Rare and Elusive Birds of North America

New York: Universe Publishing, 2006. Hardcover. Very Good/near fine. 9" x 9", 208pp, 57 color plates For sixteen years, author and photographer William Burt has been on an uncommon mission. Every spring and summer since 1984, he has been in pursuit of the toughest of subjects: twenty of the least known, almost mythically elusive North American birds. Burt spent weeks in the field at a time, employing his own hand-built equipment and often revisiting sites, year after year in certain cases, to get the pictures he wanted. The end result is this collection of stunning photographs of these birds in the wild and the engaging stories behind capturing the images. This book contains over fifty remarkable photographs of these camera-shy birds. Additionally, it contains an appendix of thumbnail sketches about each of the birds featured in the book: where they can be found, their markings, and other unique characteristics. Rare and elusive Birds of North America is a wonderful addition to the libraries of serious and armchair birders alike. -- from the jacket flap of the book. "An estimated 50 million Americans are serious recreational bird watchers. Among them is William Burt. For 16 years, Burt has pursued some of the world's toughest subjects: 20 of the least known, nearly mythical North American birds. In his latest book, Rare and Elusive Birds, he has used his talents as a photographer and bird watcher to compile an intimate look at some of the planet's most rarely seen birds. In addition to the images, the book also includes detailed accounts of the lives of these birds and the special challenges and successes Burt experienced on his quest to photograph them all." -- Publishers Weekly. This is an ex-library book with the usual stickers/marks, very clean with only a spine label on the jacket. Inside there is a neat label on the front fly leaf and a pocket on the back leaf. The lower edges of the book are rubbed and show white in spots. The jacket, not clipped, is in a library plastic cover.