The Imperative Call: A Naturalist's Quest in Temperate and Tropical America
de Alexander F. Skutch (Ed. University Press of Florida) Isbn : 0813011493
16.66 € / 109.28 FF
In The Imperative Call, Alexander F. Skutch recounts his early years growing up in Maryland and Maine and his adventures in Central America and Jamaica during the 1920s and 1930s, well before modernization affected the region, when the began his classic studies of nesting birds. Weaving precise descriptions of tropical plan, bird, and animal life into a personal philosophy about man and nature, the book is both autobiography and natural history.

One Wing's Gift: Rescuing Alaska's Wild Birds
de Joan Harris (Ed. Alaska Northwest Books) Isbn : 0882405608
14.15 € / 92.82 FF
In the cleanup following the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill, workers rescued dozens of wild birds from the shores of Prince William Sound. One bald eagle, poisoned by oily prey, came to the rescue center with a wing so mangled it had to be amputated. No one expected the bird to survive. But even after vets repeatedly took the eagle's blood for transfusions to other eagles,«One Wing»clung to life, an unexpected survivor. ONE WING'S GIFT tells the heartwarming stories of this special bird and a...

Saving Migrant Birds: Developing Strategies for the Future
de John Faaborg (Ed. University of Texas Press) Isbn : 0292725485
19.16 € / 125.68 FF
In the 1980s, numerous scientific surveys documented both declining bird populations, especially among Neotropical songbirds that winter in the tropics, and the loss of tropical rain forest habitat. Drawing the seemingly obvious conclusion, scientists and environmental activists linked songbird declines to loss of tropical habitats and alerted the world to an impending ecological catastrophe. Their warnings led to the establishment of the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Program, also known as Partners in Flight, the self-proclaimed largest conservation effort in history. Looking back over more than a decade of efforts to save migrant birds, John Faaborg offers the first serious evaluation of the state of songbird populations today, the effectiveness of conservation programs such as...

Partnerships in Birds: The Ecology of Monogamy
de Jeffrey M. Black (Ed. Oxford University Press) Isbn : 0198548605
120.68 € / 791.61 FF
In pairs, male and female birds appear to work as a team, competing for food, defending nests, and protecting predators, but in fact, because each individual strives to maximize its own reproductive potential, conflicts can occur if one finds a better partner. So while some birds choose one mate for life, others have many partners. In this book, fourteen classic studies of bird behavior are brought together to compare the different partnership patterns from ecological and evolutionary...

Crows and Jays
de Steve Madge (Ed. Princeton University Press) Isbn : 0691088837
25.77 € / 169.04 FF
In no other group of perching birds has evolution produced such a degree of variation as in the 120 species of crows and jays that inhabit the world today. They range from the tiny Hume's Ground-jay of the steppe-highlands of Tibet to the huge Thick-billed Raven of the mountains of Ethiopia. Some are exceedingly beautiful in color, grace, and form ; others are sinister in appearance. Some appear in tales of mythology and superstition ; others are merely regarded as agricultural pests. The great majority, however, remain largely unknown, coming into contact with humans mainly when their specialized habitats are destroyed. Over 20 species are now regarded as internationally endangered and some may disappear before we have a chance to learn much about them. This guide details all species of c...

Attracting Butterflies and Hummingbirds: Watch Your Garden Come Alive With Beauty on the Wing
de Sally Roth (Ed. Rodale Press) Isbn : 0875968619
25.01 € / 164.05 FF
In her newest book for Rodale, the irrepressible Sally Roth zeroes in on one of North America's best-loved backyard birds-the hummingbird-and on the beautiful, delicate insects that are all the rage among nature enthusiasts-butterflies. Becoming a dual hummingbird/butterfly watcher couldn't be more natural for backyard gardeners and nature lovers because both of these types of winged creatures are attracted to beautiful nectar flowers. Sally Roth is a passionate gardener, and she shares all her...

The Life History of a Texas Birdwatcher: Connie Hagar of Rockport
de Karen Harden McCracken (Ed. Texas A&M University Press) Isbn : 1585441449
25.01 € / 164.05 FF
In any other context, saying that someone was«for the birds»would hardly be polite. But applied to Connie Hagar, it would be high praise. The diminutive birdwatcher nicknamed Connie was reared as Martha Conger Neblett in early twentieth-century Texas, where she led a genteel life of tea parties and music lessons. But at middle age she became fascinated with birds and resolved to learn everything she could about them. In 1935, she and her husband, Jack, moved to Rockport, on the Coastal Bend of...

The Life History of a Texas Birdwatcher: Connie Hagar of Rockport
de Karen Harden McCracken (Ed. Texas A&M University Press) Isbn : 1585441643
14.99 € / 98.33 FF
In any other context, saying that someone was«for the birds»would hardly be polite. But applied to Connie Hagar, it would be high praise. The diminutive birdwatcher nicknamed Connie was reared as Martha Conger Neblett in early twentieth-century Texas, where she led a genteel life of tea parties and music lessons. But at middle age she became fascinated with birds and resolved to learn everything she could about them. In 1935, she and her husband, Jack, moved to Rockport, on the Coastal Bend of...

National Geographic Photography Field Guide: Birds
de National Geographic, Peter K. Burian, Robert Caput (Ed. National Geographic Society) Isbn : 0792268784
18.33 € / 120.24 FF
In a single year, 25 million people will travel specifically to observe and photograph wild birds, spending 18.1 billion dollars on trips, equipment, and publications. And this dedicated population continues to grow each year.Now, National Geographic offers novice to advanced birders and photographers a sturdy, easy-to-carry guide packed with the information they will need to take their best wild bird photographs. Author Rulon Simmons, a 30-year birder and award-winning photographer, joins Bates Littlehales, a 40-year National Geographic photographer specializing in birds, to offer specifics on finding and photographing birds, whether in the backyard or in the nation’s stunning national parks. Includes comprehensive information with full-color images on the right films and lenses to use ; ...

Sibling Species of Titmice in the Parus Inornatus Complex (Aves:Paridae)
de Carla Cicero (Ed. Univ of California Pr) Isbn : 0520098080
29.23 € / 191.74 FF
In a comprehensive investigation of macrogeographic variation in the Plain Titmouse (Parus inornatus) complex in western North America, the author assessed population-level patterns of differentiation in morphometric, colorimetric, allozymic, mtDNA, and vocal characters. These suites of traits showed broad geographic concordance, distinguishing Pacific slope from interior populations. These two groups of populations are treated as sibling species.