Showing all 11 results
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Oceanic Birds of the World: A Photo Guide
Artist/Author: Howell, Steve N G, Kirk Zufelt$68.00 Add to cartOceanic birds are among the most remarkable but least known of all birds, living at sea, far from the sight of most people. They offer unusual identification challenges – many species look similar and it can be difficult to get good views of fast-flying birds from a moving boat. The first field guide to the world’s oceanic birds in more than two decades, this exciting and authoritative book draws on decades of firsthand experience on the open seas. It features clear text filled with original insights and new information and more than 2,200 carefully chosen colour images that bring the ocean and its remarkable winged inhabitants to life. Never before have oceanic birds been presented in such an accessible and comprehensive way.
The introduction discusses the many recent developments in seabird taxonomy, which are incorporated into the species accounts, and these accounts are arranged into groups that aid field identification. Each group and species complex has an introductory overview of its identification challenges, illustrated with clear comparative photos. The text describes flight manner, plumage variation related to age and moult, seasonal occurrence patterns, migration routes, and many other features.
The result is an indispensable guide for exploring birding’s last great frontier.
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Emperor: The Perfect Penguin
Artist/Author: Flood, Sue$50.00 Add to cartEmperor: The Perfect Penguin is a celebration of one of the world’s most charismatic creatures. In temperatures that can reach -50°C with 150 km/h winds, the emperor penguins’ ability to survive and thrive is nothing short of astounding. Over the past nine years, award-winning photographer Sue Flood has journeyed to remote Antarctic penguin colonies to capture the birds in their native home.
Sue Flood’s respect for her subjects emanates from every page. From the poignant sight of an egg abandoned on the sea ice, to majestic shots of emperor penguins returning from the sea and heart-warming photos of chicks clustering together for warmth, every shot explores a new angle of life in this remote and ice-crusted world.
As well as following the difficult journey of the penguins across the sea ice, Emperor: The Perfect Penguin narrates the hardships that must be endured to catch the perfect photograph. Sue’s behind-the-scenes experiences prove that it is only with patience, endurance, and several thermal layers that one can capture magical moments on Earth’s most inhospitable continent.
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Wildfowl of Europe, Asia and North America (Helm Identification Guide)
Artist/Author: Reeber, Sebastien.$80.00 Add to cartThe Wildfowl title in the Helm Identification Guide series was first published in 1988, and was the third in the series. Astonishingly, there has never been a serious competitor or update, and the book is now badly out of date. This new book aims to fill this gap. For convenience, this book restricts its coverage to the Holarctic (Europe, Asia and North America), and focuses on identification issues. It is fully illustrated with both plates and photographs, and includes an up-to-date range map for every species.
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Waterbirds of Australia
Artist/Author: Hadden, Don$27.00 Add to cartWaterbirds of Australia showcases over 85 birds that frequent the wetlands, the shores and the coastal waters around the country.
Australia supports a fascinating variety of waterbirds, from the Jabiru (more properly known as the Black-necked Stork) to two native hens. Amongst the shorebirds are about 30 migratory waders. There are ibis and spoonbills, extremely secretive and discreetly plumaged crakes and rails, and 23 species of the Ardeidae family of herons, egrets, bitterns and night-herons. All have been captured in their natural environment by nature photographer Don Hadden, following on from his Birds of Australia and Birds of the Outback.
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Cranes: a natural history of a bird in crisis.
Artist/Author: Hughes, Janice M.$70.00 Add to cartCrane enthusiasts will love this beautifully illustrated book. Cranes are found on all continents except South America and Antarctica. They are typically associated with open wetland and grassland habitats, where their bright plumage, graceful proportions and convivial nature are displayed in elaborate dancing and duet calling. Those species that breed in the northern regions of North America and Eurasia undertake long migrations each spring and fall. Cranes choose life-long mates and are devoted parents that raise their young with both tenderness and determination. This book traces the history of these fascinating birds from their early origins in the Mesozoic Era to the present day. The book covers anatomy, feeding habits, mating rituals, habitats, caring for chicks, migration and seasonal movements. A special section is devoted to cranes in myth and folklore. Species profiles are included, along with range maps and conservation status of: Black-crowned crane, Red-crowned crane, Black-necked crane, Sandhill crane, Blue crane, Sarus crane, Brolga, Siberian crane, Demoiselle crane, Wattled crane, Eurasian crane, White-naped crane, Grey-crowned crane, Whooping crane, and Hooded crane. Emphasis is given to the Whooping crane as a case study of the environmental and human pressures that threaten the existence of all family members. Through the tireless efforts of many dedicated researchers and volunteers, this species is slowly being brought back from the edge of extinction. Operation Migration, the project to establish a migratory population of Whooping cranes in the eastern United States, is profiled in a special chapter.
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The Grebes
Artist/Author: Fjeldså, Jon.$295.00 Add to cartThose who are unfamiliar with grebes tend to think of them as odd ducks, but their strange behaviours reveal them to be fascinating and intriguing birds. Grebes are unusual and unique in many ways: their habit of feather-eating; their method of sunbathing; their special method of underwater propulsion; the unusual structure of their feet; their courtship behaviour; and their floating nests. As the birds are dependent upon shallow wetlands, they are strongly affected and threatened by our use of their habitats, leading to dwindling populations and even extinction of some species.
In this addition to the Bird Families of the World series Jon Fjeldså, a renowned expert on the grebes, provides an overview of the results of all the research that has been done on grebes. Part I contains a brief presentation of the grebe family, constraints of diving, the relationships between grebes and divers, and the morphology of grebes. Part II covers their biogeography, ecological distribution, feeding ecology, behaviour and communication, breeding biology, environmental threats, and conservation. Part III follows with 22 species accounts, including distribution maps. The plates section contains sixteen stunning paintings showing all the grebe species, by Jon Fjeldså.
The Grebes, like its companion volumes in the series, will be an indispensable work of reference for ornithologists, whether professional or amateur.
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The Whooper Swan.
Artist/Author: Brazil, Mark.$135.00 Add to cartAn in-depth look at the Whooper Swan, investigating its biology, migratory habits, courtship and breeding behaviour and its role in the folklore and legend of the many countries where it occurs.
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Grebes of the world.
Artist/Author: Ogilvie, Malcolm and Chris Rose.$150.00 Add to cartGrebes are one of the oldest and most fascinating of bird species. This book features superb full colour paintings of each of the 22 species. It also contains a wealth of information on taxonomy, distribution, size, plumage, behaviour, diet and conservation.
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The herons.
Artist/Author: Kushlan, James A. and James A. Hancock.$267.00 Add to cartPrint on demand title. A new volume in the Bird families of the world series. This book is an up to date monograph on the heron family. Both authors are renowned experts in their field and have produced a definitive synthesis of the biology of herons.
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Grebes of our world: visiting all species on 5 continents.
Artist/Author: Konter, Andre.$65.00 Add to cartAndre Konter is an ornitholoigist who has travelled to 5 continents to observe and photograph all grebe species. This book outlines his observations made during his travels. Also included are line drawings of all species as well as photographs of the 19 of 222 species that still exist.
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A Guide to Rails, Crakes, Gallinules and Coots of the World
Artist/Author: Taylor, Barry and Ber van Perlo.$120.00 Add to cartMost species are solitary and somewhat secretive and are therefore high on the “want” lists of many birdwatchers. This book describes and illustrates 145 rail species, comprising all living species, including two that have only recently been described, and also ten which have recently become extinct and two which are almost certainly extinct, plus all recently extinct races of surviving species. This book is the first to give precise information on field identification (including voice) for all species and races for which details are known, and for the first time it describes the immature and juvenile plumages of many species. It also provides a detailed summary of our current knowledge of all aspects of rail biology and behaviour.
