Hawks at a Distance: Identification of Migrant Raptors

The ultimate must-have guide for identifying migrant raptors, Hawks at a Distance is the first volume to focus on distant raptors as they are truly seen in the field. Jerry Liguori, a leading expert on North American raptors, factors in new information and approaches for identifying twenty-nine species of raptor in various lighting situations and settings. The field guide's nineteen full-color portraits, 558 color photos, and 896 black-and-white images portray shapes and plumages for each species from all angles. Useful flight identification criteria are provided and the accompanying text discusses all aspects of in-flight hawk identification, including flight style and behavior. Concentrating on features that are genuinely observable at a distance, this concise and practical field guide is ideal for any aspiring or experienced hawk enthusiast. * The first guide to focus on distant raptors as they are viewed in the field * New information and approaches for identifying distant raptors * Illustrates twenty-nine species in various lighting situations and settings *558 color photos and 896 black-and-white images depicting plumage and shape characteristics * All aspects of in-flight hawk identification, including flight style and behavior

Table of Contents:
Foreword by Pete Dunne ix Preface xiii Acknowledgments xiii Introduction 1 How to Use This Book 1 Terminology 2 Glossary 3 Hawk Migration 4 Helpful Hints 4 Anatomy 5 Flight Positions 6 Hawk Counting 8 Optics for Hawk Watching 8 Photography 9 Accipiters 14 Sharp-shinned Hawk 17 Cooper's Hawk 25 Northern Goshawk 31 Northern Harrier 37 Buteos 44 Red-shouldered Hawk 47 Broad-winged Hawk 51 Swainson's Hawk 59 Red-tailed Hawk 67 Ferruginous Hawk 83 Rough-legged Hawk 91 Falcons 101 American Kestrel 103 Merlin 109 Peregrine Falcon 115 Prairie Falcon 121 Gyrfalcon 124 Vultures, Osprey, Eagles 127 Black Vulture 127 Turkey Vulture 131 Osprey 135 Bald Eagle 137 Golden Eagle 147 Uncommon Migrants and Others 157 California Condor 157 Mississippi Kite 159 White-tailed Kite 159 Swallow-tailed Kite 162 Hook-billed Kite 162 Crested Caracara 163 Short-tailed Hawk 166 White-tailed Hawk 167 Zone-tailed Hawk 169 Shapes 171 Photo Credits 191 Bibliography 192 Index 193

About the Author :
Jerry Liguori has been studying raptors throughout North America since 1984. He has conducted hawk migration counts at spring and fall migration sites, such as Cape May Point, Sandy Hook, Derby Hill, Braddock Bay, Whitefish Point, and Dinosaur Ridge, and the Goshute, Wasatch, and Sandia mountains. He is the author of "Hawks from Every Angle" (Princeton).

Review :
"If you love watching hawks, Liguori's Hawks at a Distance is an essential aid which will help build your identification skills."--Wayne Mones, Audubon Magazine "A must-have for raptor people!"--Ian Paulsen, Birdbooker Report "Possibly the best-ever raptor identification guide in print... If you are serious about identifying birds of prey, whether at a hawk-watch site, or during your everyday birding, the advances made by the author with this book can assist you in achieving that goal in ways few books have done previously... Highly recommended."--William P. Mueller, Bluebird's Laugh "Hawks at a Distance is an advanced study written by an authority in raptors. Mr. Liguori's book is great to be read with attention and what you learn you will treasure greatly if you are an active birder."--H.J. Ruiz, My Backyard Visitors "This is an absolute 'must have' for anyone who has ever even briefly wondered, 'What kind of hawk was that?' ... Practical and beautiful... If you have even the slightest interest in birds, you should own this book."--Alan Speakman, eBirdseed.com "Jerry Liguori has found a way to communicate to birders of all ages and skill levels how he can identify hawks at a distance. He provides us with a study tool that is the next best thing to being with him atop a ridge near a hawk flyway... By putting in the work to study these photos and internalizing the helpful text explaining what is shown in each photo, you would be ready to join a hawk-watch group and dazzle them with your advanced skills."--Robert Mortensen, Birding is Fun "This book has a lot to offer hawk watchers of all levels of experience."--A Charm of Finches "Hawks at a Distance is a neat little book and valuable reference."--Angus Wilson, OceanWanderers Book Shelf "A remarkable and important field guide."--Greg Laden, Science blogs "Every birder with an interest in hawks should own this book. And really, what birder isn't interested in hawks? Show me a birder that doesn't enjoy an afternoon at a good hawk-watch, and I'll show you a dog that doesn't like cheese."--Greg Niese, North American Birding "Hawks at a Distance provides a great way to look at shape and form of raptors, and not just plumage... Hawks at a Distance is for all birders, not just hawk aficionados. The ability to identify hawks at a distance is crucial to all bird counts and to all birding situations."--Birdfreak.com "Liguori's innovation is to show these magnificent birds as you most often actually see them--in flight and at a distance. He does show one close-up shot of most of the species, but he follows that with many shots of the bird in action from different angles. Studying these excellent pictures gives one a sense of the shape of the bird, which is one of the most indicative traits for identification, and it allows you to see those obvious field marks that might actually be seen from a great distance."--The Nature of Things "If you have any interest in hawk watching you need this book... It truly is a revolutionary guide and will certainly be a tool for teaching many a hawk watcher in the coming years. I would tell even the most seasoned of birders to add this to their collection... [It] will surely be one of, if not the most influential hawk watching guide ever."--Utah Birders "Certainly a book for aspiring as well as veteran hawk-watchers."--Rosyfinch Ramblings "All-in-all, this book is a must have for any hawk watcher or any birder that wants to learn more about hawk identification. I am in love with the book and haven't been able to put it down for a few weeks now. I would recommend that you use this book in combination with Jerry Liguori's first book, Hawks from Every Angle. These two books are, and will be for quite some time, the bibles of hawk watching."--Drew Weber, Nemesis Bird "Concise and easy to follow... Will be an invaluable tool if you are a hawk watcher."--Birds from Behind "I heartily recommend this book to North American raptor enthusiasts, but also to anyone with a general interest in raptors, but especially for birders planning a birding trip to North America where it will sit happily in a pocket or rucksack next to a less specific field guide."--Phil Slade, Another Bird Blog "An intriguing concept--take a few hundred of the most distant, silhouetted, weird angle photos and combine them into a field guide... Very useful to raptor enthusiasts and hawk counters!"--Christian Artuso "A useful tool that would be a welcome addition to any birders library."--Scott Arvin, The Cardinal, Indiana Audubon Society "This book certainly gives a new perspective, and hope, to viewing those 'too-far-to-identify' raptors. The raptor enthusiast and the avid birder who's always trying to expand his knowledge of advanced identification tips will appreciate this book."--Avian Review "For anyone that spends time at our local hawkwatch at Lighthouse Point, this latest book from author and photographer Jerry Liguori, entitled Hawks at a Distance is a must-have!"--Naturescape Images "Liguori's new book gives the would-be hawkwatcher a head start, significantly closing the gap between rookie and expert with his simple and comprehensive approach... Hawkwatchers are going to be the primary audience for this book, but anyone interested in pushing the physical boundaries of their bird identification to the horizon should pick it up. You won't be disappointed."--The Drinking Bird "If you love raptors Liguori's new book will be an essential tool in advancing your identification skills"--Sierra Activist "This follow-up to Hawks from Every Angle is jam-packed with all aspects of in-flight hawk identification tips."--Nina Harfmann, Nature Remains "Hawks at a Distance: Identification of Migrant Raptors by Jerry Liguori is an exceptional book. I have always wanted to become better at raptor identification and Liguori hit the nail on the head for me with this book... If you want to progress to the next level of birding I think Hawks at a Distance will help you along."--Flying Mullet "[The guide] uses digital photography to present the birds as we might see them in real life. Liguori focuses on twenty-nine species of raptor, depicting their flight patterns and the color of their plumage as it varies with background light; there's also a very useful series of images in black and white of the raptors from various angles."--Fannie Peczenik, Pittsburgh Bird Watching Examiner "Raptor fans, and especially anyone who spends time at hawk watches, will definitely want a copy of Liguori's Hawks at a Distance. It's quite simply the best guide to hawks at, well, a distance. [It will] be useful to any birder due to its different approach and the encouragement it gives to push the limits of our identification skills to the horizon (literally)."--Grant McCreary, Birder's Library "You not only get a series of very small images--just what you'd see with your binoculars trained on the high flyer, but also a good close image too. Between the two you can see how the ID features are likely to seem in the field and learn how to do without the close up and make a pretty good stab at what that bird is kettling up to the heavens."--Fat Birder "If you love hawk watching and want to get beyond accipiter vs. buteo, then you should definitely look at Hawks at a Distance."--Anne Hanley, Trumpter "Hawks at a Distance does a better job of putting names to those dots over the next ridge than anything else that's out there."--Ned Keller, The Cerulean "Considerable forethought took place at the conception of the idea for this book, because it is easy to read and to understand, making it a viable resource for the beginner and the experienced birder alike."--KaHolly Blog "This book helps me understand raptors in ways I never thought possible... Liguori's knowledge and skill of identifying raptors is simply unsurpassed. His ability to tie together actual knowledge with photos makes for both an informative and yet concise book."--Cory Gregory's Birding Blog "Birders schooled in the old 'field marks' method of bird identification will find Liguori's Hawks at a Distance startling--and ultimately, I think, revelatory."--Rick Wright, ABA blog "For those of you wishing to push your hawk-watching skills to new levels, grab your binoculars and get a copy as soon as you can!"--Digiscoping Blog "Hawks at a Distance offers bird watchers of all experience levels the opportunity to learn a skill that has long been considered a prized specialty. Extensive color photographs supplemented with black-and-white illustrated shape charts depict the various raptors commonly found in the U.S. and Canada in a host of flight positions. By presenting these with detailed descriptions of flight patterns and aerial habits, Liguori has created what is quite likely the definitive book on the subject presently in print."--John Riutta, Bird Watcher's Digest "This slim volume is an excellent addition to any library, but will be particularly welcomed by bird watchers wishing to improve their identification skills... Hawk watchers along migration corridors will certainly take this guide to their favorite hawk-watch station. But other bird watchers should consider adding it to their collection, where it will get much use."--Choice "The beauty of Hawks at a Distance is that you can drill down through the different levels of text, taking in as much detail as you can handle at your level... All in all, this is an excellent, compact guide that nicely complements Hawks From Every Angle."--Donna Lynn Schulman, 10,000 Birds blog "[An] excellent guide... [T]he text is to the point and littered with little nuggets of useful information that, from my experience, only years in the field would elicit."--Luke Tiller, Birdwatch "Study Jerry Liguori's excellent book, Hawks at a Distance, with its hundreds of photos of raptors in flight. I've found this book to be very helpful in providing identification clues."--Val Cunningham, Star Tribune