With both novice and experienced decoy collectors in mind, 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; matchless color illustrations by Robert Verity Clem depict each species in its usual habitat. There is a discussion of the rise and fall of shorebird hunting, the places the birds were hunted, and the kinds of decoys used. Lastly the book treats the present-day legacy of shorebird hunting: the amazing variety of decoys, fashioned by an unknown number of carver-artists.

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.