Showing 1–12 of 23 results
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The 50 Best Birdwatching Sites In New Zealand
Artist/Author: Light, Liz$40.00 Add to cartNew Zealand has a diverse range of bird species and is especially important for pelagics. Thirteen of the world’s 18 penguin species have been recorded in the New Zealand region (including the Ross Dependency). Nine of these species breed here. Of petrels, 37 of the world’s 114 species breed in the New Zealand region, some on the mainland or nearby islands so they can be seen flying around, but many stick to the Southern Ocean islands. Eleven of the world’s 22 albatross species nest in New Zealand and of those nine do not nest elsewhere. As well as these specific species, the book covers 50 sites on the North and South Islands, Rakiura/Stewart Island and Chatham Islands that are best for birdwatching. Detailed descriptions of each site cover the type of terrain, and the tracks and trails where certain species are likely to be encountered. Particular species for each site are highlighted. A fact file for each site lists land or sea access; type of habitat, best time to visit, facilities and accommodation. Key species for each site are also listed.
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The Brilliance of Birds
Artist/Author: Wishart, Skye, Edin Whitehead$50.00 Add to cartNew Zealand birds like you’ve never seen them before.
Who knew that the morepork, New Zealand’s forest-dwelling owl, can turn its head 270 degrees? Or that the eastern bar-tailed godwit doubles its body weight before undertaking an epic and continuous migration of 11,000 kilometres? Or that the tui has a specially placed voicebox, enabling it to duet with itself, sometimes producing sounds too high-frequency for humans to hear?
Zany, off-kilter, wondrous and wild, The Brilliance of Birds gives a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the lives of some of New Zealand’s feathered friends.
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Birdstories: A History of the Birds of New Zealand
Artist/Author: Norman, Geoff$72.00 Add to cartKiwi, kākāpō, takahē, moa, tūī – these birds, and many others, are unique to Aotearoa New Zealand, and famous throughout the world. It was the 1873 publication of Walter Buller’s A History of the Birds of New Zealand that introduced overseas readers to these extraordinary creatures, and led New Zealanders as well to appreciate them in a way they had not before. Now, a century and a half later, Geoff Norman’s Birdstories builds on that legacy in a compelling, impeccably researched and beautifully presented account, which describes the origins of New Zealand’s birds, their place in both the Pākehā and Māori worlds, their survival and conservation, and the art they have inspired.
Geoff Norman writes of the birds’ unusual evolution, the disastrous impact of two waves of human migration, but too, the late nineteenth-century realisation that extinction need not be inevitable and the astonishing salvation stories of the following century.
Birdstories is a visual delight, rich in sketches and paintings by the scientists and draughtsmen who accompanied the early European explorers, and a remarkable range of works by contemporary artists. Much more than a source of fascinating information, this significant book is also a passionate call for action to save our remaining threatened species. Like the taonga it describes, Birdstories will be treasured by all who love and appreciate the unique birds of New Zealand.
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Kākāpō: Rescued from the Brink of Extinction
Artist/Author: Ballance, Alison$62.00 Add to cartKākāpō is one of New Zealand’s most charismatic yet mysterious birds. It is also one of the world’s most threatened species and a New Zealand conservation success story.
An ancient, flightless, nocturnal, herbivorous giant parrot, the kakapo was once numerous throughout the country but is now extinct in its natural range. At its low point, the population was reduced to as few as 40 known individuals, but thanks to the hard work and innovation of the Kākāpō Recovery Programme, New Zealand’s flagship threatened-species conservation programme, the Kākāpō population now exceeds 120.
Despite this exciting turnaround, there has not been a significant book on the kakapo since 1989. The story of this remarkable bird embraces science, conservation, ingenuity and personal dedication. Through an informative and entertaining mix of hard facts, history, and accounts of the daily and seasonal routines of kakapo and their minders, Alison Ballance brings together these threads to describe the natural history of the bird and tell the inspiring story of the Kākāpō Recovery Programme. Illustrated throughout and with an appendix giving details of all known Kākāpō, this book will appeal to anyone with an interest in the natural world of New Zealand.
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New Zealand Birds in Pictures
Artist/Author: Chen, Kimball$40.00 Add to cartFrom the barely-visible wings of the flightless kiwi to the immense wingspan of the wandering albatross, New Zealand’s fragile island ecosystem is home to a diverse array of spectacular birds.
Delve into the fascinating world of our feathered friends with author and wildlife photographer Kimball Chen. From intimate portraits of endangered creatures and their glamorous breeding plumage, to dramatic wide-angle birdscapes encompassing rugged sub-antarctic habitats, to magical fleeting encounters of birds courting and mating and hatching, Chen’s passion for nature shines with artistic and aesthetic photographs sure to pique a greater appreciation of New Zealand birds.
Accompanying this illustrated photographic book is well-researched and engaging text that enrich the images’ depicting bird behaviour and biology. Discover which native bird’s undersides have ultraviolet feathers. What underlies the musical prowess of birdsongs, and which New Zealand bird can mimic human speech? Why do adult grebes feed their babies feathers? What special physiological adaptations allow godwits to survive their monumental migration? What impact does climate change and other emerging threats have on the conservation of New Zealand’s avian wildlife?
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The Hunters: The Precarious Lives of New Zealand’s Birds of Prey
Artist/Author: Stewart, Debbie$45.00 Add to cart -
Birds of the West Wind: How Australia has Shaped New Zealand’s Avian Life
Artist/Author: Sheeran, Garry.$40.00 Add to cartThe origin of New Zealand birds is a story whose continuing evolution in the last 30 years especially has upset many apple carts – from the idea that the moa has evolved from a small South American bird which flew to ancient New Zealand, to the seeming preposterous suggestion that the kiwi is more closely related to the Madagascan elephant bird than the moa. What, then, of the kakapo, kea, tui, rifleman, stitchbird and the rest of our iconic New Zealand birds? Garry Sheeran has dug up what professionals are re-discovering about the origin of New Zealand birds with the help of modern scientific tools. A particular theme is the influence of Australian avifauna on New Zealand’s bird life. In Part 1 he tells of his layman’s latter-day interest in birds with enthusiasm, originality and charm. He also traces how the origin stories of birds are closely connected to the origins of the islands and continents on which they are found. Part 2 contains specific origin stories of more than 80 land and shore birds, and traces their possible connection to Australian birds. The book is aimed as much at readers with little knowledge of New Zealand’s bird life as it is at enthusiastic and knowledgeable birders.
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The Hand Guide to the Birds of New Zealand (Third Edition)
Artist/Author: Robertson, Hugh, Barrie Heather and Derek Onley.$35.00 Add to cartA bestseller revised – this third edition of this essential reference for identifying New Zealand birds features its biggest update ever.
The Hand Guide to the Birds of New Zealand is a trusted, invaluable reference for lovers of New Zealand birds. Comprehensive and easy to use, this new edition features 374 species, including 35 new additions in the book’s biggest revision since first publication 85 stunning colour paintings of New Zealand birds, including rare and recently extinct species an introduction to key bird-watching sites distribution maps and an in-depth guide to field identification protective plastic cover for use in the field. The only hand guide to New Zealand birds officially endorsed by the Ornithological Society of New Zealand, this is the ideal field companion for identifying our extraordinary and diverse birdlife.
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The Field Guide to the Birds of New Zealand
Artist/Author: Heather, Barrie, Hugh Robertson and Derek Onley.$50.00 Add to cartNew Zealand’s most loved field guide has now been fully revised and updated. Comprehensive, reliable and easy to use, this edition covers 374 species, including 35 new additions, making this the book’s biggest revision since it was first published. Features 85 stunning colour illustrations of New Zealand birds, including rare and recently extinct species along with distribution maps and an in-depth guide to field identification. This edition also includes an introduction to key bird-watching sites and an additional handbook section that provides information on the distribution, habitat, population, conservation, breeding, behaviour and feeding habits of each species.
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Native birds of New Zealand.
Artist/Author: Hallett, David.$60.00 Add to cartA beautiful photographic book of New Zealand’s native birds that will appeal to the casual bird-watcher as well as the ornithologist. The photographs in this book have been taken by David Hallett, one of New Zealand’s leading wildlife photographers, who captures the beauty of New Zealand’s native birds in their natural environment, from the subtropical north to the Sub-Antarctic Islands, and from the oceans to the alpine meadows of the Southern Alps. The text is kept short and avoids the in-depth academic material found in some of the very good reference books on the market. It does include all the interesting facts that set New Zealand’s native birds apart, presented in a short, concise format that makes the book ideal for browsing.
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Buller’s birds of New Zealand: the complete work of JG Keulemans.
Artist/Author: Norman, Geoff.$75.00 Add to cartIn 2012, the comprehensive, landmark publication Buller’s Birds of New Zealand: The Complete Work of JG Keulemans presented all-new reproductions of JG Keulemans’ definitive 19th century images of New Zealand’s native birds, from both editions and the subsequent supplement of A History of the Birds of New Zealand by Walter Buller. By popular demand, this accessible, affordable new edition presents the full set of the original, cherished masterpieces for new readers and existing fans alike. Buller’s Birds: Classic Paintings of New Zealand Birds is reproduced in rich, luminous colour, along with the fascinating story of this internationally significant artist and his work. Like the complete edition, each painting is accompanied by up-to-date taxonomic information in English and te reo Maori and contains a delightful Foreword by Stephen Fry.
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Land of Birds: An Illustrated Tribute to the Birds of New Zealand
Artist/Author: Meyer-Westfeld, Niels.$50.00 Read moreOUT OF PRINT. A stunning new book of New Zealand bird illustrations. Using the structure of a naturalist’s journal, Niels Meyer-Westfeld has created a very personal and sensitive tribute to this country’s remarkable birdlife. The heart of the book is his beautifully detailed illustrations of birds, covering all of our best-loved wetland, sea and forest species. The main illustrations are supported by beautifully rendered sketches and working drawings. Accompanying the illustrations is text from the author, which provides information about the species, and anecdotes about the process of creating his artwork. His text is also an impassioned call for a greater awareness of the wider threats that so much of our endangered birdlife faces in New Zealand. Land of Birds will appeal to anyone with a passion for New Zealand’s flora and fauna, particularly birds, as well as those with an interest in illustration and art.
