The Birder's Bug Book

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This book works from an ingenious, unstated premise: birds eat insects of every conceivable description, but most birders know surprisingly little about those insects. Waldbauer, a retired professor of entomology at the University of Illinois, offers an accessible, well-written primer on bird-bug ecology, concentrating on "context"--the role of birds in the lives of insects, and of insects in the lives of birds. Among other things, he touches on the evolution of different beak shapes and sizes; on insect defense systems such as stinging or the production of noxious chemicals; and even on the curious turnabout whereby some insect species, such as certain kinds of ants and spiders, feed on birds. This lively book belongs in every birder's library. --Gregory McNamee


From Publishers Weekly
Insects and their kin?spiders, mites, lice?have had a 150-million-year association with birds, notes Waldbauer (Insects Through the Seasons), an entomologist and birder, and they have had a profound effect on one another's evolutionary path. Birds have evolved strategies for capturing insects while insects have evolved ways to protect themselves from birds. Waldbauer gives a lucid, engaging account of mutual exploitation in a complex ecosystem while evincing a sneaking admiration for bugs. He describes birds whose "profession" is to eat insects; "choosy" blood-sucking insects that feed on only certain birds; parasites living on birds; and the birds' efforts to get rid of them. Also detailed are species of ants and spiders that eat nestlings. Birds attack parasitic insects by anting (rubbing ants over their bodies), dust-bathing and preening; some species even bring aromatic leaves to their nest. Others enlist the support of bees and wasps by building their nests near those insects' habitats for protection against predators. Because this is a birder's book, Waldbauer devotes a chapter to bugs that eat people?mosquitoes, ants, horseflies, ticks, fleas?and our methods of trying to control them. But this informative work is not just for birders; any student of natural history will find it illuminating. 35 color illustrations, not seen by PW. Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Library Journal
This unique title focuses on the relationships and impact among birds, "bugs," and people. Drawing on a rich array of scientific resources, including his own career, and on anecdotes, Waldbauer gives an entertaining summary of these complex interactions, which dynamically affect human and ecological health. An emeritus professor of entomology, he is also a birder by avocation and author of Insects Through the Seasons (LJ 3/15/96). Some chapters portray "Bugs That Birds Eat," "Bugs That Eat Birds," "Bugs That Eat People," etc.; others offer lively essays on flying insects, a brief guide to insects, and an excellent discourse, "Disappearing Diversity," which should be required reading for anyone interested in extinction, rain forests, or biodiversity. Highly recommended for larger collections.?Henry T. Armistead, Free Lib. of PhiladelphiaCopyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Booklist
Waldbauer is a professor emeritus of entomology at the University of Illinois. Combining entomology and ornithology, he introduces readers to the complex interplay of birds and insects, striving to be scientifically accurate yet using a variety of delightful anecdotes to make his points. Waldbauer tells how black-capped chickadees use the visible damage done to leaves by caterpillars as a clue in searching for these insects, and how some caterpillars eliminate this clue by pruning away damaged leaves. Some insects contain poisons that do not affect a bird until after it has swallowed one of them. The bird, which is made ill by the poison but is rarely killed by it, learns to recognize the warning signals of poisonous insects and rejects them on sight. Birds rub themselves with ants, whose formic acid repels insects that would otherwise infest them. Illustrated with line drawings and 35 color illustrations, the book is a must-read for anyone interested in natural history. George Cohen


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This unique title focuses on the relationships and impact among birds, "bugs," and people. Drawing on a rich array of scientific resources, including his own career, and on anecdotes, Waldbauer gives an entertaining summary of these complex interactions, which dynamically affect human and ecological health. An emeritus professor of entomology, he is also a birder by avocation and author of Insects Through the Seasons (LJ 3/15/96). Some chapters portray "Bugs That Birds Eat," "Bugs That Eat Birds," "Bugs That Eat People," etc.; others offer lively essays on flying insects, a brief guide to insects, and an excellent discourse, "Disappearing Diversity," which should be required reading for anyone interested in extinction, rain forests, or biodiversity. Highly recommended for larger collections.--Henry T. Armistead, Free Lib. of Philadelphia


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