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There is a common but often unspoken arrogance on the part of outside observers that folk science and traditional knowledge—the type developed by Native communities and tribal groups—is inferior to the “formal science” practiced by Westerners. In this lucidly written and humanistic account of the O’odham tribes of Arizona and Northwest Mexico, ethnobiologist Amadeo M. Rea exposes the limitations of this assumption by exploring the rich ornithology that these tribes have generated about the birds that are native to their region. He shows how these peoples’ observational knowledge provides insights into the behaviors, mating habits, migratory patterns, and distribution of local bird species, and he uncovers the various ways that this knowledge is incorporated into the communities’ traditions and esoteric belief systems. Drawing on more than four decades of field and textual research along with hundreds of interviews with tribe members, Rea identifies how birds are incorporated, both symbolically and practically, into Piman legends, songs, art, religion, and ceremonies. Through highly detailed descriptions and accounts loaded with Native voice, this book is the definitive study of folk ornithology. It also provides valuable data for scholars of linguistics and North American Native studies, and it makes a significant contribution to our understanding of how humans make sense of their world. It will be of interest to historians of science, anthropologists, and scholars of indigenous cultures and folk taxonomy. ... Read more

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This is an OCR edition without illustrations or index. It may have numerous typos or missing text. However, purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original rare book from GeneralBooksClub.com. You can also preview excerpts from the book there. Purchasers are also entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Volume: 11; Subjects: Ornithology; Juvenile Nonfiction / Animals / Birds; Nature / Birds & Birdwatching; Science / Life Sciences / Zoology / General; Science / Life Sciences / Zoology / Ornithology; ... Read more

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NOT A CD! THIS IS THE HARD-TO-FIND AUDIOTAPE CASSETTE OF BIRD SONGS FROM THE LIBRARY OF NATURAL SOUNDS OF THE CORNELL LABORATORY OF ORNITHOLOGY! COMMENTARY BY ROGER TORY PETERSON AND PRODUCTION BY VIRGINIA ENGELHARD. 1972 CORNELL LABORATORY OF ORNITHOLOGY. APPROX. 30 MIN. PLAYING TIME.SIDE ONE: CHUCK-WILL'S-WIDOW, WHIP-POOR-WILL, PAURAQUE, COMMON NIGHTHAWK, LESSER NIGHTHAWK,POOR-WILL.SIDE TWO: MANGROVE CUCKOO, YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO, BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO, SMOOTH-BILLED ANI, GROOVE-BILLED ANI, ROADRUNNER. ... Read more

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Who are the pioneering scientists who have contributed to our knowledge about birds? How has the science of ornithology developed over the past centuries? This educational and entertaining book explores the history of ornithology from the earliest times to the present day, vividly describing the ornithologists who have been most influential in their field and the discoveries they have made.The book begins by surveying writings on birds by the ancient Chinese, Greeks, and Romans and by individuals writing during the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and the Age of Exploration. It then assesses such ornithological pioneers as Linnaeus, Brisson, and Buffon, whose contributions to the foundations of ornithological systematics and collecting are seminal. Subsequent chapters discuss the expeditions of the eighteenth century; the work of the Germans and the Dutch; the beginnings of ornithology in America; the development of nineteenth-century systems of classification; the new theories that emerged from the Far East; and the great advances made in the twentieth century. Attractively illustrated and engagingly written, the book will be of great interest to all birders and naturalists. ... Read more

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This book synthesizes current scientific knowledge of the Australian Zebra Finch, a bird popular with scientists and teachers in physiology, behavioral development, and evolutionary ecology, as well as professional and amateur ornithologists throughout the world. It builds a complete picture of the biology of this colorful species, integrating thirty years of findings from the laboratory with those from the wild, with emphasis on behavior and ecology. This new understanding of the Zebra Finch's adaptation and life history will further enhance its value to researchers and students in various fields. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Gold mine for zebra finch fanatics
written by Richard A. Zann, School of Zoology, La Trobe University, Australia Zebra Finches are among the most studied birds. Scientists all over the world have been using zebra finches as subjects for laboratory research. Field biologists have also been studying the wild zebra finch in depth. Now, Richard A. Zann from La Trobe University in Australia has written a book compiling a veritable gold mine of this information about our favourite bird. Topics covered in the book include distribution and habitat, feeding, drinking, breeding behaviour, social behaviour, vocalisations, imprinting, etc. For instance, did you know that several studies into the water requirements of zebra finches have shown that under certain conditions zebra finches can survive for many months without access to water at all (don't try this at home!). Or did you know that although wild zebra finches pair for life, DNA fingerprinting of nestlings and their parents does not always show the expected relationship (which, of course, is why we bird keepers don't recommend colony breeding when accurate breeding records are essential). Sometimes just one of the parents are related to the nestling, and sometimes zebra finches will even go as far as to drop an egg in someone else's nest. This book is fascinating information like this, non-stop. The book is written mainly with other scientists in mind, but still in relatively easy to understand English (on some occasions, I could have used a glossary, but English is not my first language). Some behavioural aspects, such as courtship, are illustrated with expertly drawn line drawings and much of the statistical data is presented in very informative charts and maps. If you are only interested in breeding and showing your birds for the sport of it, then you don't need this book. The information about domesticated zebra finch varieties is somewhat limited. However, if you are at all interested in the behaviour of the wild ancestor of your zebra finches then this is a great book which you should consider getting. In fact, I can only see one reason why not all people would go out and buy this book: the price. Specifics: Title: Zebra Finches - A Synthesis of Field and Laboratory Studies (click here for more information) Author: Richard A. Zann Published by Oxford University Press 1996 335 pages, hard cover Black & white line drawings, maps and charts. (review also published at my homepage http://www.geocities.com/Athens/2187/index2.html ... Read more

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In Discovering Birds, Paul Lawrence Farber rejects the view that eighteenth-century natural history disappeared with the rise of nineteenth-century biology. In this penetrating case study of the history of ornithology, Farber demonstrates interesting continuities: as natural history evolved into individual sciences (botany, geology, and zoology) and specialties (entomology and ichthyology), the study of birds emerged as a distinct scientific discipline that remained observational and taxonomic. Ornithologists continued to see one of their primary tasks as classification, and they found no need to alter their approach.

Their efforts were greatly aided at the end of the eighteenth century as colonization and exploration brought new dataa plethora of exotic and previously unknown birds. By the mid-nineteenth century, ornithology had become a scientific discipline with international experts, a large empirical base, and a rigorous methodology of watching and cataloging.

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John James Audubon's sumptuous four-volume edition of Birds of America, published between 1827 and 1838, contains 435 hand-colored life-size prints of 1,065 individual American birds. A glorious union of science and art, it remains an unequaled achievement in ornithology illustration.
In tracing Audubon's quest to produce this groundbreaking work, Vedder draws on the artist and naturalist's own writings and the latest scholarship on his life and on Birds of America. Plates from the Huntington Library's double-elephant folio are reproduced in color, including the wild turkey, Baltimore oriole, bald eagle, and (once presumed extinct) ivory-billed woodpecker. Vedder provides with each plate a commentary on the unique characteristics of the species depicted, based on Audubon's own observations in the field. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

gift book on Audubon
This book includes gorgeous illustrations from the Huntington Library's copy of "Birds of America" and commentary by Audubon himself.

Good, but still disappointing
The first part of this small book is a brief biography of Audubon. It starts with his childhood, and ends with the publication of his famous work. The remainder of the book is a selection of 24 plates from "Birds of America" with some commentary and a selection of the bird's account from his "Ornithological Biography".
This book is more of a general survey of his life and work - a great introduction, but not much in the way of details. If you're very interested in Audubon's life, then instead get one of the many recent biographies that have been written about him. And if you would like to check out his artwork, then I HIGHLY recommend Audubon's Birds Of America (The Audubon Society Baby Elephant Folio). It's expensive, but worth every bit of it. The folio not only reproduces the artwork gloriously, it also includes commentary on the plates by Roger Tory Peterson - a feature that I was really disappointed to find missing in this book. ... Read more

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This book details international scientific expeditions and the influences of Australian birds on international questions. It also relates stories of adventurous Australians in far-flung places. The Flight of the Emu is richly illustrated with pictures of birds and birders in action and the text captures many of the important moments of Australian ornithology the 20th century. ... Read more

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Birding can become an addiction. It starts when you hang a bird feeder in the backyard. Then you buy a bird book to identify the birds you see. Then, before you know it, you're keeping a life list and travelling the region, the country, perhaps even the world to catch glimpses of rare birds. Marjorie Adams' birding passion progressed through all these stages and continues today in her tenth decade.In this engaging and informative book, she looks back at her evolution into a full-fledged birder and the concurrent growth of the sport of birding, to which she contributed significantly as a founder of the American Birding Association, a newspaper columnist on birding, and a teacher and producer of educational wildlife films with her husband and lifelong birding partner, "Red" Adams. As one who was there from the beginning, Marjorie Adams is uniquely qualified to recount the astonishing rise of birding to a major pastime and recreational industry. She describes the founding of the American Birding Association and profiles its first director, James A. Tucker.She vividly recalls many of her and Red's birding adventures, from southern Canada to Mexico, as well as their encounters with a host of highly regarded birders, including Roger Tory Peterson, Pete Dunne, Victor Emmanuel, Charles Hartshorne, and Roy Bedichek.She also explains how her and Red's love for birds led them to become conservation activists and how they produced an award-winning film on the endangered Golden-cheeked Warbler. Offering an important chapter in the story of birding in Texas and the United States, this book establishes Marjorie and Red Adams' rightful place among the leading Texas naturalists of recent decades. ... Read more

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Current Ornithology publishes authoritative, up-to-date,scholarly reviews of topics selected from the full range of currentresearch in avian biology. Topics cover the spectrum from themolecular level of organization to population biology and communityecology. The series seeks especially to review (1) fields in which anabundant recent literature will benefit from synthesis andorganization, or (2) newly emerging fields that are gainingrecognition as the result of recent discoveries or shifts inperspective, or (3) fields in which students of vertebrates maybenefit from comparisons of birds with other classes. All chapters areinvited, and authors are chosen for their leadership in the subjectsunder review. ... Read more

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First published in 1983 to celebrate the centennial of the American Ornithologists' Union, Perspectives in Ornithology collects together a series of essays and commentaries by leading authorities about especially active areas of research on the biology of birds. Readers will find in this collection a useful overview of many major concepts and controversies in ornithology. ... Read more