Hummingbirds: A Beginner's Guide

Sandy Campbell is a reference librarian in the Science and Technology Library at the University of Alberta.

This is a good readable introduction to hummingbirds. The photography in
the book is spectacular. About 30 of the world’s more than 300
hummingbird species are depicted. In most cases, the camera has stopped
the action of the wings (which beat at between 50 and 200 times per
second), eliminating the blurry effect usually seen in photos. There are
pictures of hummingbirds doing just about everything birds do: perching,
bathing, feeding their young, fighting, landing, even defecating. The
author has selected images that display the variety of colors, tail
shapes, and bill shapes in the different species.

Although extensively researched, the information is presented at a
beginner’s level. The author answers most of the questions a layperson
would ask about hummingbirds. She deals with the predictable subjects of
physiology, reproduction, and feeding, but also includes chapters on the
hummingbird’s remarkable migrations, relationship with flowers,
taxonomy, history, damage to habitat, how to get the birds to come to
your garden, and on-line resources. For a book of this length, the index
is extensive. The book would be an excellent resource for students doing
project work on hummingbirds. Highly recommended.