Internationally celebrated nature writer Candace Savage presents the Corvid family- surprisingly bright, brassy, and colorful birds-in a remarkable collection of full-color, close-up photographs by some of the world's best wildlife photographers. Birds have long been viewed as the archetypal featherbrains-beautiful but dumb. But according to naturalist Candace Savage, "bird brain," as a pejorative expression, should be rendered obsolete by new research on the family of corvids: crows and their close relations. The ancients who regarded these remarkable birds as oracles, bringers of wisdom, or agents of vengeance were on the right track, for corvids appear to have powers of abstraction, memory, and creativity that put them on a par with many mammals, even higher primates. Bird Brains presents these bright, brassy, and surprisingly colorful birds in a remarkable collection of full-color, close-up photographs by some two dozen of the world's best wildlife photographers. Savage's lively, authoritative text describes the life and behavior of sixteen representative corvid species that inhabit North America and Europe. Drawing on recent research, she describes birds that recognize each other as individuals, call one another by "name," remember and relocate thousands of hidden food caches, engage in true teamwork and purposeful play, and generally exhibit an extraordinary degree of sophistication.

The spectacular Cape Cod coastline encompasses a variety of diverse habitats that are home to thousands of species of plants and animals. This beautifully illustrated guide highlights over 140 familiar and unique species of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, nearshore fishes, seashore creatures, seashells and plants. It also includes a map featuring prominent wildlife-viewing areas. On waterproof paper, this lightweight, pocket-sized folding guide is an ideal source of portable information and ideal for field use by visitors and residents alike. Made in the USA.

Shorebirds and seabirds found on the east coast are truly world globetrotters with migration routes that span oceans and continents. New Jersey Shorebirds is the ideal reference guide for the seasonal visitor or resident to identify commonly seen birds along the coast of eastern North America. This beautifully illustrated guide highlights over 140 familiar species and a map featuring prominent coastal birding hotspots. Printed on waterproof paper for durability, this lightweight, pocket-sized folding guide is an excellent source of portable information and ideal for field use by birders of all ages. Made in the USA.

This easy-to-use identification guide to the 280 bird species most commonly seen in Malaysia (including the state of Sabah and Sarawak on the island of Borneo) is perfect for resident and visitor alike. High quality photographs from some of Malaysia's top nature photographers are accompanied by detailed species descriptions, which include nomenclature, length, plumage, distribution, habits and habitat. The user-friendly introduction covers climate, vegetation, biogeography, opportunities for naturalists and the main sites for viewing the listed species. Also included is an all-important checklist of all of the birds of Malaysia encompassing, for each species, its common and scientific names as well as Malay names, its status in each state as well as its global status.

Co-published by The Vermont Fish & Widlife Department, The Nature Conservancy, and Vermont Land Trust--a revised and updated 2nd edition This book is a must-have for anyone wanting to understand Vermont's forests, wetlands, mountaintops, and shores. Richly illustrated with beautiful line drawings and stunning color photographs, this accessible field guide will delight outdoor explorers and armchair naturalists alike. The book starts with an introduction to the natural community concept and the factors influencing our natural systems, from wind and water to soil and rocks. Then, the book offers a lucid and enjoyable journey into Vermont's geologic past, with stories of colliding continents, sea floor sediments, and mysterious whale bones. This follows with a journey through all of Vermont's nine distinct biophysical regions, from the cold and wild Northeastern Highlands to the warm and dry Taconic Mountains. The bulk of the book describes Vermont's natural communities-its northern hardwood forests, dry oak woodlands, alpine tundra, cedar swamps, bogs, and marshes-in comprehensive detail. Ecological settings, including geology, soils, climate, and natural disturbance processes, are described for each community, along with complete lists of characteristic plants and animals, as well as places to visit. Wetland, Woodland, Wildland is the definitive guide to Vermont's natural communities, and is packed with information unavailable elsewhere. It offers practical information for naturalists, teachers, students, landowners, land managers, foresters, conservation planners, and all those with a love of nature who want to learn more about their surroundings. The first edition of this book, published in 2000, has become a mainstay for naturalists and students throughout Vermont and surrounding states and provinces. This second edition is completely updated to incorporate new research and a growing knowledge about natural communities, as well as a deeper understanding of climate change and its implications for conservation into the future. This newly updated book will be a prized addition to your natural history library, but it won't remain on the shelf. You will want to take it with you every time you explore the outdoors. Each paragraph will bring new insights and will deepen your understanding and appreciation of wild nature around you. You will surely want to share this book with friends.

A flock of birds, even a skein of geese perhaps - but a clete of badgers or a grist of bees? The collective nouns of animals and birds have long inspired and intirgued us. Many have their roots in medieval times, in particular applied to those creatures hunted by man, and subject to the etiquette of their proper group names. Steve Palin has beautifully illustrated and given the background to about 50 different animals and birds with interesting collective nouns - and listed 420 of them in his glossary.

"Birds of the Masai Mara" is a remarkably beautiful photographic guide featuring the bird species likely to be encountered by visitors to the popular Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya. With an eye-catching layout, easy-to-use format, and no-jargon approach, the book contains more than 300 stunning photographs covering over 200 species of birds and is accessible and informative, rather than purely identification-based. A handy, brief introduction provides visitors with background on the habitats of the national park, and the guide's habitat-based approach makes it simple to identify any bird species according to where it is found. Based on the firsthand experiences of the author, "Birds of the Masai Mara" is an ideal companion to all those visiting the national reserve and to bird aficionados interested in learning more about the region.The only photographic guide to focus solely on the bird species of the Masai Mara National Reserve More than 300 remarkable photographs covering over 200 species Accessible text explores bird species behavior and species etymology A brief and handy introduction examines the habitats of the Masai Mara Easy-to-use habitat-based layout makes exciting birdwatching easy

Winner of the Favourite Scottish Nature Photography Book, 2020 Cairngorm National Park is a massive area of mountains and passes, rivers and forests, settlements and wild land, located in the heart of Scotland. A unique environment, it is home to many species of animals and birds. Its scenery is glorious. Andy Howard has enjoyed an intimate relationship with the area since childhood, exploring its most hidden places and developing a close understanding of its wildlife. His photography displays the deep empathy that makes him a unique and sensitive guide.

Positioned along the major East Coast migratory flyway, New York City and the surrounding areas offer some of the finest birding opportunities in North America. More than 355 species have been sighted there. Tapping the expertise of 47 metropolitan birders, Marcia T. Fowle and Paul Kerlinger provide residents, tourists, and visiting birders with the information they need to make the most of the area's extraordinary birding sites. The New York City Audubon Society Guide to Finding Birds in the Metropolitan Area contains up-to-date descriptions of 40 birding sites within the metropolitan area, which includes the five boroughs of New York City and adjacent areas in New Jersey, Long Island, and Westchester County. An additional section features 9 birding day-trips. Entries for each site include detailed maps, descriptions of the birds that can be seen, best season to visit, safety precautions, and public transportation. This exciting new guide is notable for its: *rankings for the birding opportunities at each site during each season;*checklist of 355 bird species found in New York City;*information on site-specific conservation and ecology;*coverage of practical issues; *suggestions for day-trips, regional hawkwatches, and pelagic birding trips;*birding resources, web sites, hotlines, and suggested reading for novices and expert

Interactions between people and animals are attracting overdue attention in diverse fields of scholarship, yet insects still creep within the shadows of more charismatic birds, fish, and mammals. Insect Histories of East Asia centers on bugs and creepy crawlies and the taxonomies in which they were embedded in China, Japan, and Korea to present a history of human and animal cocreation of habitats in ways that were both deliberate and unwitting. Using sources spanning from the earliest written records into the twentieth century, the contributors draw on a wide range of disciplines to explore the dynamic interaction between the notional insects that infested authors' imaginations and the six-legged creatures buzzing, hopping, and crawling around them.

Back from the brink of extinction, the otter is making a come-back in Britain today. Here, author James Williams, a life-long enthusiast of this enigmatic creature, dispells some of the mysteries of the otter.

**WINNER OF THE BEST FIELD GUIDE AT THE WHITLEY AWARDS 2019** Packed with extraordinary photographs, this ground-breaking book represents the first accessible field guide to the reptiles and amphibians of New Zealand, covering all 123 species. From the ancient tuatara to the world's largest collection of long-lived and live-bearing lizards, every species account includes an accurate distribution map and information on appearance, habitat, similar species and natural history. This definitive guide also features a comprehensive introduction to evolution, conservation, ecosystems and geographic history. This is the ultimate photographic field guide to New Zealand's herpetofauna, and is a gateway into the world of these fascinating tetrapods for amateur and expert herpetologists alike.

You don't have to be Paul Bunyan to build a wilderness home. In fact, you don't even need an ax, and nails are not an absolute necessity. What you'll need is Wilderness Shelters, the definitive guide to building log cabins, camping shelters, blockhouses, and more.Here are illustrated instructions for everything from felling trees to splitting logs, from laying foundations to insulating roofs. The book also shows you how to fashion indoor and outdoor furniture for your rustic retreat, including tables, benches, bookcases, beds and ice chambers. And it teaches you to obtain food from nature and dine in comfort.With its wealth of ideas, Wilderness Shelters shows that wilderness living can be more efficient than gadget-ridden urban lifestyles.

"An important new step for world ornithology" – Professor Osor Shagdarsuren Mongolia lies in the heart of Asia, bridging the vast Siberian taiga forests of the north and the world’s coldest deserts to the south. It encompasses great mountain ranges, extensive steppes and deserts, and pristine rivers and lakes. Large and sparsely populated, Mongolia harbours a rich avifauna including an array of globally rare and local species. - First-ever field guide to the birds of Mongolia - Covers 503 species, including all residents, migrants and vagrants - 113 superb plates depicting every species and many distinct plumages and races - Authoritative text covers identification features, along with voice, habitat, behaviour and status - Accurate maps for every species

Concise descriptions of the animals and their tracks are combined with detailed drawings of the front and back prints, stride patterns and other important identifying aspects. Each animal is captured in accurate black-and-white illustrations, including pattern and print comparisons. A perfect guide for teachers, parents, hikers and urban adventurers.

'A delight' Hugh Warwick, ecologist and author of A Prickly Affair 'Hilarious and heartbreaking' Lee Schofield, author of Wild Fell 'A necessary nature book.' John Lewis-Stempel 'A triumph' Charles Foster, author of Cry of the Wild, Being a Human and A Little Brown Sea Hedgehogs are disappearing. Their numbers are estimated to have halved in less than twenty years. Why? Who could possibly have it in for the hedgehog when in poll after poll they come out top as our favourite mammal. Is it the car driver, the badger, the farmer, or the gardener? Magnifying glass in hand, Tom Moorhouse investigates the evidence. On a vital mission to bring those responsible to justice, prevent further murder and save a species, he uncovers a story full of twists, turns and uncomfortable truths about the trade-offs that exist between humans and wildlife. And then thankfully he provides solutions. A final chapter equips the reader with the toolkit required to try and coax our beloved hedgehogs back.

Rebirding takes the long view of Britain's wildlife decline, from the early taming of our landscape and its long-lost elephants and rhinos, to fenland drainage, the removal of cornerstone species such as wild cattle, horses, beavers and boar - and forward in time to the intensification of our modern landscapes and the collapse of invertebrate populations. It looks at key reasons why species are vanishing, as our landscapes become ever more tamed and less diverse, with wildlife trapped in tiny pockets of habitat. It explores how Britain has, uniquely, relied on modifying farmland, rather than restoring ecosystems, in a failing attempt to halt wildlife decline. The irony is that 94% of Britain is not built upon at all. And with more nature-loving voices than any European country, we should in fact have the best, not the most impoverished, wildlife on our continent. Especially when the rural economics of our game estates, and upland farms, are among the worst in Europe. Britain is blessed with all the space it needs for an epic wildlife recovery. The deer estates of the Scottish Highlands are twice the size of Yellowstone National Park. Snowdonia is larger than the Maasai Mara. The problem in Britain is not a lack of space. It is that our precious space is uniquely wasted - not only for wildlife, but for people's jobs and rural futures too. Rebirding maps out how we might finally turn things around: rewilding our national parks, restoring natural ecosystems and allowing our wildlife a far richer future. In doing so, an entirely new sector of rural jobs would be created; finally bringing Britain's dying rural landscapes and failing economies back to life.

This is the only comprehensive and handy pocket guide that illustrates and describes the bird species of Hawaii, New Zealand, and the Central and West Pacific. Featuring more than 750 species illustrated in vivid and stunning detail on 95 color plates, this authoritative guide provides information on key identification features, habitat, songs, and calls. Birds of Hawaii, New Zealand, and the Central and West Pacific is a must-have for birders of all levels interested in this region of the world. * The only guide to illustrate the birds of Hawaii, New Zealand, and the Central and West Pacific * More than 750 species illustrated on 95 color plates * Depictions of all plumages for males, females, and juveniles * Detailed distribution maps show where each species is commonly found * Information on key identification features, habitat, songs, and calls * In-depth look at flight signatures, vagrant populations, and much more * Concise and highly portable

At Warburg, Germany, in 1941, four British PoWs find an unexpected means of escape from the horrors of internment when they form a birdwatching society, and embark on an obsessive quest behind barbed wire. Through their shared love of birds, they overcome hunger, hardship, fear and stultifying boredom. Their quest draws in not only their fellow prisoners, but also some of the German guards, at great risk to them all... Derek Niemann draws on original diaries, letters and drawings, to tell of how Conder, Barrett, Waterston and Buxton were forged by their experiences as POWs into the giants of post war wildlife conservation. Their legacy lives on, in institutions such as the RSPB and the British Wildlife Trust.

A Project of the Center for Great Plains Studies and the School of Natural Resources, University of Nebraska Great Plains Bison traces the history and ecology of this American symbol from the origins of the great herds that once dominated the prairie to its near extinction in the late nineteenth century and the subsequent efforts to restore the bison population. A longtime wildlife biologist and one of the most powerful literary voices on the Great Plains, Dan O'Brien has managed his own ethically run buffalo ranch since 1997. Drawing on both extensive research and decades of personal experience, he details not only the natural history of the bison but also its prominent symbolism in Native American culture and its rise as an icon of the Great Plains. Great Plains Bison is a tribute to the bison's essential place at the heart of the North American prairie and its ability to inspire naturalists and wildlife advocates in the fight to preserve American biodiversity.