Seabirds are the living links between land, air and sea. They enjoy a freedom that even humans, with all our technological assistance, can barely imagine. Many species travel mind-boggling distances across the length and breadth of our planet before returning to land to breed in large, deafening and confusingly crowded colonies. Yet within this commotion each mated pair forms a bond of extreme closeness and tenderness that survives separation each winter and may persist for decades. The long and geologically varied coastline of the British Isles provides homes for internationally important numbers of breeding seabirds. Visiting their colonies is always unforgettable, whether they are cliff-faces packed with Guillemots, islands white-capped by clustered Gannets on their nests, flat beaches crowded with screaming Arctic Terns or seaside rooftops overlaid with a second townscape of nesting gulls. The changing fortunes of these seabird cities reveal to us the health of the vast, unseen but incredibly rich marine world that surrounds us. RSPB Seabirds showcases some of our most exciting and enigmatic bird species as vital and living components of one of our greatest natural assets: our coastline. The author presents detailed biographies of all the seabird species that breed in and around the British Isles, and also looks at the many species that breed elsewhere but which, regularly or occasionally, visit British waters. Every page of this sumptuous book features beautiful photographs of wild seabirds engaged in their daily work of hunting, travelling, protecting themselves and their territories, courting and raising a family.

The Kruger National Park, one of the largest and best-known conservation areas in the world, supports a remarkable diversity of birds. This attractive and handy field guide lists more than 500 species that have been recorded here, and provides full-colour photographs, detailed distribution maps and succinct information on 400 of these – all the species that a visitor is likely to encounter in the park.

An informative introduction describes the park’s underlying geology, vegetation types, climate and rainfall, and how these dictate bird distributions within the area.

What is it like to be a swift, flying at over one hundred kilometres an hour? Or a kiwi, plodding flightlessly among the humid undergrowth in the pitch dark of a New Zealand night? And what is going on inside the head of a nightingale as it sings, and how does its brain improvise? Bird Sense addresses questions like these and many more, by describing the senses of birds that enable them to interpret their environment and to interact with each other. Our affinity for birds is often said to be the result of shared senses - vision and hearing - but how exactly do their senses compare with our own? And what about a birds' sense of taste, or smell, or touch or the ability to detect the earth's magnetic field? Or the extraordinary ability of desert birds to detect rain hundreds of kilometres away - how do they do it? Bird Sense is based on a conviction that we have consistently underestimated what goes on in a bird's head. Our understanding of bird behaviour is simultaneously informed and constrained by the way we watch and study them. By drawing attention to the way these frameworks both facilitate and inhibit discovery, it identifies ways we can escape from them to seek new horizons in bird behaviour. There has never been a popular book about the senses of birds. No one has previously looked at how birds interpret the world or the way the behaviour of birds is shaped by their senses. A lifetime spent studying birds has provided Tim Birkhead with a wealth of observation and an understanding of birds and their behaviour that is firmly grounded in science.

A guide to birdwatching sites in Turkey: 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. The first complete site guide to this increasingly popular birding destination. It provides details of over 37 major sites, plus many minor areas of interest. Each main site entry includes a map, information on permits and access restrictions, guidance on best visiting times and seasonal variations, and a list of interesting bird and other wildlife species which can normally be seen. Also given is a full species list, and information on pre-tour planning, transport, climate, clothing, food, accommodation, health, medical and financial facilities. This is a site guide, not an identification guide.

'It would be hard to imagine a more thoughtful, intelligent and companionable person to go to sea with than Paul Heiney.' Bill Bryson 'High comedy on the high seas. Informative and warm and freezing. It's quite a combination.' Griff Rhys Jones The writer and broadcaster Paul Heiney set sail from the east coast of England bound for Iceland, propelled by a desire to breathe the cool, clear air of the high latitudes, and to follow in the wake of generations of sailors who have made this often treacherous journey since the 13th century. In almost every harbour he tripped over maritime history and anecdote, and came face to face with his own past as he sailed north along his childhood coastline of east Yorkshire towards the Arctic Circle. But there was one major thing missing from this voyage - the sight of puffins. They are remarkable birds, uplifting as a ray of sunshine after a storm. To see them and share their waters was also part of Heiney's ambition. Imagine then his disappointment when, first, no puffins appeared off the Farne Islands, then none to be seen on puffin hotspots like Orkney. When he failed to see puffins on Iceland, Heiney still held out the hope that he would see the 'joker of the seas'. With inspiring travel writing, social and maritime history, and good-humoured reflections on his sailing journey, Heiney brings us this delightful book - a love letter to the puffin, to Iceland and the north, and to the pure pleasure of being at sea.

Birds are a delight in the garden, not only for their beauty and birdsong, but also because they eat many harmful garden pests. This book contains a wealth of feeding ideas for backyard birds, from seeds, grains and peanuts to fruits, suet cakes and fat balls, and suggestions for the best flowers, shrubs, hedges and trees to plant to encourage birds into the garden. There are step-by-step projects for tables, nest boxes, birdbaths and birdhouses that will enhance and decorate your garden, and the book also features illustrated directories of the most common garden birds in the UK and in the USA, from woodland and countryside locations to town and city environments, with information about identification, distribution, habitat and feeding habits. With its helpful practical advice and superb photographs and illustrations, this is the ideal source book for all wildlife enthusiasts Learn what to feed garden birds, from seeds, grains and peanuts to fruits, suet cakes and fat balls, as well as how to attract birds by planting the right flower borders, trees and shrubs, and by making wildlife hedges and ponds * Features practical step-by-step projects for making your own feeders, tables, birdbaths and nest boxes, from simple designs to highly ornamental creations * Includes a visual directory of all the most common garden bird species, with natural history information on distribution, size, nesting, eggs and feeding habits * Explains how birds live - from flying and feeding to egg-laying and migrating - with a guide to birdwatching in urban, country, woodland and aquatic locations * With over 760 beautiful photographs and illustrations.

Match the male and female pairs of 25 species of bird from around the world in this beautifully illustrated memory game. To play, simply place the cards face down and see if you can remember where the matching bird is located. Collect more pairs than your opponent to win! With all kinds of species – from the barn owl to the blue tit and the ostrich to the macaw – this fun and educational game is an ideal gift that will appeal to bird lovers everywhere.

An ornithological quiz book packed with challenging questions for birders, based on the popular 'Bird Brain of Britain' contest at the annual BirdFair. The British Birdwatching Fair, held every August at Rutland Water Nature Reserve, attracts over 30,000 visitors every year. One of the most popular attractions in the events marquee is the 'Bird Brain of Britain' contest. Each of the four contestants must answer a set of questions on their nominated specialist subject, and a second set on general (ornithological) knowledge. The participants have included popular presenters and experts throughout the years, including Stephen Moss, Chris Harbard, Mark Andrews, Nigel Redman, Mike Dilger and David Lindo, among many others. The book will feature the questions asked in the contest over its 30-year lifespan. Many seemingly simple questions turn out to have complex answers, and some that seem difficult have a very simple explanation. The questions are difficult and varied enough to test any birder's knowledge, and will provide many hours of challenging entertainment. Be they trivial, idiosyncratic, baffling or strange, the varied bird trivia included makes this compilation as entertaining and enlightening as it is educational.

Shorebirds, or waders, are a large group of small to medium-sized birds that occur worldwide, in a wide range of predominantly coastal or wetland habitats. Some species are largely sedentary whilst others are amongst the world's most migratory bird species, travelling thousands of kilometres in a few days. In addition to describing physical behavioural traits such as feeding, breeding, migration, and particular physiological adaptations, Shorebirds in Action also covers territorial behaviour both when feeding and breeding. There is detailed discussion of the range of species and their different lifestyles together with feeding strategies, flocking, roosting and the avoidance of predators. The seasonal features of shorebirds' lives are included, such as the various plumages that they have when breeding, or not breeding, together with the intervening periods of moult, during which the birds change from one plumage to the next.Shorebirds in Action is in two parts - firstly basic behavioural information and then a photographic section that explains the specific behaviour being illustrated for that particular shorebird at the time the photo was taken.Consequently, the book can be read as a general text, split into chapters that provide the basic behavioural information and also by reference to the extended photograph captions which explain the details of the particular behaviour shown. The book contains excellent photographs of about 180 shorebird species - over three-quarters of the world's total - and therefore provides a general reference for the identification of shorebird species and the recognition of their various plumages. It will be relevant to readers worldwide, including Europe, North America and Australasia. This comprehensive work can be read as a general text and also the photographs can be enjoyed separately in their own right. Detailed references to source material are provided.

In mid-2017 Safe Haven published a guide to London's street trees - a sales and critical success whose first printing will sell out by Christmas. Now it follows up with a second quirky London guide in the same style - on where to watch birds in the capital. Predictably for such a beautifully green city, London is rich in bird life - and not just pigeons, gulls and parakeets. Its flagship wetland reserves at Barnes, Woodberry Down and Rainham offer everything from bitterns to avocets, marsh harriers to bar-tailed godwits. But the sharp-eyed can spot wonderful birds in more mundane London settings: over 100 species listed in a year on Hampstead Heath alone, from goldcrests to hobbies. Peregrine falcons nest in the Barbican and on Battersea Power Station. A short walk from East India Dock DLR is a secluded backwater frequented by teal and shoveller ducks. Detailed listings of some 60 birding locations are augmented by fascinating features ranging from the escaped St James's Park pelican and the ravens at the Tower to the history of the East London cagebird trade and wildfowling on the Thames. Published with the London Wildlife Trust (8,000 members), Birdwatching London both reveals the amazing variety of birdlife in London and offers a wonderful guide to unexpected places for a day or afternoon out among nature.

What is a bird? To answer that, we must understand how birds are different from all other living things and how they fit into the diversity of life on Earth. This excellent RSPB guide to bird anatomy looks at the avian body, system by system, how it evolved, and how it functions. Chapters explore traits that are unique to birds, including their remarkable one-way breathing cycle, their trimmed-down skeleton, how feathers permit flight, provide weather-proofing and add beauty, and the avian bill - a lightweight replacement for both teeth and food-handling forelimbs. Each chapter tackles a particular body system and includes detailed anatomical illustrations, from cells and organs to skeletons and muscles, to show how birds' anatomical adaptations enable all their physical feats and fascinating behaviour. Feature spreads offer more in-depth analysis on topics like birdsong, temperature control, ornamentation, unusual diets, social behaviour, nocturnal adaptations, mutation and natural selection. Featuring more than 300 diagrams and colour photos, this fascinating new book also looks at the human impact on the avian world and reveals how behaviour and anatomy work together to produce these vibrant living beings that delight and inspire us so much.

Find Joy in the Beauty and Wonder of Birds Birding is among the most popular outdoor activities-especially in the South, where hundreds of different bird species can be seen and observed. Now is the perfect time to join the fun and let our feathered friends astonish and inspire you. Award-winning author, naturalist, and wildlife photographer Stan Tekiela has written best-selling bird identification guides for every Southern state. In Stan Tekiela's Birding for Beginners: South, he provides the information you need to become a skilled birder in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, east Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, east Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia. The first section of the book presents "how to" information. Learn the basics of bird feeders. Get to know your birdseed. Create a bird-friendly yard-and even make your own bird food with do-it-yourself recipes. The book's second section is an identification guide, featuring 54 Southern birds that are most likely to be seen at your backyard feeder or near your home. The species are organized by color, making it simple to identify what you see. If you spot a yellow bird, go to the yellow section to discover what it is. Each bird gets a full-page photograph with notations about key field marks, or identification characteristics. The full-color photos are paired with information ranging from the bird's nest and eggs to favorite foods, as well as Stan's fascinating naturalist notes. Give birding a try, and get started with the guidance of an expert. You'll be amazed by how much joy birds can bring, and you'll have a lifetime to enjoy them.

Enter the World of the Eagle with Stan's Amazing Photography If you've ever seen an eagle fly gracefully over an unbroken forest or watched it snatch a fish from the surface of a crystal-clear lake, you probably experienced a feeling of inspiration. Award-winning author, naturalist, and wildlife photographer Stan Tekiela believes that eagles are the most majestic of birds. He spent years studying bald eagles, noting their behaviors and capturing them in photographs. Stan's research spanned major events such as migration and courtship, as well as everyday activities including feeding and sleeping. The result is a striking portrayal of these amazing raptors in Bald Eagles. Stan's extraordinary photographs depict the birds of prey in a new, unique fashion. His fascinating text, drawn from detailed research and personal observations, provides information about every aspect of the eagles' lives. Presented with headings and short paragraphs, the coffee-table book is pleasurable to browse and easy to read. "My sentiment for this bird of prey runs deep," says Stan. "I'm sure you feel the same. Because of this widespread affection toward our national symbol, I am confident the future of the eagle will stay as bright as our nation and as wonderful as the people who care for this bird." Unmatched by any other book on the market, Bald Eagles is a must-have for bird watchers, raptor enthusiasts, and nature lovers.

A Vulture Landscape is more than just a book about vultures, in the same way that these majestic flyers are more than just birds. Vultures are a crucial part of many of the world's ecosystems, and without these specialist environmental cleansers the ecosystems wouldn't work properly. A calendar year in the lives of these gargantuan raptors is explored as they live, breed, feed and fly with effortless ease across the skies of the vulture landscape that is Extremadura in central Spain. There are four species of vulture in Europe, and a fifth that is becoming more of a regular visitor as its own global population plummets. The serious conservation issues faced on a day-to-day basis by these species, and their relatives spread across the globe, are explored, issues that in many cases threaten their very survival. However, this book is a celebration of the vulture and the landscape in which it reigns. Using the latest science, his keen eye and his passion for the birds themselves, the author takes the reader on a journey, introducing readers to the vultures, their lives and their landscape. Along the way, much of the other wonderful wildlife of the vulture landscape, from exotic Bee-eaters and bewitching Montagu's Harriers to rutting Red Stags as well as some very excitable cattle, are included. Ian explains how watching vultures is not only addictive, but that it can often lead to vulture gazing, surely the most relaxing form of bird watching there is! With his fine descriptions, readers can enter the world of the vulture, get to know these brilliant birds and learn how they control diseases that threaten us, why some species have bald necks, as well as how they have mastered the art of flying without expending any energy. The author has spent several years living permanently in Extremadura and now splits his time between his native county of Devon and his beloved vulture landscape, where he leads bird tours introducing people to the birds and the area he clearly loves.

Backyard Birdwatching in Houston is an all-in-one essential tool for residents of Southeastern Texas who want to attract and support avian visitors to their backyards. With introductions to birding, gardening, housing, and feeding, readers will learn the basics of birdwatching and receive tips on how to best care for the species commonly found in greater Houston. The guide includes beautiful color illustrations of the most frequently observed backyard birds with notes on sizes and distinguishing markings. Developed in collaboration with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, this lightweight, pocket-sized folding guide is derived from the All About Birds Pocket Guide Series, a collection of 15 titles on watching, attracting and feeding birds, nests and eggs, and regional identification guides. Laminated for durability, Backyard Birdwatching in Houston is essential to the backpacks and libraries of Southeastern Texas birders of all levels.www.waterfordpress.com

Swifts live almost entirely in the air. They eat, drink, sleep, mate and gather their nesting materials on the wing, fly thousands of miles across the world, navigating their way around storms, never lighting on tree, cliff or ground, until they return home with the summer. Sarah Gibson has written a fascinating story of discovery, exploring what is known about these mysterious birds, their ancient ancestry and how they have been regarded through history. But the swifts are in real danger: often unintentionally, we are sealing our homes against wildlife of any kind. Cracks, gaps and crevices which for thousands of years have offered nesting space in buildings, are being closed off, while new housing rarely offers entry holes for nesting birds. Loss of breeding places is considered to be a significant factor in the steep decline of these birds over the last twenty years. Thankfully, there are people in the UK and across Europe striving to ensure a future for swifts. Their actions and stories are woven into the narrative, demonstrating how change is brought about by passionate, determined individuals, whose actions show that everyone can do something to keep these superb birds screaming through our skies.

This guide covers the very best birding sites in Britain. In a format familiar to readers of this popular series, each site is considered in terms of 'Habitat', Access' and 'Birds', allowing birders of all levels to plan successful birding trips anywhere in Britain, and to maximise the chances of getting the best out of each site and each region. The book includes detailed maps of the larger sites, plus general maps of the regions covered, and it is illustrated with attractive line drawings. This book has been extensively revised, with several new sites added for this edition, together with information on disabled access for most sites. Praise for the 1st edition: "There could be no better guide than this book" Chris Packham "Highly recommended...the best guide of its kind" RSPB Birds "Don't leave home without it" Birding

Fully revised, Birds of Africa south of the Sahara provides unrivalled coverage of African birds in a single volume, and is the first book to describe and illustrate all of the birds found in Africa south of the Sahara Desert (the Afrotropic Region), including Socotra, Pemba and islands in the Gulf of Guinea.

Despite its exceptional coverage, this guide is compact enough to use in the field, and follows the standard field guide format, with texts and range maps appearing opposite the colour plates.

Get the New Edition of Alabama's Best-Selling Bird Guide Learn to identify birds in Alabama, 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 146 species of Alabama 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: 146 species: Only Alabama 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 Alabama Field Guide for your next birding adventure-to help ensure that you positively identify the birds that you see.

Get the perfect coffee-table book for birders and nature lovers, pairing naturalist knowledge with beautiful watercolor paintings. This is the bird book for people who love birds! Naturalist, watercolorist, and debut author Jenny deFouw Geuder combines her vast knowledge of birds, wildflowers, and nature with her artistic expertise to create a book like no other. Drawn to Birds presents more than 120 beautiful watercolor paintings, along with Jenny's fascinating insights that add unique appeal to each page. Drawn to Birds begins with an introduction to bird anatomy, as well as details about nests, eggs, and migration. From there, more than 50 different bird species are showcased, with the watercolors divided into groups like backyard birds, raptors, and wetland birds. As an added bonus, there's a section dedicated to insects and wildflowers. You'll appreciate Jenny's tips on how to welcome birds to your yard and how to become a naturalist. Being a naturalist is about more than simply stopping to smell the flowers. It's about observation and making a record. Pause and notice the shapes, colors, and patterns around you. Jenny's goal is to inspire you to try your own hand at being a naturalist! She also includes step-by-step guides for drawing, painting, and inking your own pictures. Anyone can be an artist. Be brave, try it out, and keep noticing the marvels around you. Extra pages for journaling and sketching make this book a keepsake to cherish forever. If you enjoy birding, gardening, or the great outdoors, Drawn to Birds belongs in your book collection. Get one for yourself, and give one as a gift!

South Africa's Kruger National Park is one of the largest and most iconic conservation areas in Africa. Habitats range from wide-open savannah and rugged thornveld to broadleaved mopani woodland. This microhabitat variation gives Kruger a phenomenal diversity of some 520 bird species, half of which are resident. From Africa's most extraordinary eagles, like the scarlet-faced Bateleur, to electric-colored glossy-starlings and jewel-like finches, Kruger offers an avian celebration of form and color. It is also a crucial conservation area, supporting South Africa's largest viable populations of vultures, eagles, and large terrestrial birds. This field guide offers a unique window into the world of Kruger's birds. More than 500 stunning color photographs illustrate the 259 most frequently encountered species, and a habitat-based approach assists in identification. The authoritative text provides key information about identification, habitat, behavior, biology, and conservation. The guide contains information likely to be new to even the most experienced birders, but is written in a nontechnical style that makes it accessible to anyone. * An essential guide to Kruger's birds* Perfect for new and experienced birders alike* Small, portable format ideal for field use* Unique attractive layout with more than 500 stunning color photographs* Covers the 259 most frequently seen species* Uses a habitat-based approach to aid identification* Authoritative and accessible text provides key information about identification, behavior, biology, and conservation Distributed by Princeton University Press

Raptors are formally classified into five families and include birds-such as eagles, ospreys, kites, true hawks, buzzards, harriers, vultures, and falcons-that are familiar and recognized by many observers. These diurnal birds of prey are found on every continent except Antarctica and can thrive in seemingly inhospitable spots such as deserts and the tundra. They have powerful talons and hooked beaks for cutting and tearing meat, and keen binocular vision to aid in their hunting prowess. Because of their large size, distinctive feeding habits, and long-distance flight patterns, raptors intrigue humans and have been the subject of much general interest as well as extensive scientific research. Keith L. Bildstein has watched and studied raptors on five continents and is well prepared to explain their critical importance, not only as ecological entities but also as inspirational tokens across natural and human-dominated landscapes. His book offers a comprehensive and accessible account of raptors, including their evolutionary history, their relationships to other groups of birds, their sensory abilities, their general natural history, their breeding ecology and feeding behavior, and threats to their survival in a human-dominated world. Biologically sound but readable, Raptors is a nontechnical overview of this captivating group. It will allow naturalists, birders, hawk-watchers, science educators, schoolchildren, and the general public, along with new students in the field of raptor biology, to understand and appreciate these birds, and in so doing better protect them.

Birds of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao is the essential guide for anyone traveling to those islands. It showcases the more than 280 species seen on Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao and provides descriptions of and directions to the best places to bird, from the famous white sand beaches to hidden watering holes to the majestic national parks. Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao-the "ABCs"-located in the southwestern Caribbean, not far from Venezuela, share fascinating ecological features with the West Indies as well as the South American mainland, making birding on the islands unique. The identification portion of the book features endemic subspecies such as the Brown-throated Parakeet; a wide variety of wintering North American migrants; spectacular restricted-range northern South American species such as the Yellow-shouldered Parrot, Bare-eyed Pigeon, Troupial, Ruby-topaz Hummingbird, and Yellow Oriole; and West Indian species including the Pearly-eyed Thrasher and Caribbean Elaenia. Colorful introductory sections provide readers with a brief natural history of the islands, detailing the geography, geology, and general ecology of each. In the site guide that follows, Jeffrey V. Wells and Allison Childs Wells share their more than two decades of experience in the region, providing directions to the best birding spots. Clear, easy-to-read maps accompany each site description, along with notes about the species that birders are likely to find. The identification section is arranged in classic field guide format and offers vivid descriptions of each bird, along with tips on how to identify them by sight and sound. The accounts also include current status and seasonality, if relevant, and common names in English, Dutch, and Papiamento, often inspired by the unique voices of the birds, such as the "chibichibi" (Bananaquit) and "choco" (Burrowing Owl). The accompanying color plates feature the beautiful work of illustrator Robert Dean. The final section, on conservation, raises awareness about threats facing the birds and the habitats on which they rely and summarizes conservation initiatives and needs, offering recommendations for each island.