Amazing But True Bird Tales

Book excerpt: With estimates by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that over 60 million Americans are birdwatchers-it's the fastest growing outdoor hobby-books on birds have a ready audience. Allan Zullo's newest book, Amazing but True Bird Tales, documents nearly 200 outrageous shenanigans and surprising feats performed by our feathered friends. For example, the mockingbird who snuck into a conservatory evading the staff for two weeks while he dined on over $1,000 worth of rare butterflies. Or the very social chicken who received a lifetime achievement award from the ASPCA for her work with senior citizens and traumatized children. And the humorous account of the fractious parrot who constantly mimicked the sound of a circular saw. Drawn from factual accounts from the Audubon Society, news accounts from the United States and the United Kingdom, and numerous Web sites, each story further convinces us that these birds aren't birdbrains at all. Zullo's true tales will be irresistible to any birder whether it's the up-before-dawn-binoculars-in-hand fanatic to the person who occasionally throws out their morning toast to enjoy watching the birds gobble it up.