds will find this combination
reference work and coffee-table book both useful and attractive.