The Scoop from "Bird Poop;" 35 years of wild bird rescues by Bebe McCasland

In ten words or less: True stories of wild bird rescues.

Review: When called to investigate the cries of a hawk in distress, wildlife rehabilitator Bebe McCasland discovered a Swainson's hawk chained to the ground in a weedy lot. Every one of the bird's talons had been cut off, leaving it unable to catch anything with its feet, or to roost--because it could not grip a limb. Covered with an oily substance, the bird was weak and thin.

After being rescued, the bird was examined and it was determined that the talons would eventually grow out, although they would be uneven and not tapered as they should be. The bird could never be released in the wild, but would be used as an educational bird.

McCasland has dozens of stories about vultures, hawks, owls, and other birds, told in an engaging and straightforward style. Not all the rescues have happy endings but they make the reader aware of all the perils that can befall birds--contaminants, trucks, weather, and the encroachment of humans upon bird habitats.

Why bother? This collection of columns, with wonderful illustrations by Don Collins, will appeal to bird lovers and others interested in nature and animals.