Why Do Bluebirds Hate Me? More Answers to Common and Not-So-Common Questions About Birds and Birding

O’Connor (Why Don’t Woodpeckers Get Headaches? And Other Bird Questions You Know You Want to Ask), owner of the Birdwatcher’s General Store in Cape Cod, Mass., offers a second q&a compilation from his weekly column, Ask the Bird Folks, which appears in the local newspaper Cape Codder. Here, the author focuses on the more obscure questions he receives to “expand the readers’ bird horizons.” O’Connor’s humorous answers are extensively researched, and include explanations of why quail chicks may appear to have two dads, the sad fate of the Carolina Parakeet, and the connection between American chickens and India’s wild jungle fowl. O’Connor also provides practical advice on issues such as cleaning birdhouses, keeping rats away from feeders, the perks of owning a heated birdbath, how and why to make a bird list, and of course, birdseed. While many questions come from readers in Massachusetts, O’Connor makes a point to include birds from other countries and sings the praises of the good-natured Australian Kookaburra, the story of Lapland Longspurs and their Canadian breeding ground, and the scavenging habits of Mexican Eagles. This detailed q&a will appeal to bird enthusiasts and birdwatchers, but O’Connor’s friendly approach will also appeal to novices. Illus. (Oct.)