Shorebirds

Book excerpt: The authors have created a thorough study of shorebirds and the decoys used to hunt them. The life cycles of the frequently hunted birds are described; and matchless color illustrations by Robert Verity Clem depict each species in its usual habitat. The authors detail the rise and fall of shorebird hunting, the places the birds were hunted, and the kinds of decoys used. Because shorebird hunting ended in the early 1900s, many shorebird decoys are quite rare and collectible. Beautiful color photographs of more than two hundred decoys highlight this carefully documented book. Other facets of the topic covered here include factory-produced decoys, tips on collecting decoys and avoiding fakes, and the use of X-ray, xerography, and other scientific methods to authenticate decoys.