Appreciate the Adornment of BirdsFeathers-possibly the most amazing body covering in the entire animal kingdom. No other covering does all that feathers do. From the delicate down feathers that keep birds warm to the sturdy flight feathers that allow birds to soar, these marvelous structures are something to admire. This coffee table book is filled with stunning, incomparable photos, and it promises to delight as it walks you through the world of feathers.Book Features: More than 230 stunning, one-of-a-kind images of feathers and birds from across the United States. Many fascinating facts, including how feathers keep tiny chickadees warm in winter, why Blue Jays aren't really blue and how the feathers of owls can help them hunt prey. Information that will season your understanding of feathers and enhance your enjoyment of birds. Everyone who celebrates nature will appreciate this beautiful, detailed look at feathers.

This practical pocket field guide, published in association with the Wildlife Trusts, is packed with information on 250 species of bird from Britain and the near Continent. Each species account contains accurate artworks that show details of variations in plumage for male, female, juvenile birds, and breeding and non-breeding birds. A concise written account outlines further essential information, such as size, description, voice, habitat, distribution and habits appears on the same page. The easy-to-follow layouts and illustrations aid quick and precise identification, and make this book an indispensable reference in the field as well as at home. It is compact enough to fit in the pocket, yet filled with essential information for the nature enthusiast.

Learn to attract and feed a variety of hummingbirds with this pocket-sized guide. The glittering throat patch of the male Ruby-throated Hummingbird is a worthy adornment for this princely bird. And what else can captivate a bird watcher as much as a hummingbird's aerial acrobatics? You love these beloved birds, and you want to see them visiting your backyard or garden. Professional naturalist and award-winning author Stan Tekiela teaches you all that you need to know about hummingbirds-including Anna's, black-chinned, broad-tailed, rufous, and other hummingbird species. The handy book is divided into three main sections. First, you'll learn all about hummingbirds: facts, range, habitat, songs, nests, and more. Up next, you'll be introduced to the feeding solution that keeps hummingbirds coming back. In the third section, Stan tells you which feeders hummingbirds prefer and why. You'll also be given information on placing feeders and cleaning feeders. Find out how to make your yard into a habitat that hummingbirds will love. Then enjoy Stan's hummingbird photography, trivia, and quick tips. This is truly your guide to attracting and feeding hummingbirds!

Here in an easy-to-use format is the first guide to the nearly 1,300 species of non-passerine South American birds. It complements Robert Ridgly and Guy Tudor's large reference volumes on the passerines (1,800 species), which will soon be available in a single-volume field guide format.

One of things that makes this book special is its use of masterful and alluring illustrations; most neotropical birders will want the book for the illustrations alone. The text concentrates on the key identification features of each species and follows the layout of other books in this series. The book may be used in conjunction with regional and country field guides. First guide to nearly 1,300 species Easy-to-use format Complements volumes on passerine birds Contains key identification features More than 150 color illustrations More than 1,270 maps

A stunningly illustrated guide to the wonderful world of hummingbirds With their glorious colors, glittering iridescence, astonishing powers of flight, and many characteristics unique in the world of birds, hummingbirds are extraordinary-true jewels of nature. This beautiful book is a celebration of all aspects of hummingbirds and their world. It features hundreds of the most spectacular photographs of hummingbirds ever taken, exquisite illustrations, and a lively, readable text that presents the latest scientific information and includes up-to-date details about every species. A familiar sight across much of the Americas, hummingbirds have long captured the imagination and played an important part in myths, legends, and other aspects of human culture. Today, hummingbirds are among the most popular of all birds, sought after by serious and casual birders alike. They inspire questions in anyone lucky enough to see them. How can they fly like that? Why are they so colorful? How many are there? Where and how do they live? How do they survive? This book answers these and many other questions, providing an enlightening and enjoyable guide to hummingbirds that can only deepen their wonder. A definitive yet accessible account of all aspects of hummingbird life More than 540 spectacular color photographs, illustrating all 101 hummingbird genera and over two-thirds of the world's 369 species Specially commissioned illustrations revealing details of anatomy and behavior Meticulously researched facts and figures on status, population, distribution, and conservation designations of all the world's hummingbirds

Whether you're a dedicated and serious birder, a hobbyist bird watcher, or simply a lover of nature, getting great photos of birds is at the top of the list for bird lovers of all kinds. In this book, professional photographer Rosl Rossner teaches you all of her techniques, tips, and tricks for capturing fantastic bird photographs. Starting with the gear you'll need, Rossner discusses cameras, tripods, lenses, and more. She then moves on to finding the birds you want to photograph. While this includes locations out in the wild, she also covers zoos, parks, sanctuaries, and other easily accessible spots-which are especially great for beginning bird photographers. Rossner then thoroughly covers the camera and shooting techniques you need to know, including key lessons on exposure, composition, focus, and sharpness. Regardless of the quality of the light (front light, side light, etc.) or the season you're shooting in (rain, snow, fog), Rossner's got you covered. In the final part of the book, Rossner takes you behind the scenes of 25 unique bird photographs, telling you how the image came about, plus any specific tips and tricks that were used to create the image. Featuring birds from around the world, The Beginner's Guide to Photographing Birds is a beautiful, helpful, and accessible guide for anyone getting started in bird photography.

Get the New Edition of Arizona's Best-Selling Bird Guide Learn to identify birds in Arizona, and make bird-watching even more enjoyable. With Stan Tekiela's famous field guide, bird 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 book features 151 species of Arizona birds organized by color for ease of use. Do you see a yellow bird and don't know what it is? Go to the yellow section to find out. Book Features: 151 species: Only Arizona birds Simple color guide: See a yellow bird? Go to the yellow section Compare feature: Decide between look-alikes Stan's Notes: Naturalist tidbits and facts Professional photos: Crisp, stunning full-page images This new edition includes more species, updated photographs and range maps, revised information, and even more of Stan's expert insights. So grab Birds of Arizona Field Guide for your next birding adventure-to help ensure that you positively identify the birds that you see.

A "well-written, engaging detective story" (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) about a rogue who trades in rare birds and their eggs-and the wildlife detective determined to stop him. On May 3, 2010, an Irish national named Jeffrey Lendrum was apprehended at Britain's Birmingham International Airport with a suspicious parcel strapped to his stomach. Inside were fourteen rare peregrine falcon eggs snatched from a remote cliffside in Wales. So begins a "vivid tale of obsession and international derring-do" (Publishers Weekly), following the parallel lives of a globe-trotting smuggler who spent two decades capturing endangered raptors worth millions of dollars as race champions-and Detective Andy McWilliam of the United Kingdom's National Wildlife Crime Unit, who's hell bent on protecting the world's birds of prey. "Masterfully constructed" (The New York Times) and "entertaining and illuminating" (The Washington Post), The Falcon Thief will whisk you away from the volcanoes of Patagonia to Zimbabwe's Matobo National Park, and from the frigid tundra near the Arctic Circle to luxurious aviaries in the deserts of Dubai, all in pursuit of a man who is reckless, arrogant, and gripped by a destructive compulsion to make the most beautiful creatures in nature his own. It's a story that's part true-crime narrative, part epic adventure-and wholly unputdownable until the very last page.

A guide to birdwatching sites in the Canary Islands: this book shows you where to go and when to visit for the best birding experience. This guide is best used alongside your field guide - it does not include information about identifying birds. This site guide provides detailed information on the best birding spots on this attractive island archipelago. Each site entry gives location and access, accommodation, birding strategy and species expected to be seen. It also includes a selective bird list giving brief details on the distribution and status of the uncommon birds which may be found, cross-referenced to site information, as well as a full species list. It includes additional useful information on planning a trip, such as travel options, climate and clothing, and health and medical facilities. This is a site guide, not an identification guide.

'Focuses a razor light on the plight of one of our most iconic birds. Inspirational!' Tim Birkhead Curlews are Britain's largest wading bird, known for their evocative calls which embody wild places; they provoke a range of emotions that many have expressed in poetry, art and music. A bird stands alone on the edge of a mudflat. Its silhouette is unmistakable. A plump body sits atop stilty legs. The long neck arcs into a small head, which tapers further into a long curved bill. The smooth, convex outlines of this curlew are alluring. They touch some ancestral liking we all have for shapes that are round and smooth. Over the last 20 years numbers in the UK have halved; the Eurasian Curlew is one of our most endangered birds. With a quarter of the world population breeding in the UK and Ireland, this is nothing short of a disaster. The curlew is showing all the signs of being the next Great Auk. In Curlew Moon, Mary Colwell takes us on a 500-mile journey on foot from the west coast of Ireland to the east coast of England, to discover what is happening to this beautiful and much-loved bird. She sets off in early spring when the birds are arriving on their breeding grounds, watches them nesting in the hills of Wales and walks through England when the young are hatching. She finishes her walk on the coast of Lincolnshire when the fledglings are trying out their wings. This is also the place many curlews will return to for the winter months. This evocative book chronicles Colwell's impressive journey, with beautiful illustrations by Jessica Holm, weaving a gentle tale of discovery interspersed with the natural history of this iconic bird that has fascinated us for millennia - and so desperately needs our help.

The definitive photographic guide to the fantastic avifauna of Colombia. With a spectacular range of habitats and one of the richest avifaunas of any country on earth, Colombia is home to an extraordinary total of almost 2,000 species of birds. It is quickly becoming one of South America's most popular wildlife and birding destinations, boasting more than 70 endemic species. The perfect companion for any wildlife-friendly visitor, Birds of Colombia provides photographic coverage of more than 320 species that are regularly seen in the region. Concise text for each species includes information on identification, songs and calls, behaviour, distribution and habitat, with each photo having been carefully selected to guide identification. A guide to the best birdwatching sites in Colombia is also included. Portable yet authoritative, this is the perfect guide for travellers and birdwatchers visiting this spectacular and bird-rich country.

We live in a world that prizes the fast over the slow, the new over the familiar and work over rest. Birds Art Life Death is Kyo Maclear's beautiful journey to stake out a sense of meaning amid the crushing rush. One winter Kyo Maclear felt unmoored. Her father had recently fallen ill and she suddenly found herself a little lost. In the midst of this crisis, she met a musician who loved birds. When he watched birds and began to photograph them, his worries dissipated. Curious, she began to accompany him on his urban birdwatching expeditions and witnessed the magic of a transient city. Birds Art Life Death asks how we might gain perspective and overcome our anxieties by learning to cherish the urban wild spaces in which we live. Kyo urges us to find a subtle but restorative meaning in the everyday.

This indispensable guide to the Birds of Britain and Europe is part of the new Black's Nature Guide series. Over 440 species of bird are covered, each beautifully illustrated with detailed paintings and clear photographs. The images not only show you what the bird looks like in its habitat, but also focus in on specific features such as differentiation between male and female plumages. Clear and concise information is provided as well as excellent maps showing distribution.

Thailand is probably the most popular destination for tourists in Asia, and birders have long travelled there to observe its wealth of wildlife. This comprehensive guide to the birds of Thailand is an indispensable field reference for birdwatchers, residents and visitors to the country alike. It covers all 950 species that have been recorded in Thailand, with 166 magnificent colour plates covering most plumage variations. Each plate is accompanied by concise text for each species and distinctive subspecies, detailing identification, voice, habitat and behaviour. In addition, there is a distribution map for every species, based on the very latest information.

The definitive guide to the birdwatching sites of Wales. Wales remains one of the most alluring regions for birdwatchers; its range of habitats ensures a wide variety of species amidst the often spectacular scenery. Now in its fifth edition, Where to Watch Birds in Wales remains an invaluable and most trusted site guide for birdwatching in Wales. This new edition features many new sites, and includes updated maps to the sites and fully revised and expanded text. This is an essential guide for all birdwatchers living in or visiting this land of hills, valleys, moors and mountains.

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Genius of Birds, a radical investigation into the bird way of being, and the recent scientific research that is dramatically shifting our understanding of birds -- how they live and how they think. "There is the mammal way and there is the bird way." But the bird way is much more than a unique pattern of brain wiring, and lately, scientists have taken a new look at bird behaviors they have, for years, dismissed as anomalies or mysteries -- What they are finding is upending the traditional view of how birds conduct their lives, how they communicate, forage, court, breed, survive. They are also revealing the remarkable intelligence underlying these activities, abilities we once considered uniquely our own: deception, manipulation, cheating, kidnapping, infanticide, but also ingenious communication between species, cooperation, collaboration, altruism, culture, and play. Some of these extraordinary behaviors are biological conundrums that seem to push the edges of, well, birdness: a mother bird that kills her own infant sons, and another that selflessly tends to the young of other birds as if they were her own; a bird that collaborates in an extraordinary way with one species-ours-but parasitizes another in gruesome fashion; birds that give gifts and birds that steal; birds that dance or drum, that paint their creations or paint themselves; birds that build walls of sound to keep out intruders and birds that summon playmates with a special call-and may hold the secret to our own penchant for playfulness and the evolution of laughter. Drawing on personal observations, the latest science, and her bird-related travel around the world, from the tropical rainforests of eastern Australia and the remote woodlands of northern Japan, to the rolling hills of lower Austria and the islands of Alaska's Kachemak Bay, Jennifer Ackerman shows there is clearly no single bird way of being. In every respect, in plumage, form, song, flight, lifestyle, niche, and behavior, birds vary. It is what we love about them. As E.O Wilson once said, when you have seen one bird, you have not seen them all.

A captivating A-Z treasury about birds and birding Birdpedia is an engaging illustrated compendium of bird facts and birding lore. Featuring nearly 200 entries-on topics ranging from plumage and migration to birds in art, literature, and folklore-this enticing collection is brimming with wisdom and wit about all things avian. Christopher Leahy sheds light on "hawk-watching," "twitching," and other rituals from the sometimes mystifying world of birding that entail a good deal more than their names imply. He explains what kind of bird's nests you can eat, why mocking birds mock, and many other curiosities that have induced otherwise sane people to peer into treetops using outrageously expensive optical equipment. Leahy shares illuminating insights about pioneering ornithologists such as John James Audubon and Florence Bailey, and describes unique bird behaviors such as anting, caching, duetting, and mobbing. He discusses avian fossils, the colloquial naming of birds, the science and history of ornithology, and more. The book's convenient size makes it the perfect traveling companion to take along on your own avian adventures. With charming illustrations by Abby McBride, Birdpedia is a marvelous mix of fact and fancy that is certain to delight seasoned birders and armchair naturalists alike. Features a real cloth cover with an elaborate foil-stamped design

The only fully illustrated guide to feature all the bird species of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands This portable and informative field guide describes the bird species found on Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Fully updated, the guide presents all 347 species, both naturally occurring as well as introduced, and highlights 19 endemic species found nowhere else in the world. Species are sorted by habitat to facilitate identification and extra illustrations are provided for birds similar in appearance. The only fully illustrated guide to feature all 347 bird species in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands Species sorted by habitat for easier identification Text and illustrations on facing pages for ease of identification Extensive introduction covering taxonomy, migration, biogeography, and conservation Useful information on birding hotspots throughout the region

From reviews of the previous edition

"The island nation of Trinidad and Tobago has long served as a window on South American birdlife. Birders have been visiting the two islands in large numbers since the 1960s, when Asa Wright converted an unproductive plantation into one of the first neotropical 'ecotourist traps.' Anyone traveling to Trinidad and Tobago shouldn't leave home without this work." Journal of Field Ornithology

"This book will be wanted by any birder visiting Trinidad and Tobago, as well as by many ornithologists as a general reference." Wilson Bulletin

Members of nearly all the families of South American birds can be found on the two beautiful West Indian islands of Trinidad and Tobago, where the pleasant climate, varied habitat, and avian diversity create a "birder's paradise." This easy-to-use book is the third edition of a comprehensive yet compact field guide to all 477 species of the islands' birds, including 35 new species accounts added to the country's bird list since the last edition. Richard ffrench s work has been a "bible" to birders since the appearance of the first edition in 1973. This new edition incorporates five decades of his notes and records of the island s birds to present in a handy and readable form detailed and comprehensive information about the birds of Trinidad and Tobago.

Showcasing 40 all-new color plates by the very best bird artists working under the direction of John P. O Neill, the third edition now includes illustrations of not only the islands endemic and resident species, but also the many migratory species that visit the islands from both the north and the south. The taxonomic arrangement and treatment of families and species has also been brought in line with the most recent determinations of the A.O.U. Committee on Nomenclature for a thoroughly up-to-date presentation. In his introduction, Richard ffrench offers a full treatment of the history of ornithology in Trinidad and Tobago and sets the scene by describing the islands physiography, climate, and vegetation. Individual species accounts, arranged by family, make up the core of this identification guide. The accounts cover habitat and status, range and subspecies, field description and basic measurements, voice, food, nesting, and behavior. Richard ffrench s summary of the distribution of species and their breeding and migration, as well as local conservation and protection measures, makes this volume much more than a typical field-guide treatment, and invites visitors to this premier ecotourism destination."

'Charles Foster is the most original voice in nature writing today - funny, urgent, poetic, philosophical and deeply moving' Patrick Barkham 'Utterly exhilarating... This book demands we change our ways' Lee Schofield 'There aren't many writers like Charles around... a deeply thought-provoking book' James Aldred 'Reading this book feels like being made suddenly omniscient. In other words, you really have to' Tom Moorhouse 'Astonishingly playful, humorous, immensely varied and outrageously intelligent... The most inventive British writer presently at work on the theme of nature' Mark Cocker A fox, grown strong on pepperoni pizza from the dustbins of the East End, dances along a railway track towards Essex, the territory of wild foxes and wilder huntsmen. An orca, mourning the loss of her mother in a valley west of Skye, knows that she must now lead the pod as matriarch. She swims again through her childhood, thinking about the old ways, the old roads, laid down thousands of years ago. But the old roads aren't so easy now. At moonrise in a West Country river, an otter floats slowly downstream. The tide, though it pushes him landwards when it exhales, seems to pull him out when it inhales. He turns on his back. He can see the stars clearly for the first time and wonders if he can swim to them. The wild has never stopped waiting. It has only ever been in exile, right under our noses, waiting to confound, outrage and re-enchant.

Get the New Edition of New York's Best-Selling Bird Guide Learn to identify birds in New York, and make bird-watching even more enjoyable. With Stan Tekiela's famous field guide, bird 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 book features 126 species of New York birds organized by color for ease of use. Do you see a yellow bird and don't know what it is? Go to the yellow section to find out. Book Features: 126 species: Only New York birds Simple color guide: See a yellow bird? Go to the yellow section Compare feature: Decide between look-alikes Stan's Notes: Naturalist tidbits and facts Professional photos: Crisp, stunning full-page images This new edition includes more species, updated photographs and range maps, revised information, and even more of Stan's expert insights. So grab Birds of New York Field Guide for your next birding adventure-to help ensure that you positively identify the birds that you see.

*WINNER* of the Saltire First Book of the Year 2019 / Longlisted for the Highland Book Prize 2019 ; 'A beautifully illuminating portrait of lives lived largely on the wing and at sea" - Julian Hoffman, author of Irreplaceable and The Small Heart of Things ; The British Isles are remarkable for their extraordinary seabird life: spectacular gatherings of charismatic Arctic terns, elegant fulmars and stoic eiders, to name just a few. Often found in the most remote and dramatic reaches of our shores, these colonies are landscapes shaped not by us but by the birds. ; In 2015, Stephen Rutt escaped his hectic, anxiety-inducing life in London for the bird observatory on North Ronaldsay, the most northerly of the Orkney Islands. In thrall to these windswept havens and the people and birds that inhabit them, he began a journey to the edges of Britain. From Shetland, to the Farnes of Northumberland, down to the Welsh islands off the Pembrokeshire coast, he explores the part seabirds have played in our history and what they continue to mean to Britain today. ; The Seafarers is the story of those travels: a love letter, written from the rocks and the edges, for the salt-stained, isolated and ever-changing lives of seabirds. This beguiling book reveals what it feels like to be immersed in a completely wild landscape, examining the allure of the remote in an over-crowded world.

Framed by the magnificent and internationally important coastline from the Dyfi round Anglesey to the Dee, North Wales, which includes the mountains of the Snowdonia National Park, is a very special place for birds. In excess of 700 contributors submitted more than 200,000 records over five summers to produce this fascinating atlas of the area's breeding birds. Lavishly illustrated with stunning photographs this beautiful full colour book includes fully bilingual introductory chapters, a Welsh language precis alongside each English language species account and a wealth of recording data, maps and tables.