World of Raptors

"Over 65 million people in America are avid bird watchers, and it continues to be one of the fastest growing family activities in the U.S." As we in the school and public library biz know, "reports on animals" also happens to be one of the most common homework assignments, and our shelves can never hold enough materials in the area. This inexpensive tape will be a worthy addition to your "animals" arsenal; narrated by Joanne Woodward and featuring the wildlife talents of the Nelson family of Boise, Idaho, it tells us where to find, how to identify, and how to understand the behavior of the four family groups of raptors: falcons, eagles, buteos (such as the red-tailed hawk), and accipiters (such as the great-horned owl). At tape's end, there is a brief "live-action" field guide to identification, which notes differences in "color phases" between genders and ages; and a "hawk watchers" map that pinpoints U.S. sites. Though one could get some of the same information from a book, this video is a valuable adjutant because of its wonderful in-flight cinematography and solid "live-action" detail. Librarians who add it to their collections will want to be sure that its bibliographic record mentions "hawks," "eagles," "owls," "vultures," "falcons," and especially "birds"; for most patrons, the word "raptors" is not going to cut it, card-catalog-wise. Highly recommended. Aud: E, I, J, H, C, P. (K. Glaser)