Birds in book leaves

I know, I know. The whole "extreme" thing was over before it trickled down to the bird world. But don't let that keep you from picking up a copy of "Extreme Birds" (Firefly Books, $45).

This colorful coffee-table book boasts stunning full-page photos, a bright, crisply written text and an irresistible premise: fun facts about "the world's most extraordinary and bizarre birds." In it, you learn about the bird with the longest legs (lesser flamingo), the biggest eyes (ostrich), the longest bill (sword-billed hummingbird), even the heaviest testes (alpine accentor) and the sexiest tail (the plain old barn swallow).

But this isn't a book about bird anatomy. You'll also find out which birds win the title of smelliest, ugliest and sneakiest; which birds get points for dancing, parenting and kidnapping; and which is the most tireless singer, has the dullest diet or the best threat display.

The text, comprising only a few paragraphs on each bird, is both authoritative and inviting and the design is simple, clean and accessible. This is a perfect book for nature-loving kids and adults who may -- or may not be -- avid birders. I mean, doesn't everyone want to know which bird has the snuggest underwear?

CONNIE NELSON

So you think a novel about a group of birders who meet for walks in Nairobi, Kenya, might lack suspense, drama, even passion? Think again. Nicholas Drayson's enchanting book "A Guide to the Birds of East Africa" (Houghton Mifflin, $22) has all of the above.

In tracking the members of the East African Ornithological Society, we learn how kind, gentle Mr. Malik becomes embroiled in a fierce contest with Harry Khan to see who can find the most birds in Nairobi in a week. (We also learn that the prize is the chance to ask the alluring Rose Mbikwa to the country club ball.)

As the book jacket notes, it "does for Kenya and its birds what Alexander McCall Smith's Ladies' Detective Agency series does for Botswana," which makes it a sheer delight for birders and nonbirders alike.

VAL CUNNINGHAM

There can't be too many books about owls. That's because we know these birds -- which are rarely seen and are vocal for only brief intervals each year -- mostly through the work of scientists and writers. Frances Backhouse contributes to our knowledge with "Owls of North America" (Firefly Books, $35).

Backhouse, a Canadian who has written about wildlife for 20 years, first explores the complex life of owls, then profiles the North American species. With her clear and clean text, she illuminates these fascinating birds brightly. Her book invites a deeper appreciation of these mysterious neighbors of ours.

JIM WILLIAMS

Open it to any of the seven elaborate, full-color, pop-up landscapes -- from an Eastern deciduous forest to a Pacific seabird colony -- and you can see illustrations of the birds native to that habitat and hear them sing. (The recordings were taken from Cornell Lab's renowned Macaulay Library of sound.) Although there is little text on the pages, a key in the back of the book identifies each of the birds, notes its habitat requirements and discusses threats to each landscape.

With its pairing of sight and sound, "Birdscapes" makes a great gift for older kids, casual birders, travelers and people interested in the environment.

VAL CUNNINGHAM

"For the Birds: A Month-by-Month Guide to Attracting Birds to Your Backyard," (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, $20) can help you get started -- or get better at -- feeding and housing back-yard birds. Written by three sisters who run wild bird specialty stores, the book covers everything from which seed to feed in each season to what kinds of birdhouses suit which birds. With a chapter for every month of the year, it teaches you what birds need as the seasons change.

It also has superb photography, fun projects for kids and space to make notes about your back-yard birding successes.