Brimming with stories, practical wisdom, and expert guidance, the updated and expanded third edition is for bird lovers, for nature lovers, and especially for families who want to know their feathered neighbors better. Combining scientific insight and careful personal observation with a delightful and witty narrative style, Calvin Simonds gives enthusiasts a peek into the world of eleven favorite North American birds: swallows, blue jays, chickadees, song sparrows, house sparrows, phoebes, mockingbirds, crows, red-winged blackbirds, and robins - with an all-new chapter on hummingbirds. Simonds teaches readers how to really observe birds - how to interpret the "caws" of crows, recognize blue jays from their facial expressions, understand the flight patterns of swallows. Readers will be enthralled as they eavesdrop on a group of sparrows trading songs in a "hootenanny," feel the firm, dry grip of a chickadee's claws on their fingers and tramp through a summer meadow to visit a phoebe. Idiosyncratic and ever-interesting, these are the birds that brighten our lives as they dart and dawdle in our backyards, gardens, and parks.