Review Of Woodpeckers Of North America By F. Backhouse

Freelance writer Backhouse provides an in-depth look at a popular group of birds, using informative text and superb photographs and drawings. The first half of the volume treats general topics including anatomy, behavior, ecology, and conservation in a clear style at a level similar to that of an introductory biology textbook; the second half gives detailed species accounts of all North American woodpeckers. The language is nontechnical and engaging. The book includes a brief index, glossary, and three-page bibliography. Although at first glance this volume appears to be a much-needed monograph on woodpeckers, the lack of detailed references or a substantial bibliography makes this work problematic for academic libraries. Readers have no way of judging whether the book\u27s factual material is anecdotal, conjectural, or supported by peer-reviewed data. Its inclusion in a reference collection would send the wrong message to students about the very nature of science and scholarship. Most libraries would be better off with a good ornithology textbook such as F. Gill\u27s Ornithology (3rd ed., 2004) and the series The Birds of North America, ed. by A. Poole (CH, Oct\u2793, 31-0635) and now available online (CH, Nov\u2705, 43-1297). Summing Up: Recommended. General readers