Birds of the Dakotas Field Guide

By Stan Tekiela

• Popular, proven format: the first edition (9781591930167) sold about 20,000 copies



• Market: According to the US Fish and Wildlife Service, about 20% of the population are active bird watchers, spending more than $40 billion on the hobby, annually



• Not intimidating: geared toward the average bird watcher with bird species organized by color for easily identifying them



• New edition with more species, updated photographs and range maps, revised information, and even more of Stan’s expert insights



• Author routinely attracts more than 100 people to his speaking events and writes a popular column distributed to newspapers in the Midwest and Northeast



• Readers have become fans of Stan’s style and flair for nature observations and interpretations



• All-in-one source of information, facts, photos, and tidbits in a concise guide



• Extreme value: massive information for under $20

• Language: English
• Publisher: Adventure Publications
• Release date: Nov 30, 2021
• ISBN: 9781647551933

Book preview

Birds that are mostly black

Brown-headed Cowbird

Molothrus ater

male

female

SUMMER

Stan’s Notes: Cowbirds are members of the blackbird family. Of approximately 750 species of parasitic birds worldwide, this is the only parasitic bird in the Dakotas. Brood parasites lay their eggs in the nests of other birds, leaving the host birds to raise their young. Cowbirds are known to have laid their eggs in the nests of over 200 species of birds. While some birds reject cowbird eggs, most incubate them and raise the young, even to the exclusion of their own. Look for warblers and other birds feeding young birds twice their own size. Named Cowbird for its habit of following bison and cattle herds to feed on insects flushed up by the animals.

European Starling

Sturnus vulgaris

breeding