Published April 11, 2010  Submitted by: Sharla

National Geographic Bird Coloration by Geoffrey E. Hill has gorgeous pictures and lively explanations that captivate beginners as well as serious twitchers. Author and noted ornithologist Geoff Hill takes readers on an informative visual and narrative tour. Seventeen short chapters with engaging narrative and lots of photos with information-packed captions illustrate the mechanisms by which birds produce the characteristic and sometimes brilliant coloration of their feathers and other body parts. It looks at the function of ornamental coloration and at how birds' signaling attracts mates and deters competitors. It gives answers to common questions such as why a male peacock makes its stunning tail displays and why a juvenile Roseate Spoonbill has coloration different from either parent.

• The armchair birder : discovering the secret lives of familiar birds by John Yow
• The bird : a natural history of who birds are, where they came from, and how they live by Colin Tudge
• Birds : a visual guide by Joanna Burger

• Cornell Lab of Ornithology: All About Birds is created by the staff of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. It is their aim to make this site the Web’s best and most comprehensive resource for North American birds, bird watching, and bird conservation—accessible to everyone for free.
• National Geographic: Birds is a source of information about backyard birding, bird identification, and has a large database of bird photos.
• Missouri Department of Conservation: Birds is a Website that contains information about birds that are residents in Missouri.