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Raptors of New Mexico

Description

No book has ever before specifically focused on the birds of prey of New Mexico. Both Florence Bailey (1928) and J. Stokley Ligon (1961) published volumes on the birds of New Mexico, but their coverage of raptors was somewhat limited. In the ensuing years a great deal of new information has been collected on these mighty hunters' distribution, ecology, and conservation, including in New Mexico. The book begins with a history of the word 'raptor'. The order of Raptatores, or Raptores, was first used to classify birds of prey in the early nineteenth century, derived from the Latin word raptor, one who seizes by force. The text then includes the writings of thirty-seven contributing authors who relate their observations on these regal species. For example, Joe Truett recounts the following in the chapter on the Swainson's Hawk: 'From spring to fall each year at the Jornada Caves in the Jornada del Muerto, Swainson's hawks assemble daily to catch bats. The bats exit the caves - actually lava tubes - near sundown. The hawks swoop in, snatch bats from the air, and eat them on the wing'. Originally from France, Jean-Luc Cartron, has lived and worked on several continents, finding his passion in the wide-open spaces of New Mexico. He became fascinated by the birds of prey, and has studied their ecology and conservation for nearly twenty years. Raptors of New Mexico will provide readers with a comprehensive treatment of all hawks, eagles, kites, vultures, falcons, and owls breeding or wintering in New Mexico, or simply migrating through the state. This landmark study is also beautifully illustrated with more than six hundred photographs, including the work of more than one hundred photographers, and and nearly fifty species distribution maps.

Reviews

Rating: 5 / 5
Date: 2010-08-18
Summary: "Excellent, thick ornithological reference"

Basics: hardcover; 2010, 712pp; all 44 species of raptors documented from New Mexico are shown in 740+ color photographs; each of the 37 regular species is reviewed in 10-26 pages and 7 other vagrants by a single page; text covers in-depth account of life history, range, habitat, and description; 3-color range map provided for each bird

Raptor enthusiasts and/or birders of the Southwest should be keen on buying this book. It is a large, thick, and heavy tome that provides a respectable account on each of the state's raptors. In case you're wondering, this is not an identification guide (many of those already exist); instead, this is a solid ornithological reference.

All 44 species of raptors that have been documented in New Mexico are shown in over 740 color photographs. For the 37 regular birds, each is shown with 10-31 photographs. For the 7 other vagrants, just 1-3 photos are given. These photos show the adult bird both perched and in flight as well with adult and juvenile plumages; they show the bird's nest, eggs, fledglings, or food; and, show the typical habitat in which the bird is found. The selection of photographs is extensive and of good quality. It should be pointed out that although they are good, not all of them will be -- nor are meant to be -- directly useful for identification. Instead, some photos show the bird at a slight distance, which exhibits how the bird is often observed in the field atop trees or power poles or sitting at the nest. These photographs range in size from 2x2 inches to nearly a full page.

The heart of this thick book is its text, which offers a mini-chapter of 10-26 pages on each of the 37 raptors regularly found in New Mexico. This well researched material provides a solid, thorough account of the bird. First, an extended description is given for the various plumages (e.g., male, female, adult, immature, phases) of each raptor. Considerably more text focuses on the distribution and habitats of the bird. Even more information covers the life history aspects such as migration, nesting, and diet. The bird's status and management within the state is nicely defined. Each bird's account is concluded with a useful, and sometimes long literature citation.

Accompanying many of the species are various graphs, charts, and tables that reflect data summaries of research on these birds. This information covers a wide array of topics such as yearly counts of active nests, frequency of prey species, annual Christmas Bird Count tallies, mapping of population trends, or territory occupancy in certain regions of the state. The amount of this data-oriented material varies considerably between birds. The more researched species such as the American Kestrel or the Golden Eagle have three tables/charts each while a total of only three tables/charts are included for all 13 of the owl species.

For each of the remaining 7 vagrant birds, about one page of text is provided. This gives a general account of the historical sightings, their locations and dates, a brief description of the bird, and some habitat notations. No maps accompany these vagrants.

For the regular raptors, a large map nearly a half-page in size shows the breeding, non-breeding (aka, winter), and year-round distributions. For those birds with prominent migrational movements through the state, arrows denote the direction of movements through specific corridors. For greater detail, the maps show county borders along with several of the major rivers.

As a last note, the beginning of the book consists of 51 pages dedicated to reviewing the flora zones and communities of the state; shows several maps to illustrate the flora zones; many photographs of the many habitat types in the state; migrational studies; and, other multiple maps, tables, and charts.

This is a wonderful reference that should be found in a raptor enthusiast's library. - (written by Jack at Avian Review / Avian Books, August 2010)

I've listed several related books below...
1) Hawks, Eagles, and Falcons of North America by Johnsgard
2) Life Histories of North American Birds of Prey (1&2) by Bent
3) Raptors of Western North America by Wheeler
4) Handbook of North American Birds: Volume 4 & 5 by Palmer
5) Owls of North America by Backhouse
6) A Photographic Guide to North American Raptors by Wheeler/Clark
7) The Raptors of Arizona by Glinski
8) Birds of Prey on the Colorado Plateau by Carothers
9) Birds of New Mexico by Bailey
10) Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Los Alamos County New Mexico by Travis et al.

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Rating: 5 / 5
Date: 2010-08-16
Summary: "Raptors of New Mexico"

Very well written book. The pictures are outstanding. A great guide to learn to identify the different types of raptors one might see in New Mexico.

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Rating: 5 / 5
Date: 2010-07-12
Summary: "A top book about these top aerial predators"

This is a monumental accomplishment. Rather than put the responsibility for the broad reach of this knowledge in the hands of any one person, Dr. Cartron, in addition to his own writings, has sought out recognized authorities in every facet of the field. That applies as well to the photographs. Any one who has attempted to photograph birds in their natural habitat knows the time, energy and luck it takes to produce even one good picture. In this case virtually every photograph is a minor masterpiece. The result is a work that is truly greater than the sum of its parts! I think you could safely say that everything you'll ever want to know about New Mexico's top aerial predators is contained within these pages. Congratulations are in order.