An introduction to France for anyone visiting with birds in mind, from casual birdwatchers checking a bird that flies over the terrace during a family holiday to addict birders who would sell their souls for a dream species or a record-breaking checklist. Some may have just a few spare hours to get their binoculars out between business meetings or museum visits, others will be out in the field for two weeks or more, from sunrise to sunset. The authors wrote this book for all bird lovers, birdwatchers and birders, whatever the duration of their stay, the number of kilometres they are prepared to travel and how they enjoy birds. With over 400 regularly occurring species, of which 357 normally breed or winter, France has one of the most diverse avifaunas of the whole of Europe, spanning an incredible range from colourful Mediterranean flagship species such as roller, bee-eater or black-winged kite to secretive cold-climate or mountain specialists like three-toed woodpecker and Tengmalm's owl. The Birdfinder section provides targeted details for 30 species which often rank in the top wish-list of birders visiting France. Dividing the country into 14 regions, the authors highlight 312 representative sites, chosen for their bird species composition and ease of access. The selected sites enable the reader to see the widest possible species diversity and largest range of local specialities in a reasonable time, while respecting the basic ethical rules obvious to all birdwatchers. Whenever possible, sites are arranged in clusters or itineraries that can be covered in two to three days without hurrying. To supplement the use of the book in the field, all the sites described are geolocated in a file that can be downloaded from the publisher's website and loaded onto any GPS device.

In this dazzling literary collection, writers explore and celebrate their lives with and love for birds-detailing experiences from Alaska to Bermuda, South Dakota to Panama. In When Birds Are Near, fresh new voices as well as seasoned authors offer tales of adventure, perseverance, and fun, whether taking us on a journey down Highway 1 to see a rare California Condor, fighting the destruction of our grasslands, or simply watching the feeder from a kitchen window. But these essays are more than just field notes. The authors reflect on love, loss, and family, engaging a broad array of emotions, from wonder to amusement. As Rob Nixon writes, "Sometimes the best bird experiences are defined less by a rare sighting than by a quality of presence, some sense of overall occasion that sets in motion memories of a particular landscape, a particular light, a particular choral effect, a particular hiking partner." Or, as the poet Elizabeth Bradfield remarks, "We resonate with certain animals, I believe, because they are a physical embodiment of an answer we are seeking. A sense of ourselves in the world that is nearly inexpressible." When Birds Are Near gives us the chance to walk alongside these avid appreciators of birds and reflect on our own interactions with our winged companions. Contributors: Christina Baal, Thomas Bancroft, K. Bannerman, R. A. Behrstock, Richard Bohannon, Elizabeth Bradfield, Christine Byl, Susan Cerulean, Sara Crosby, Jenn Dean, Rachel Dickinson, Katie Fallon, Jonathan Franzen, Andrew Furman, Tim Gallagher, David Gessner, Renata Golden, Ursula Murray Husted, Eli J. Knapp, Donald Kroodsma, J. Drew Lanham, John R. Nelson, Rob Nixon, Jonathan Rosen, Alison Townsend, Alison Vilag

The Peregrine, the fastest bird in the world, has made a remarkable recovery over the past 30 years. As the species re-establishes itself around the world it is becoming a familiar sight in towns and cities. This beautifully illustrated book is the first in-depth focus on the lives of Peregrines in towns and cities. In words and stunning photographs, Ed Drewitt reveals the latest information on Peregrine behavior including how they are adapting to, and taking advantage of, the urban environment. The book is also a how-to-guide, with information on finding peregrines, studying their diet, ringing individuals for research, putting up nest boxes and enabling people to learn more about them through public viewing points or web cameras. Ed also discusses what makes a Peregrine urban, their contemporary relationship with people, and helps dispel some myths and reveal some truths about this agile predator.

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.

Development agencies have for years been seeking a successful universal response to deprivation. Sparked by controversy and debate, the most recent trend is to look for solutions among 'local' or 'indigenous' populations. Nevertheless, resources continue to be wasted in ill-conceived, centrally-imposed schemes that have not only failed to improve matters in lesser-developed countries but have often made them worse. In such instances it is not local knowledge that is problematic, but development agencies' total misinterpretation of it as just one more 'approach' that can be applied universally. Local knowledge can never be that panacea, because it is not in any sense generic. by illustrating that the potential of local knowledge, in development or elsewhere, can only be achieved through recognition of its essential plurality. Perspectives from leading ethnographers and development professionals on issues such as conservation, agriculture and resource management illustrate that the complexity and cultural specificity of local knowledges can only be accessed via equally diverse theories and methodological approaches. offers ways of advancing the relationship between local knowledge and development, and of furthering anthropology's role in development processes. As a rare example of serious study of local knowledge strategy and its applications, this book illustrates the growing need for real understanding of the issue and its power to assist in positive change.

This volume reviews, for the first time, the broad range of issues that affect the welfare of commercially farmed ratites. Although ratites incorporate several families of flightless birds this book focuses on the most commonly farmed ratites, the ostrich, emu and rhea. The readers are taken on a journey through all sectors of the industry, which include breeding, incubation, hatching, brooding, rearing, growth, transport and processing, with an emphasis on husbandry and management protocols that can impact bird welfare and health. Also discussed is the structure and sensory innervation of the skin and digits of the birds, and the potential welfare implications of industry practices on these structures. Each chapter in this volume focuses on a particular aspect of the commercial farming of ratites with contributing authors from a broad range of disciplines.

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.

Biology of Marine Birds provides the only complete summary of information about marine birds ever published. It both summarizes and analyzes their breeding biology, ecology, taxonomy, evolution, fossil history, physiology, energetics, and conservation. The book covers four orders of marine birds: penguins (Sphenisciformes); albatross, shearwaters, petrels (Procellariiformes); pelicans, boobies, frigatebirds, tropicbirds, cormorants (Pelecaniformes); and gulls, terns, guillemots, auks (Charadriiformes - Families Laridae and Alcidae). Two summary chapters address the biology of shorebirds and wading birds and their lives in the marine environment.

This comprehensive book contains numerous summary tables that give you exhaustive information on various aspects of their life histories, breeding biology, physiology and energetics, and demography. It also discusses research techniques and future research needed, providing a guide to ornithologists and students for research projects.

Written by acknowledged experts in this field, Biology of Marine Birds is the ideal resource. The authors not only present known information, but provide new analyses and insights into marine bird biology. You will find no other book that covers all the major seabird groups and all the major topics with this depth of detail. Whether you are studying, researching, or managing marine environments, you will find yourself reaching for this resource repeatedly.

The lives and activities of seabirds as you've never seen them before Seabirds evoke the spirit of the earth's wildest places. They spend large portions of their lives at sea, often far from land, and nest on beautiful and remote islands that humans rarely visit. Thanks to the development of increasingly sophisticated and miniaturized devices that can track their every movement and behavior, it is now possible to observe the mysterious lives of these remarkable creatures as never before. This beautifully illustrated book takes you on a breathtaking journey around the globe to reveal where these birds actually go when they roam the sea, the tactics they employ to traverse vast tracts of ocean, the strategies they use to evade threats, and more. Michael Brooke has visited every corner of the world in his lifelong pursuit of seabirds. Here, he draws on his own experiences and insights as well as the latest cutting-edge science to shed light on the elusive seafaring lives of albatrosses, frigatebirds, cormorants, and other ocean wanderers. Where do puffins go in the winter? How deep do penguins dive? From how far away can an albatross spot a fishing vessel worth following for its next meal? Brooke addresses these and other questions in this delightful book. Along the way, he reveals that seabirds are not the aimless wind-tossed creatures they may appear to be and explains the observational innovations that are driving this exciting area of research. Featuring illustrations by renowned artist Bruce Pearson and packed with intriguing facts, Far from Land provides an extraordinary up-close look at the activities of seabirds.

Hunting with falcons for houbara bustards was an integral part of traditional life in the desert. Over the last few decades, this magnificent bird - so well adapted to the desert environment - has become an endangered species, due both to continued hunting and to the degradation of its habitat by domestic livestock. This book highlights the achievements of the National Wildlife Research Center of Saudi Arabia in securing the survival of the species through captive breeding, with the aim of reintroducing the houbara to the wild. The breeding programme has proved to be the greatest source of information yet available on the bird, yielding important data not obtainable from wild houbaras. Propagation of the Houbara Bustard is a practical 'how-to' manual for breeding the bird in captivity. It also presents and summarises the background data on houbara diet, behaviour, physiology, reproductive biology and veterinary care that have enabled the breeding programme to succeed in the short span of eight years. It will be of interest not only to breeders of houbara and other bustard species, but to all those who are studying or managing wild populations.

Molt is an important avian life history event in which feathers are shed and replaced. The timing, duration, seasonality, extent and pattern of molt follows certain strategies and this book reviews and describes these strategies for nearly 190 species based on information gathered from a 30-year study of Central Amazonian birds. Most species accounts are illustrated with several color photos focusing on wing and tail feather molt, molt limits, and how to use these patterns to accurately age birds. Published in collaboration with and on behalf of the American Ornithological Society, this volume in the highly-regarded Studies in Avian Biology series is a rich source of life history information for ornithologists working on tropical birds.

The first book of its kind to be published for the Bluegrass State, The Birds of Kentucky is designed to provide an accurate and scientifically rigorous description of all the species of birds found in Kentucky. This comprehensive guide features a wealth of information, including abundance records, migration dates, and additional reference material, and indicates whether a bird is a permanent resident, winter resident, summer resident, visitant, or transient. Additionally, Monroe reviews the history of ornithologists who have worked in Kentucky and outlines the physiography of the state as it relates to birding. More than just a verbal portrait of Kentucky avifauna, The Birds of Kentucky includes fifty-one color paintings by the renowned wildlife artist William Zimmerman, whose work has been favorably compared to that of John James Audubon. In contrast to Audubon's romanticism and often tortuous style, however, Zimmerman offers us "comfortable" birds that look as if they are about to take wing and leave the page. Beautifully illustrated and based on a lifetime of field observation and research, this book provides an excellent guide to the natural history of the birds of the Bluegrass.

Get the New Edition of Illinois's Best-Selling Bird Guide Learn to identify birds in Illinois, 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 117 species of Illinois 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: 117 species: Only Illinois 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 Illinois Field Guide for your next birding adventure-to help ensure that you positively identify the birds that you see.

Now updated and expanded, Southern African LBJs made simple o ers a unique method for identifying and distinguishing the cryptic little birds that are known as‘little brown jobs’. Using a three-stage process, the book guides readers through successive stages, each of which takes them closer to identi ying the bird in question. As calls play a critical role in identi cation of these birds, individual calls and comparative tracks are included.

The book features:

• NEW BIRD CALL ACCESS – instant access to calls using free downloadable call app to scan barcodes on the species pages
• Concise text describing key ID criteria (such as size, habitat, habits, call and similar-looking and -sounding birds)
• Updated distribution maps and carefully labelled illustrations.  is enhanced and updated new edition will be an invaluable guide for anyone who wants to be able to tell one LBJ from another.

The first comprehensive coverage of a subject that has fascinated natural historians for centuries. Avian vagrancy is a phenomenon that has fascinated natural historians for centuries. From Victorian collectors willing to spend fortunes on a rare specimen, to today's high-octane bird-chasing 'twitchers', the enigma of vagrancy has become a source of obsession for countless birders worldwide. Vagrancy in Birds explores both pattern and process in avian vagrancy, drawing on recent research to answer a suite of fundamental questions concerning the occurrence of rare birds. For each avian family, the book provides an in-depth analysis of recent and historical vagrancy patterns, representing the first comprehensive assessment of vagrancy at a global scale. The accounts are accompanied by hundreds of previously unpublished images featuring many of the most exceptional vagrants on record. The book synthesises for the first time everything we know about the subject, making the case for vagrancy as a biological phenomenon with far-reaching implications for avian ecology and evolution.

Get the New Edition of Indiana's Best-Selling Bird Guide Learn to identify birds in Indiana, 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 118 species of Indiana 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: 118 species: Only Indiana 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 Indiana Field Guide for your next birding adventure-to help ensure that you positively identify the birds that you see.

A comprehensive, in-depth study of North American waterfowl. This study is covered in three lavishly illustrated volumes. Volume II covers ducks of the deeper waters, often salty, who have marvelously adapted themselves to feeding below the surface, sometimes at incredible depths.

Southern African birdfinder - where to find over 1400 bird species from South Africa to Zambia, is the essential companion to all local bird field guides.

It fills a gap in the market for a guide to the region's top birding spots and to finding southern Africa and Madagascar's most desirable birds. After an introduction to birding in the region, the authors outline and describe 39 key bird routes and more than 330 birding sites across South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Madagascar and the little-documented but increasingly popular areas of Angola, Mozambique, Zambia and Malawi.

Sites include practical details of access, best times to visit, habitat diversity and the birds that occur in it, and general natural history; the more important sites feature a detailed map.

'thoroughly recommended' -Country-side magazine The Red Kite (Milvus milvus) - one of our most elegant and impressive birds of prey - has a varied and dramatic history in Britain. Having been driven perilously close to extinction, it has now made a welcome comeback, in part through one of the most successful reintroduction projects ever undertaken. This beautifully illustrated book follows the birds through the ups and downs of the year, from the rigours of raising young during the warm summer months to the struggle for survival in the depths of winter. Interspersed with the monthly accounts, are chapters on the history of the Red Kite in Britain, the reintroduction programme, the threats it still faces, and its status elsewhere in Europe. Red Kite biology is explored from nest construction, egg laying and nest defence, through to juveniles leaving the nest and learning to live independently. The book concludes with an overview of Red Kite status throughout their range. With a foreword by Mark Avery.

Sardinia is in the middle of the western Mediterranean between Europe and Africa. Its location on the Mediterranean flyway makes it an important refuelling stop for migrating birds - especially on its extensive wetlands. A popular destination for birders and naturalists, Sardinia has a great diversity of fauna and flora, along with rich cultural and historical attractions. Where to Watch Birds in Sardinia, written by two ornithologists with extensive experience of Sardinian birding, provides detailed information on the 43 key birding sites in Sardinia. For each site the target species are highlighted, along with information on habitat, when to visit, other wildlife, facilities, access, how long you'll need, the photographic opportunities and recommendations for your visit. A map of each site helps with planning and navigation to the site. Often described as a micro-continent for the variety of its ecosystems, Sardinia has mountains, forests, lowlands, gorges, wetlands, long sandy beaches and rocky shores. It is home to around 300 bird species, 41 mammals, 18 reptiles and 8 amphibians as well as a hugely diverse invertebrate fauna. Owing to its geographical isolation, altitudinal variation and limited human presence, Sardinia has retained many habitats that are favourable for the development and preservation of a large number of endemic plants, accounting for 10 per cent of the island's flora and including several orchid species. Sardinia's 'must-see' birds include Greater Flamingo, Eleonora's Falcon, Purple Swamphen, Little Bustard, Audouin's Gull, Marmora's Warbler, Corsican Finch, Griffon Vulture and Barbary Partridge. In spring, April and May are the best months for migration, while for the autumn migration the best period stretches from the end of August to the end of October. Wetlands are the most important sites in springtime, with many species stopping for some days before going north. During the breeding season these areas are very important for Greater Flamingo, Audouin's Gull, Little Tern and several other species of waders, gulls and terns. The breeding season is also a good time to see 'special' resident species like the Little Bustard in display or to hear the flight call of the Corsican Finch. In winter, large concentrations of ducks and gulls are found on the island, with the occasional vagrant from Siberia or North America.

Golden-winged Warblers (Vermivora chrysoptera) are migratory songbirds that breed in temperate North America, primarily in the Great Lakes region with remnant populations throughout the Appalachian Mountains, and winter in Central and northern South America. Their breeding range has contracted dramatically in the Appalachian Mountains and many populations have dramatically declined, likely due to habitat loss, competition and interbreeding with Blue-winged Warblers (Vermivora pinus), andglobal climate change.. As a result of population declines in much of the eastern portion of their breeding range, Golden-winged Warblers are listed as endangered or threatened in 10 U.S. states and in Canada and have been petitioned for protection under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Published in collaboration with and on behalf of The American Ornithological Society, this volume in the highly-regarded Studies in Avian Biology series compiles extensive, current research on Golden-winged Warblers and summarizes what is known and identifies many remaining unknowns, providing a wealth of peer-reviewed science on which future research and listing decisions can be based.

Kenya, a country only the size of Texas, has one of the richest avifaunas in Africa. This atlas is an explanatory overview of Kenya's 1065 species, essential both to the birdwatcher as a means of finding birds and interpreting the significance of field observations, and to the ornithologist as a standard reference work.

This stunning edition of one of the most celebrated and highly valued natural history books of all time features impeccably reproduced images of Audubon's original watercolors, along with an introduction by world-renowned ornithologist David Allen Sibley. First published in installments between 1827 and 1838, John James Audubon's collection of life-sized watercolors of North American birds is the standard against which all wildlife illustration is measured. Fewer than 120 copies survive today, locked away in museums and private collections around the world. For this volume, the Natural History Museum in London disbound one of the two original editions it owns, and each of the 435 exquisite hand-colored prints of the original watercolours were photographed using the latest digital scanning technology. From an avocet grazing in a tidal pond to a zenaida dove perched on a flowering branch, each of Audubon's subjects is depicted with the grace and beauty of a living bird in its natural habitat. An avid outdoorsman and explorer, Audubon traveled from Florida to Labrador to Texas and the Dakotas to study and collect his specimens. Straddling the line between science and art, this book mesmerized 19th-century audiences around the world; today it stands as a reminder of the spectacular biodiversity of the North American continent, and of the pioneer spirit that Audubon himself revered.

A remarkable exploration of naturalized parrots, among the most widely distributed birds in the world There are more than 350 species of parrots in the world, and approximately 300 of these species have been transported to other countries through the caged pet trade. Whether through escaped captivity or purposeful release, many of these parrots are now breeding in new habitats. Indeed, no less than 75 species of parrots have established breeding populations in countries where they were introduced, and parrots are now among the most widely distributed group of birds. Naturalized Parrots of the World is the first book to examine this specific avian population. Bringing together the work of leading researchers in one convenient volume, this book explores the biology of naturalized parrots and their interactions with native ecosystems. Experts discuss the global distribution of parrots, their genetics, conservation implications, and human responses to these birds. They also consider debates surrounding management issues and the lack of consensus around nonnative species in the wild. Later chapters feature case studies of the two most successful species-the Rose-ringed Parakeet and Monk Parakeet-as well as studies of the introduced parrot species located in specific countries and regions, including the United States, United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal, northern Europe, South Africa, and Australia. Highlighting critical aspects of conservation biology and biodiversity, Naturalized Parrots of the World will be an invaluable resource for parrot owners, ornithologists, conservation biologists, and birdwatchers.

The definitive photographic guide to the amazing avifauna of Borneo. The world's third largest island, divided between three countries - Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei - Borneo is home to some of the oldest rainforests in the world, estimated to be 140 millions years old, and an avifauna of around 600 recorded bird species. It is a haven for birdwatchers and a frontrunning biodiversity hotspot. A range of habitats contributes to a diverse and exciting birdlife, which features colourful forest dwellers, mighty canopy dwelling hornbills, soaring raptors, as well as a host of charismatic endemics species and subspecies confined to this unique and special island. This guide is the perfect companion for any wildlife-savvy visitor to the island. It includes superb photography of more than 300 commonly encountered species, including all endemics and many subspecies. Concise text, covering key information on identification, habitat and distribution, and the best birdwatching sites, accompanies the photos to guide identification.