Nomadic Desert Birds: With 63 Figures and 32 Tables
de W. Richard J. Dean (Ed. Springer-Verlag) Isbn : 3540403930
126.16 € / 827.56 FF
There are two basic strategies for coping with life in the desert. The first involves withstanding the extreme conditions using behavioural or physiological tactics. The second strategy is to be a migrant and to opportunistically or seasonally move to where the necessary resources are. Nomadism, i.e. the opportunistic and irregular movements from resource-poor to resource-rich patches, is a tactic that birds, with their mobility, can use, and it is explored by W.R.J. Dean in this volume. For many bird species, such movements between habitats or across landscapes to find patches of resources are essential for their continued existence. The relationship between climate, habitat and movements in the avifauna of arid and semi-arid regions and the advantages and disadvantages of a seasonally mi...

North American Owls: Journey Through a Shadowed World
de Jim Burns (Ed. Willow Creek Press) Isbn : 1572236825
26.96 € / 176.85 FF
There are 19 species of owls in North America and a spectacularly-illustrated chapter is devoted to each in this intriguing natural history narrative. Author Jim Burns takes the reader on a journey of discovering owls during his travels across the United States. His two rules of owling—that owls never appear when and where they are expected, and that owls always appear when and where they are least expected—set the tone for this informative and exciting excursion into the world of owls. The essays are combined with stunning full-color images of these elusive birds, and as these birds are so often heard and not seen, an audio CD is part of this complete owl package, showcasing the magnificent calls of these beautiful and mysterious birds. Jim Burns has been photographing birds for over 20 y...

Faces in the Forest: The Endangered Muriqui Monkeys of Brazil
de Karen B. Strier (Ed. Harvard University Press) Isbn : 0674290089
15.86 € / 104.03 FF
The woolly spider monkey, or muriqui, is one of the most endangered primate species in the world today. Because of deforestation pressures in its natural habitat-- the Atlantic coastal forests of southeastern Brazil--the muriquis are confined to less than three percent of their original range. There are now only a dozen forest fragments known to support a total muriqui population of about 500 individuals. This book traces the natural history of the muriqui from its scientific discovery in 1806...

Birds of North America: Western Region
de Fred J., III Alsop, DK Publishing (Ed. DK Publishing (Dorling Kindersley)) Isbn : 0789471574
16.87 € / 110.66 FF
The winning photo-encyclopedic formula of the DK Handbook series, which have sold over five million copies, is taken to new heights in these comprehensive guides to the birds of North America. Created in association with one of America's leading learning institutions, the Smithsonian, Birds of North America are an absolute staple for any birder or ornithologist. Containing a superior visual format with more information than any other bird guides on the market, these books feature more than 700...

A Birder's West Indies: An Island-By-Island Tour
de Roland H. Wauer (Ed. University of Texas Press) Isbn : 0292791011
13.46 € / 88.29 FF
The West Indies offer so much more than sun, sand, and shopping. This sweeping arc of islands, which runs from Cuba to Grenada and includes the Virgin Islands, teems with a rich diversity of plant and animal life. Up to 40 percent of the plants in some forests are found nowhere else on earth, while the West Indian flyway is a critical link in the migratory routes of many birds. In A Birder's West Indies, Roland Wauer takes you on an island-by-island journey of discovery. He describes the unique natural features of each island and recounts his often fascinating experiences in seeking out the nearly 400 species of birds known in the West Indies. His accounts give insight into the birds' habitats, status, and ecology and record some of the threats posed by human activities. For readers planni...

Penguins
de Diane Swanson (Ed. Gareth Stevens Publishing) Isbn : 0836840259
16.19 € / 106.2 FF
The Welcome to the World series has opened its borders and is exploring animals from around the world. With lively and informative text and color photographs, these books promise to deliver you to exotic lands-and you won't even have to leave your house ! Penguins have adapted to more habitats and climates than any other animal in the world, living on sandy beaches in Africa, windswept hills in South America and New Zealand, and icebergs in Antarctica. They can swim hundreds of miles in search of food, and their tuxedo-like coloring helps to hide them from predators and maximize the sun's warmth. Full of fun facts and amazing photographs, WELCOME TO THE WHOLE WORLD OF PENGUINS is a great way to learn about these curious creatures.

Nature's Music: The Science of Birdsong
de Peter Marler, Hans Slabbekoorn (Ed. Academic Press) Isbn : 0124730701
81.95 € / 537.56 FF
The voices of birds have always been a source of fascination. Nature #8217 ; s Music brings together some of the world #8217 ; s experts on birdsong, to review the advances that have taken place in our understanding of how and why birds sing, what their songs and calls mean, and how they have evolved. All contributors have strived to speak, not only to fellow experts, but also to the general reader. The result is a book of readable science, richly illustrated with recordings and pictures of the sounds of birds. Bird song is much more than just one behaviour of a single, particular group of organisms. It is a model for the study of a wide variety of animal behaviour systems, ecological, evolutionary and neurobiological. Bird song sits at the intersection of breeding, social and cognitive be...

Vision, Brain, and Behavior in Birds
de H. Philip Zeigler (Ed. Mit Press) Isbn : 026224036X
64.11 € / 420.53 FF
The visual capacities of birds rival even those of primates, and their visual system probably reflects the operation of a ground plan common to all vertebrates. This book provides the first comprehensive and current review of considerable progress made over the past decade in analyzing neural and behavioral mechanisms mediating visually guided behavior in birds. The book's five major sections deal with the visual world of birds, the organization of avian visual systems, the development and plasticity of visual structure and function, visuomotor control mechanisms, and cognitive processes. The introduction to each section discusses the nature and significance of the problem areas, providing a context for the chapters to follow, which review the current status of research on a specific probl...

Avian Molecular Evolution and Systematics
de David P. Mindell (Ed. Academic Press) Isbn : 0124983154
117.00 € / 767.47 FF
The use of DNA and other biological macromolecules has revolutionized systematic studies of evolutionary history. Methods that use sequences of nucleotides and amino acids are now routinely used as data for addressing evolutionary questions that, although not new questions, have defied description and analysis. The world-renowned contributors use these new methods to unravel particular aspects of the evolutionary history of birds. Avian Molecular Evolution and Systematics presents an overview of...

Grass Flats: Birds of Warren County, Pennsylvania,Including Notes on Other Species Observed at Presque Isle, Erie County, Pennsylvania.from the 1890-1923Journals
de William N. Hoover (Ed. iUniverse) Isbn : 0595287492
14.14 € / 92.75 FF
The understanding of nature was Ralph Simpson's consuming passion, which he pursued with unmatched vigor and high spirits. In Grass Flats, 1890--1923, Simpson meticulously documents 218 species accounts of bird life in Warren County, Pennsylvania, including notes on other species observed at Presque Isle on Lake Erie. Simpson speaks of habitat preferences and population shifts, while at the same time offering a view of the natural world with a bit of whimsy, as in the following 1909 observations of the Screech Owl.“I knew of an old Flicker's hole nearby, and on going past I saw feathers about the edges, so I investigated and found a Gray Screecher at home. She made no resistance, so I reached in and counted five eggs under her, petted her, and left her.“Join this noted naturalist, as he se...