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''As has been true in all previous volumes, the editing andwriting of these chapters is excellent and the content remarkablygood,particularly given the length of the series....As usual, thesesources are a gold mine for researchers, graduate students, andteachers.'' --- The Wilson Bulletin''For researchersinterested in plumage evolution, hatching asynchrony or any of theother topics reviewed, [Volume 12] will be obligatory reading. Forothers interested in learning about new fields, this is one of thebest places to start.'' --- Recent OrnithologicalPublications''I do suggest that university libraries buy thisuseful series.''--- Animal BehaviorIn Volume 12,eminent international ornithologists further elucidateendocrinological correlates of mating strategies and hormones andreproductive behavior; assess the value of the ''brood reductionhypothesis'' in explaining ''the paradox of hatching asynchrony'';and explore the validity and sensitivity of growth bands in feathersas an indication of nutritional condition and the use of featherbanding in studying growth.Chapters are well supported with charts,maps, schematic diagrams, and photographs.CurrentOrnithology is the only English-language publication currentlydevoted exclusively to extensive reviews and synthesis of topicspertaining to all aspects of the biology of birds. Chapters fallunder such diverse rubrics as ecology, evolution, behavior,phylogeny, behavioral ecology, anatomy and physiology, andconservation biology. All authors are leading authorities on theirsubjects, and each chapter is refereed by experts in the topicscovered. Although all chapters focus primarily on birds, some topics,such as the social cognition of birds as compared to primates (Volume13), have significant application to disciplines outside ofornithology. Current Ornithology aims to provide an accessible,up-to-date, accurate source of data and to contribute to conceptualgeneralization and unification across the biological sciences. ... Read more

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This new edition of Ornithology in Laboratory and Field continues to offer up-to-date coverage of the important aspects of modern ornithology. Beginning with an overview of ornithology today, Pettingill explores such topics as external and internal anatomy, physiology, ecology, flight, behavior, migration, life histories, and populations. ... Read more

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One of the most comprehensive single-volume reference works on birds ever produced.

With photographs and descriptions of over 1,300 species, plus a full listing of every bird species in the world, this outstanding reference is an up-to-date portrait of the world birds. An international team of ornithologists provides concise descriptions and reveals the latest science in bird evolution, behavior, ecology, classification and identification. Organized by region and habitat rather than species, the book allows for a more instinctive understanding of birds and their relationships with each other and the environment.

The opening section on bird evolution and anatomy explains species classification and identification, showing how DNA research is causing a re-evaluation of the known science.

The directory makes up the bulk of the book. It is divided into six sections on the Earth's zoogeographical regions. Each section is written by a recognized authority and includes a thorough review of species, habitat and threats, and conservation organizations. Along with specially commissioned artwork, each species description includes:

• Scientific and common names
• Physical characteristics, behavior, habitat and distribution
• Conservation status
• Similar species, with cross-references.

This superb reference closes with an up-to-date list of the more than 9,800 species of birds recognized by ornithologists.

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Bird flight has always intrigued mankind.This book provides an up to date account of our existing knowledge on the subject, as well as offering new insights and challenging some established views.

A brief history of the science of flight introduces the basic physical principles governing aerial locomotion.A treatment of flight-related functional morphology concentrates on the difference in shape of the arm and hand part of the wings, on the structure and function of tails, and on the shape of the body.The anatomy and mechanical properties of feathers receive special attention. Aerodynamic principles used by birds are explained in theory by simply applying Newton's laws, and in practice by showing the direction and velocity of the attached flow around an arm wing cross section and of the leading edge vortex flow above a hand wing.The Archaeopteryx fossils remain crucial in our understanding of the evolution of bird flight despite the recent discovery of a range of well-preserved ancient birds.

A novel insight into the interactions between wings and air challenges established theories relating to the origin of bird flight.Take-off, flapping flight, gliding and landing are the basic ingredients of bird flight, and birds use a variety of flight stylesfrom hovering to soaring.Flight muscles consisting of mosaics of specialized fibers are the engines that generate the force required to keep the wings and tail in the gliding configuration and perform work during flapping motion. The energy required to fly can be estimated or measured directly, and a comparison of empirical results provides insights into the trend in metabolic costs of flight of birds varying in shape and mass from hummingbirds to albatrosses.
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There are more than 76 million birdwatchers in America — from casual backyard observers to seasoned birders. At some point, every bird-watcher has a question not answered in traditional field guides. How many feathers does a bird have? Do birds sleep while in flight?

When such questions arise, birders turn to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the world’s leading authority on birds and an information clearinghouse for bird-watchers of all levels. Now, the lab's most often-asked questions about bird behavior are answered in a concise, friendly volume, The Bird Watching Answer Book, by the Cornell Lab's science editor, Laura Erickson.

This handy little reference answers real life questions that have been sent to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology by birders of all levels from across North America. Erickson's expert answers give readers the companionship of a professional ornithologist as they observe their avian companions. The book's tone is friendly and accessible, even as the answers demonstrate a tremendous depth and breadth of knowledge.

Many questions help birders keep their feathered friends safe and healthy — from the baby bird found lying on the sidewalk, to the flocks whose migration patterns can be disrupted by human activity. Some questions address bird quirks and curiosities, while others get to the truth about common myths, such as whether throwing rice at weddings is harmful to birds or whether albatrosses can actually stay airborne for two years. For every question, Erickson provides an answer that is practical, engaging, entertaining, and astute. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Very Interesting!
I found this book very interesting and informative.I have bought several copies as gifts for friends.

Interesting & Fun
I had checked this book out at the library and about half way through realized I wanted to own it! Fun facts, lots of information packed inside through a variety of topics. If you enjoy bird watching you will enjoy this!

Fascinating and Helpful
I learned a lot from this book and its format makes it easy to browse and enjoy.

motherhood and applepie
good book, great service
I didn't realize it was soft cover, I really wanted the hard cover.
Regardless it is a good book

Excellent
As an avid bird feeder, this book was a great resource answering questions that we always wondered about.Very practical and applicable to us. ... 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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Before modern binoculars and cameras made it possible to observe birds closely in the wild, many people collected eggs as a way of learning about birds. Serious collectors called their avocation "oology" and kept meticulous records for each set of eggs: the bird's name, the species reference number, the quantity of eggs in the clutch, the date and location where the eggs were collected, and the collector's name. These documented egg collections, which typically date from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, now provide an important baseline from which to measure changes in the numbers, distribution, and nesting patterns of many species of birds. In Oology and Ralph's Talking Eggs, Carrol L. Henderson uses the vast egg collection of Ralph Handsaker, an Iowa farmer, as the starting point for a fascinating account of oology and its role in the origins of modern birdwatching, scientific ornithology, and bird conservation in North America. Henderson describes Handsaker's and other oologists' collecting activities, which included not only gathering bird eggs in the wild but also trading and purchasing eggs from collectors around the world. Henderson then spotlights sixty of the nearly five hundred bird species represented in the Handsaker collection, using them to tell the story of how birds such as the Snowy Egret, Greater Prairie Chicken, Atlantic Puffin, and Wood Duck have fared over the past hundred years or so since their eggs were gathered. Photos of the eggs and historical drawings and photos of the birds illustrate each species account. Henderson also links these bird histories to major milestones in bird conservation and bird protection laws in North America from 1875 to the present. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

crack this one open
carrol henderson is a hero (as much as ralph) in OOLOGY,love this book,thank you mr henderson.

A great read... now all I have to do is get my dad to give it back!
I picked this book up for Christmas, knowing no one would buy it for me.
Seeing the book on the table my dad glommed on to it and hasn't given it back!
When I had it, it was a great read!Now my dad loves it!
Grab yourself a copy.Maybe get two so your dad doesn't have to steal it.
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A comprehensive guide to birdwatching combines informative material with wide ranging ecological tips and hints. Age group 10-16. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Not up to my expectations
Not up to the standard I expected from Usborne.Better Encyclopedias can be found at the library; review several before you decide which to buy.I bought a beautiful (used) hardcover Firefly Encyclopedia of Birdsthrough Amazon for around $7 ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

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Six decades after the defeat of National Socialism, commemoration and mourning are ongoing, open-ended projects in Germany and Austria, and continue to generate a steady stream of literature and film about the Nazi past that, while comparatively modest in volume, is often disproportionately influential in public debates. At the same time, new museums and memorials are being established all the time in what Andreas Huyssen has called a "memory boom," while what is remembered and how it is remembered is subject to continuous change. Scholars have to keep pace with each new development in this culture of commemoration. Rather than add to the growing body of surveys of literature and film about the Third Reich, this study instead puts scholars' critical approaches under the microscope. Chloe Paver considers how far the object of the study is not just analyzed but also constructed by the scholar's approach and identifies the criteria by which academics judge the values of works that deal with the Third Reich.

This book brings aspects of film, fiction, and memorial culture together in a single study that pays as much attention to images (and in the case of film to sound) as it does to text. The study of film, historical exhibitions, and sites of memory also demands consideration of social contexts and practices. A case study of memory at two of Austria's sites of terror demonstrates the methods used in the study of memorials and museums and considers the ways in which memory attaches itself to place. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free.This is an OCR edition with typos.Excerpt from book:INDEX OF ENGLISH NAMES. Accentor, Golden-crowned, 155. Large-billed, 158. New York, 157. Blackbird, Cow, 295. Crow, 309. Red-winged, 298. Yellow-headed, 300. Blue-bird, 63. Bobolink, 292. Bunting) Bay-winged, 240. Black-throated, 279. Lark, 279. Snow, 230. Towhee, 289. Butcher-bird, 207. Cat-bird, 63. Cedar-bird, 192. Chat, Stone, 67. Yellow-breasted, 168. Cherry-bird, 192. Chewink, 289. Chickadee, 83. Cow-bird, 295. Creeper, Brown, 90, Crossbill, American Red, 221. White-winged, 218. Crow, Common, 314. Fish, 317. Finch, Grass, 240, Lark, 27?. Mountain, 290. Purple, 216. Serin, 291. Gnatcaicher, Blue-gray, 77. Goldfinch, American, 226. European, 291. Crackle, Boat-tailed, 311. Purple, 309. Rusty, 307. Greenkt. Blue-headed, 203. Brotherly-love, 197. Red-eyed, 195. Warbling, 200. White-eyed, 205. Yellow-throated, 201. Grosbeak, Blue, 284. Cardinal, 287. Pine, 214. Purple, 216. Rose-breasted, 285. Hair-bird, 266. Indigo bird, 282. Jay, Blue, 318. Canada, 319. Kinglet, Golden-crested, 73. Ruby-crowned, 71. Lark, Field, 301. Horned, 102. Shore, 102. Tit, 104. Linnet, Brewster's, 225. Mealy Red-poll, 224. Pine, 228. Red-poll. 222. Longspur, Chestnut-collared, 234. L2pland, 233. Martin, Purple, 189. Maryland Yellow-throat, 164. Mocking-bird, 6r. Myrtle-bird, 131. Nuthatch, Red-bellied, 88. White-bellied, 87. Oriole, Baltimore, 304. Orchard, 303. Oven-bird, 155. Pipit, American, 104. Raven, 313, Redstart, 175. Robin, i. Siskin, American, 228. Shrike, Great Northern, 207.... ... Read more