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Books > Science & Mathematics > Biology, life sciences > Zoology & animal sciences > Vertebrates > Birds (ornithology)
At the time of his death in 1935, Harry S. Swarth, head of the
Mammalogy and Ornithology Departments at the California Academy of
Sciences in San Francisco, had been preparing a manuscript
reflecting on twenty-five years of research in Alaska and British
Columbia. The Distribution and Migrations of Birds in Adjacent
Alaska and British Columbia summarized Swarth's research, ideas,
and conjectures on bird life in the region, including theories on
when and how birds populated this vast territory after the retreat
of glaciers near the end of the Pleistocene. Drawing on his field
experiences and the forty scientific papers on the region he
published from 1908 on, Swarth's manuscript represented
state-of-the-art science for the time. And it holds up; his work is
still cited by ornithologists today. In 2019, Christopher Swarth,
Harry's grandson and a scientist in his own right, discovered the
forgotten manuscript. This volume includes the original unpublished
manuscript, accompanied by contextual essays from contemporary
scientists, including Steven Heinl (Alaska Fish & Wildlife) and
Philip Unitt (San Diego Natural History Museum). He has also
included excerpts from Harry Swarth's field notes to bring
additional color and insight to the project. Appendices include
expedition locations, a comprehensive list of Harry Swarth's
publications, and a glossary with historic and contemporary bird
names.
This new edition is the most comprehensive field guide to the birds
of Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, covering all 673 species
known to occur in the region. The birds are illustrated in a series
of 74 stunning full-colour plates, painted for this book by Alan
Pearson, an artist with considerable first-hand experience of the
region. The plates illustrate the various plumage variations for
each bird, and show the birds perched and also in flight, where
relevant to their identification. The text, written and revised by
Allen Jeyarajasingam, is accessible to experienced ornithologists
and beginners alike, and highlights the important identification
features such as plumage variations, size, calls and songs, range,
distribution, and status for every species. Introductory sections
describe the region and highlight some of the best sites for
watching the abundant avifauna.
The beautiful, precise plates and clearly-written text make this
book a must-have for all birdwatchers travelling to the region.
The Horn of Africa has the highest endemism of any region in
Africa, and around 70 species are found nowhere else in the world.
Many of these are confined to the isolated highlands of Ethiopia
and Eritrea, but a large number of larks specialise in the arid
parts of Somalia and adjoining eastern Ethiopia, whilst the island
of Socotra has its own suite of endemic species. The region is also
an important migration route and wintering site for many Palearctic
birds. This is the first field guide to the birds of this
fascinating region, and a companion to Birds of East Africa by two
of the same authors. Over 200 magnificent plates by John Gale and
Brian Small illustrate every species that has ever occurred in the
five countries covered by the guide, and the succinct text covers
the key identification criteria. Special attention is paid to the
voices of the species, and over 1000 up-to-date colour distribution
maps are included. This long-awaited guide is a much-needed
addition to the literature on African birds and an essential
companion for birders visiting the region.
This book is the fourth in the series of statewise volumes on
threatened birds of India, and is largely derived from Threatened
Birds of India (2012) by Dr. Asad R. Rahmani, published by
BNHS/OUP. Information has been updated according to the latest IUCN
2013 Red List for Birds, incorporating the changes in threat status
recommended by BirdLife International, UK. The book describes the
threatened and near threatened avian species of the state of Uttar
Pradesh, with notes on their distribution, ecology, historical
records and current distribution. Based on this updated
information, appropriate recommendations have been made regarding
the conservation action that needs to be taken for each species.
The Introduction has been supplemented with short notes on extinct
birds of Uttar Pradesh as well as threatened birds likely to be
found in the state. Detailed descriptions are given for the species
for which Uttar Pradesh holds critical habitats. Shorter
descriptions are given for species marginal to the state. The book
is intended to be a handy reference for interested readers, as well
as decision makers at the state level, where conservation actions
are implemented.
There's nothing like a puffin, right? Except soon there may not be
anything like a puffin left in the United Kingdom. In 2015, the
International Union for Conservation of Nature added the Atlantic
puffin to the Red List of Threatened Species for birds. This book
is a journey to find the last strongholds of the most enigmatic
birds in the United Kingdom. Every last puffin. It's a story of
scouting for puffins on the remote Hebridean outpost of St Kilda,
where they used to be found on dinner tables, of braving the fierce
winds of Shetland to find pufflings, and of unintentionally
swimming with puffins in the Shiant Isles. Scottish 'tammie
norries' are sought from Lunga to Westray to the Isle of May.
Elsewhere, there's a puffin fightback in Skomer, southern puffins
in the balmy Isles of Scilly, and the tale of an errant puffin who
made an impromptu visit to a sex clinic in Hampshire. This is a
celebration of all things puffin, and a last chance to see the
clown of the sea before it's too late.
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