Wildlife: birds and birdwatching: general interest Books

Book SynopsisWhen and where did the ancestors of modern birds evolve? What enabled them to survive the meteoric impact that wiped out the dinosaurs? How did these early birds spread across the globe and give rise to the 10,600-plus species we recognise today ― from the largest ratites to the smallest hummingbirds? Based on the latest scientific discoveries and enriched by personal observations, The Ascent of Birds sets out to answer these fundamental questions. The Ascent of Birds is divided into self-contained chapters, or stories, that collectively encompass the evolution of modern birds from their origins in Gondwana, over 100 million years ago, to the present day. The stories are arranged in chronological order, from tinamous to tanagers, and describe the many dispersal and speciation events that underpin the world's 10,600-plus species. Although each chapter is spearheaded by a named bird and focuses on a specific evolutionary mechanism, the narrative will often explore the relevance of such events and processes to evolution in general. The book starts with The Tinamou’s Story, which explains the presence of flightless birds in South America, Africa, and Australasia, and dispels the cherished role of continental drift as an explanation for their biogeography. It also introduces the concept of neoteny, an evolutionary trick that enabled dinosaurs to become birds and humans to conquer the planet. The Vegavis's Story explores the evidence for a Cretaceous origin of modern birds and why they were able to survive the asteroid collision that saw the demise not only of dinosaurs but of up to three-quarters of all species. The Duck's Story switches to sex: why have so few species retained the ancestral copulatory organ? Or, put another way, why do most birds exhibit the paradoxical phenomenon of penis loss, despite all species requiring internal fertilisation? The Hoatzin's Story reveals unexpected oceanic rafting from Africa to South America: a stranger-than-fiction means of dispersal that is now thought to account for the presence of other South American vertebrates, including geckos and monkeys. The latest theories underpinning speciation are also explored. The Manakin’s Story, for example, reveals how South America’s extraordinarily rich avifauna has been shaped by past geological, oceanographic and climatic changes, while The Storm-Petrel’s Story examines how species can evolve from an ancestral population despite inhabiting the same geographical area. The thorny issue of what constitutes a species is discussed in The Albatross's Story, while The Penguin’s Story explores the effects of environment on phenotype ― in the case of the Emperor penguin, the harshest on the planet. Recent genomic advances have given scientists novel approaches to explore the distant past and have revealed many unexpected journeys, including the unique overland dispersal of an early suboscine from Asia to South America (The Sapayoa’s Story) and the blackbird's ancestral sweepstake dispersals across the Atlantic (The Thrush’s Story). Additional vignettes update more familiar concepts that encourage speciation: sexual selection (The Bird-of-Paradise's Story); extended phenotypes (The Bowerbird's Story); hybridisation (The Sparrow's Story); and 'great speciators' (The White-eye's Story). Finally, the book explores the raft of recent publications that help explain the evolution of cognitive skills (The Crow's Story); plumage colouration (The Starling's Story); and birdsong (The Finch's Story)Trade ReviewWe expect to find well‐read copies of this book in libraries near famous birding locations across the globe, from Pipeline Road to Kinabalu National Park. * Journal of Field Ornithology *The Ascent of Birds is a fascinating story of bird history, a collection of exciting and readable essays on the development of different bird types from ancient times to the present and the future. -- Pertti Koskimies * Linnut *While this book is a little daunting at first, covering as it does the entire evolutionary history of birds, the author does an excellent job of breaking the latest science down into understandable chunks, and I highly recommend it as an excellent synthesis of this amazing field of research. You won’t look at birds the same again. -- Cyndi M. Smith * Canadian Field Naturalist *Birds draw you in with flashy characteristics – dazzling colors, melodious songs, the power of flight. By the time you start to get inured to these you discover there is so much more. What’s the deal with all their diversity? Where did they come from? And just how in the world did we ever get such creatures as the birds-of-paradise? But such answers have not always been easy to come by, unless you happened to be an evolutionary biologist. That is, until John Reilly’s The Ascent of Birds: How Modern Science Is Revealing Their Story. You would be forgiven for prejudging a book dealing with “the evolution of modern birds from their origins in Gondwana, over 100 million years ago, to the present day” would be a slog to read. But nothing could be further from the truth. The key is the final word in this book’s subtitle: story. This isn’t a textbook, it’s the story of birds. -- Grant McCreary * The Birder's Library *....we finally have a good volume presenting the vast amount of modern work done on bird evolution to those interested. This is a notable achievement and has been well executed. -- Darren Naish * Tetrapod Zoology *A readable overview of avian evolution. -- Ian Paulsen * Birdbooker *I highly recommend it to more experienced birders and to all interested in birds and avian evolution as an entertaining and instructive resource. -- Clifford Frith * Australian Field Ornithology *...one of those publications that makes you realise how much you didn't know you didn't know. It is also tremendous fun to read, and would be a valuable addition to any keen birder's library. -- Martin Collinson * British Birds *I don’t normally start reading a book and post a review before I’ve finished (or in the case of a few abandoned) reading it. I’m making an exception for this as it's not just an important contribution to ornithology it really is a shining example of how a technical subject can be presented in an easily digestible way to the lay readership. This is very well written and makes the evolutionary process in birds easy to understand and compelling. The author’s own passions get shared and you quickly go along for the ride and lap up the facts presented to you. This one’s a keeper! -- FatbirderEvery once in a while you stumble on a new natural history book that seems destined to be a classic. Is that a bold enough opening to convey how much I enjoyed The Ascent of Birds by John Reilly, new this spring from Pelagic Publishing? -- Carrie Laben * http://www.10000birds.com *...this ranks among the best popular science books and provides a great guide to our current understanding of where, and how, birds evolved. -- Rob Robinson * BTO News *Table of ContentsAcknowledgements List of Illustrations Timeline - Geological Ages - Prologue: Evolution of an Idea PART ONE: NON-PASSERINES 1. The Tinamou's Story: Death of a Paradigm 2. The Vegavis's Story: The Cradle of Modern Birds 3. The Waterfowl's Story: Refugia, High Living, and Sex 4. The Hoatzin's Story: An Improbable Voyage 5. The Penguin's Story: Phenotype and Environment 6. The Storm Petrel's Story: Sympatry versus Allopatry 7. The Albatross's Story: The Species Problem 8. The Godwit's Story:Quantum Compasses 9. The Buzzard's Story: Accidental Speciation 10. The Owl's Story: Nightlife 11. The Oilbird's Story: Evolutionary Distinctiveness 12. The Hummingbird's Story: A Route of Evanescence 13. The Parrot's Story: Vicariance and Dispersal PART TWO: PASSERINES 14. The New Zealand Wren's Story: A Novel Foot 15. The Manakin's Story: Why so many Suboscines? 16. The Sapayoa's Story: Odd One Out 17. The Scrubbird's Story: Where Song Began 18. The Bowerbird's Story: Extended Phenotypes 19. The Crows' Story: Cognitive Skills 20. The Bird of Paradise's Story: Sexual Selection 21. The Starling's Story: Structural Colours 22. The Thrush's Story: Sweepstake Dispersals 23. The Sparrow's Story: Hybridisation and Speciation 24. The Zebra Finch's Story: Evolution of Birdsong 25. The Crossbill's Story: Adaptive Radiation and Coevolution 26. The White-eye's Story: Supertramps and Great Speciators 27. The Tanager's Story: A Final Flourish Postscript: The Sixth Extinction Appendix 1: Glossary Dramatis Personae Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisMorocco’s proximity and the variety of its habitats and bird species make it a favoured destination for birders. It is home to rare and endangered species such as Bald Ibis, Dark Chanting Goshawk, Tawny Eagle, Eleonora’s Falcon and African Marsh Owl. 454 species have been recorded, of which 209 breed in the country. As this statistic implies, millions of West European migrants pass seasonally through Morocco. Several wetlands spread along the Atlantic coast are famous for their migrant and wintering waders and gulls. The Atlas ranges are notable for their avifauna and desert species, including larks, wheatears and sandgrouses are found in the Saharan rim. This authoritative book describes over 50 birdwatching sites across Morocco. This book is not a field guide to species, rather it is a guide to the sites of key ornithological importance in Morocco. It contains information and detailed maps to enable you to plan a visit and provide guidance when you are on your trip. In addition, the book provides an overview of travel in Morocco, information about climate and habitats, when to go, and a full checklist of species. This book is a reprint of The Prion Birdwatchers’ Guide to Morocco (2nd Edition, 2003, ISBN: 1871104092).

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Book SynopsisA complete, yet compact and user-friendly, field guide to all the birds of the USA and Canada. Drawing on years of guiding experience, the book is designed to be the easiest guide to use in the field while birding. Covering 1,100 species with over 6,000 illustrations.

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Book SynopsisIdentify Alaska birds with this easy-to-use field guide, organized by color and featuring full-color photographs and helpful information. Make bird-watching in Alaska even more enjoyable. With Stan Tekiela’s famous bird guide, field identification is simple and informative. There’s no need to look through dozens of photos of birds that don’t live in your area. This handy book features 156 species of Alaska birds organized by color for ease of use. Full-page photographs present the species as you’ll see them in nature, and a “compare” feature helps you to decide between look-alikes. Inside you’ll find: 156 species: Only Alaska birds! Simple color guide: See a yellow bird? Go to the yellow section Stan’s Notes: Naturalist tidbits and facts Professional photos: Crisp, stunning images This second edition includes new species, updated photographs and range maps, expanded information, and even more of Stan’s expert insights. So grab the Birds of Alaska Field Guide for your next birding adventure—to help ensure that you positively identify the birds that you see.Table of ContentsIntroduction What’s New? Why Watch Birds in Alaska? Observe with a Strategy: Tips for Identifying Birds Bird Basics Bird Color Variables Bird Nests Who Builds the Nest? Fledging Why Birds Migrate How Do Birds Migrate? How to Use This Guide Range Maps Sample Pages The Birds Black Black and White Blue Brown Gray Green Orange Red White Yellow Birding on the Internet Checklist/Index by Species More for Alaska by Stan Tekiela About the Author

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Book SynopsisAn illustrated guide that simplifies identifying southern Africa''s common birds by their plumage color, featuring updated names and local language translations.Newman?s Birds by Colour offers a quick and easy way to identify southern Africa?s most common birds based on first impression. Now in its fourth edition, this handy illustrated guide includes photographs in addition to the illustrations, to further aid identification. It has been updated to reflect the latest name changes, and also includes bird names in several local languages. Birds are grouped in distinct sections according to the color of their plumage, as well as their size, making the book easy to navigate. An informative introduction provides practical tips for identifying birds, and includes information on bird anatomy and classification, and guidance on what you need to go birding.

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Book SynopsisThe Birds of Panama will be an essential tool for the new generation of birders traveling in search of Panama's spectacular avifauna.Trade ReviewAngehr and Dean have created an accurate, portable guide that will prove very useful to birders and casual observers wishing to savor the avian diversity of Panama. * Choice *Table of ContentsMap of Panama Introduction Anatomical Features Adult Vultures and Raptors in FlightSpecies Accounts and Illustrations Tinamous Ducks Curassows, Chachalacas & Guans Quails Grebes Shearwaters & Petrels Storm-Petrels Tropicbirds Boobies & Gannets Pelicans Albatrosses Cormorants Darters Frigatebirds Herons & Egrets Storks Ibises & Spoonbills New World Vultures Hawks, Eagles & Kites Falcons & Caracaras Sunbittern Rails, Gallinules & Coots Finfoots Limpkin Plovers & Lapwings Oystercatchers Stilts & Avocats Jacanas Sandpipers & Allies Gulls, Terns & Skimmers Skuas & Jaegers Pigeons & Doves Parrots Cuckoos Barn Owls Typical Owls Nightjars Potoos Oilbird Swifts Hummingbirds Trogons Motmots Kingfishers Puffbirds Jacamars Barbets & Toucans Woodpeckers Ovenbirds & Woodcreepers Typical Antbirds Antthrushes Gnateaters Antpittas Tapaculos Broadbills Tryant Flycatchers Becards, Tityra & Others Cotingas Manakins Vireos Sharpbill Crows & Jays Swallows Donocobins Wrens Dippers Gnatwrens & Gnatcatchers Thrushes Mockingbirds & Allies Pipis & Wagtails Waxwings Silky-flycatchers Wood-Warblers Tanagers Bananaquit Saltators Seedeaters, Finches & Sparrows Grosbeaks, Buntings & Allies Old World Sparrows New World Orioles & Blackbirds Goldfinches & EuphoniasAcknowledgments Appendix: Additional Species Glossary Checklist of the Birds of Panama Index of Common and Scientific Names About the Author and Illustrator

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Book SynopsisThis visual guide to the structure and anatomy of birds contains more than 200 specially prepared accurate drawings. The text is written for undergraduate students and to bird lovers in general, and discusses why birds look and act the way they do.Trade Review"As this book demonstrates in excellently clear drawings and text, a bird is a superbly evolved match of structure with function."—Brian Bertram, Times Literary Supplement"The book provides an accurate, up-to-date, self-contained course in ornithology for the advanced lay reader."—Library Journal"For anyone who wants to learn more about what lies under the feathers, The Manual of Ornithology has the answers. . . . As a reference work, the manual has few modern rivals."—David Tomlinson, New Scientist "Excellent. . . . a mine of information to anyone interested in birds at any level."—Jonathan Coatley, Journal of Biological EducationReceived an honorable mention in the Biological Science category, Association of American Publishers’ 1993 Professional/Scholarly Publishing Division Award (AAP/PSP)"A superb contribution to ornithology. It clearly represents the most attractive and accessible contribution to form and function in birds. This book will be of tremendous appeal to academic and lay ornithologists alike."—Steve Zack, Yale University"Students, their instructors, and other interested readers will welcome availability of the well illustrated Manual of Ornithology now in a paperback edition."—George A. Clark, University of Connecticut"This is a tremendous book; to say that it has no rival among laboratory manuals for ornithology is a dramatic understatement. It is clear, comprehensive, and has the most beautiful as well as useful illustrations possibly ever seen in an ornithology textbook."—Margaret Rubega, University of Connecticut"A gold mine of facts. . . . Every library and biology department, as well as every birder, should have a copy close at hand."—Roger Tory Peterson, from the foreword

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Book SynopsisAnnie Proulx, one of America''s finest writers, invites us to share her experience in the building of her new home on a rich plot of untouched, unspoilt prairie and her pleasure in uncovering of the layers of American history locked beneath the topsoil.Bird Cloud' is the name Annie Proulx gave to 640 acres of Wyoming wetlands and prairie and 400 foot cliffs plunging down to the North Platte River. On the day she first visited, a cloud in the shape of a bird hung in the evening sky. Proulx also saw pelicans, bald eagles, golden eagles, great blue herons, ravens, scores of bluebirds, harriers, kestrels, elk, deer and a dozen antelope. She knew she had to purchase the land, then owned by the Nature Conservancy, and she knew what she would build on it a house in harmony with her work, her appetites and her character a library surrounded by bedrooms and a kitchen.Proulx''s first non-fiction in more than twenty years, Bird Cloud is the story of building that house solar panels, a Japanese soak tub, a concrete floor, elk horn handles on kitchen cabinets and an enthralling natural history and archeology of the region, inhabited for millennia by Ute, Arapaho and Shoshone Indians. It is also a family history, going back to nineteenth century Mississippi river boat captains and Canadian settlers, and an illuminating autobiography. Proulx, a writer with extraordinary powers of observation and compassion, turns her lens on herself. We understand how she came to be living in a house surrounded by wilderness, with shelves for thousands of books and long worktables on which to heap manuscripts, research materials and maps, and how she came to be one of the great American writers of her time.Trade Review‘Proulx’s prose is monumental’ Observer 'Magic … Books are like homes and within 10 pages of crossing the threshold of this one readers will put up their feet, secure in the knowledge that they won’t be moving on to another any time soon ' Geoff Dyer, Observer ‘A love letter to place…which interweaves details of the land’s daily upkeep with her own equally evocative history’ Vogue A masterpiece’ A. N. Wilson

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Book SynopsisThe fifth instalment of the Birder Murder series It is in the silent spaces between the facts that the truth often hides When his most celebrated case is suddenly reopened, Detective Chief Inspector Jejeune's long-buried secrets threaten to come to light. Meanwhile, his girlfriend, Lindy, faces an unseen threat of her own, one which Jejeune may not be able to protect her from. Between fending off inquiries from the internal review and an open murder case to solve, more than ever Jejeune will have to rely on the help of the stalwart Sergeant Danny Maik. But Maik is learning things on his own that have caused him to question his DCI‘s actions, both past and present. In the current case, and in the former one, the facts seem clear enough. But often the most insidious lies hide behind the most honest-seeming truths.Trade Review‘A rattling good read… Burrows knows his birds, but he knows how to create a page-turner, too, so keep it handy for downtime between birding expeditions.’ * Birdwatching *‘An excellent police procedural set in rural Norfolk, with enjoyable characters and a strong conservation slant.’ * Mystery People *Praise for the Birder Murder Mysteries: 'A murder plot built around birdwatching doesn’t, at first, seem plausible or even possible. But Burrows pulls it off... Riveting from first page to final line.' Globe and Mail 'A suspenseful and well-crafted mystery perfect for the beach.' Morning Star 'A neatly-constructed and well-told police procedural. If you like north Norfolk you'll feel as though you're there. If you like birds you'll feel as though you're in heaven.' The Bookbag 'Skillfully written, full of moral ambiguities and artful puzzles, with a spine-tingling final sentence.' Kirkus starred review

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Book SynopsisColombia es el destino número uno para los observadores de aves. En ningún otro país se ha registrado un número tan alto de especies, tantas como una quinta parte de las aves existentes en todo el planeta en tan solo 1.000.000 km2. La geografía colombiana es extremadamente diversa: de este a oeste se extiende desde el río Orinoco hasta el Océano Pacífico y de norte a sur desde el Caribe hasta las cabeceras de la cuenca amazónica. Los Andes están conformados por tres cadenas montañosas principales separadas por los valles del Cauca y del Magdalena. En el norte se encuentran dos grandes sierras, la de Santa Marta y la del Perijá, siendo la primera uno de los principales puntos calientes (hotsposts) del mundo para la observación de aves endémicas. En los últimos años, las rutas habituales para la observación de aves del país han ido evolucionando, focalizándose en las zonas protegidas tanto de propiedad privada como pública, permitiendo así la observación de casi todas las aves endémicas

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Book SynopsisThis volume is dedicated to the field identification of pigeons and doves, and it incorporates much recent information on the family. Pigeons and doves are a large family of birds occurring throughout the world. Many species are specialist frugivores, while others feed on seeds. Most are arboral and the tropical species in particular are often brightly coloured. The family includes gregarious migratory species, as well as shy, ground-dwelling forms such as the exotic crowned pigeons of New Guinea.

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Book SynopsisEnter the fascinating world of the UK's birds of prey. These noble hunters, with their remarkable flying skills, good looks and mysterious ways, are amongst our most attractive and interesting wildlife. They are some of the most enigmatic and rare species too, and this book will reveal them to you.Learn about the falcons, hawks, kites, osprey and eagles that grace our skies and landscape from their impact on our culture in past and recent times, their value and uses in falconry, the history of their persecution and decline at the hands of humans, and their return to the UK through our reintroduction and conservation efforts.Admire their beauty up close with gorgeous photography and take an extraordinary peek into their secretive world. Be inspired by the moving words of people across the UK, who have described their thrilling, first-hand encounters, and discover where you can ethically experience these birds for yourself, to form an enduring connection with nature and make memories th

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Book SynopsisLa primera guía de campo que cubre las aves del inmenso archipiélago de Indonesia, completamente revisada después de años de meticulosa investigación. Esta segunda edición incluye más de 2.800 ilustraciones, de las cuales 325 son nuevas y unas 500 son las originales retocadas, complementadas con 1.350 mapas de todas las especies regulares. Los mapas de las especies son más precisos ya que incluyen la ampliación de tres regiones geográficas y también mediante un mapa que cubre más ampliamente la extensión de todo el archipiélago. La guía describe las 1.456 especies de aves presentes en la región, incluyendo 628 endémicas, 106 accidentales, 4 especies introducidas y 10 especies todavía no descritas formalmente. Esta diversidad representa el 13% de las aves del mundo. Destacar que todas las subespecies están descritas con detalle. La guía abarca completamente las regiones biogeográficas de la Sonda (Sumatra, Borneo, Java y Bali) y Wallacea (Sulawesi, las Molucas e islas menores de la Sonda), además de todas las islas satélite. Esta región se extiende por una zona de más de 4.000 km a lo largo del ecuador e incluye Timor Oriental, Brunéi Darussalam, los estados malasios de Sabah y Sarawak en Malasia Oriental y la mayor parte del territorio de la República de Indonesia. La amplia experiencia de los autores y su conocimiento de las aves de la región combinados con la incorporación de las últimas novedades taxonómicas, el conocimiento de la distribución, las características de identificación y las vocalizaciones hacen de esta guía una referencia indispensable para cualquier persona interesada en la avifauna de esta increíblemente diversa región. Se presta especial atención a la identificación de las especies más difíciles, por lo que es también de utilidad para otras zonas de Asia. La geografía colombiana es extremadamente diversa: de este a oeste se extiende desde el río Orinoco hasta el Océano Pacífico y de norte a sur desde el Caribe hasta las cabeceras de la cuenca amazónica. Los Andes están conformados por tres cadenas montañosas principales separadas por los valles del Cauca y del Magdalena. En el norte se encuentran dos grandes sierras, la de Santa Marta y la del Perijá, siendo la primera uno de los principales puntos calientes (hotsposts) del mundo para la observación de aves endémicas. En los últimos años, las rutas habituales para la observación de aves del país han ido evolucionando, focalizándose en las zonas protegidas tanto de propiedad privada como pública, permitiendo así la observación de casi todas las aves endémicas de Colombia, desde loros y colibríes con extravagantes plumajes hasta los furtivos gralláridos. En Sudamérica, no hay mejor lugar que Colombia para escapar de los caminos trillados y descubrir cosas nuevas, como lo demuestra el reciente hallazgo de un grallárido aparentemente nuevo cerca de la ciudad de Cali. 1965 especies; 94 endémicas, 101 casi endémicas, 4 introducidas, 42 accidentales. Más de 3600 ilustraciones y más de 2000 mapas de distribución.

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Book SynopsisMost birders keep lists of the species birds they have seen, but do any keep a list of pub birds, that is birds on pub signs and in pub names? This book is about these pub birds, their natural histories, folk-histories and those of the pubs that bear their names, some of the people involved in the story, and the memories that pub birds have evoked over a birding lifetime. This may appear to be a niche aspect of birding but before the advent of modern technology, pubs in 'good birding spots' were often the best place to find out from other birders "What's about?", preferably over a pint. On the eastern edge of the Yorkshire Dales at the entrance to Wensleydale, are four pubs all named after Black Swans within a five-mile radius. Intriguing, but why there? They sparked John Lawton's interest in pub birds and the list that began then spans eleven years, based on a sample of 711 pubs named after birds or things that are 'bird-related'. There are 117 identifiable species of birds, 17 non-specific birds (for example duck), and four mythical species, plus 35 pubs named after bird-related things. Technical stuff aside, pub birds are fun. Whilst being as accurate and informative as possible, this book is not meant to be too serious. Whilst 'plain vanilla' swans get boring, the 'Swan and Cemetery' (in Bury), the 'Swan and Railway' (in Wigan) and three pubs called 'The Swan with Two Necks' (in Bristol, Clitheroe and Wakefield) cry out for an explanation. As do two Welsh pubs both called 'The Goose and Cuckoo' in Llanover (Monmouthshire) and Llangadog (Carmarthenshire). The resulting aviary of 117 species doesn't quite range from A to Z, but the list does run from 'The Blackbird' on Earls Court Road in London to a 'Yellow Wagtail' in Yeovil. The book covers the commonest pub birds, why they are so named, their geography and history, and also pub birds in art, literature and music. There is even a short chapter on nests, babies, feathers and bird paraphernalia. Throughout, the author has woven some of his fondest memories of pub birds into the story and from time-to-time he may even have gone into the pub for a pint.

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewVultures of the World is a must-read for anyone who wants to learn more about vultures and the conservation efforts being made to protect these important and wonderful birds. * IBIS *Table of ContentsIntroduction: Origins and Evolution of Vultures 1. Essential Ecology of Scavengers 2. Species Descriptions and Life Histories New World Vultures Black Vulture Turkey Vulture Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture Greater Yellow-headed Vulture King Vulture California Condor Andean Condor Old World Vultures Palm-nut Vulture Bearded Vulture Egyptian Vulture Hooded Vulture Indian Vulture Slender-billed Vulture White-rumped Vulture Griffon Vulture Rüppell's Vulture Himalayan Vulture White-backed Vulture Cape Vulture Red-headed Vulture White-headed Vulture Cinereous Vulture Lappet-faced Vulture 3. Pair Formation and Reproduction 4. Food Finding and Feeding Behavior 5. Movement Behavior 6. Social Behavior 7. Vultures and People

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Book SynopsisEastern Africa is becoming an increasingly popular destination for people who want to see first-hand the abundant widlife of this vast continent.Birds of Eastern Africa' is the only field guide to feature over 450 species found in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia and Somalia (including Socotra Island).Including full colour illustrations of each bird, key features on habitat, songs and calls, and distribution maps for each species, this guide contains all the information needed to quickly identify the birds found in this vast region.Comprehensive and easy-to-use, this book is a must for all those visiting the region.

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Book SynopsisI went for a walk around the garden. A great tit warbled above a patch of coltsfoot. I felt a thousand discoveries awaited''Notes from a Summer Cottage by Nina Burton is a beautifully written nature memoir about the time spent renovating a cottage in the Swedish countryside, and all the species that she encountered her during her stay.Did you know that there are more ants altogether than the number of seconds that have passed since the Big Bang? And that in relation to their size, their anthill cities can be larger than London and New York? Or, that a bird's migratory instinct is so strong that an injured stork once escaped captivity and was found six weeks later having walked 150 kilometres, following the migratory path of his flock on foot? What begins with a renovation of a an old summer cottage swiftly turns into an exploration of nature, life and philosophy, in which Nina Burton reveals the inner lives and hitherto unknown habits of the animals with which she shares.Within the wal

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Book SynopsisIn The Secret Life of Birds, lifelong bird enthusiast Colin Tudge explores the extraordinary variety, secret history and hidden importance of birds around the world. Birds are beautiful, intriguing and life-enhancing. They can do everything mammals can, and even more besides. Collected here are birds who navigate using the stars, tool-making crows, territorial robins, cooperative penguins and swans who mate for life - among hundreds of others. Revealing everything from why birds sing to how they fly, think, bond and survive, from how they evolved (and whether it really is from dinosaurs) to why, in so many ways, they are very much like us, this rich, evocative book will make you love and admire the birds that are all around you. ''Enjoyable ... entertaining ... masterful''  Stephen Moss, Guardian ''Simply fizzing with ideas ... his heart is with the birds''   Literary Review ''Inspired ... Tudge''s writing is always clear and frequently embellished with wry humour''   Richard Fortey, Sunday Telegraph ''Only when we read this scintillating study do we see how little we''ve known about the creatures we see around us''   Michael Kerrigan, Scotsman Books of the Year ''An author whose own deep relish for the extraordinary lives of birds seems only marginally less pleasurable to him than sharing that wonder with others''   BBC Wildlife Magazine When Colin Tudge was a small boy, he could recognize only five kinds of birds. After studying zoology at Cambridge, Colin wrote for the New Scientist and was a documentary maker for BBC radio. His other books, also published by Penguin, include The Secret Life of Trees and So Shall We Reap: What''s Gone Wrong with the World''s Food - and How to Fix It.

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Book SynopsisFeatures the bird species that are likely to be encountered by visitors to the popular Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya. This guide contains more than 300 photographs covering over 200 species of birds and is accessible and informative, rather than purely identification-based. It also explores bird species behavior and species etymology.Trade Review"If you are visiting the Masai Mara, this book will serve you well."--Devorah Bennu, GrrlScentist "Birds of the Masai Mara is perfect for its declared audience... [I]f copies find their way into the hands of the driver guides, and into the schools that surround the park, perhaps a new generation of people will be inspired to ensure the region's wonderful avifauna will continue to prosper."--John Fanshawe, "IBIS"--Table of ContentsAbout this book 11 The habitats 14 Plains 15 Marsh and water 16 Woodland, scrub & garden 18 Acacia scrub 19 Village 20 Forest 21 Up in the air 22 Nightbirds 23 Map of the Masai Mara 24 BIRDS OF THE PLAINS Ostrich 26 Secretarybird 28 Grey Crowned Crane 29 Kori Bustard 30 Black-bellied Bustard 31 White-bellied Bustard 31 Temminck's Courser 32 Crowned Plover 33 Black-winged Plover 33 White Stork 34 Abdim's Stork 35 Southern Ground Hornbill 35 Marabou Stork 36 Ruppell's Vulture 37 White-backed Vulture 37 Hooded Vulture 38 White-headed Vulture 38 Lappet-faced Vulture 39 Vultures in flight 40 Martial Eagle 42 Bateleur 43 Black-chested Snake Eagle 43 Black Kite 44 Augur Buzzard 44 Tawny Eagle 45 Flying raptors 46 African Harrier Hawk 48 Montagu's Harrier 49 African Black-shouldered Kite 49 Grey Kestrel 50 Lanner Falcon 50 Common Kestrel 51 Yellow-throated Sandgrouse 52 Lilac-breasted Roller 53 Eurasian Roller 53 Red-billed Oxpecker 54 Yellow-billed Oxpecker 54 Wattled Starling 55 Rufous-naped Lark 56 Pectoral-patch Cisticola 56 Red-capped Lark 56 Buffy Pipit 58 Rosy-breasted Longclaw 58 Yellow-throated Longclaw 59 Capped Wheatear 60 Northern Anteater Chat 60 Sooty Chat 61 Yellow Bishop 62 Jackson's Widowbird 62 Yellow-mantled Widowbird 63 BIRDS OF MARSH AND WATER African Open-billed Stork 64 Woolly-necked Stork 64 Yellow-billed Stork 65 Saddle-billed Stork 66 Sacred Ibis 67 Hadada Ibis 67 Squacco Heron 68 Striated Heron 68 Rufous-bellied Heron 69 Great White Egret 70 Cattle Egret 71 Little Egret 71 Grey Heron 72 Goliath Heron 72 Black-headed Heron 73 Grey Heron 73 African Fish Eagle 74 Hamerkop 76 Water Thick-knee 77 Spur-winged Goose 78 Egyptian Goose 78 White-faced Whistling Duck . 79 African Jacana 80 Black-winged Stilt 80 Black Crake 81 Long-toed Plover . 82 Spur-winged Plover 82 Blacksmith Plover 83 Three-banded Plover 84 Common Greenshank 85 African Wattled Plover 85 Green Sandpiper 87 Wood Sandpiper 87 Common Sandpiper 87 Giant Kingfisher 88 Malachite Kingfisher 89 Pied Kingfisher 89 African Pied Wagtail 90 Moustached Grass Warbler 90 Common Waxbill 91 BIRDS OF WOODLAND, SCRUB & GARDEN Long-crested Eagle 92 Brown Snake Eagle 92 African Hawk Eagle 93 Scaly Francolin 94 Red-necked Spurfowl 94 Hildebrandt's Francolin 95 Coqui Francolin 96 Helmeted Guineafowl 96 Crested Francolin 97 Laughing Dove 98 Red-eyed Dove 98 Ring-necked Dove 99 Speckled Pigeon 100 African Green Pigeon 101 Emerald-spotted Wood Dove 101 Speckled Mousebird 102 African Grey Hornbill 102 Meyer's Parrot 103 White-browed Coucal 104 Bare-faced Go-away-bird 104 Red-chested Cuckoo 105 Diederik Cuckoo 107 Klaas's Cuckoo 107 Little Bee-eater 107 Striped Kingfisher 108 Woodland Kingfisher 108 Grey-headed Kingfisher 109 Common Scimitarbill 110 Green Wood-hoopoe 111 Hoopoe 111 Greater Honeyguide 112 D'Arnaud's Barbet 113 Lesser Honeyguide 113 Nubian Woodpecker 114 Cardinal Woodpecker 114 Green-backed Woodpecker 115 Black-headed Oriole 116 Tropical Boubou 116 Grey-headed Bushshrike 117 Brown-throated Wattle-eye 118 Chin-spot Batis 118 Black-backed Puffback 119 Grey-backed Fiscal 120 Northern White-crowned Shrike 121 Common Fiscal 121 Common Drongo 122 Northern Black Flycatcher 123 Slate-coloured Boubou 123 Common Bulbul 124 Arrow-marked Babbler 125 Brown-crowned Tchagra 125 African Paradise Flycatcher 126 White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher 127 African Blue Flycatcher 127 Rattling Cisticola 128 Red-faced Crombec 129 Tawny-flanked Prinia 129 Grey-capped Warbler 130 Grey-backed Camaroptera 131 Yellow-breasted Apalis 131 Scarlet-chested Sunbird 132 Collared Sunbird 133 Variable Sunbird 133 White-browed Robin Chat . 134 Ruppell's Starling 134 Greater Blue-eared Starling 135 Hildebrandt's Starling 136 Violet-backed Starling 137 Superb Starling 137 Baglafecht Weaver 138 Village Weaver 138 Spectacled Weaver 138 Purple Grenadier 140 Bronze Mannikin 141 Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu 141 Golden-breasted Bunting 142 Yellow-fronted Canary 142 Pin-tailed Whydah 143 BIRDS OF ACACIA SCRUB Blue-naped Mousebird 144 Abyssinian Scimitarbill 144 Von der Decken's Hornbill 145 African Grey Flycatcher 146 Silverbird 147 White-bellied Canary 147 Grey-capped Social Weaver 148 Speckle-fronted Weaver 148 Vitelline Masked Weaver 149 VILLAGE BIRDS Grey-headed Sparrow 150 Kenya Rufous Sparrow 150 House Sparrow 151 Red-billed Firefinch 152 Village Indigobird 152 Pied Crow 153 FOREST BIRDS Schalow's Turaco 154 Narina Trogon 155 Ross's Turaco 155 Grey-throated Barbet 156 Double-toothed Barbet 156 Black-and-white Casqued Hornbill 157 BIRDS OF THE AIR White-headed Saw-wing 158 Black Saw-wing 158 Eurasian Bee-eater 159 Barn Swallow 160 Wire-tailed Swallow 160 Plain Martin 161 Lesser Striped Swallow 161 Little Swift 162 White-rumped Swift 162 Nyanza Swift 163 Common Swift 163 African Palm Swift 163 NIGHT BIRDS Pearl-spotted Owlet 164 Slender-tailed Nightjar 164 Verreaux's Eagle Owl 165 References and useful resources 166 Acknowledgements and photographic credits 167 List of scientific names 168 Index 171 Short Index inside back cover

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Book SynopsisThe Complete Field Guide to Ireland’s Birds is the essential guide for anyone interested in Ireland’s birdlife.

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Book SynopsisBring the beauty of the birds of North America to your home or office with this keepsake set of illustrated wooden magnets, fold-out poster, sticker sheets, and mini species guidebook. DELUXE WOODEN MAGNETS: This set includes 8 full-color, illustrated wooden magnets, each featuring a unique bird species (Bluethroat, Green Jay, Northern Cardinal, Hooded Warbler, Northern Jacana, Gambel's Quail, Rock Ptarmigan, Snowy Owl). FOLD-OUT POSTER: Show off your love for your feathered friends with this 6 3/8 X 7 1/4 inch illustrated fold-out poster.  BOOK INCLUDED: Learn the ins and outs of the 8 featured bird species, plus birding basics, in the enclosed 48-page, fully-illustrated paperback book.  BONUS STICKER SHEETS: Two sheets of full-color stickers add avian flair to anything you place them on.  A UNIQUE GIFT FOR BIRD LOVERS: Bird lovers of all ages and abilities will love this unique gift set. 

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Book SynopsisLili Taylor is an award-winning movie, television, and Broadway actor. In the birding world, Lili is a board member of the National Audubon Society and the New York City Bird Alliance. Lili nests in Brooklyn and upstate New York with her husband, the memoirist and poet Nick Flynn, and their daughter.

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Book SynopsisTable of ContentsIntroduction 1 About This Book 1 Foolish Assumptions 2 Icons Used in This Book 2 Beyond the Book 3 Where to Go from Here 3 Part 1: Introducing Finches 5 Chapter 1: Finches: More Than Just Pretty, Chatty Birds 7 Where Finches Come From 8 The Life of a Wild Finch 8 The Many Species of Finches 9 Size differences 11 Temperament differences 13 The finch lifespan 13 Anatomy of a Finch 14 Chapter 2: Are Finches Your Perfect Companions? 17 Knowing What to Expect from Finches 18 Activity 18 Noise 18 Enjoyment 19 Mess 20 Knowing What Your Finches Expect from You 21 A good home 22 Routine 23 Deciding Whether a Finch Is Right for You 24 Will finches fit into your family? 24 Do you have any smokers in the house? 25 Is your home also home to children? 26 Do you have other pets? 27 How Many Finches Are Right for You? 28 Chapter 3: Selecting Species of Companion Finches 31 Choosing Finches: Exploring Your Options 31 Canary 32 Cordon-bleu finch 33 European goldfinch 33 Gouldian finch 34 Java finch 35 Owl finch 36 Society finch 37 Spice finch 38 Whydah 39 Zebra finch 40 Chapter 4: Finding and Selecting Finches 43 Choosing Finches: Exploring Your Options 44 The age of your new finches 44 Gender 45 Previously homed finches 45 Finding a Finch 46 Pet shops and bird shops 46 Swap meets and flea markets 48 The classifieds 48 Breeders and experts 49 Bird shows 49 Searching for a Healthy Finch 50 Eyes 50 Nose and nares 50 Feathers 51 Feet 51 Vent 51 Attitude 51 Housing Finches Together 52 Part 2: Caring For Your Finches 55 Chapter 5: Home Tweet Home: Preparing for Your Finches and Bringing Them Home 57 Your Finches’ New Home 58 Size matters: Cages, flight cages, aviaries, and habitats 58 Considering cage materials 59 Keeping cage safety in mind 60 Deciding where to put your bird’s cage 61 Accessorizing Your Finches’ Abode 63 Perches to stand on 64 Cups and bowls 66 Cage covers 67 Mineral blocks and cuttlebones 67 Toys 67 Baths 68 Lighting 69 Heating 70 Keeping Mess Away 70 Cage bloomers and seed guards 70 Cleaning supplies 71 HEPA filters 71 Setting up the Cage 72 Finch-Proofing Your Home 72 Traveling Safely from Store to Home 75 Chapter 6: Caring for Your Finches 77 Water: Extremely Essential 77 Knowing What Your Finch Should (and Shouldn’t) Eat 79 Seeds and pellets 79 Veggies and fruit 80 Snacks 82 Live insects 83 Table foods 84 Cooked foods 84 Fun Finch Food Recipes 85 Finch flapjacks 85 Finch fiber fusion 85 Finch fries 86 What not to feed your finch 86 Nutritional supplements: When food is not enough 87 Helping Your Finches Get the Exercise They Need 88 Getting a Good Night’s Sleep: Putting Your Finch to Bed 88 Grooming Your Finch 89 Toenail clipping 90 Bathing your bird 92 Giving your molting birds some TLC 92 Can’t We All Just Get Along? Living with Other Pets 94 Cleaning Your Finches’ Housing 94 Chapter 7: Come Here Often? Getting to Know Your Finches 97 Understanding Finch Behavior 97 What did you say?: Normal finch vocalization 98 You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours: Preening and allopreening 99 Stretching: Birdy yoga 99 Hungry anyone? Finch vomiting and regurgitation 99 Resting on one leg 100 Scratching 100 Sleeping and roosting behavior 100 Romeo, oh Romeo: When your finch goes a-courting 102 Finch Communication 102 Handling Your Finch Safely 102 Taming Your Finch 103 Part 3: Training and Breeding Your Finches 105 Chapter 8: Keeping Your Finches Healthy and Handling Emergencies 107 The Veterinarian: Your New BFF (Bird Friend Forever) 108 Regular examinations 108 Emergencies 109 What a Healthy Finch Looks Like 109 Eyes 109 Ears 110 Beak 110 Feet 111 Feathers 112 Respiratory system 112 Skeletal system 112 Digestive system 113 Signs of Sick Finches 113 Common Finch Ailments 116 Emergencies: Knowing When to Get Help Immediately 117 Poisoning 118 Animal bites 118 Overheating 119 Oil on the feathers 119 Frostbite 120 Unconsciousness 120 Egg binding 121 Foot injuries 121 Eye injuries 121 Seizures .121 Injury to the beak 122 Fractures 122 What to Do if Your Bird Is Lost 122 Assembling a First-Aid Kit 123 What to Do If Your Bird Dies 125 Chapter 9: Breeding Your Finches 127 Breeding Your Finches 127 Making sure you have a male and a female 128 Starting with healthy birds 129 Knowing when to breed 130 Getting the right equipment 130 Figuring out where to put the nest 130 Knowing what the parents need to eat 131 Prompting your finches to breed 131 Understanding the incubation period 132 Feeding and weaning chicks 134 Knowing What to Do When Something Goes Wrong 134 Egg binding 135 Infertile eggs 136 Inexperienced parent birds 136 Tossing the chicks 136 Failure to thrive 137 Finding foster parents for your babies 137 Handfeeding baby finches 138 Finding good homes for your baby finches 139 Discouraging Breeding 140 Part 4: The Part of Tens .141 Chapter 10: Ten Great Finch Websites 143 Chapter 11: Ten Fun DIY Toys for Finches 145 Index 147

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Book SynopsisThis delightful colouring book includes spectacular bird illustrations based on the artwork of Audubon and other classic ornithology illustrators, presented in an attractive hardback gift edition with patterened endpapers. Whether you are a bird-lover, an artist, or both, this delightful colouring book is sure to please. It features over 70 classic full-colour ornithology illustrations from the likes of John James Audubon, John T Bowen and John Gerrard Keulemans to use as reference, placed beside black and white line drawings ready for the addition of colour. Included here are bright songbirds and majestic birds of prey, as well as favourites such as the jewel-like kingfisher and the flamboyant flamingo. Their delicate, vivid plumage makes birds ideal subject matter for developing colour technique and rendering those illustrations is guaranteed to provide hours of pleasure. An index of birds is included, helping you identify each bird and find yo

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Book SynopsisRSPB Spotlight: Eagles is packed with eye-catching, informative colour photos and features succinct, detailed text written by a knowledgeable naturalist. Eagles are among the most impressive hunters of the animal world. Their predatory prowess and flying skills have imbued them with a romance and mystique that runs deep in our culture and has elevated them to emblems of freedom and power across the globe. At the same time, however, people have long seen eagles as competitors. Reviled by farmers and gamekeepers as snatchers of livestock, many species have been driven into decline by persecution and disturbance. Two species of eagle occur in Britain - among 60 worldwide - and are the focus of this book. The regal Golden Eagle is the definitive true' eagle and occurs in wilderness areas across the northern hemisphere; the even larger White-tailed Eagle, reintroduced to the UK after historic extinction, belongs to the separate sea eagles' genus. These two spectacular birds are both verTable of ContentsMeet the Eagles Ancestors and Relatives A View to a Kill The Next Generation Threats and Enemies Eagles in Culture Understanding, Protecting and Enjoying Eagles Glossary Further Reading and Resources Acknowledgements Image Credits Index

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Book SynopsisBorn and raised in the South Yorkshire mining village of Hoyland Common, Richard Hines remembers heaps of coal dust, listening out for the colliery siren at the end of shifts and praying for his father's safe return. When he failed his eleven-plus it seemed all too likely that he would follow in his father''s footsteps and end up working in the pits - unlike his older brother Barry, who had passed the exam to grammar school and seemed to be heading for great things.Crushed by this, Richard spent his time in the fields and meadows beyond the slag heap. One morning, walking in the grounds of a ruined medieval manor, he came across a nest of kestrels. Instantly captivated, he sought out ancient falconry texts from the local library and pored over the strange and beautiful language there. With just these books, some ingenuity and his profound respect for the hawk's indomitable wildness, Richard learned to ''man'', or train, his kestrel, Kes, and in the process found the passion that would Trade ReviewThis is a work of enchanting honesty and tenderness; it is as gentle and inspiring to the reader as a falconer is with his hawks. Hines has a deep and lifelong passion for birds of prey, creatures of implacable wildness which have nevertheless lived and hunted with humans for millennia. Full of fascinating detail about the training of raptors, and kestrels in particular, No Way But Gentlenesse is far more than a book on falconry. Rich with history and anecdote, lit with humour and passionate social concern, it gives us new insights into the making of one of our best-loved films. It speaks of love, family, history, and education, and illuminates how an obsession can enrich and shape one’s life. Reading it was a true pleasure -- Helen MacdonaldReading Richard Hines’s book is like seeing a myth captured and brought to earth … Completely absorbing. His descriptions are so vivid you feel close enough to reach forward and touch -- Peter Carey * Sunday Times *Richard communicates his passion for falconry and for the landscape of his home town with great warmth. He played a great part in training the three kestrels who played 'Kes' -- Ken LoachIt is certainly worth having. And its plain-spoken and unflashy but eloquent account, as its title suggests, of all sorts of gentleness, first to do with the taming of meat-eating raptors, but then also related to Hine’s human kith and kin, runs deep into the literature birds and people ... Hine’s sweet title comes from a seventeenth-century falconry manual. And gentleness sweetly pushes through much of this book -- Tim Dee, Book of the Week * Guardian *A thoughtful and evocative memoir … A must for H is for Hawk fans * Sunday Express *Kes … is regularly hailed as a classic of British cinema. But the story behind it turns out to be almost as good as the film itself … If the book is, in part, an account of [Barry and Richard’s] relationship, at its heart is another, rather more touching bond – the one Richard enjoyed with his kestrels. He has certainly taken his time writing it, but this is a poignant, vividly recollected account of an angry, agonised and apparently earth-bound boy learning, in one sense at least, how to soar -- John Preston * Daily Mail *Captivating and inspiring … grounded and uplifting, accessible yet aspirational - a pleasurable bend of conflicts that demonstrates the power of nature and the good that comes from nurturing one’s passions * Publisher's Weekly *A moving memoir sheds new light on a celebrated film -- John Sutherland * The Times *The prose is as honed and svelte as the kestrels themselves, searingly honest, and sharp as a raptor’s eye. A poignant life story that will grip you from the first to the very last page, and make you well up with tears and cry with laughter -- Miriam Darlington * BBC Wildlife *Poetic, yearning -- Charlotte Heathcote * Sunday Express *A powerful evocation of northern working-class life in the Fifties and Sixties …This book is never bitter. On the contrary, it is the work of a man who understands that the important things in life require patience and that the most powerful means of persuasion is gentleness -- Mark Cocker * Mail on Sunday *No Way But Gentlenesse pulls no punches on the issues of class and entitlement – or lack of – that also made Kes so groundbreaking… As [Hines] describes so evocatively in the book, he too was earmarked in early life and by an inflexible education system to a lesser lot in life… Falconer or just plain old bird enthusiast, if you can love something that isn’t giving very much love in return, perhaps that is the greatest love… And if you can set a bird free, as Richard did for the Kestrels immortalised on film, well, even better. Letting go might even be the greatest gentlenesse -- Conor Jameson * British Birds *A delightful story of a boy, his birds, and his pursuit of knowledge in spite of society’s dictates * Kirkus *Beautifully written ... throughout Hines’ memoir there’s a sense of championing the underdog, whether it be the loving attention he paid to his kestrels as a child or the racism he found himself appalled by when he volunteered overseas in Nigeria * Yorkshire Post *The issue of class weaves through the pages … A moving story of a man and the bird he loves * BBC Countryfile *A moving and powerful tale of the redemptive powers of nature -- Stephen Moss * Guardian, 'Books of the Year' *‘Wonderful’ -- Keggie Carew * Financial Times *

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisFor fans of H is for Hawk and Wild, Skybound is a deeply personal memoir about learning to fly.Trade ReviewA profound, euphoric and courageous book about how to live joyously, and how to meet death . . . breathtaking . . . Her journey is as lyrical and complicated as the sky she describes, and her book is a shimmering parting gift to those still earthbound * Guardian *Skybound is a soaring gift of a book. A moving meditation on landscapes and the leaving of them, the freedom of travelling beyond our fears and how our journeys between the known and the unknown, the familiar and the unfamiliar can teach us to cherish and see again. -- Owen SheersIt's early for predictions, but I'm sure Rebecca Loncraine's Skybound is going to be one of my books of the year. It's a book that makes you look at the sky and the land with new eyes; that gives you a lift, in more ways than one . . . an extraordinary book . . . a celebration of wind and wings . . . we've lost a huge talent * Daily Telegraph *Stunning. Rebecca Loncraine is a beautiful writer and thinker and Skybound is so full of life - a love letter to nature and a hymn of love to the parental bond. -- Cathy Rentzenbrink, author of The Last Act of Love and A Manual for HeartacheA valuable contribution to the literature of flight from a brave young pilot who will sadly never offer us another . . if Skybound is a manual for anything, it's for how to find lift on the Earth in the face of uncertainties . . . I won't soon forget her meditations on fear and flight, on home and family . . . 'Learning to fly,' she wrote, 'is like asking the universe . . . to let me go into the world to live and soar with joy and the possibility of death.' It seems safe to conclude that the universe agreed to Loncraine's request, and that in return it asked only that she leave us with this remarkable book -- Mark Vanhoenacker, author of Skyfaring * Spectator *If you’re looking for beauty, love and courage, read this book -- Nicholas CraneReading Skybound is the closest you will come to flying without sprouting wings. It is an astonishingly beautiful book, a record of a life that, although heartbreakingly short, was lived vividly and thrillingly and intensely. We must all strive to do what Rebecca undoubtedly did - honour the miracle of our existence. She has left the world with something brilliant and unique. -- Niall Griffiths, author of GritsAs thoughtful and insightful as it is courageous and inspiring * Sunday Express *As much a biography of the air as it is a deeply moving memoir, this beautiful book transformed the way I see the sky. I learnt so much about how the air behaves, the physics of gliding. And Loncraine’s affinity for the birds she observes and flies with shines through this fascinating, lovely book -- James Macdonald Lockhart, author of RaptorSkybound is a profound and exquisitely written witness to the author's flight and fear, wings and woundedness. Then it lifts into something beyond: the beautiful blue brilliance of her mind's sky -- Jay Griffiths, author of Wild: An Elemental JourneyA life-affirming memoir * Radio Times *[Skybound] proves that one can soar above the fear of death both literally and in language of unsurpassed beauty . . . the book is about the sheer thrill of being part of the astonishing earth we have in common, written by an extraordinarily sensitive and gifted writer * Harvard Review *I have never read anything like it. A portrait of a young woman in love with the sky, painted from a palette of courage, honesty and moments of great beauty. -- Jim CrumleyIt's early for predictions, but I'm sure Rebecca Loncraine's Skybound is going to be one of my books of the year. It's a book that makes you look at the sky and the land with new eyes; that gives you a lift, in more ways than one . . . an extraordinary book . . . a celebration of wind and wings . . . we've lost a huge talent * The Daily Telegraph *An exquisite account of gliding in Wales, New Zealand and Nepal . . . To refer to this as a “cancer memoir” would be insufficient; must we not all contend somehow with this knowledge, though we may try to evade and forget? Skybound is an extraordinary, wise and deeply moving book. -- Joanna Kavenna * London Review of Books *

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Book SynopsisRSPB Spotlight: Swifts and Swallows is packed with eye-catching, informative colour photos, and features succinct, detailed text written by a knowledgeable naturalist.People all over Britain and Europe have long welcomed the arrival of swifts and swallows as a promise of summer being just around the corner. And with their similar long wings and dashing flight, it is perhaps understandable that we often confuse the two birds. After all, they have much in common: both feed on flying insects, both breed around buildings, and both are long-distance migrants that spend winter in Africa. But appearances can be deceptive. Swifts and swallows are completely unrelated birds that have adapted through evolution to survive in similar ways. In Spotlight: Swifts and Swallows, Mike Unwin reveals their fascinating lifestyles, explains how and why they have acquired their similarities, and ways in which we can help protect them. The Spotlight series introduces readers to the livesTable of ContentsMeet the Swift and the Swallow Ancestors and Relatives Built for Flight An Airborne Menu Born in a Tower Born in a Barn Globetrotters Life and Death Icons of Summer Protecting Swifts and Swallows Glossary Further Reading and Resources Acknowledgements Image Credits Index

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Book SynopsisOne of the greatest pleasures of having a garden is being able to identify the great number of different bird species that may feed, bathe and nest there, or simply fly over, particularly during migration.This bestseller combines full identification and behavioural features of over 70 common garden bird species with detailed information on attracting birds to your garden. The clear illustrations and text are presented in an easy-to-use format and provide practical bird identification information to the novice birdwatcher. A concise introduction covers ideal garden habitats, binoculars, bird behaviour and feeding birds.Stunningly illustrated, yet simple to use, The Complete Garden Bird Book will ensure that you get the maximum pleasure from your garden whatever its size or location.Table of ContentsIntroduction Bird Topography Section One: Watching and Attracting Birds to Your Garden Watching Garden Birds Ideal Garden Habitats Garden Birds Through the Year Urban Gardens Parks and Open Spaces Feeding Birds Nest Sites Garden Hazards Section Two: Identifying the Birds Index

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Book SynopsisHave you ever wondered what ''our'' birds get up to when they''re not pinching our peanuts, pilfering our pyracantha berries or nesting under the eaves of our homes? The One Show''s natural history star Mike Dilger tells us the answers in Nightingales in November. This brilliant almanac tells the very different personal and annual stories of twelve well-known birds we deign to call ''British''. Through a lyrical narrative, Nightingales in November showcases amazing avian facts gleaned over decades by birdwatchers, ringers, nest recorders and migration recorders. The perfect ''dip-into'' book, any enquiring naturalist will be able to find out such facts as where British-breeding swallows spend Christmas Day, when to look out for juvenile tawny owls, or when is the best date in the calendar to listen out for nightingales. By using a combination of cutting-edge satellite technology and millions of ringing records, NightingalTrade ReviewFascinating ... One of the many pleasures of Nightingales In November is that it constantly reminds you just how extraordinary birds are. * Daily Mail *Seldom less than fascinating. * Times Literary Supplement *Lively and engaging…a fascinating insight into the lives of birds. * Rare Bird Alert *One of the many pleasures of Nightingales in November is that it constantly reminds you just how extraordinary birds are – even the ones we take for granted. Ever since I finished reading it I've been walking around with my head tilted back and my mouth hanging open. Hardly a flattering look, I know, but in my body language as least it's meant as the highest form of praise. * Daily Mail *...an exhaustively informative work. * Times Literary Supplement *Table of ContentsIntroduction The Species January February March April May June July August September October November December Further Reading Acknowledgements Index

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Book SynopsisImagine a jazz musician, improvising on a theme. Then imagine that he is able to play half a dozen instruments - not one after another, but almost simultaneously, switching effortlessly between instruments and musical styles with hardly a pause for breath. If you can countenance that, you are halfway towards appreciating the extraordinary song of the nightingale . . .Wherever we are, there are birds. And wherever there are birds, there is birdsong. It''s always a pleasure (and a relief) to hear sounds which prove the world''s still spinning: whether it''s the sighing of migrating redwings on a damp October night, the twitter of swallows fresh in from South Africa in April or the call of the cuckoo in May. Based on the scripts of BBC Radio 4''s beloved year-long series, and distilling two lifetimes'' knowledge, insight and enthusiasm into these pages, Brett Westwood and Stephen Moss take you month by month through the year, and the changing lives of our favouriTrade ReviewThis lovely book is a perfect introduction to British birdsong, informative and hugely enjoyable, so stop tweeting and learn how to listen to the experts -- Chris PackhamI love these quirky, informative and lyrical descriptions. Reading this book makes me want to head out to see and hear the birds for myself -- Miranda Krestovnikoff, Presenter of Coast and President of the RSPBThis handsome book [is] perfect for dipping into . . . The beautiful prose and inspired illustrations by Carry Ackroyd make it a volume to treasure * BBC Countryfile *Tweet of the Day: great idea, great title. Why didn't I think of it? -- Bill Oddie[Tweet of the Day] . . . is a pleasure to read. The different, short, accounts of over 200 species are varied in tone and approach but combine to make a lovely book . . . you can dip at any time for a quick moment of bringing birds and their songs into your life. But when you dip you will find yourself reading the next account, and then the next. You may find that opening this book is like opening a packet of chocolate digestive biscuits - you'll be surprised how far through the packet you'll get on one sitting (but it's not fattening - unless you really do eat a biscuit with each species and then it will be!) -- Mark AveryThe perfect bird guide for the armchair naturalist * Woman & Home *If you want to improve your ornithological knowledge without the 5:58am wake-up required to catch Tweet of the Day on Radio 4 reach for the show's companion book * Radio Times *Entertaining and often beguiling . . . The lively writing, enlightening anecdotes and frequent bursts of humour make this the ideal source of conversation topics if you run out of things to say while visiting the relatives * BBC Focus Magazine, Books of the Year *

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Book SynopsisThe Banksy of The Bird World shares simple wisdom to help the birds we love to thrive.Bestselling author and illustrator, Matt Sewell, is back with his most inspirational book yet. Save Our Birds is a celebration of our endangered birds and call to arms for bird-lovers of all ages to help protect them.Matt has created new, beautiful watercolour artworks of Britain's most loved birds, and their habitats, all of which are sadly on the Red List - the respected, international guide to endangered species. Sewell provides a wealth of practical advice on how we can protect them from extinction. Explore cities, coastlands, woodlands and farms, leaving no habitat unexplored around the British Isles.From bird-friendly window boxes to community projects, discover the steps you can take, actions both big and small, to save our birds.

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Book SynopsisGail Damerow shows you how to incubate, hatch, and brood baby chickens, ducklings, goslings, turkey poults, and guinea keets. With advice on everything from selecting a breed and choosing the best incubator to feeding and caring for newborn chicks in a brooder, this comprehensive guide also covers issues like embryo development, panting chicks, and a variety of common birth defects. Whether you want to hatch three eggs or one hundred, you’ll find all the information you need to make your poultry-raising operation a success.

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Book SynopsisBest-selling author Melissa Caughey knows that backyard chickens are like any favourite pet - fun to spend time with and fascinating to observe. Her hours among the flock have resulted in this quirky, irresistible guide packed with first-hand insights into how chickens communicate and interact, use their senses to understand the world around them, and establish pecking order and roles within the flock. Combining her up-close observations with scientific findings and interviews with other chicken enthusiasts, Caughey answers unexpected questions such as Do chickens have names for each other? How do their eyes work? and How do chickens learn? Foreword INDIES Silver Award Winner

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Book SynopsisIreland''s diverse habitats ranging from forests and farmlands to peat bogs and coastlines is home to about 450 species of resident and migratory birds. This beautifully illustrated guide highlights over 140 familiar and unique species and includes a map featuring prominent bird-viewing areas. Laminated for durability, this lightweight, pocket-sized folding guide is an excellent source of portable information for anyone interested in birds, and is ideal for field use by residents and visitors alike. Made in the USA.www.waterfordpress.com

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Book SynopsisShorebirds and seabirds found on the east coast are truly world globetrotters with migration routes that span oceans and continents. New Jersey Shorebirds is the ideal reference guide for the seasonal visitor or resident to identify commonly seen birds along the coast of eastern North America. This beautifully illustrated guide highlights over 140 familiar species and a map featuring prominent coastal birding hotspots. Printed on waterproof paper for durability, this lightweight, pocket-sized folding guide is an excellent source of portable information and ideal for field use by birders of all ages. Made in the USA.

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Book SynopsisThe bald eagle is regal but fearless, a bird you’re not inclined to argue with. For centuries, Americans have celebrated it as “majestic” and “noble” yet savaged the living bird behind their national symbol as a malicious predator of livestock and, falsely, a snatcher of babies. Taking us from before the United States’ founding through inconceivable resurgences of this enduring all-American species, Jack E. Davis contrasts the age when native peoples lived beside it peacefully with that when others, whether through hunting bounties or DDT pesticides, twice pushed Haliaeetus leucocephalus to the brink of extinction. Filled with spectacular stories of Founding Fathers, rapacious hunters, heroic bird rescuers and the lives of bald eagles themselves—monogamous creatures, considered among the animal world’s finest parents—The Bald Eagle is a much-awaited cultural and natural history that demonstrates how this bird’s wondrous journey may provide inspiration today, as we grapple with environmental peril on a larger scale.

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Book SynopsisBestselling author and acclaimed nature illustrator Clare Walker Leslie invites beginning birdwatchers to hone their observational skills with this this easy-to-use visual guide. Using her signature nature journal illustrations, Leslie shows readers the key clues to look for, from the shape of the beak or talons to distinctive feather colourings, flight patterns, and behavioural traits. She offers simple prompts that encourage readers to embrace curiosity and take a closer look: Where are you? What season is it? How is that bird moving or eating? With an emphasis on the birds that are most likely to be seen at a feeder, in a city park, or at a nature preserve, How to Look at a Bird makes bird watching, identification, and appreciation accessible to everyone, no matter where they live.

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Book Synopsis“Captures the spirit and allure of these captivating birds in every fascinating fact, historical tidbit, amusing anecdote, species profile and plant pick.” —Birds & Blooms Hummingbirds inspire an unmistakable sense of devotion and awe among bird lovers. Gardeners, too, love the company of hummingbirds, not only for their beauty, but also for their role as pollinators. Brimming with astonishing facts, practical advice, and important ecological information, The Hummingbird Handbook is a must-have guide to attracting, understanding, and protecting hummingbirds. From advice on feeders to planting and landscaping techniques that will have your garden whirring with tiny wings, lifelong birder John Shewey provides all you need to know to entice these delightful creatures. An identification guide makes them easy to spot in the wild, with stunning photographs, details on plumage variations, and range maps showing habitats and migration patterns. Need more joy in your life? Let this guide and nature’s aerial jewels help you create a lively haven.

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Book Synopsis'What an incredible story! Dorian’s adventure is an inspiration for birders and non-birders alike.' David Lindo, author of The Urban Birder At a personal and professional crossroad, a man resets his life and finds sobriety, love and 618 bird species, cycling his way to a very Big Year. In Birding Under the Influence, Dorian Anderson, a neuroscience researcher on a pressure-filled life trajectory, walks away from the world of elite institutions, research labs and academic publishing. In doing so, he falls in love and realises he has freed himself to embrace his lifelong passion for birding. A North American Big Year – a continent-spanning adventure in which a birder attempts to see as many species as possible in twelve months – is a massive undertaking under any circumstances. Breaking the record on a bicycle takes another degree of obsession. And doing all that while sustaining sobriety? That’s next level altogether. As Dorian pedals across the country, describing the birds he sees, he confronts the challenges of long-distance cycling: treacherous weather, punctured tires, speeding cars and injury. He encounters eccentric characters, blistering blacktop, dreary hotel rooms, snarling dogs and an endless sea of smoking tailpipes. He also confronts his past struggles with alcohol, drugs, and risky behaviours that began in secondary school and followed him into adulthood. Birding Under the Influence is a candid, honest look at Dorian’s double life of academic accomplishment and addiction. While his story of recovery is simultaneously poignant and inspiring, it is ultimately his love of birds and nature that provides the scaffolding to build a new, radically different life.Trade Review"One hell of a ride."—Nick Offerman, actor, woodworker, New York Times bestselling author“Birding Under the Influence is an adrenaline hit for birders and adventure junkies. It’s also a surprisingly tender story of redemption, as Dorian Anderson faces down his addictions and reinvents his career. Having eagerly awaited this book after Anderson’s 2014 Big Year, I read it in a blissful, all-out binge—as will anyone with a taste for birds and inspiring journeys.”—Noah Stryker, Associate Editor of Birding magazine and author of Birding Without Borders"Candid and often moving reflections . . . make for absorbing reading. . . . [This is] a memoir of a journey that was more than just a chase after numbers."—Booklist (starred)“A story led by the bike and fueled by his tenacity, Dorian colorfully articulates the depth to which putting in the work—both physically on the bike, and emotionally on oneself—reaps infinite rewards.”—Tiffany Kirsten, birding guide and past Lower 48 U.S. Continental Big Year record holder“What an incredible story! Dorian’s adventure is an inspiration for birders and non-birders alike.”—David Lindo, author of The Urban Birder“Birding Under the Influence is an incredible story. This has to be the best Big Year book since Kingbird Highway. Of course, being a Dutchman, a bicycle Big Year really appealed to me, so I was already looking forward to this book. But this story proved to be so much more. It is not just a cycling journey of 17,800 miles across the US(!), a country that has, unlike the Netherlands, hardly any cycling paths and a lot more relief, but it is a journey through the mind and the soul. It is a coming-of-age story unlike anything I’ve read before. I know what it takes to do a Big Year—the sacrifices, the willpower needed, the risks involved, and the stress on yourself and your relationships. To do this on a bike and put your academic career behind you while recovering from alcohol and drug addiction is something else. I read this incredible story in one go, and I think you will too.”—Arjan Dwarshuis, author of The (Big) Year That Flew By“Dorian is a big personality with an even bigger story. His epic tale of recovery and perseverance will inspire any birder, whether or not their Big Year dreams involve cycling across the continent.”—Nate Swick, American Birding Association podcast host and author of The Beginner’s Guide to Birding“Dorian tells it like it is: don’t let life happen to you, no matter what your tendencies and what well-worn grooves you slide into. Life is what you create, accepting your faults and challenges, and realizing that the path forward is not how you plan it—instead, it happens how you least imagined it. And as in any wonderful, gripping story, great birding was involved!”—Alvaro Jaramillo, owner and guide, Alvaro’s Adventures“Recounting a starkly different kind of ‘Big Year’ Dorian details an unlikely saga that takes a toll on him, physically and mentally. So often birding is a quest, and in this memoir Dorian Anderson seeks birds but also some sense of self. At times throwing himself on the mercy of his fellow Americans, he finds his way through and across the country, enlisting a colorful cast of characters as he goes. For this one year his only commitment is to his bicycle. His bike both frees and imprisons him simultaneously, but eventually it delivers him, along with a unique story. America’s sweetest wildlife spectacles light a path that would otherwise be strewn with 40-ounce bottles of malt liquor and rails of cocaine. From Snowy Owls in Boston to Yellow-footed Gulls in California’s Salton Sea, saddle up for a modern journey that harkens back to classic birding adventures, like those of Pete Dunne in The Feather Quest or to Wild America by Roger Tory Peterson and James Fisher.”—George Armistead, founder and guide, Hillstar Nature“This is no ordinary Big Year birding book, as Dorian’s story supersedes birds and reveals how a year of contemplation, biking, and birding helped him to overcome his inner struggles of addiction and broken relationships that are all too relatable for many of us. Many of us are reluctant to hit the ‘pause’ button on life, afraid of what that might lead to, but Dorian’s example of setting aside a year to process his thoughts, relationships, and future is an example for us, and birding might just be the adventure we need, even for a day or two.”—Luke Safford, Director of Engagement and Education, Tucson Audubon"Birding Under the Influence is a fresh memoir filled with insights into addiction, recovery, and birding—a story about how taking a closer look at the earth helped to recalibrate a man’s struggling soul."—Foreword Reviews"There are many big year novels, as birders tell how they tried to see as many species of birds in a year as they can, but Anderson’s self-powered attempt covers novel challenges and encounters. Among the physical and mental challenges of birding and biking across the country, Anderson also recounts his experience finding sobriety – another tale of nature’s many cures."—Portland Press Herald

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Book Synopsis

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