In Vultures of the World, Keith L. Bildstein provides an engaging look at vultures and condors, seeking to help us understand these widely recognized but underappreciated birds. Bildstein's latest work is an inspirational and long overdue blend of all things vulture. Based on decades of personal experience, dozens of case studies, and numerous up-to-date examples of cutting-edge science, this book introduces readers to the essential nature of vultures and condors. Not only do these most proficient of all vertebrate scavengers clean up natural and man-made organic waste but they also recycle ecologically essential elements back into both wild and human landscapes, allowing our ecosystems to function successfully across generations of organisms. With distributions ranging over more than three-quarters of all land on five continents, the world's twenty-three species of scavenging birds of prey offer an outstanding example of biological diversity writ large. Included in the world's species fold are its most abundant large raptors-several of its longest lived birds and the most massive of all soaring birds. With a fossil record dating back more than fifty million years, vultures and condors possess numerous adaptions that characteristically serve them well but at times also make them particularly vulnerable to human actions. Vultures of the World is a truly global treatment of vultures, offering a roadmap of how best to protect these birds and their important ecology.

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.

Many raptors, the hawks, eagles, and falcons of the world, migrate over long distances, often in impressively large numbers. Many avoid crossing wide expanses of water and follow "flyways" to optimize soaring potential. Atmospheric conditions and landscape features, including waterways and mountain ranges, funnel these birds into predictable bottlenecks through which thousands of daytime birds of prey may pass in a short time. Birders and ornithologists also congregate at these locations to observe the river of raptors passing overhead (as did hunters in the United States in the past and in some countries even today).

Keith L. Bildstein has studied migrating raptors on four continents and directs the conservation science program at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, Pennsylvania, the world's first refuge for migratory birds of prey. In this book, he details the stories and successes of twelve of the world's most important raptor-viewing spots, among them Cape May Point, New Jersey; Veracruz, Mexico; Kekoldi, Costa Rica; the Strait of Gibralter, Spain; and Elat, Israel. During peak migration, when the weather is right, the skies at these sites, as at Hawk Mountain, can fill with thousands of birds in a single field of view. Bildstein, whose knowledge of the phenomenon of raptor migration is comprehensive, provides an accessible account of the history, ecology, geography, science, and conservation aspects surrounding the migration of approximately two hundred species of raptors between their summer breeding sites and their wintering grounds. He summarizes current knowledge about how the birds' bodies handle the demands of long-distance migration and how they know where to go.

Migrating Raptors of the World also includes the ecological and conservation stories of several intriguing raptor migrants, including the Turkey Vulture, Osprey, Bald Eagle, Western Honey Buzzard, Northern Harrier, Grey-faced Buzzard, Steppe Buzzard, and Amur Falcon.

Eagles have fascinated humans for millennia. For some, the glimpse of a distant eagle instantly becomes a treasured lifelong memory. Others may never encounter a wild eagle in their lifetime. This book was written by people who have dedicated years to the study of eagles, to provide an insider's view for all readers, but especially those who have never been up close and personal with these magnificent yet often misunderstood creatures.

In their stories, twenty-nine leading eagle researchers share their remarkable field experiences, providing personal narratives that don't feature in their scientific publications. They tell of their fear at being stalked by grizzly bears, their surprise at being followed by the secret police, their embarrassment when accidentally firing mortar rockets over a school gymnasium, and their sense of awe at tracking eagles via satellite. The reader experiences the cultural shock of being guest of honor at a circumcision ceremony, the absurdity of sharing an aquatic car with the Khmer Rouge, and the sense of foreboding at being press-ganged into a frenzied tribal death march through the jungle.

The Eagle Watchers covers twenty-four species on six continents, from well known (bald eagle; golden eagle), to obscure (black-and-chestnut eagle; New Guinea harpy eagle), and from common (African fish eagle) to critically endangered (Philippine eagle; Madagascar fish eagle). The diverse experiences vividly described in this book reveal the passion, dedication, and sense of adventure shared by those who study these majestic birds and strive for their conservation.

Featuring stunning color photographs of the eagles, information on raptor conservation, a global list of all eagle species with ranges and conservation status, and a color map of the sites visited in the book, The Eagle Watchers will appeal to birders, conservationists, and adventure travelers alike. To further support the conservation programs described in this book, all royalties are being donated to two leading nonprofit organizations for raptor conservation training and fieldwork: Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Intern Program and the National Birds of Prey Trust.

Contributors: Bill Clark (Solitary Eagle, Mexico); Rob Davies (Verreaux's Eagle, South Africa); Miguel Ferrer (Spanish Imperial Eagle, Spain); Martin Gilbert (New Guinea Harpy Eagle, New Guinea); Justin Grant (White-tailed Sea Eagle, Scotland); Teryl G. Grubb (Bald Eagle, United States); Alan R. Harmata (Bald Eagle, United States); Bjorn Helander (White-tailed Sea Eagle, Sweden); Andrew Jenkins (Martial Eagle, South Africa); Sarah Karpanty (Madagascar Serpent Eagle, Madagascar); Todd E. Katzner (Eastern Imperial Eagle, Kazakhstan); John A. Love (White-tailed Sea Eagle, Scotland); Carol McIntyre (Golden Eagle, United States); Bernd-U. Meyburg (Lesser Spotted Eagle, Czechoslovakia and Germany); Hector C. Miranda Jr. (Philippine Eagle, Philippines); Malcolm Nicoll (Grey-headed Fishing Eagle, Cambodia); Vincent Nijman (Javan Hawk-Eagle, Indonesia); Penny Olsen (Wedge-tailed Eagle, Australia); Keisuke Saito (Steller's Sea Eagle, Japan); Susanne Shultz (African Crowned Eagle, Ivory Coast); Robert E. Simmons (Wahlberg's Eagle, South Africa); Ruth E. Tingay (Madagascar Fish Eagle, Madagascar); Janeene Touchton (Harpy Eagle, Panama); Ursula Valdez (Black-and-chestnut Eagle, Peru); Munir Z. Virani (African Fish Eagle, Kenya); Jeff Watson (Golden Eagle, Scotland); Mark Watson (New Guinea Harpy Eagle, New Guinea); Richard T. Watson (Bateleur, South Africa); Jason Wiersma (White-bellied Sea Eagle, Tasmania)"

This is the much anticipated and thoroughly updated version of the popular but long out of print "Raptor Management Techniques Manual". Produced by the Raptor Research Foundation, this is a comprehensive work designed for use by raptor researchers and conservationists and natural-resource managers around the world. Each chapter has been authored by experts in the field and has undergone rigorous review. Not an all-inclusive manual or detailed 'how-to' book, this new work reflects the state of the art in raptor research, with up-to-date information on various techniques, and numerous references to additional sources for details and cautions regarding various field and laboratory techniques and management tools. Beginning with a general review of the field of raptor research, it includes insights into field-study techniques, information on the energetics, physiology, pathology, and toxicology of raptors; it covers reduction of management and researcher disturbance, mitigation, population monitoring at migration watchsites, captive breeding, the augmentation of wild populations, and rehabilitation, and concludes with chapters on public education and legal considerations. This book will enhance standardisation in the field, speed improvement in techniques and help those who study and manage birds to better protect them.