Search results for ""author bird"

An authoritative guide to the birds of Cyprus. Cyprus is a great place for birding, and one of the most popular places for birders to visit in Europe. It holds populations of a number of regional scarcities that are very hard to see elsewhere, plus a number of endemic subspecies, and the jewels in the crown – three full endemics, Cyprus Wheatear, Cyprus Scops Owl and Cyprus Warbler, the latter of which graces the jacket of this Helm field guide to the island. Detailed plates are allied to concise identification text, with accurate maps stemming from Colin Richardson's decades-long programme of population-mapping on the island. Together, these elements make this the definitive guide to Cyprus’s birds, one that no visitor to this beautiful island can be without.

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We can see lots of different birds in our yard. Read to learn about birds and what they do.

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At the cabin, in the garden or on a hike, keep this tabbed booklet close at hand. Based on Stan Tekiela's best-selling bird field guides and featuring only Northwest birds of Alaska, northern California, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming, the booklet is organized by color for quick and easy identification. Narrow your choices by color, and view just a few birds at a time. The pocket-sized format is much easier to use than laminated foldouts, and the tear-resistant pages help to make the book durable in the field. Birds of the Northwest features: Pocket-sized format--easier than laminated foldouts Detailed photographs with key markings 130 species found in the Northwest Bird feeder icon and feeding guide Silhouettes and sizes for quick comparison

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Chickens cannot be bought in Vietnam restaurants for love or money. New reports are emerging every week of the global reach of avian influenza in birds. Africa and Europe are now affected by what was thought to be an Asian poultry disease. Governments worldwide are stockpiling antiviral drugs and forming rationing plans. Citizens are concerned that they will not be in “the list” of those who will receive these wonder drugs. Reports are emerging of antiviral drug resistance as the influenza virus mutates.What is the influenza virus? Why are people so worried about pandemic influenza? What is a pandemic? Will it really happen? What is the real situation of avian influenza in humans in Asia? What are governments in the region doing to control the epidemic in birds? Are we overreacting to a couple of hundred cases in humans across Asia and Europe? What if there is no pandemic?In this timely book, a group of experts from across Asia come together to answer these and other issues. While there are many questions which can never be answered, here for the first time is a series of scholarly articles written for the layperson by scientists and clinicians addressing the issues surrounding avian influenza and global pandemic influenza in humans.

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Professor Cody's monograph emphasizes the role of competition at levels above single species populations, and describes how competition, by way of the niche concept, determines the structure of communities. Communities may be understood in terms of resource gradients, or niche dimensions, along which species become segregated through competitive interactions. Most communities appear to exist in three or four such dimensions. The first three chapters describe the resource gradients (habitat types, foraging sites, food types), show what factors restrict species to certain parts of the resource gradients and so determine niche breadths, and illustrate the important role of resource predictability in niche overlap between species for resources they share. Most examples are drawn from eleven North and South American bird communities, although the concepts and methodology are far more general. Next, the optimality of community structure is tested through parallel and convergent evolution on different continents with similar climates and habitats, and the direct influence of competitors on resource use is investigated by comparisons of species--poor island communities to species-rich mainland ones. Finally, the author discusses those sorts of environments in which the evolution of one species--one resource set is not achieved, and where alternative schemes of resource allocation, often involving several species that act ecologically as one, must be followed.

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This book will take readers on a flying visit round the world, scouring the seven continents for the biggest, brightest and best birds on the planet. Urban Jungle creator Vicky Woodgate perfectly captures the brilliance of the bird world, each chapter taking us to a new continent and introducing birds from hummingbirds to hawks, and parrots to penguins. With a vintage travelogue feel, vibrant artwork and fascinating annotations, it is a book that will appeal to wildlife lovers from 7 to 70!

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The Plains-wanderer is unlike any other bird on Earth – it's one of a kind!On the Trail of the Plains-wanderer tells the true story of one of Australia's most critically endangered bird species. This unique, quirky and precious bird faces many threats, but continues to survive against the odds. Discover more about this fascinating bird and see how people are providing hope for their future.Reading level varies from child to child, but we recommend this book for ages 5 to 9.

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A 2023 Firecracker Award FinalistAn Apple November 2022 Best Book of the Month“Birds are my almanac. They tune me into the seasons, and into myself.”So begins this lively collection of essays by acclaimed filmmaker and novelist Priyanka Kumar. Growing up at the feet of the Himalayas in northern India, Kumar took for granted her immersion in a lush natural world. After moving to North America as a teenager, she found herself increasingly distanced from more than human life and discouraged by the civilization she saw contributing to its destruction. It was only in her twenties, living in Los Angeles and working on films, that she began to rediscover her place in the landscape—and in the cosmos—by way of watching birds.Tracing her movements across the American West, this stirring collection of essays brings the avian world richly to life. Kumar’s perspective is not that of a list keeper, counting and cataloguing species. Rather, from the mango-colored western tanager that rescues her from a bout of altitude sickness in Sequoia National Park to ancient sandhill cranes in the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, and from the snowy plovers building shallow nests with bits of shell and grass to the white-breasted nuthatch that regularly visits the apricot tree behind her family’s casita in Santa Fe, for Kumar, birds “become a portal to a more vivid, enchanted world.”At a time when climate change, habitat loss, and the reckless use of pesticides are causing widespread extinction of species, Kumar’s reflections on these messengers from our distant past and harbingers of our future offer luminous evidence of her suggestion that “seeds of transformation lie dormant in all of our hearts. Sometimes it just takes the right bird to awaken us.”

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Bestselling illustrator Britta Teckentrup explores the world of birds in a sumptuously illustrated non-fiction book. There are birds everywhere! Some of them live by the sea, some of them in the savannah, and some might live in your roof. There are Birds Everywhere is the fourth in a series of non-fiction books from Britta Teckentrup. Young readers will learn where in the world all sorts of birds can be found and all the weird and wonderful things about them that they never imagined were true. With an added search-and-find element, this is non-fiction with spark and personality from a much-loved illustrator.

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Bestselling illustrator Britta Teckentrup explores the world of birds in a sumptuously illustrated non-fiction book.There are birds everywhere! Some of them live by the sea, some of them in the savannah, and some might live in your roof.There are Birds Everywhere is the fourth in a series of non-fiction books from Britta Teckentrup. Young readers will learn where in the world all sorts of birds can be found and all the weird and wonderful things about them that they never imagined were true. With an added search-and-find element, this is non-fiction with spark and personality from a much-loved illustrator.

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Through a hundred short vignettes accompanied by stunning avian portraits, Bird Brains takes a look at the antics, behaviors, and idiosyncrasies of wild birds from the viewpoint of a professional wildlife biologist and award-winning wildlife photographer. Titlow understands the often wild and wacky lives of birders--those who are always ready and willing to drop everything at a moment's notice and "twitch off" to some exotic locations just to add another checkmark to their life lists. His engaging stories, complemented by vivid images, provide a fascinating compendium of wild bird lore perfectly suited to the 65-million-plus birders across the United States.

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This is a fully revised and updated new version of a popular RSPB handbook to the art and joy of drawing birds. John Busby beautifully conveys his own remarkable ability to capture the grace and motion of living birds, illustrating his ideas and suggestions with many examples of his own work. He also uses illustrations from over 45 other talented bird artists to demonstrate a variety of principles and techniques. The text covers a wealth of topics, including choice of media, sketching from life, composition and different ways of interpreting the subject matter. This is a beautiful and inspiring book which will appeal to aspiring artists and anyone who has ever been entranced by the beauty of birds.

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Winner of the 2018 Dolly Gray Children''s Literature Award * Two starred reviews * A New York Public Library Best Kids Book of 2017 * A Bank Street Best Children''s Book of 2017 * Wisconsin Library Association CBA Outstanding Books of the Year selection * 2018-19 Dorothy Canfield Fisher Book Award list selection * 2018-19 Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Award nominee * Young Hoosier Book Award nominee *The Someday Birds is the debut middle grade novel by Schneider Award-winning author Sally J. Pla, perfect for fans of Counting by 7s and Fish in a Tree, filled with humor, heart, and chicken nuggets.Charlie’s perfectly ordinary life has been unraveling ever since his war journalist father was injured in Afghanistan.When his father heads from California to Virginia for medical treatment, Charlie reluctantly travels cross-country with his boy-crazy sister, unruly brothers, and a mysterious new family friend. He d

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The ultimate photographic guide to over 600 bird species in Canada.Recently updated to reflect all the latest taxonomic data, Birds of Canada is the complete photographic guide to 613 species of birds found in Canada, including the most common species, and rare and vagrant birds.The 436 most commonly seen birds are pictured with plumage variations, and information on similar birds is provided to make differentiation easy, from game birds and waterfowl to shorebirds and swifts to owls, wood warblers, finches, and so many more!Soar into the pages of this brilliant bird-watching book to discover: - Bird profiles with a wealth of information on social behavior, nesting and feeding habits, and flight pattern- Full-color photographs show the adult bird in typical plumage, with male/female, juvenile, and seasonal variations included as appropriate- Up-to-date, color-coded maps highlighting resident and migratory distributions help spotters discover which species to expect when and whereWritten by a team of more than 30 birders and ornithologists with expertise in particular species or families, and produced in association with David M. Bird, former Emeritus Professor of Wildlife Biology at McGill University, this updated edition of Birds of Canada is the ultimate photographic guide to Canadian birds.Ideal for the armchair bird enthusiast or dedicated bird watcher, from children aged 12+ to adults alike, this book includes stunning full-color photographs revealing individual species with unrivaled clarity, proving an excellent gift book for anyone interested in birds and Canadian wildlife.

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In this volume the author provides an analysis of the centrally planned, socialist state economies and their common percentage in the Stalinist Plan introduced in the Soviet Union in the late 1920s. Prybyla first explores the "neoclassical" plan in two variants (conservative and liberal), the "radical" plan (Maoplan), and the Yugoslav experiment (neomarket Yugoplan). He then examines specific countries as their governments search for alternative solutions to the economic problems that plague them. His dynamic presentation of the economic models clearly shows the transformation of the original Stalinist model, reveals the obstacles to reform created by the structural problems that exist within these economies, and demonstrates that inherent deficiencies within the systems must, in time, affect growth and balance.

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Now in its fifth edition, Sasol Birds of Southern Africa has been brought fully up to date by its expert author panel, with additional contributions from two new birding experts. Greatly enhanced, this comprehensive, best-selling guide is sure to maintain its place as one of Africa’s most trusted field guides.

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Thus begins the tale by Stephen Bodio, a lover of birds and nature, of the incredible connection between man and birds of prey. Falconry can be traced back over four thousand years and, as Bodio says, “it is amazing that the practice did not die out soon afterward when its first adherents starved.”With a new introduction by Helen MacDonald, A Rage For Falcons not only shares the history of falconry, but shows the personal side in a way only Bodio can share. With masterful prose and breathtaking imagery, you not only understand how falconry has lasted, but why. As Bodio so appropriately notes in his introduction: “To understand falconry, you must understand the nature of the relationship between man and bird.”In A Rage For Falcons, Bodio explores this incredible relationship and how it has affected him as a person. Never has such a personal touch been put on a sport that has lasted generations, which many people still do not have a grasp of. That’s what makes Bodio so great. While his words may not convince you to take up the sport, will certainly open your eyes to appreciate a world unlike any other.

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A bird-friendly garden provides songbirds with food, water and shelter and can increase the number and diversity of your avian visitors. This guide provides step-by-step instructions for creating bird habitats, including planning and maintaining your birdscape, selecting water features, and choosing appropriate native trees, shrubs, and flowers. It includes ideas for collecting and sharing knowledge about the birds your garden attracts, plus a checklist of sources for related videos, apps, and more.

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Your one-stop guide to caring for your avian companion Pet birds are intelligent, affectionate, and rewarding companions. No matter what bird you choose, you need to set up a happy home for him with the right stuff. You also need to keep your bird healthy by performing routine care and knowing what a healthy bird looks like and how he behaves. This friendly guide describes the birds that make the best pets, explains how to select the bird that's best for you, offers tips on bonding with your feathered friend, and provides expert advice on feeding and environmental enrichment that will keep these intelligent pets engaged. Benefit from a full-color guide to pet birds Choose the right bird based on your budget and lifestyle Create a bird-friendly environment that minimizes noise and mess Bond with your winged pet If you’re ready for your love of birds to take flight, this book has everything you need.

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Have you ever wondered what the birds around us get up to when we aren’t watching? A juggling heron, a racing-driver robin and a wagtail who rockets into space are just some of the Super Birds you will encounter in this picture book for very young children. The text is accompanied by highly original and imaginative illustrations by professional cartoonist and animator Ruth Coggins.

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This informative guide makes it easy to identify birds in your backyard, favorite parks, and wildlife areas.

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This lively board book introduces young ones to a colorful collection of very busy birds. These birds are busy! Most of our feathered friends fly, but what about the ones that soar or strut, paddle or perch? Explore the kinetic lives of birds through captivating collage illustrations, filled with bright colors and strong shapes. Playful text will introduce infants and toddlers to a variety of verbs, making this a fun read-aloud for bird lovers of all ages. Key Text Features labels illustrations

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A lavish celebration of 47 of the most frequent and familiar birds found in gardens around the British Isles. From urban rooftops to open meadows, the incredible diversity of gardens in the British Isles can provide refuge and feeding opportunities for a vast array of birds. Even the smallest gardens can attract some birdlife and watching garden birds is a great joy for all nature lovers, brightening each day and providing an immediate connection with the wider and wilder world beyond the fence. Nature is facing challenges throughout the world, including right here in the UK, and the changing fortunes of our garden birds are strong indicators of the overall health of our wildlife. With information on how to encourage birds to visit our gardens and boost their survival and breeding success, and how to identify them, this book describes the small steps we can all take to help these birds survive the hardships of winter and bring forth a healthy new generation that we can recognise, appreciate and enjoy for decades to come. RSPB Garden Birds is a lavish celebration of 47 of our most frequent and familiar garden birds, and the final chapter looks at some of the less regular – but equally welcome – visitors. Detailed biographies outline each species' life history, distribution, behaviour and breeding habits, and an extensive introduction provides guidance on the general practicalities of garden birdwatching and managing a wildlife garden. Featuring more than 200 spectacular photographs revealing every detail of our garden birds' appearance and behaviour, this book will appeal to anyone who has discovered their love of wildlife through watching the birds in their garden.

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“The day after my son died, a bird walked into my house. That tiny sparrow wouldn’t leave me alone. It kept knocking on my door and showing up in my dreams, until it finally sparked a light within me, and then, something so much more.” Linda Broder loses everything when her fifteen-year-old son Brendan dies—her music, faith, and hope. When a bird walks into her house, her husband and children embrace it as a sign from Brendan. But not Linda; she’s too logical to believe in signs. Still, birds keep clinging to Linda’s windows, whispering in her dreams, and showing up in unexpected places, pulling her back to her music and showing her how to stay open to wonder. Full of hope and resilience and the healing magic of music, And Still the Bird Sings is a story about finding sacred wonder in the midst of unimaginable loss, and a reminder of the many ways we can still connect with the ones we’ve lost. This unforgettable memoir will leave you filled with peace and wonder.

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Be enchanted by the beautiful birdsong which can be found across Europe. With 24 different bird calls and eight habitats to explore, there is so much to learn about these brilliant animals. Stunning artwork from Clover Robin brings to life this mesmerising part of nature. Budding birders will love delving into each habitat and finding out fascinating facts about the birds which live there. Learn how to identify the call of a song thrush and the markings of a Moorhen. Find out which bird nests in holes in the ground and which makes its home in holes in the trees. Familiar locations such as marshes, woodlands, towns and gardens become treasure troves of brilliant birds. Elegant collage artwork from Clover Robin makes this the perfect book for little nature enthusiasts.

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Naturalist Stephen Moss digs beneath the surface of some of our most popular Christmas carols in an ornithological celebration of the Festive Season.Using the structure of the carol as a jumping off point, he explores the place of twelve fascinating British birds in our history, culture and landscape. Some of the birds are obvious, there's the swan and of course the partridge. Other chapters are loose interpretations of a verse: for drummers drumming he delves into the woodpecker's distinctive drumming tap. Woodpeckers, he explains, have special padded skulls to mitigate against using its head like hammer drills. They carefully select dead trees for the most hollow, sonorous sound.With brilliant anecdotes and insights, Stephen Moss weaves history, culture, bird behaviour and folklore into a compelling narrative for each species, tracing its fortunes over the past two centuries.'A superb naturalist and writer' Chris Packham author of Finger in the Sparkle Jar'Moss has carved out an enviable niche as a chronicler of the natural world' Daily Mail

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Based on the spectacular ten-part program on PBS, The Life of Birds is David Attenborough at his characteristic best: presenting the drama, beauty, and eccentricities of the natural world with unusual flair and intelligence. The renowned writer and filmmaker treks through rain forests and deserts, through city streets and isolated wilderness, to bring us an illuminating panorama of every aspect of birds' lives--from their songs to their search for food, from their eggs and nests to their mastery of the air. Beautifully illustrated with more than a hundred color photographs, the book will delight and inform both bird lovers and any general reader with an interest in nature. Attenborough begins at the beginning: reviewing ideas about how and when creatures first took to the air--and why ostriches, kiwis, and other flightless birds later returned to the ground. He introduces us to the marvels of flight. We encounter the albatross, which can soar for hours without flapping its wings; hummingbirds that beat their wings two hundred times a minute; and the swift, which eats, sleeps, and mates in mid-air. We read about birds' extraordinary methods of hunting and gathering--about crows that use twigs and leaves to hook and harpoon insects, and eagles that can stamp venomous snakes to death. Attenborough explains why and how birds sing and why many have such dazzling plumage. He reviews courtship and mating strategies, including the extravagant dances of cranes and the bizarre and ornate pavilions that male bowerbirds build to attract females. We learn how birds defend their young against predators. Attenborough explains how birds have colonized the globe more effectively than any other vertebrates, adapting to Antarctic winters and African summers, to vast oceans and the densest, most polluted cities. He also outlines the threat that humans pose to many species, showing how we have already driven many to extinction. The book presents birds in all their complexity and glory, revealing in clear and elegant prose Attenborough's infectious sense of wonder about the rich variety of life on Earth.

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SHORTLISTED IN THE CBCA BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARDS 2022 - EVE POWNALL AWARDBirds are curious creatures. From their unusual appearance to their unique behaviour, they really are one of the most fascinating species in the animal kingdom.In this book you'll find colourful feathers alongside peculiar beaks, beady eyes and funny-coloured feet. You'll read of dangerous birds, clever birds, fast birds, awkward birds, silly birds, massive birds and tiny birds. You'll laugh at their odd hairdos, marvel at their remarkable hunting skills and admire their wild mating dances. Most of all, you'll learn that birds are awesome and deserve our love, care and respect.

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20 original patterns for common North American seashore birds, including sandpipers, gulls, terns, pelicans, plovers, and loons.

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A classic collection from Osamu Tezuka, the Godfather of Manga, now in English! Originally published between 1971 and 1975, this collection of short stories depicts an Earth in which birds become the planet''s dominate species.It started with several minor but unusual attacks by birds against humans, more a nuisance than anything. However, as birds capable of harnessing fire began to appear, using it to set fire to people''s homes, things began to escalate. Eventually, a highly intelligent leader of the birds emerges to begin negotiations with humankind on behalf of his people...What force jump-started the birds'' wild jump in evolution? And what will be the fate of humans in this new world order?

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This book shows beginners how to feed and attract birds to their yard, window or balcony.

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The Birds of America is one of the best known natural history books ever produced and also the most valuable - a complete set sold at auction in December 2010 for GBP7.3 million, which is a world record for a book. First published in double elephant size (approximately a metre tall) in the first half of the nineteenth century, it is famous for its stunning life-size illustrations of birds set within landscaped backgrounds. The book was issued inparts over 11 years and only around 200 completed sets were ever produced. Less than 120 of these survive today, locked away in museums, galleries and private collections around the world. To create this edition of Audubon's masterpiece, the Natural History Museum's own original edition was disbound and each of the 435 beautiful hand-coloured prints was specially photographed. The artworks are accompanied by the scientific descriptions that were used in the original The Birds of America and there is also a new introduction by David Allen Sibley.

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Derbyshire to many visitors is synonymous with Britain’s most visited National Park, The Peak District, almost all of which lies within the county. The spectacular White and Dark Peak landscapes are one of the main visitor attractions. The Park contains a wide variety of flora and fauna of which birds are of particular interest. To county residents and more regular visitors, however, Derbyshire birding offers much more than just the Peak District. Very different landscapes and habitats to the east and south are home to a birdlife contrasting with that found in the Peak District. This book is the result of almost 20 years of endeavour by the Derbyshire Ornithological Society. It follows on from the only two previous books devoted to Derbyshire’s birdlife, Whitlock (1893) and Frost (1978). It contains 319 accounts of species that have been reliably recorded in the county. Amongst those are 135 breeders for which distribution maps are given and over 100 are illustrated with black and white vignettes. Also included are sections on a history of Derbyshire ornithology, the Derbyshire Ornithological Society, ringing in Derbyshire, a general description of the county, a summary of Derbyshire statistics, changes to the county boundary, place names, the natural areas, a chronology of additions to the county list, fossil species, escaped and released species, unacceptable historic records, the breeding bird survey and a comprehensive gazetteer. Beautifully illustrated and with an abundance of information for the serious and armchair ornithologist alike, The Birds of Derbyshire will be the definitive study of the region’s birds for many years to come.

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A comprehensive guide to New York birdwatching from the American Birding Association The Empire State is one of the best places for birding in North America—from the Adirondack Mountains in the north; the Finger Lakes in the west; the Hudson Valley in the east; and the marshes, bays, and beaches of the south, New York provides habitats for an amazing array of birds. As a flyover state for many migrating species, backyard birders can see hundreds of species per year as they head north in the spring and south for the winter. The American Birding Association Field Guide to Birds of New York includes more than 300 species birders are most likely to see in the state. Illustrated with hundreds of crisp, color photographs, it includes descriptions of each bird along with tips of when and where to see them, written by an expert New York birder. It is the perfect companion for anyone interested in the amazing diversity and beauty of the birds of New York.

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“Birds are my almanac. They tune me into the seasons, and into myself.”So begins this lively collection of essays by acclaimed filmmaker and novelist Priyanka Kumar. Growing up at the feet of the Himalayas in northern India, Kumar took for granted her immersion in a lush natural world. After moving to North America as a teenager, she found herself increasingly distanced from more than human life and discouraged by the civilization she saw contributing to its destruction. It was only in her twenties, living in Los Angeles and working on films, that she began to rediscover her place in the landscape—and in the cosmos—by way of watching birds.Tracing her movements across the American West, this stirring collection of essays brings the avian world richly to life. Kumar’s perspective is not that of a list keeper, counting and cataloguing species. Rather, from the mango-colored western tanager that rescues her from a bout of altitude sickness in Sequoia National Park to ancient sandhill cranes in the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, and from the snowy plovers building shallow nests with bits of shell and grass to the white-breasted nuthatch that regularly visits the apricot tree behind her family’s casita in Santa Fe, for Kumar, birds “become a portal to a more vivid, enchanted world.”At a time when climate change, habitat loss, and the reckless use of pesticides are causing widespread extinction of species, Kumar’s reflections on these messengers from our distant past and harbingers of our future offer luminous evidence of her suggestion that “seeds of transformation lie dormant in all of our hearts. Sometimes it just takes the right bird to awaken us.”

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" An easy-to-use guide to transforming your yard into an oasis for urban wildlife. Which birdseed attracts the most species of birds? What type of feeder is best to use? How do you deter squirrels? Barnes answers all these questions and more. He includes a plant encyclopedia of trees and shrubs native to the Upper South that attract a variety of birds, butterflies, and mammals. Barnes's plans and plant lists can also be used to create a woodland, a prairie, or a water garden. Also included are tips for birdwatchers of all levels and suggestions for deterring common garden pests.

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Most of the world’s exquisite and rare bird species are found in tropical rainforests – the Amazon, Sumatra, Borneo, Daintree Rainforest in Australia, and the Congo basin in Africa. These lush, wet biospheres are home to some of the most colourful creatures on our planet. Did you know that parrots can live for 80 years or more? Or that most tropical birds are omnivores and will eat seeds, nuts, fruit and insects, while a few will eat small lizards or animals? The world’s longest parrot is the stunningly bright hyacinth macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus), checking in at more than a metre from tip to tail. From the screeching red-and-green macaw to the majestic great hornbill, from the rainbow lorikeet of northern Queensland to the endangered Spix’s macaw of the Amazonian rainforest, Tropical Birds explores the fascinating lifecycles, diets and, where applicable, migratory patterns, of hundreds of species from every part of the tropical belt. With full captions explaining the origins, habitat and behaviour of these exotic creatures, Tropical Birds is a concise exploration in 180 brilliant photographs.

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The Birds of Shropshire provides the most comprehensive record of the County's avifauna ever published. Produced by Shropshire Ornithological Society, the book is based on the results of six years fieldwork by over 650 different observers who submitted over 333,400 records. These records have been used to produce maps showing the current distribution of almost 200 different species. Stunning images of 220 species have been contributed by 21 local photographers. The book includes an account for each species, describing its distribution and relative abundance, and the breeding status where relevant. The current breeding and winter maps will be compared with those shown in An Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Shropshire (1992) and with the Shropshire part of the national An Atlas of the Wintering Birds in Britain and Ireland (1986). Historical data, and results of specific local studies, are also incorporated. For many species it will show that massive changes have occurred in their population and distribution. The book will shape conservation priorities in the County for the next 20 years.

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Jeff Miller’s heartbreaking, coming-of-age middle-grade novel—inspired by his personal experience living through his own parent’s heart transplant—invites readers into the world of a twelve-year-old birdwatcher looking for a place to call home and a way to save his mother, even if it means venturing deep into Florida swampland. Twelve-year-old Graham Dodds is no stranger to hospital waiting rooms. Sometimes, he feels like his entire life is one big waiting room. Waiting for the next doctor to tell them what’s wrong with his mom. Waiting to find out what city they’re moving to next. Waiting to see if they will finally get their miracle—a heart transplant to save his mom’s life. When Graham gets stuck in Florida for the summer, he meets a girl named Lou at the hospital, and he finds a friend who needs a distraction as much as he does. She tells him about a contest to find the endangered Snail Kite, which resides in the local gator-filled swamps. Together they embark on an adventure, searching for the rare bird . . . and along the way, Graham might just find something else—himself. Jeff Miller crafts a heartfelt story about what it means to live in this unforgettable middle-grade novel. Rare Birds is a rare find that will resonate with fans of the Carl Hiassen’s Hoot and Melissa Savage’s Lemon. For readers looking for novels with literary appeal and classic themes of family, friendship, and the meaning of life, Rare Birds is a perfect pick. Hardcover with dust jacket; 288 pages; 5.5 x 8.3 in.

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Each Falcon Field Guide to birds introduces the 180 most common and sought-after species in a state. Conveniently sized to fit in your pocket and featuring full-color, detailed illustrations, these informative guides make it easy to identify birds in a backyard, favorite parks, and wildlife areas. Each bird is accompanied by a detailed listing of its prominent attributes and a color illustration showing its important features. Birds are organized in taxonomic order, keeping families of birds together for easy identification. This is the essential source for the field, both informative and beautiful to peruse.

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