About this item
A complete guide to the natural history, ecology, and conservation of North America's 23 woodpecker species. From the iconic Woody Woodpecker to the ubiquitous Northern Flicker, woodpeckers have long captivated our attention. Their astonishing anatomy makes them one of the most specialized bird families in the world, and their keystone ecological roles in our forests and woodlands makes them some of the most important birds on the continent. This comprehensive and authoritative guide to the natural history, ecology, and conservation of North America's 23 woodpecker species goes far beyond identification. It explores their unique anatomy and their fascinating and often comical behaviors; it covers each species' North American conservation status; and it showcases over 250 stunning photographs of woodpeckers in their natural habitats, plus easy-to-read figures and range maps.
About the Author
Steve Shunk is a hopeless woodpecker fanatic based in central Oregon's Woodpecker Wonderland, where 11 woodpecker species breed each year (half the extant woodpeckers in North America!) . After several years of field studies and extensive woodpecker research, Steve wrote his first book, the Peterson Reference Guide to Woodpeckers of North America (2016, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishers) .
Steve currently lives in Bend, Oregon, but he spends much of the year traveling and writing as the associate editor for the Nature Travel Network. Steve also runs a successful tour company, Paradise Birding, for which he leads birding and natural history tours across the western hemisphere. Steve regularly delivers presentations for state ornithological societies, bird festivals, and local bird and nature clubs. References and a list of presentation topics can be provided upon request.
BIOGRAPHY
Stephen A. Shunk was born in 1966 in Lafayette, Indiana, and he lived with his family in Virginia, Texas, and California during childhood. Steve spent a year at Texas A&M University before attending San Jose State University from 1987-1994, where he studied Meteorology and Environmental Studies. While at San Jose State, Steve served 2 years as the executive director of the SJSU Environmental Resource Center; 2 years as a board member for the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition; and 2 years on the board for Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society.
Steve started birding in the SF Bay Area in 1989, and he began teaching birding classes to adults in 1992. In 1997, Steve left the Bay Area for a new life in central Oregon. He worked as the executive director of the Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce for his first year in the region, later dedicating himself to his guiding business, Paradise Birding, and to work as a birding tourism consultant. Steve co-founded the Oregon Birding Trails program and coordinated its flagship project, the Oregon Cascades Birding Trail. Steve also co-founded the East Cascades Bird Conservancy (now East Cascades Audubon Society) and served as is first president. Today, Steve leads birding tours across the western hemisphere, as well as in Sicily and Malaysian Borneo.
