Description
Book SynopsisThe first comprehensive review of all aspects of the biology of moult, drawing information from across the literature and in all birds, from penguins to passerines.
Feathers are amazing structures. All birds need to renew their feathers periodically, in a process called moult. Because feathers can only be renewed as a whole, all functions of the plumage are impaired during moult, and so this process has a crucial impact on most aspects of a bird''s life. Therefore the period of moult is one of the most important recurring annual events in the life of a bird, together with reproduction and, for many, migration. Given the major impacts of this process on birds, moult remains a sorely neglected field of ornithological research. This book, written by the internationally renowned ornithologists Lukas Jenni and Raffael Winkler, seeks to redress this.
Early chapters provide an overview of the functions of plumage. Later, it moves on to subjects such as plumage maintena
Trade Review
A tour de force, covering aspects of moult which most of us had never considered. -- Chris Perrins * Ibis *
It's easy to recommend this book; extremely well written, clear and avoids overly technical language ... the authors are true masters of moult. * British Birds *
An outstanding book that fills a necessary gap in our current understanding of this essential and far-reaching process … we found the book novel, necessary, and inspiring, and we are excited to see the developments it will trigger. * ISBE Newsletter *
Lukas Jenni and Raffael Winkler present the most comprehensive review of all aspects of molt … Fascinating and inspiring, equally for learning about existing knowledge and for perceiving areas that need major attention within ornithology … it distills an incredible amount of information relevant to both newcomers and old-timers working on molt. It not only creates a hunger for the subject, but it … tasks us to give molt its proper place: a central theme in ornithology. * Ornithology *
Table of Contents
Preface Chapter 1: Functions of the plumage Chapter 2: Plumage maintenance and the need for plumage renewal Chapter 3: The process of moult: feather growth, physiology, energetics and control of moult Chapter 4: The effects of environmental conditions during moult on plumage quality and their consequences Chapter 5: Fitting moult into the annual cycle: moult strategies References Index
