Book Review - Terns of North America: A Photographic Guide - Princeton University Press

      Terns form the corps de ballet of the air, and this volume, with its superb range of photographs, many of them aerial shots, does justice to their grace and skill, to the sheer perfection of their mastery of the air.

     Found in the family Laridae, along with gulls and skimmers, within the order Charadriiformes,  terns more often than not have received short shrift in the literature. In recent years gull literature has proliferated, and many high quality books by distinguished authors have made gull watching (a pastime that can have its share of frustrations) both easier and more enjoyable, while simultaneously enabling birders to achieve a degree of accuracy  previously unattainable, especially when dealing with juvenile birds.

     Terns of North America accomplishes this for terns. The book is superbly put together, with excellent, informative text and a plethora of high grade images to illustrate the species. This is a serious guide, but all credit to Cameron Cox who peppers the text with humour. I smiled a lot, but actually burst into laughter when he said, "Everyone admires Martha Stewart - be like Martha and use all the insider trading information available to you." 

     The introductory section covers all the topics you would expect - Taxonomy, Identification, Life History, Migration, Conservation, and the all important and oft neglected, "How to use this guide." Do not skip the Introduction - you may think you know it all, but you don't! The section on moult, aging and feather wear, for example, will convey the nuances needed to up your game. A series of quizzes is very helpful and fun to do. Even getting the answers wrong will help you in the field to get it right.

     All the species regularly encountered in North America (19) are covered, as are the most frequent vagrants. Remember that the ranges of many birds are shifting and the vagrants of today may be the residents of tomorrow. Gain the skill to identify the strange tern that shows up on your favourite beach or lake, the confidence to call it, and bask in the recognition that goes with the first sighting of a species ever.

     It's a fine book, packed with information, well presented in every way. I will be using it often.

Terns of North America: A Photographic Guide - Princeton University Press

Cameron Cox 

Paperback - US$27.95/£22.00 - ISBN 9780691161877

208 pages - 350 colour illustrations - 7.5 x 9.5 inches (18.75 x 23.75 cm)

Publication date: 24 October, 2023