Showing all 12 results
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The narrow edge: a tiny bird, an ancient crab, and an epic journey.
Artist/Author: Cramer, Deborah.$57.00 Add to cartThousands 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]. -
Field guide to shorebirds of South Africa.
Artist/Author: Cowgill, Roy and Stephen Davis.$40.00 Add to cartDo you have a large ‘Wader’-sized gap in your bird knowledge? Roy Cowgill and Stephen Davis will help you fill in those gaps and will soon have you identifying South Africa’s shorebirds with confidence and ease. This unique new guide will help identify the more common waders (shorebirds) in South Africa and will appeal to both experienced birders and novices. Using classification, characteristics and behaviour, and based on an 8-point identification framework, the reader is guided through the stages of identification of shorebirds. The book gives visual clues to both plovers and sandpipers through silhouettes and plumage patterns showing their relative size as a key to identification, as well as photographs with key species characteristics. Also included are descriptions of habitats, tables showing seasonality, abundance and distribution.
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Arctic shorebirds in North America: a decade of monitoring.
Artist/Author: Bart, Jonathan and Victoria Johnston, editors.$137.00 Add to cartA 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.
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Shorebird ecology, conservation, and management.
Artist/Author: Colwell, Mark A.$93.00 Add to cartShorebirds are model organisms for illustrating the principles of ecology and excellent subjects for research. Their mating systems are as diverse as any avian group, their migrations push the limits of endurance, and their foraging is easily studied in the open habitats of estuaries and freshwater wetlands. This comprehensive text explores the ecology, conservation, and management of these fascinating birds. Beginning chapters examine phylogenetic relationships between shorebirds and other birds, and cover shorebird morphology, anatomy, and physiology. A section on breeding biology looks in detail at their reproductive biology. Because shorebirds spend much of their time away from breeding areas, a substantial section on non-breeding biology covers migration, foraging ecology, and social behaviour. The text also covers shorebird demography, population size, and management issues related to habitat, predators, and human disturbances. Throughout, it emphasizes applying scientific knowledge to the conservation of shorebird populations, many of which are unfortunately in decline.
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Godwits: long-haul champions.
Artist/Author: Woodley, Keith.$50.00 Add to cartBACK IN PRINT. This wonderfully illustrated book by shorebird expert Keith Woodley, tells the miraculous story of the Bar-tailed godwits and their migrations – why and how they do it. It follows the birds on their intrepid journeys, examining the places they visit, be it an estuary in northern New Zealand, a mudflat on the Chinese-North Korean border, or a tundra nesting site in Alaska. Woodley, respected godwit expert and manager of the Miranda Shorebird Centre, details the amazing changes these birds undergo before their departure – from moulting into new plumage, to doubling their weight and shrinking non-essential body organs – as well as outlines their array of innate skills in weather prediction and global navigation. Incorporating the author’s own eye-witness accounts as well as meticulous research, this tale of navigation and stunning fortitude is written in a compelling yet accessible style that will appeal to both professional bird watchers and general readers curious to discover more about one of nature’s quiet achievers.
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Invisible connections: why migrating shorebirds need the Yellow Sea.
Artist/Author: van de Kam, J, et al.$85.00 Add to cartOffers a photographic journey that follows the migration of shorebirds flying from their breeding grounds in the Arctic through East Asia to Australasia. This title highlights one of nature’s most spectacular phenomena and reveals the surprising and little-known connections that exist between countries, habitats and people through this migration. Also available in hardcover [stock id 30361].
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Status of the Red knot (Calidris canutus rufa) in the western hemisphere.
Artist/Author: Niles, Lawrence J. et al.$35.00 Add to cartStudies 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.
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Shorebirds of the Northern Hemisphere.
Artist/Author: Chandler, Richard.$90.00 Add to cartShorebirds, 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.
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The Lapwing.
Artist/Author: Shrubb, Michael$115.00 Add to cartWith its striking green-black and white plumage and distinctive pee-wit call, the Lapwing is one of Britain’s best-known birds. Lapwings depend on agricultural land to breed and are considered a barometer of the health of this habitat; the population has crashed over recent decades, partly due to changes in farming practices. In winter, Lapwings switch to coastal areas and to wetlands, including those in suburban areas, where large, noisy flocks can gather. Michael Shrubb’s The Lapwing is a concise yet authoritative monograph of this popular species; a thorough review of Lapwing biology contains sections on population dynamics, feeding ecology, habitat use, migration, and conservation; there is an impressively detailed review of our current understanding of breeding biology, plus discussion of some other species in the genus. The Lapwing is a superb addition to the Poyser list. Of interest to both amateur naturalists, who will enjoy insights into the birds’ lives, and to academics, who will appreciate the broad overview of current research, this title will remain the definitive work on the species for many years to come.
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Field guide to the waders of Europe, Asia and North America.
Artist/Author: Message, Stephen and Don Taylor.$70.00 Add to cartThis new field guide offers a complete identification reference to all of the sandpipers, plovers, stints and other waders found in Europe, Asia and North America. The superb plates show birds at rest and in flight, in every plumage variant likely to be encountered in the region. Species have been grouped, especially on the flight plates, so that similar species are shown close to each other. Facing text summarises key identification pointers to complete a quick-reference, field-friendly guide to this difficult and challenging group.
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Shorebirds: an illustrated behavioural ecology.
Artist/Author: van de Kam, Jan and Theunis Piersma.$120.00 Add to cartThe migration, feeding and breeding of these birds are explained in a comprehensive but simple and visually stunning form. The book is based on studies of shorebirds and other waterbirds (such as ducks, geese and gulls) that migrate along the East Atlantic Flyway. The emphasis is on those using the Dutch, German and Danish Wadden Sea; examples from the rest of the world are also included.
DUSTWRAPPER TEXT
Shorebirds are the most visible inhabitants of coastal wetlands worldwide. Many undertake spectacularly long flights between their wintering and breeding grounds, embodying the miracle of long-distance migration in a profound way. In Shorebirds, the latest publication by KNNV Publishers, the migration, feeding and breeding of these birds are explained in a comprehensive but simple and visually stunning form. A must for anyone inspired by (shore-) birds!The core of Shorebirds is based on studies of shorebirds and other waterbirds (such as ducks, geese and gulls) that migrate along the East Atlantic Flyway. The emphasis is on those using the Dutch, German and Danish Wadden Sea; examples from the rest of the world are also included.
The authors are experts in the fields of bird migration, shorebird behaviour and intertidal ecology, and have contributed much to our current understanding of these subjects. The 300 magnificent portraits of waterbirds in action were taken by Jan van de Kam, one of The Netherlands’ foremost wildlife photographers. -
Tundra plovers: the Eurasian, Pacific and American golden plovers and grey plover.
Artist/Author: Byrkjedal, Ingvar and Des Thompson.$110.00 Add to cartExamines 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.
