Birds of the Raincoast

* Did you know the American redstart turns its eggs every eight minutes to ensure the developing bird stays warm on allsides?
* Did you know the female bufflehead, the smallest of all waterfowl in North America, weighs less than a pound, or only 325 grams? The largest waterfowl, the trumpeter swan, weighs over 30 pounds or 13.6 kilograms.
* Did you know that birds that spend a lot of their lives on the ocean can drink seawater? They have large glands nestled between their eyes that remove excess salt from the blood.
* Did you know at least 32 species of birds are known to eat snakes? Even the American robin has been seen feeding young garter snakes to its babies.

Birds of the Raincoast represents the next step in West Coast bird books, a treasury of exceptional, large-format photographs with an informative text that moves beyond simple identification to probe deeper into the lives of our feathered friends. It examines birds in their environments, noting what they do, and where and when they can be found. In an engaging, familiar style enlivened by the authors'personal experience and highlighted with intriguing facts by renowned bird biologist Wayne Campbell, Birds of the Raincoast is an indispensable tool not just for learning how to find coastal birds, but also for gaining an understanding of their natural history.

Read what arts reporter Annie Boulanger had to say about Birds of the Raincoast in Burnaby Now.

The Globe and Mail recommended Birds of the Raincoast in a special pre-holiday season section of their Saturday, December 4 edition.

In "Giving big", an article highlighting "Photos and fauna, gardens and glass, comics and cities: great stocking-stuffers all -- provided you've got really large stockings," the Globe described Birds of the Raincoast as:

"Somewhere between a field guide and a coffee-table tome, this book takes the reader for a series of bird-watching walks through nine different landscapes in British Columbia. It's a discursive walk, with descriptions of the seasons of the land and with lots of photos of birds you might see. Some of the birds are West Coast specialties, but many are familiar to birders anywhere in the country."

"Harbour Publishing has done it again. This book is a gem to awaken all of us to the beauty around us when we step out our door. It is the kind of book and the kind of publishing company that makes us glad we chose this part of the world to reside. These five talented individuals are not necessarily ornithologists by trade, but bring to the study a true passion for the subject which is so strong that it literally becomes contagious. One of the main reasons this occurs is that this is not just another pretty book about birds. It is a serious identification book, but instead of the usual stoic shots, Wigle and Campbell have made scenes breathtaking and in some cases heartwarming...This book would be an outstanding gift to the family who wants to bring what they are seeing to life, to see just how all the elements of a habitat fit together."
-Judith Schweers, Daily News (Prince Rupert)