Dictionary of Birds of the United States

This is the most complete and up-to-date dictionary of names of American birds available. With more than 900 entries, all the resident birds of the 50 states are included, as well as escaped, exotic, and rare visitors. Including the etymologies and meanings of scientific and common names, it will be an indispensable reference for both scholars and amateur birders. The dictionary is the only work of this type that brings the derivation of scientific bird names back to the original Greek. Other names are traced, for example, to Old English, French, Portuguese, or native languages. Names sometimes reflect the birds' behavior, physical appearance, habitat, or the sound of their calls. Some names refer back to ancient myths and local folklore or were bestowed to honor a great naturalist, a world traveler, or a patron of the sciences. The author also discusses errors that arose in the naming of some birds. Crisply written and extensively cross-referenced for ease of access, the book is graced by more than 25 striking pen-and-ink drawings by renowned ornithologist and bird artist George Miksch Sutton.