[TN-Bird] About the new book: Birds of Tennessee

From: "Wallace Coffey" <jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sat, 18 Jul 2015 00:52:48 -0400

cover new birds of tennessee.jpg

We are excited and happy to have an additional reference

book for birds found in Tennessee. Scott Somershoe and Chris

Sloan have assembled a valuable and wonderful edition

for our enjoyment and reference. We owe them a big thanks.

As the authors explain, "In many respect, this work is a

successor to John Robinson's Annotated Checklist of the

Birds of Tennessee, which, although published in 1990, has

remained an invaluable reference."

This most recent book is largely what the authors note

are "all records" published through volume 83 of The Migrant,

in addition to select records that are in publication. Many other

records are from those published in North American Birds

and from a review of the database of the Tennessee

National Wildlife Refuge's waterfowl surveys.

Some birders may wonder about excellent finds they were a

part of or know about that do not appear in the book. Mostly

that is because those birds are supposedly not published in

The Migrant or not submitted to the state records committee.

Many do not fall within the seasons, maximum counts or

simple number or records listed for a species.

Several records appear in the species account which are cited

only with an observer's initial and noted as "unpublished data."

Some records are cited with the observer's initial and

noted as "pers. comm." The style is variable.

Some birders, new to the hobby and science of birds,

may have little or no exposure to Robinson's 1990 book and may

not understand it was not a picture book and likewise the new

book has no pictures.

The new book is an annotated checklist but it doesn't say so on

the front cover or spine. The authors are up front inside and on

the back with the full title: Birds of Tennessee: A New Annotated

Checklist. This book may become known simply as the

"Birds of Tennessee" which will not be a surprise to many.

Such books usually reflect the views of the authors and those

who helped assemble and edit the contents. In this edition

there is some departure from records of the Tennessee Bird

Records Committee. The authors explain their thinking and the

merits they believe are important which all of us can digest

for ourselves.

A few curious thoughts include the fact a long list of

observers are included and, if my memory is correct, there

is little about the basis for listing the birders'

names included or omitted from the list. At least it

is fun to imagine why and why not about so many birders

you know.

The extensive list of birding places have probably

missed a number of worthy locations which have been overlooked.

However, the authors probably have their own reasons for what

was included whether they have a good reason, a bad reason or

no reason at all.

A case to consider is that while the book will well serve you

as an index to most of the best records published in

The Migrant, the English name index in the back will not.

The English name index certainly should be considered for

review by the authors. This writer did not find any names

in the index that appeared on the page numbers listed.

While the species accounts in the front are in taxonomic

order and not alphabetical, they appear to be correctly

listed to the page numbers.

None of this should distract from the six long years of

hard work and long hours the authors have invested.

We should say thank you to them for a "job well done."

Everyone should be proud of you and your book.

This writer has been proud to have it in his library this

week and will for years and years to come.

Wallace Coffey

Bristol, TN

Follow-Ups:
- [TN-Bird] Re: About the new book: Birds of Tennessee
  - From: Scott Somershoe

[TN-Bird] About the new book: Birds of Tennessee

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