BOOK REVIEWS

The Large of North America, with Jon L. Dunn. 1997. The Advanced Birding Video Series. Peregrine Video Productions, 7583 Estate Circle, Niwot, Colorado 80503. 119 minutes viewing time. VHS Stereo. $34.95 plus $3.85 shipping and handling. Two aspectsof watchingbirds are that they move, and that their appearancescan be highlyvariable. Even the best field guides,whether using paintings or photographs, are constrainedby trying to cover everythingvia a limited number of two-dimensional, immobileimages. Given such inherentrestrictions, books can do a very good job-- especiallyif one takes time to read the text! Nonetheless,the potential for video footageto show moving , and to portray more plumagesthat even a specialized field g,aide,suggests that the mediumwill becomeincreasingly common in the field of identification.Producer John Vanderpoelhas chosenone of the biggestnight- mares in North American birdingfor the first in a series of videosaimed at helping observersidentify problem groups of birds. The result is a success. The video covers 13 speciesof "four-year"gulls (includingthe Yellow-footed)that have occurredin North America--all the regularsplus the Kelp and Yellow-legged, and some hybrids.An introductorysection discusses topography(a usefulpull-out card is providedwith parts of a gull labeleddearly) and plumagedevelopment, and then from 5 to 15 minutesfor each speciesfollow. Jon Dunn, the narrator and co- writer (with Larry Rosche), speaks clearly and covers the geographicalrange and North American status of each , followed by a discussionof structure and plumagefor all species.Most age classesare shown (video was filmed in Siberia, Europe, and South America as well as North America),and footage of moving birds is interspersedfrequently with still photographsthat help illustratevarious points. The quality of the footage ranges from excellentto good, and many birds in flight are "freeze-framed"to highlightwing pattems. The color definitionof some pinks and yellows,however, is at times a little weak, e.g., the differenceswe are told to note betweenthe greenishlegs of the immatureCalifornia Gull and the pinkishlegs of the Ring-billedneeded faith to discern. Overall, though, it is a dream come true for gull enthusiasts,although future productionsmight benefit from a few comments. Large g,allshave few if any peers in the field of identificationheadaches, and a lot of points need to be coveredfor any analgesicto be remotely effective.Paradoxically, the sheer amount of informationpacked into 119 minutesmay be both the strongest and weakestfeature of this work. I foundthe pace and contentso intensethat I needed to break for a day or two after the fifth species!Images often seemto whiz by, and the sometimeshurried pace of the narrationis not conduciveto the prolongedand careful stuckjso criticalfor appreciatingsubtle differences. I spent as much if not more time stoppingand rewindingthan simplywatching. A secondviewing was easier,but then, as with reading field guides, one probablyisn't expectedto watch the whole video in one sitting. Nonetheless, more time with still photographs, or longer video of individualbirds standingand maybe stretchingtheir wings, would be preferableto lots of fast-moving images. Slower narration also might help; within sentences the narration is well-paced,even relaxed,but sentencesfollow one another so quick and fast that it can be hard to keep up with the flow of information.Background music accompaniessome aesthetic flight video, and helps at times to calm the pace, althoughoften it is inappropriateor extraneous.I could live with a bird video that lacked such touches.Similarly, the frequent and sometimesdistracting spinning and fading of imagesmight be a little overdoneand unnecessaryfor an educationalvideo. One thing I urcjebe consideredfor future videos is that the date and locationbe providedfor all cuts,with time to read the informationand relateit to detailsof a bird's plumage;such a step would immeasurablyincrease the value of the video as a tool for serious birders and even researchers.

480 Western Birds 29:480-483, 1998 BOOK REVIEWS

Beyond these concerns,there is not much to criticize. Gulls offer so much potential for discussion,and even heated argument,that I will refrain from trying to pick too many nits, and besides,I didn't find many to pick. I would have preferreda longer introdutionthough, coveringmore aspectsof gull identification.More emphasismight have been made of the amazingvariation in plumagethat gulls exhibit, or of the often striking size differences between the sexes (covered in passing in a few species accounts).Environmental variables, such as lighting and its effect on perception of gray tones (touchedupon in some accounts),also could have had greater exposure. In the introduction,the exampleschosen to show differencesin the gonydealangle were, unfortunately,underwhelming, and while the narration talked about "primary projection" as primaries beyond the tertials, the on-screenpointers showed "primary projection" beyond the tail; this feature was also called "wingtip projection" in the video. A single, consistentdefinition might help. On several occasionsthe narration and imageswere not compatible,e.g., the "barelyevident pale window" on the wings of the first-year shown looks barely different from the "prominent" window of the Herring Gull used for comparison.Closer attention to such discrepan- cies, of which there were several,might lessenrather than compoundthe feeling of bewildermentthat some birdingfriends of mine have for gulls. Another cut at editing also might have removedphrases such as "with which it superficiallyresembles." In general, well-markedexamples were chosen for each species. It would be hard at best, however,to distinguishone of the first-yearGlaucous-winged Gulls from a Glaucousx Herring hybrid on the brief view available,and one of the still photos of a flying looks like a Dolphin Gull (note the long tail, very broad white trailing edge to the wings, and apparentlysmoky gray head and dark bill). Mention might have been made of the regular occurrenceof apparent Herring x Glaucous-wingedgulls south to California and of their disturbingsimilarity to Thayer's Gull. Indeed, the problem of hybrids, especially for west-coast observers,could have benefited from longer and less hurried treatment. The overwhelmingbenefits of this video far outweigh any negative comments, though, and in particular I was impressedby how it makes manageablewhat might seem an almostimpossible task: clearlycovering the identificationpoints of large gulls in North America. But before you feel too confident, the video ends with the very responsiblecaveat that not all gulls are identifiable! This video was an ambitiousundertaking, and it providesa wealth of information that seems certain to teach expert and beginner something new. I commend the producerand all involvedfor providinga highly educationaltool. Anyone who looks at gulls,at any level, would do well to own this video, and to watch it many, many times.

Steve N. G. Howell

A Guide to the Nests, Eggs, and Nestlings of North American Birds, 2nd ed., by Paul J. Baicichand Colin J. O. Harrison. 1997. AcademicPress, London. 347 pages, 64 color plates, black and white illustrationsthroughout text. Softback, acid- free paper. $22.95. ISBN 0-12-072831-1. This new edition of Colin Harrison's classicwork, Nests, Eggs, and Nestlings of North American Birds (hereafterNests), publishedoriginally in 1978 but out of print for severalyears, is a window onto the world of the nest. Paul Baicich has helped revise the guide, which coversall birds breedingnorth of the U.S.-Mexican border. As does the original,the secondedition includesan introductionto breedingbiology, an egg- and nestling-identificationkey, brief but detailedspecies accounts, color plates of nestlings painted by Philip Burton, and egg photos by F. Greenaway and Clark

481