Did you know that an extraordinary six million mallard ducks have been banded? And that an even more extraordinary one million of those have been recovered? Or that the female of a species, not the male, usually chooses a mate? Or that birds are hardly “bird-brained” but actually quite smart?

This friendly, fact-filled browser is perfect for birders, bird enthusiasts, students and the curious. Accurate, comprehensive and fun to read, the author’s answers reveal a compelling world of feathers, beaks, flight, mating, nesting, migration, sleep, song and much, much more.

Bird expert Stephen Moss responds to 450 queries submitted by birders, beginners and experts alike. For example:

• Do birds have knees?
• How many feathers does a bird have?
• Why do many birds have dark wingtips?
• Why are our songbirds declining?
• Do birds ever fly backwards?
• Does weather affect migrating birds?
• Why don’t ducks’ feet freeze in winter?
• Are birds dinosaurs, or were dinosaurs birds?
• Why don’t flying birds collide?
• Which senses help a bird find food?
• Do birds sing the same song all the time?
• Why do birds sing mainly at dawn?
• Are all eggs the same shape?

The author’s responses are informative, surprising and often entertaining, and the illustrations are appropriately lighthearted. This lively new book is a birder delight.

Carving Traditional Fish Decoys, Anthony Hillman, an expert illustrator and carver, has collected 17 species of game fish, providing step-by-step instructions and full-size templates for carving lake sturgeon, brook trout, largemouth bass, Coho salmon, yellow perch, and a dozen more. Instructions include such points as leading, weighting, adding fins and eyes, and painting, making these decoys both collectible and useful for fishing. Sixteen of the decoys are also portrayed in color to aid in ensuring natural coloration.

Whether you’re just starting out with carving or have a collection you wish to add to, this guide will provide you with the advice and schematics you need to create beautiful, life-like decoys.

An in-depth guide to carving realistic birds providing all the expert guidance you need to succeed! With more than 850 color photos and 100 illustrations, this book unlocks all the tricks of the trade, and will be constantly referred to when carving any songbird. Learn all the latest tips and carving techniques of one of the world’s great bird carvers, Lori Corbett. Inside are 3 detailed step-by-step carving projects to help build your carving and painting skills, including tools and materials, bird anatomy, texturing feathers, planning dramatic poses, painting and much more. Hundreds of clear reference photos help illustrate the easy-to-follow patterns for 3 popular birds: a mountain bluebird, a cedar waxwing, and a red-breasted nuthatch.

Paperback Book: How To Paint Dabbling Ducks
Step by step color painting instruction: Northern Pintail, Blue winged Teal, Green Winged Teal, Practice sketches and color photos of birds in the wild: Wigeon, Mallard, Black Duck, Wood Duck. With an overview of painting mediums, brushes and painting surfaces

Step-by-step instructions for carving and painting three decorative upland gamebirds. Instructions for setting glass eyes without epoxy. Detailed full-colour photography illustrates specific carving and painting techniques. THE AUTHOR: Ernie Muehlmatt is a three-=time winner of the Ward World Championship Wildfowl Carving Competition, winning twice in miniatures and once in decorative lifesize. A member of the Carvers Hall of Fame, Ernie’s bird carvings are included in some of the leading public and private collections in the country, including the Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art in Sailsbury, Maryland; the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum in Wausau, Wisconsin; and the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C. Muehlmatt is best known for his one-piece sculptures, which have helped to elevate the status of bird carving to the level of a serious art form, and for his use of woodburning for colour. For many years he delighted in sharing his skills with legions of students across the United States. Ernie and his wife, Kathy, reside in Salisbury, Maryland. 155 colour & 35 b/w photographs 8 1/2 x 11″, Features step-by-step instructions for carving and painting three decorative upland gamebirds: American Woodcock, Bobwhite Quail and Eastern Ruffed Grouse. This work also features detailed full-colour photography illustrating specific carving and painting techniques. It includes instructions for setting glass eyes without epoxy., Step-by-step instructions for carving and painting three decorative upland gamebirds: American Woodcock, Bobwhite Quail and Eastern Ruffed Grouse. Detailed full-color photography illustrates specific carving and painting techniques. Includes instructions for setting glass eyes without epoxy.

Step-by-step instructions for painting decoys — male and female — of 13 species: mallard, canvasback, redhead, American widgeon, greater scaup, common pintail, more. 24 full-color plates show profiles and top views; also detailed coloring information. 24 pages of color illustrations printed one side only. 2 black-and-white illustrations.