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.

The cognitive abilities of birds are remarkable: hummingbirds integrate spatial and temporal information about food sources, day-old chicks have a sense of numbers, parrots can make and use tools, and ravens have sophisticated insights in social relationships. This volume describes the full range of avian cognitive abilities, the mechanisms behind such abilities and how they relate to the ecology of the species. Synthesising the latest research in avian cognition, a range of experts in the field provide first-hand insights into experimental procedures, outcomes and theoretical advances, including a discussion of how the findings in birds relate to the cognitive abilities of other species, including humans. The authors cover a range of topics such as spatial cognition, social learning, tool use, perceptual categorization and concept learning, providing the broader context for students and researchers interested in the current state of avian cognition research, its key questions and appropriate experimental approaches.

The perfect guide to the birds of Melanesia - New Caledonia, the Solomons, the Bismarcks and Vanuatu Written by leading ornithologist, Guy Dutson, this new Helm Field Guide covers the species-rich Melanesia region of the south-west Pacific, from New Caledonia and the Solomons through the Bismarcks to Vanuatu. This is an increasingly popular destination for tours and travellers, and one that has never before had complete field-guide coverage. For anyone travelling to this far-flung Pacific region, this book is an indispensable birdwatching guide. Species accounts include 650 superb illustrations allied with concise written information to aid quick and accurate identification. The cover star is the Kagu, the region's most iconic bird species and a highly sought-after endemic of New Caledonia.

A portable yet authoritative guide to more than 300 of the most commonly seen birds of the Lesser Antilles. The Lesser Antilles - incorporating the nations of Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, along with numerous dependencies - are rich in birdlife. It is a magical region for a naturalist to explore, with endemic parrots, orioles, thrushes, warblers and more. The perfect companion for any wildlife-savvy visitor to the islands, Birds of the Lesser Antilles includes superb photography of more than 200 commonly encountered species across the islands, including all endemics and many subspecies. 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. Portable yet authoritative, this is the ideal guide for birdwatchers visiting these spectacular and bird-rich islands.

RSPB Spotlight: Owls is packed with eye-catching, informative colour photos, and features succinct, detailed text written by a knowledgeable naturalist. Owls are charismatic and exceptionally well-loved characters in British wildlife, and have always held a special place in our folklore and legends. Their nocturnal habits mean few of us have been lucky enough to see them up close. In RSPB Spotlight: Owls Marianne Taylor introduces readers to every aspect of their lives including their physiology, biology and behaviour, as well as their history, and future in conservation in Britain and abroad. Five species of owl currently live in Britain - the Tawny, Barn, Little, Long-eared and Short-eared Owls - and each of them, as well as their relatives abroad, are introduced here in detail alongside top quality colour photographs and fascinating behavioural images, which will delight and inform the whole family. The book begins with a look at owls in general then examines the five British species in more detail. It discusses their evolutionary history and distribution around the world. Their anatomy and adaptations are examined, as well as their natural behaviours including hunting, nesting and mating practices. Next, we are introduced to their life cycles, beginning as eggs, moving onto fledging and independence, migration, and finally death. Marianne also includes a discussion of conservation as it affects owls, and owls' unique relationships with humans and our culture.

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.

Marvel at the lives of hummingbirds with this collection of photographs and information by award-winning author and wildlife photographer Stan Tekiela. Their beauty captivates us. Their aerial acrobatics enchant us. Hummingbirds are beloved backyard visitors. They are dainty and elusive. A hummingbird sighting is a remarkable event, one worthy of remembering, cherishing, and sharing with others. Award-winning author, naturalist, and wildlife photographer Stan Tekiela believes that hummingbirds are fascinating and adorable birds. He spent more than 10 years traveling across the country to observe and photograph the hummingbird's various species, from ruby-throated to rufous. He documented every aspect of the hummingbird's life: 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 animals in Hummingbirds. Stan's extraordinary photographs depict the backyard birds in a new, unique fashion. His fascinating text, drawn from detailed research and personal observations, provides information about every aspect of the hummingbirds' lives. Presented with headings and short paragraphs, the coffee-table book is pleasurable to browse and easy to read. "They are wondrous and beautiful," says Stan. "Watching them in action is almost magical." Unmatched by any other book on the market, Hummingbirds is a must-have for bird watchers, gardeners, and nature lovers.

Learn to attract and feed cardinals with this pocket-sized guide. The vibrant red of the male Northern Cardinal is stunning any time of year-and nothing is more beautiful than the early spring duets of cardinals singing their hearts out. 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 cardinals. The handy book is divided into three main sections. First, you'll learn all about cardinals: facts, range, habitat, songs, nests, and more. Up next, you'll be introduced to the seeds and other foods-such as grains, legumes, and mixes-that keep cardinals coming back. In the third section, Stan tells you which feeders cardinals prefer and why. You'll also be given information on placing feeders, cleaning feeders, and protecting cardinals. Find out how to make your yard into a habitat that cardinals will love. Then enjoy Stan's cardinal photography, trivia, and quick tips. This is truly your guide to attracting and feeding cardinals!

Learn to attract and feed a variety of woodpeckers with this pocket-sized guide. The splash of red on black and white-few backyard guests are more exciting to behold than the Downy Woodpecker. And what can capture a bird-watcher's attention like a woodpecker drumming against a tree? 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 woodpeckers, from flickers to sapsuckers. The handy book is divided into three main sections. First, you'll learn all about woodpeckers: facts, range, habitat, calls, nests, and more. Up next, you'll be introduced to suet and other foods-such as seeds and grains-that keep woodpeckers coming back. In the third section, Stan tells you which feeders woodpeckers prefer and why. You'll also be given information on placing feeders, cleaning feeders, and protecting woodpeckers. Find out how to make your yard into a habitat that woodpeckers will love. Then enjoy Stan's woodpecker photography, trivia, and quick tips. This is truly your guide to attracting and feeding woodpeckers!

A SUNDAY TIMES NATURE BOOK OF THE YEAR It's flight and egg and feathers and song. It's the demure plumage of a mountain thornbill and the extravagant tail feathers of an Indian paradise flycatcher, the solo song of a superb lyrebird and the perfectly timed duets of canebrake wrens, an osprey's hurtling dive toward the sea, and a long-legged heron's still, patient eyeing of the dark water. There is no single bird way of being. Drawing on personal observations, the latest science, and her bird-related travel around the world, Jennifer Ackerman playfully explores our dramatically shifting understanding of these magnificent animals. 'Jennifer Ackerman knows what she's talking about...Her knack for catching the personalities of different species in gorgeous, playful prose further collapses comfortable barriers between the human and the birdlike' Daily Telegraph 'The real joy of [this] book is its close attention to some of the specialists of the region... Ackerman is alive to the humour at play in field research ' Mark Cocker, Spectator

Identify Maryland and Delaware birds with this easy-to-use field guide, organized by color and featuring full-color photographs and helpful information. Make bird-watching in Maryland and Delaware even more enjoyable. With Stan Tekiela’s famous bird guide, field identification is simple and informative. There’s no need to look through dozens of photos of birds that don’t live in your area. This handy book features 148 species of Maryland and Delaware birds—including Washington, D.C., and the Chesapeake Bay—organized by color for ease of use. Full-page photographs present the species as you’ll see them in nature, and a “compare” feature helps you to decide between look-alikes. Inside you’ll find: 148 species: Only Maryland and Delaware birds! Simple color guide: See a yellow bird? Go to the yellow section Stan’s Notes: Naturalist tidbits and facts Professional photos: Crisp, stunning images This second edition includes new species, updated photographs and range maps, expanded information, and even more of Stan’s expert insights. So grab the Birds of Maryland & Delaware Field Guide for your next birding adventure—to help ensure that you positively identify the birds that you see.

A highly personal account of a phenomenal, once-in-a-lifetime adventure that saw Bruce and his wife, Lynn, embark on a year of travel and birding across the entire continent in a camper van. Their aim was to see Australia, but also to keep a list of the birds that they saw together. That list began with two Gang-gang Cockatoos flying over their son's yard in Torquay, Victoria and ended a year later watching a lovely little Speckled Warbler on a chilly morning back in Victoria with 638 other species seen in between. Kenn Kaufman said, "The story is superb, and the descriptions of birds, places and people are all original and engaging, and I love the asides and the wise and imaginative comments that Bruce works in on just about every page. The little asides that he tosses in are all gems and they add to the value and charm of the book. I love the story, I love Bruce's unique perspective on every topic, and I would like to make sure I get that point across." The book is more than a list of birds and how, and where, Bruce and Lynn got to see them. It's about the people and the places, and the joy of experiencing the stunningly diverse beauty of Australia.

Explore the wonders of the avian world with this comprehensive and fully illustrated guide to every aspect of bird life. Highly respected ornithologist and wildlife expert, Jonathan Elphick, begins by defining the distinguishing features of birds before going on to describe their evolution since the age of the dinosaurs. With the aid of fact boxes and clear photographs, he then explores in greater detail each of the significant elements of bird life: bird biology including anatomy, walking and swimming, plumage, calls and songs; flight techniques and styles; food and feeding; bird lifestyles and social relationships; breeding, growth and development; bird geography and habitats; and the mysteries of migration. He also considers human attitudes towards birds through the ages. With special photography from award-winning wildlife photographer David Tipling and many other top bird photographers, this book is a unique insight into the world of birds and essential reading for all ornithologists, bird watchers and natural history enthusiasts.

Shorebirds are a very popular group of birds among birders of all standards, though their identification is often a challenge. Covering all the species of the northern hemisphere, this new photographic guide provides all the information a birder will need at a glance. Lavishly illustrated with colour photography by the author, Shorebirds of the Northern Hemisphere focuses on specific and subspecific separation and on ageing to provide a complete identification resource.

Did you know that Penguins have wings and feathers but they can't fly? Instead they have evolved into the most efficient swimmers and divers of all birds. Even on land penguins are surprisingly agile and can travel vast distances on foot or by 'toboganning', sliding on their stomachs over the ice' propelled by their wings and feet. Penguins is an outstanding collection of photographs showing these intriguing animals in their natural habitat. You'll discover how penguins survive the frozen Antarctic; their short outer feathers overlap, like tiles on a roof, to form a thick waterproof layer, and underneath are fluffier feathers for warmth. They also huddle together to keep warm. How do penguins sleep? They take short naps during the day and evening. They have the unique ability to sleep while standing up or in the water. Penguins features a variety of species, from the Emperor, Chinstrap and Adelie penguins in the Antarctic to the Magellanic, Southern Rockhopper and Yellow- crested Macaroni penguins of Chile. With full captions explaining how these animals hunt and feed, rear their young and cope with such adverse weather conditions, Penguins is a brilliant examination in 150 outstanding colour photographs of this fascinating animal.

'A beautiful book' Tim Birkhead, author of BIRD SENSE 'A glorious, beautifully written pilgrimage into the soaring world of birds' Bel Mooney, DAILY MAIL Written by a beginner-birdwatcher with the freshness and passion of a convert, WAITING FOR THE ALBINO DUNNOCK explores the world of birds through the seasons of a single year. It describes encounters with particular birds in the landscapes of East Anglia where the author is rooted. Occasional journeys farther afield take the reader to truly wild places in the Outer Hebrides and Eastern Europe. Yet the ordinary experience of birdwatching is also far more than just that. The beauty of birds has the power to change lives, as it did the author's, and as in the case of the all-but-legendary snow leopard, it is more about the search than the result. Personal and elegiac in tone, the writing is an unusual combination of prose poems based on the actual experience of seeing a specific bird for the first time, woven with elements of science and wisdom traditions, ornithology (and its punning counterpart ornitheology), mythology and philosophy, taxonomy and history, literature and folklore, conveying the wider picture of what it means to be human in relationship to nature. WAITING FOR THE ALBINO DUNNOCK explores the degree to which wildness is embedded in the human psyche and how beauty is central to our mental and emotional wellbeing, while highlighting the careless damage we are inflicting on the natural world.

A BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week

Longlisted for the Wainwright Golden Beer Book Prize 2018

A Guardian Book of the Year 2018

The owl has captivated the human imagination for millennia; as a predator, messenger, emblem of wisdom or portent of doom. Owl Sense tells a new story.

On ‘owl walks’ with her teenage son, Benji, Miriam Darlington begins a quest to identify every European species of this elusive bird. From Britain she travels to Spain, France, Serbia and Finland, and to the frosted borders of the Arctic. Along the way, however, Benji succumbs to a mysterious and disabling illness, and Miriam’s endeavour soon becomes entangled with the search for his cure. Bringing the strangeness and magnificence of owls to life, Owl Sense is a book about wildness in nature but also in the unpredictable course of our human lives.