Ornithology: Find Books
This guide identifies reference works, other library resources, key classic books and major Internet sites for studies on birds.
NSU Libraries Subject Books
Featured Resources
Florida's Birds by
This illustrated guide to Florida's birds includes full-color illustrations and detailed descriptions of each species, and covers such topics as exotic and endangered species; bird conservation and study; finding, attracting, and feeding birds, bird problems, and the care of sick and injured birds.
Call Number: QL684.F6 K35 2005ISBN: 9781561643356Publication Date: 2005-11-01
Common Coastal Birds of Florida and the Caribbean by
This book is for those who enjoy that precarious and ever-changing zone where the sea meets the land and want to understand the birds that frequent this special habitat in Florida and the islands to the south. Author David Nellis reveals the birds found along the beaches, among the mangroves, even up the rocky Caribbean cliffs. From the many birds that may be encountered along the coast, Dr. Nellis has selected 72 of the most common ones, including a few that, though less abundant, capture our interest. Each bird has its own ecological niche--manifested by its nesting, feeding, roosting, and migration habits--and territorial competition between species is a constant. This book shows the great variety of specialization behaviors developed by these birds to adapt to this unique environment. Over 250 photographs, mostly by the author, show many features of these birds and their habits never before so fully illustrated.
Call Number: QL684.F6 N48 2001ISBN: 156164191XPublication Date: 2001-03-01
Handbook of Bird Biology by
Selected by Forbes.com as one of the 12 best books about birds and birding in 2016 This much-anticipated third edition of the Handbook of Bird Biology is an essential and comprehensive resource for everyone interested in learning more about birds, from casual bird watchers to formal students of ornithology. Wherever you study birds your enjoyment will be enhanced by a better understanding of the incredible diversity of avian lifestyles. Arising from the renowned Cornell Lab of Ornithology and authored by a team of experts from around the world, the Handbook covers all aspects of avian diversity, behaviour, ecology, evolution, physiology, and conservation. Using examples drawn from birds found in every corner of the globe, it explores and distills the many scientific discoveries that have made birds one of our best known - and best loved - parts of the natural world. This edition has been completely revised and is presented with more than 800 full color images. It provides readers with a tool for life-long learning about birds and is suitable for bird watchers and ornithology students, as well as for ecologists, conservationists, and resource managers who work with birds. The Handbook of Bird Biology is the companion volume to the Cornell Lab's renowned distance learning course, Ornithology: Comprehensive Bird Biology.
Call Number: E-BOOKISBN: 9781118291054Publication Date: 2016-09-19
The Audubon Society Encyclopedia of North American Birds by Call Number: QL681 .T43 1980ISBN: 0394466519Publication Date: 1980-10-12
The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Ornithology by Call Number: QL672.2 .C35 1991ISBN: 0521362059Publication Date: 1991-09-27
The illustrated encyclopedia of birds by Call Number: QL690.A1 F435 1996ISBN: 0880295996Publication Date: 1996
Ornithology Books & E-Books
Warblers of Eastern North America by
A classic field guide to these well-loved birds, updated with the latest taxonomical information. Nothing says spring to a birder like seeing the flash of bright plumage as a warbler, recently arrived from its southern wintering grounds, flits from branch to branch, hunting for insects. Eastern North America is home to over 40 species of warblers, and Warblers of Eastern North America is the essential guidebook to identifying and enjoying the huge range of species that live in this area of the continent. With over 240 crisp, full-color photographs and precise identification notes, Warblers of Eastern North America is indispensable to naturalists, students and birders of all levels of experience. Author and naturalist Chris G. Earley's concise and well-organized text gives the reader pointers on identification - including male and female differences, seasonal plumages, distinctive markings, song descriptions and cheat sheets. The book also features range maps for each described species, charts showing the seasonal status of the warblers, and photographic comparison charts that group similar-looking birds on a single page for quick reference. Here are just a handful of the species profiled in Warblers of Eastern North America: Tennessee Warbler Cerulean Warbler Chestnut-sided Warbler Painted Redstart Yellow-rumped Warbler Blackburnian Warbler And many, many more! This new edition of Warblers of Eastern North America, updated for the first time in nearly two decades, features an additional warbler species as well as new taxonomical information and updated scientific names. The book also features all new photographs, lending this new edition of a classic text a fresh look.
Call Number: QL696.P2438 E27 2023ISBN: 9780228104254Publication Date: 2023-02-15
Feathered Dinosaurs by
Scientists have recovered more than a billion fossils, but no discovery has been more breath-taking than the fossils recently found in northern China, findings which prove that several families of dinosaurs had feathers, or feathery hair-like coverings, adorning their bodies. Now in the beautifully designed Feathered Dinosaurs, paleontologist John Long and illustrator Peter Schouten provide a stunning visual record of these extraordinary prehistoric creatures, illuminating the evolutionary march from primitive, feathered dinosaurs through to the first true flying birds.Schouten, an acclaimed natural history artist, has created 80 full-color paintings that capture the striking physical traits of these feathered dinosaurs. Drawing on his extensive knowledge of the lifestyles of modern birds and mammals, plus the extant scientific data regarding how these dinosaursmight have looked and behaved, Schouten has produced not only the most beautiful but also the most accurate visual representations of these animals in print. Equally important, John Long, a noted paleontologist and widely published science author (with some 24 books to his credit), provides anengaging companion text that places these feathered dinosaurs within the larger family of dinosaurs - for instance, outlining their relationship to T. Rex and Velociraptor, species well known to Jurassic Park fans - and discusses the factual information that can be deduced from their fossil remains,in effect providing an insightful natural history of this remarkable group. A true marriage of art and science, Feathered Dinosaurs presents an unprecedented visual record of one of the most significant breakthroughs in the history of vertebrate paleontology - the discovery that many predatory dinosaurs were cloaked with feathers, perhaps just as colorful and fanciful asthose of their living relatives.
Call Number: QE862.D5 L582 2008ISBN: 9780195372663Publication Date: 2008-09-01
A Concise History of Ornithology by
- Published in association with A & C Black/Helm.
Call Number: QL672.7 .W36 2003ISBN: 0300090730Publication Date: 2003-08-11
A Passion for Birds by
In the decades following the Civil War--as industrialization, urbanization, and economic expansion increasingly reshaped the landscape--many Americans began seeking adventure and aesthetic gratification through avian pursuits. By the turn of the century, hundreds of thousands of middle-and upper-class devotees were rushing to join Audubon societies, purchase field guides, and keep records of the species they encountered in the wild. Mark Barrow vividly reconstructs this story not only through the experiences of birdwatchers, collectors, conservationists, and taxidermists, but also through those of a relatively new breed of bird enthusiast: the technically oriented ornithologist. In exploring how ornithologists struggled to forge a discipline and profession amidst an explosion of popular interest in natural history, A Passion for Birds provides the first book-length history of American ornithology from the death of John James Audubon to the Second World War. Barrow shows how efforts to form a scientific community distinct from popular birders met with only partial success. The founding of the American Ornithologists' Union in 1883 and the subsequent expansion of formal educational and employment opportunities in ornithology marked important milestones in this campaign. Yet by the middle of the twentieth century, when ornithology had finally achieved the status of a modern profession, its practitioners remained dependent on the services of birdwatchers and other amateur enthusiasts. Environmental issues also loom large in Barrow's account as he traces areas of both cooperation and conflict between ornithologists and wildlife conservationists. Recounting a colorful story based on the interactions among a wide variety of bird-lovers, this book will interest historians of science, environmental historians, ornithologists, birdwatchers, and anyone curious about the historical roots of today's birding boom.
Call Number: QL672.73.U6 B37 1998ISBN: 0691044023Publication Date: 1998-02-01
The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World by
Birds have long held a unique dual role as a model group for scientists and as the focus of birders' passionate quests. Despite centuries of observation, each year brings the discovery and description of several entirely new avian species and hundreds of other taxonomic "splits" or "lumps" based on DNA data. In this arena of continual and increasing taxonomic change, The Clements Checklist presents the most up-to-date and most widely endorsed compendium of the more than 9800 species of birds recognized by the scientific and birding communities. This completely revised sixth edition is current as of January 1, 2007, and incorporates hundreds of updates since the last edition. In taxonomic sequence, it provides the scientific and English name of each species and a description of the worldwide range of each species and subspecies. The most established resource on the taxonomy and biogeography of birds for the world birding community, The Clements Checklist is the official world checklist of the American Birding Association (ABA) and is used as the authoritative reference in the birding competitions and listing activities of this preeminent North American organization for serious birders. Features of The Clements Checklist include: *comprehensive indexes with all taxa listed by English and scientific names; *tables and maps showing the world distribution of total bird species and endemics by geographic area, which will be of special interest to conservationists; and *space to record the location and date of individual sightings, providing the user with a personalized ornithological journal. The checklist is being continually updated by the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology. These updates are being posted to the Lab's website evey three months and will eventually be incorporated into the next edition of The Clements Checklist. To see the current updates, click here .
Call Number: QL673 .C53 2007ISBN: 9780801445019Publication Date: 2007-06-01
Ornithology by
This work discusses avian biology, reflecting scientific advances over the last 20 years in which birds have figured prominently - in research in ecology, evolution, socio-biology, population biology and biogeography.
Call Number: QL673 .G515 1995ISBN: 9780716724155Publication Date: 1994-09-15
Essential Ornithology by
Essential Ornithology provides the reader with a concise but comprehensive introduction to the biology of birds, one of the most widely studied taxonomic groups. The book starts with the controversial question of the dinosaur origins of birds and their subsequent evolution. Development,anatomy, and physiology are then discussed followed by chapters devoted to avian reproduction, migration, ecology, and conservation. Sections dealing with aspects of bird/human relationships and bird conservation give the book an applied context.Drawing extensively upon the wider scientific literature, this engaging text places the results of classical studies of avian biology alongside the most recent scientific breakthroughs. Useful case studies are presented in a concise and engaging style with the student reader foremost in mind. Keypoints are highlighted and suggestions for guided reading and key references are included throughout.
Call Number: QL673 .S275 2010ISBN: 9780198569985Publication Date: 2010-07-22
Humans, Nature, and Birds by
This book invites readers to enter a two-floor virtual "gallery” where 60-plus images of birds reflecting the accomplishments of human pictorial history are on display. These are works in a genre the authors term Science Art--that is, art that says something about the natural world and how it works. Darryl Wheye and Donald Kennedy show how these works of art can advance our understanding of the ways nature has been perceived over time, its current vulnerability, and our responsibility to preserve its wealth. Each room in the gallery is dedicated to a single topic. The rooms on the first floor show birds as icons, birds as resources, birds as teaching tools, and more. On the second floor, the images and their captions clarify what Science Art is and how the intertwining of art and science can change the way we look at each. The authors also provide a timeline linking scientific innovations with the production of images of birds, and they offer a checklist of steps to promote the creation and accessibility of Science Art. Readers who tour this unique and fascinating gallery will never look at art depicting nature in the same way again. Published with assistance from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation's Public Understanding of Science and Technology Program.
Call Number: QL673 .W48 2008ISBN: 9780300123883Publication Date: 2008-07-24
Audubon's Birds of America by
This marvelous edition of Audubon's Birds of America displays all 435 of Audubon's brilliant handcolored engravings in exquisite reproductions taken from the original plates of the Audubon Society's archival copy of the rare Double Elephant Folio. Although many attempts have been made to re-create the magnificent illustrations in Audubon's masterpiece, nothing equals the level of fidelity or scale achieved in this high-quality edition. Organized and annotated by Roger Tory Peterson, AmericaG#65533;#65533;s best-known ornithologist, and issued with the full endorsement and cooperation of the Audubon Society, this magnificent volume is as thorough in scientific classification as it is beautiful. Peterson's fascinating introduction places Audubon in the context of the history of American ornithological art and also reproduces a wide sampling of the work of Audubon's notable predecessors and disciples, including Peterson's own justly famous paintings. This new systematic arrangement of the prints, complete with informative commentaries about each bird, made it possible to correct many of the problems or errors in Audubon's original edition revealed by later scholarship. The colorful captions in the back provide fascinating commentaries on each featured bird.
Call Number: QL681 .A97 1990ISBN: 1558591281Publication Date: 2003-07-30
Bird Droppings by
Pete Dunne, one of the foremost birding writers in the country, shares funny, poignant, whimsical, and informative tales about birders and birding in his first collection of birding essays in more than ten years. Dunne is an expert birder, sought-after teacher, and popular author Includes wonderful illustrations by David Gothard
Call Number: QL681 .D877 2016ISBN: 9780811717250Publication Date: 2016-01-15
All the Birds of North America by
A surer, faster, easier way to identify birds Everything you need to know about North American birds is at your fingertips in this ground-breaking field guide--the first and only guide to successfully organize birds by field-recognizable, instantly-observable characteristics. With its unique keying system based on how and where birds collect food, spectacular panoramic color illustrations, weather-resistant pocket-size format, emphasis on conservation, and endorsement by the leading bird preservation organization, All the Birds is the single most useful identification guide available. How to use All the Birds of North America Step #1: Open to the key for Waterbirds on the inside front cover or to the key for Landbirds on the inside back cover. Step #2: Select the icon that most resembles the bird being identified, and note the color bar and key number next to that icon. Using the color bar and key number, locate the group of birds within the pages of the book.
Call Number: QL681 .G77 1997ISBN: 0062730282Publication Date: 1997-03-28
The Sibley Guide to Birds by
David Allen Sibley, America's most gifted contemporary painter of birds, is the author and illustrator of this comprehensive guide. His beautifully detailed illustrations-more than 6,600 in all-and descriptions of 810 species and 350 regional populations will enrich every birder's experience. The Sibley Guide's innovative design makes it entirely user friendly. The illustrations are arranged to facilitate comparison, yet still capture the unique character of each species. The Sibley Guide to Birds provides a wealth of new information: -Captioned illustrations show many previously unpublished field marks and revisions of known marks -Nearly every species is shown in flight -Measurements include length, wingspan, and weight for every species -Subspecies and geographic varients are covered thoroughly -Complete voice descriptions are included for every species -Maps show the complete distribution of every species: summer and winter ranges, migration routes, and rare occurrences Both novice and experienced birders will appreciate these and other innovative features: -An introductory page for each family or group of related families makes comparisons simple -Clear and concise labels with pointers identify field marks directly -Birds are illustrated in similar poses to make comparisons between species quick and easy -Illustrations emphasize the way birds look in the field With The Sibley Guide to Birds, the National Audubon Society makes the art and expertise of David Sibley available to the world in a comprehensive, handsome, easy-to-use volume that will be the indispensable identification guide every birder must own.
Call Number: QL681 .S497 2000ISBN: 0679451226Publication Date: 2000-10-03
The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Eastern North America by
The Sibley Guide to Birds has quickly become the new standard of excellence in bird identification guides, covering more than 810 North American birds in amazing detail. Now comes a new portable guide from David Sibley that every birder will want to carry into the field. Compact and comprehensive, this new guide features 650 bird species plus regional populations found east of the Rocky Mountains. Accounts include stunningly accurate illustrations—more than 4,200 in total—with descriptive caption text pointing out the most important field marks. Each entry contains new text concerning frequency, nesting, behavior, food and feeding, voice description, and key identification features. Accounts also include brand-new maps created from information contributed by 110 regional experts across the continent. The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Eastern North America is an indispensable resource for all birders seeking an authoritative and portable guide to the birds of the East.
Call Number: QL681 .S564 2003ISBN: 067945120XPublication Date: 2003-04-29
Birds of Florida by
The most comprehensive series of field guides to North American birds ever. This impressive collection highlights birds from all regions of the United States including localized areas such as the Mid-Atlantic, the Pacific Northwest and New England. Whether birding in the foothills of New England, the prairies of the Midwest, or the beaches of Florida, Smithsonian Handbooks are the most comprehensive field guides to North American birds on the market. Looking for the Great Blue Heron or the Piping Plover while visiting the Great Lakes? Desperate to find the rare Long Billed Curlew or the Marbled Godwit during a hike in the Cascade Mountains? There's no need to look any further! Created in association with the Smithsonian Institution, these amazing guides are an absolute staple for any birder or amateur ornithologist. Each local species receives its own profile, along with descriptions of habitats and annotated photographs that highlight specific characteristics and other points of interest. Take bird watching to new heights!
Call Number: QL684.F6 A68 2002ISBN: 9780789483874Publication Date: 2002-02-06
A Bird-Finding Guide to Mexico by
With a rich variety of stunning avifauna, Mexico provides the first taste of the Neotropics for many birders. At last here is a guide to Mexico's best birdwatching sites, from Baja California to the Yucatan Peninsula. Steve N. G. Howell, coauthor of the widely acclaimed A Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Northern Central America, has selected over 100 sites where birders may see more than 950 species, including virtually all of the endemics and regional specialties. Useful for both the business traveler in Mexico City with only a morning to spare and the serious birder planning a three-month trip across the country, this indispensable book tells where to go and what to look for.* covers all of Mexico and includes all of the top birding spots.* presents key information on over 100 sites, where more than 950 bird species can be seen.* provides lists of the birds at the most popular sites.* gives general information about each region of the country, along with a map showing the location of its sites; additional maps show greater detail at selected sites.* supplies listings of all endemics and sought-after species with key sites where they can be seen.* includes advice on how best to find and view birds.* suggests itineraries for birding holidays.* offers valuable tips on travel and birdwatching in Mexico.
Call Number: QL686 .H65 1999ISBN: 9780801485817Publication Date: 1998-12-23
The Grail Bird by
What is it about the ivory-billed woodpecker? Why does this ghost of the southern swamps arouse such an obsessive level of passion in its devotees, who range from respected researchers to the flakiest Loch Ness monster fanatics and Elvis chasers? Since the early twentieth century, scientists have been trying their best to prove that the ivory-bill is extinct. But every time they think they've finally closed the door, the bird makes an unexpected appearance. It happened in the 1920s, and it’s happened in almost every subsequent decade. For more than 60 years, each sighting has been met with ridicule and scorn. Respected researchers and naturalists have been branded as quacks just for having the temerity to say that the ivory-bill still exists. Yet the reports still trickle in. Is there any truth to these sightings, or are they just a case of wishful thinking, misidentification, or outright fabrication? To unravel the mystery, author Tim Gallagher heads south, deep into the eerie swamps and bayous of the vast Mississippi Delta, searching for people who claim to have seen this rarest of birds and following up--sometimes more than 30 years after the fact--on their sightings. He meets a colorful array of characters: a cigar-chomping ex-boxer who took two controversial pictures of an alleged ivory-bill in 1971; a former corporate lawyer who abandoned her career to search for ivory-bills full time; two men who grew up in the ivory-bill’s last known stronghold in a final remnant of primeval forest in Louisiana. With his buddy Bobby Harrison, a true son of the South from Alabama, Gallagher hits the swamps, wading through hip-deep, boot-sucking mud and canoeing through turgid, mud brown bayous where deadly cottonmouth water moccasins abound. In most cases, they are clearly decades too late. But when the two speak to an Arkansas backwoods kayaker who saw a mystery woodpecker the week before and has a description of the bird that is too good to be a fantasy, the hunt is on. Their Eureka moment comes a few days later as a huge woodpecker flies in front of their canoe, and they both cry out, "Ivory-bill!” This sighting--the first time since 1944 that two qualified observers positively identify an ivory-billed woodpecker in the United States--quickly leads to the largest search ever launched to find a rare bird, as researchers fan out across the bayou, hoping to document the existence of this most iconic of birds.
Call Number: QL696.P56 G35 2005ISBN: 9780618456932Publication Date: 2005-05-18
Avian Cognition by
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.
Call Number: QL698.3 .A95 2017ISBN: 9781107092389Publication Date: 2017-06-22
The Genius of Birds by
Birds are astonishingly intelligent creatures. According to revolutionary new research, some birds rival primates and even humans in their remarkable forms of intelligence. In The Genius of Birds, acclaimed author Jennifer Ackerman explores the newly discovered brilliance of birds. As she travels around the world to the most cutting-edge frontiers of research--the distant laboratories of Barbados and New Caledonia, the great tit communities of the United Kingdom and the bowerbird habitats of Australia, the ravaged mid-Atlantic coast after Hurricane Sandy and the warming mountains of central Virginia and the western states--Ackerman not only tells the story of the recently uncovered genius of birds but also delves deeply into the latest findings about the bird brain itself that are shifting our view of what it means to be intelligent. Consider, as Ackerman does, the Clark's nutcracker, a bird that can hide as many as 30,000 seeds over dozens of square miles and remember several months later where it put them, or the mockingbirds and thrashers, species that can store 200 to 2,000 different songs in a brain a thousand times smaller than ours. But beyond highlighting how birds use their unique genius in technical ways, Ackerman points out the impressive social smarts of birds. They deceive and manipulate. They eavesdrop. They give gifts. They kiss to console one another. They blackmail their parents. They alert one another to danger. They summon witnesses to the death of a peer. They may even grieve. This elegant scientific investigation and travelogue weaves personal anecdotes with fascinating science. Ackerman delivers an extraordinary story that will both give readers a new appreciation for the exceptional talents of birds and let them discover what birds can reveal about our changing world. Richly informative and beautifully written, The Genius of Birds celebrates the triumphs of these surprising and fiercely intelligent creatures.
Call Number: QL698.3 .A285 2016ISBN: 9781594205217Publication Date: 2016-04-12
Bird Brain by
Birds have not been known for their high IQs, which is why a person of questionable intelligence is sometimes called a "birdbrain." Yet in the past two decades, the study of avian intelligence has witnessed dramatic advances. From a time when birds were seen as simple instinct machines responding only to stimuli in their external worlds, we now know that some birds have complex internal worlds as well. This beautifully illustrated book provides an engaging exploration of the avian mind, revealing how science is exploding one of the most widespread myths about our feathered friends--and changing the way we think about intelligence in other animals as well. Bird Brain looks at the structures and functions of the avian brain, and describes the extraordinary behaviors that different types of avian intelligence give rise to. It offers insights into crows, jays, magpies, and other corvids--the "masterminds" of the avian world--as well as parrots and some less-studied species from around the world. This lively and accessible book shows how birds have sophisticated brains with abilities previously thought to be uniquely human, such as mental time travel, self-recognition, empathy, problem solving, imagination, and insight. Written by a leading expert and featuring a foreword by Frans de Waal, renowned for his work on animal intelligence, Bird Brain shines critical new light on the mental lives of birds.
Call Number: QL698.3 .E47 2016bISBN: 9780691165172Publication Date: 2016-09-06
Birds and Climate Change by
From the red grouse to the Ethiopian bush-crow, bird populations around the world can provide us with vital insights into the effects of climate change on species and ecosystems. They are among the best studied and monitored of organisms, yet many are already under threat of extinction as a result of habitat loss, overexploitation and pollution. Providing a single source of information for students, scientists, practitioners and policy-makers, this book begins with a critical review of the existing impacts of climate change on birds, including changes in the timing of migration and breeding and effects on bird populations around the world. The second part considers how conservationists can assess potential future impacts, quantifying how extinction risk is linked to the magnitude of global change and synthesising the evidence in support of likely conservation responses. The final chapters assess the threats posed by efforts to reduce the magnitude of climate change.
Call Number: QL698.95 .P43 2014ISBN: 9780521114288Publication Date: 2014-06-12Seabirds by The text treats each species in depth, stressing the various distinct colours forms within species and closely examining the sub-species. Flight, behaviour, distribution and similar species are fully discussed. Each illustration has a facing caption page which is cross-referenced to the main body of the text for quick identification.
Call Number: QL673 .H29 1983ISBN: 0395332532Publication Date: 1983-07-01
Sea and Coastal Birds of North America by
The image of a “seagull” comes immediately to mind when ocean birds are mentioned. Indeed, gulls are an important element of the coastal ecosystem. The diversity of bird life along the coasts of North America extends far beyond gulls, though. Including all of its islands, bays, inlets, and coves, the coastline of North America is hundreds of thousands of miles long. There is hardly a spot along the continent’s coasts that doesn’t host its own unique assemblage of avian inhabitants. In this comprehensive, fully illustrated guide, photographer and naturalist Scott Leslie profiles some of the most common species that birders may observe. The book provides a cross-section of nearly 100 key species that make coastal areas and oceans their home. The book features an in-depth profile for each species that includes sections on habitat, appearance, behaviour, food, migration, sounds, family life, related species, the latest scientific information on conservation, and a range map. A unique feature among bird guides, species that are threatened are accompanied by an additional map that details conservation status for every state, province, and territory on the continent. Guides to selected important habitats in the United States and Canada and to bird conservation organizations round out the book. The book features full-colour photographs in a format that fits conveniently into a large pocket or a day pack.
Call Number: QL681 .L47 2008ISBN: 9781554700455Publication Date: 2008-07-07
Ornithology, Evolution, and Philosophy by
This book is the first detailed biography of Ernst Mayr. He was an 'architect' of the Synthetic Theory of Evolution, and the greatest evolutionary biologist since Charles Darwin, influential historian and philosopher of biology, outstanding taxonomist and ornithologist, and naturalist. He is one of the most widely known biologists of the 20th century. Mayr used the theories of natural selection and population thinking as theoretical models within the framework of historical biological studies. He was the first to emphasize the role of biopopulations, thereby pointing out the basic difference between 'population thinking' and typological essentialism.
Call Number: E-BOOKISBN: 9783540717775Publication Date: 2007-08-21
Ten Thousand Birds by
Ten Thousand Birds provides a thoroughly engaging and authoritative history of modern ornithology, tracing how the study of birds has been shaped by a succession of visionary and often-controversial personalities, and by the unique social and scientific contexts in which these extraordinary individuals worked. This beautifully illustrated book opens in the middle of the nineteenth century when ornithology was a museum-based discipline focused almost exclusively on the anatomy, taxonomy, and classification of dead birds. It describes how in the early 1900s pioneering individuals such as Erwin Stresemann, Ernst Mayr, and Julian Huxley recognized the importance of studying live birds in the field, and how this shift thrust ornithology into the mainstream of the biological sciences. The book tells the stories of eccentrics like Colonel Richard Meinertzhagen, a pathological liar who stole specimens from museums and quite likely murdered his wife, and describes the breathtaking insights and discoveries of ambitious and influential figures such as David Lack, Niko Tinbergen, Robert MacArthur, and others who through their studies of birds transformed entire fields of biology. Ten Thousand Birds brings this history vividly to life through the work and achievements of those who advanced the field. Drawing on a wealth of archival material and in-depth interviews, this fascinating book reveals how research on birds has contributed more to our understanding of animal biology than the study of just about any other group of organisms.
Call Number: E-BOOKISBN: 9780691151977Publication Date: 2014-02-16
The Race to Save the Lord God Bird by
The tragedy of extinction is explained through the dramatic story of a legendary bird, the Ivory-billed Woodpecker, and of those who tried to possess it, paint it, shoot it, sell it, and, in a last-ditch effort, save it. A powerful saga that sweeps through two hundred years of history, it introduces artists like John James Audubon, bird collectors like William Brewster, and finally a new breed of scientist in Cornell's Arthur A. "Doc" Allen and his young ornithology student, James Tanner, whose quest to save the Ivory-bill culminates in one of the first great conservation showdowns in U.S. history, an early round in what is now a worldwide effort to save species. As hope for the Ivory-bill fades in the United States, the bird is last spotted in Cuba in 1987, and Cuban scientists join in the race to save it. All this, plus Mr. Hoose's wonderful story-telling skills, comes together to give us what David Allen Sibley, author of The Sibley Guide to Birds calls "the most thorough and readable account to date of the personalities, fashions, economics, and politics that combined to bring about the demise of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker." The Race to Save the Lord God Bird is the winner of the 2005 Boston Globe - Horn Book Award for Nonfiction and the 2005 Bank Street - Flora Stieglitz Award.
Call Number: E-BOOKISBN: 9780374301965Publication Date: 2014-08-26
Building a Backyard Bird Habitat by
Practical and easy-to-follow information on how to create a backyard habitat that will attract a variety of birds throughout the year.
Call Number: E-BOOKISBN: 0585286132Publication Date: 2000-01-01
Lapwings, Loons and Lousy Jacks by
The Lapwing once had many regional names; the Loon has a British-American identity crisis and the respectable-sounding Apostlebird is often called a Lousy Jack. Why do bird names, both common and scientific, change over time and why do they vary so much between different parts of the English-speaking world? Wandering through the scientific and cultural history of ornithology takes us to the heart of understanding the long relationship between birds and people. Lapwings, Loons and Lousy Jacks uncovers the stories behind the incredible diversity of bird names, explains what many scientific names actually mean and takes a look at the history of the system by which we name birds. Ray Reedman explores the natural history and folklore behind bird names, in doing so unlocking the mystery of the name Scoter, the last unexplained common name of a British bird species.
Call Number: E-BOOKISBN: 9781784270926Publication Date: 2016-08-15
Video Surveillance of Nesting Birds by
Declining bird populations, especially those that breed in North American grasslands, have stimulated extensive research on factors that affect nest failure and reduced reproductive success. Until now, this research has been hampered by the difficulties inherent in observing nest activities. Video Surveillance of Nesting Birds highlights the use of miniature video cameras and recording equipment yielding new important and some unanticipated insights into breeding bird biology, including previously undocumented observations of hatching, incubation, fledging, diurnal and nocturnal activity patterns, predator identification, predator-prey interactions, and cause-specific rates of nest loss. This seminal contribution to bird reproductive biology uses tools capable of generating astonishing results with the potential for fresh insights into bird conservation, management, and theory.
Call Number: E-BOOKISBN: 9780520273139Publication Date: 2012-06-12
Bird Ecology and Conservation by
In this intensely practical handbook, a team of leading ornithologists describe a wide range of standard methods that can be applied to the study of avian ecology and conservation. Topics covered range from surveys and tracking and handling to breeding biology, foraging behavior, and migration. Chapters on conservation techniques describe how to assess species over-exploitation, the methods available for the intensive conservation of endangered species, and the principles involved in the maintenance and restoration of habitats. This comprehensive synthesis will be essential reading for graduate students and researchers as well as a valuable resource for environmental consultants and professional conservationists worldwide. Bird Ecology and Evolution is the first title in a new series of practical handbooks which include titles focusing on specific taxonomic groups as well as those describing broader themes and subjects. William J. Sutherland is the series editor.
Call Number: E-BOOKISBN: 9780198520863Publication Date: 2004-08-26
Birding New England by
Birdwatching is for everyone. No other outdoor pursuit yields so much knowledge of nature's ways with so little effort--if one knows what to look for. Birding New England opens the world of birding to the novice and expert in this complete guide to getting the most out of birding in New England. Birding New England includes sections on birding technology, equipment, identification techniques, birding "by ear," where to view birds, field guides, optics, and other essentials to get birders of all skill levels into the field to identify birds throughout New England. Especially valuable are descriptions of habitat, feeding, nesting, and migration--informing the reader not only about what kind of bird is on the other end of the binoculars, but what it is up to as well. Includes: -GPS coordinates for each species of the top three to five locations where you're likely to see the bird and what time of year is best for this -Full-color photos -Over 300 species
Call Number: E-BOOKISBN: 9781493033881Publication Date: 2019-05-01
Ospreys by
Ospreys are one of the few bird species that are found throughout the world. From forests in Hokkaido to rivers in Oregon and islands off Australia, Ospreys steal the show as nature lovers easily watch them build their massive nests and tend to their young. The fact that the Osprey is one of the few large birds that can hover adds to its mystique, and to watch it plunge into the water, emerging with a fish clutched in its talons, is truly a sight one will remember. As widespread as Ospreys are, not long ago they were under threat of extinction. During the 1950s and '60s, scientists tied the decline of Osprey populations to the heavy use of DDT and other human pollutants. In the 1980s, Ospreys began a slow recovery due to the efforts of conservationists and through the resilience of the adaptable raptors themselves. Today they are again considered common in most parts of the world, although some populations remain threatened. In this gorgeously illustrated book, Alan F. Poole, one of America's premier Osprey experts, has written a lyrical exposé of these majestic creatures, describing their daily habits and exploring their relationship with the environment. Ospreys celebrates the species' miraculous recovery from contaminants and hunters, chronicles their spectacular long-distance migrations, and unveils their vital role in bringing life to coastal habitats. Few other birds have such a hold on the human imagination. This book shows us why.
Call Number: E-BOOKISBN: 9781421427164Publication Date: 2019-03-19
