wader

Thousands of ravenous tiny shorebirds race along the water’s edge of Delaware Bay, feasting on pin-sized Horseshoe-crab eggs. Fuelled by millions of eggs, the migrating Red knots fly on. When they arrive at last in their arctic breeding grounds, they will have completed a near-miraculous 19,000-mile journey that began in Tierra del Fuego. Deborah Cramer followed these knots, whose numbers have declined by 75 percent, on their extraordinary odyssey from one end of the earth to the other-from an isolated beach at the tip of South America all the way to the icy tundra. In her firsthand account, she explores how diminishing a single stopover can compromise the birds’ entire journey, and how the loss of horseshoe crabs-ancient animals that come ashore but once a year-threatens not only the survival of Red knots but also human well-being: the unparalleled ability of horseshoe-crab blood to detect harmful bacteria in vaccines, medical devices, and intravenous drugs safeguards human health. Cramer offers unique insight into how, on an increasingly fragile and congested shore, the lives of Red knots, Horseshoe crabs, and humans are intertwined.
She eloquently portrays the tenacity of small birds and the courage of many people who, bird by bird and beach by beach, keep Red knots flying. Also available in paperback [stock id 38612].

A publication of the Cooper Ornithological Society. Each year shorebirds from North and South America migrate thousands of miles to spend the summer in the Arctic. There they feed in shoreline marshes and estuaries along some of the most productive and pristine coasts anywhere. With so much available food they are able to reproduce almost explosively; and as winter approaches, they retreat south along with their offspring, to return to the Arctic the following spring. This remarkable pattern of movement and activity has been the object of intensive study by an international team of ornithologists who have spent a decade counting, surveying, and observing these shorebirds. In this important synthetic work, they address multiple questions about these migratory bird populations. How many birds occupy Arctic ecosystems each summer? How long do visiting shorebirds linger before heading south? How fecund are these birds? Where exactly do they migrate and where exactly do they return? Are their populations growing or shrinking? The results of this study are crucial for better understanding how environmental policies will influence Arctic habitats as well as the far-ranging winter habitats used by migratory shorebirds.

Studies in Avian Biology No, 36. A study of the population status of the rufa subspecies of the Red knot (Calidris canutus), which breeds in the central Canadian Arctic and mainly winters in Tierra del Fuego, and has declined dramatically in the past 20 years.

Shorebirds, or waders, are a very popular group of birds among birders of all standards, though their identification is often a challenge. Covering all the species of the northern hemisphere, this new photographic guide provides all the information a birder will need at a glance. Lavishly illustrated with colour photography by the author, this book focuses on specific and subspecific separation and on ageing to provide a complete identification resource.

Examines the taxonomy, appearance, behaviour, ecology and conservation of the Golden and Grey Plovers.

There are four species of tundra plover: the Grey Plover, and the Eurasian, Pacific and American golden plovers. They breed only in the northern hemisphere, principally on tundra, and migrate far south to coastal mudflats, saltings and agricultural landscapes. They have attracted avid interest from birdwatchers and researchers worldwide, not least the authors who have studied all four species. The Eurasian Golden Plover has a special claim to fame as questions over its flight speed first prompted the compilation of the world best seller The Guinness Book of Records!
This ground-breaking book on shorebirds (waders) examines the taxonomy, appearance, behaviour, ecology and conservation of the Golden and Grey Plovers, and compares and contrasts their natural history and biogeography. There are detailed accounts of all aspects of lifestyle including feeding, mating, parental care, moults, migration and avoidance of predators. The personal touches in this book add immensely to its value, not least the authors’ first hand experiences of the birds and their haunts. Most of their work presented here has not been published before, adding to the significance of this highly original book.
Long-awaited considerations of differences in plumage, vocalizations, habitat use, breeding, movements and food are included. The links between phylogeny, biogeography and behaviour are bound to excite interest. The comparative approach is highly detailed and refreshing, and marks the book as a classic.
Ingvar Byrkjedal has also contributed all of the wonderful colour and line illustrations. Over fifty-five photographs, over one hundred and twenty tables and figures, and many other embellishments complete this definitive book.