My WEEKLY Birdbooker Report can be found here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/grrlscientist/2012/dec/30/1
Sunday, December 30, 2012
The Weekly Birdbooker Report
My WEEKLY Birdbooker Report can be found here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/grrlscientist/2012/dec/30/1
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
New Title
SUMMARY: The moa were the most unusual and unique family of birds that ever lived, a clan of feathered monsters that developed in isolation for many, many millions of years. They became extinct reasonably quickly after the arrival of the Maori, and were a distant memory by the time European explorers arrived. So the discovery and identification of their bones in the 1840s was a worldwide sensation, claimed by many to be the zoological find of the century.
This book begins by recounting the story of discovery, which was characterised by an unbelievable amount of controversy and intrigue. Since then there has been an unbroken chain of new discoveries, culminating with intriguing revelations in recent years about the moa’s biology, that have come to light through DNA testing and radio-dating.
This is a fascinating and important book that richly recounts the life and death of our strangest bird. Packed with a fantastic range of illustrations, Moa fills an important gap in our natural history literature, a popular but serious book on this national icon.
RECOMMENDATION: A must have for Moa fans! This book can be ordered here: http://www.craigpotton.co.nz/store/moa and in the United Kingdom from NHBS.com here:
http://www.nhbs.com/moa_tefno_187270.html
New Title
SUMMARY: Soon after his arrival at Warburg PoW camp, British army officer John Buxton (1912-1989) found an unexpected means of escape from the horrors of internment. Passing his days covertly watching birds, he was unaware that he, too, was being watched. Peter Conder (1919-1993), also a passionate ornithologist, had noticed Buxton gazing skywards. He approached him and, with two other prisoners, they founded a secret birdwatching society.
This is the untold story of an obsessive quest behind barbed wire. Through their shared love of birds, the four PoWs overcame hunger, hardship, fear and stultifying boredom. Their quest would draw in not only their fellow prisoners, but also some of the German guards, at great risk to them all.
Derek Niemann draws on original diaries, letters and drawings, to show how Conder, John Barrett, George Waterston and Buxton were forged by their wartime experience into the giants of postwar wildlife conservation. Their legacy lives on.
RECOMMENDATION: This book reminds me of a scene from the 1963 movie: The Great Escape in which the Allied PoWs are learning to identify birds, especially the Masked Shrike. I wonder if the men in this book inspired that scene? Buxton's 1950 New Naturalist monograph The Redstart has become a collector's item. Conder had his The Wheatear monograph published in 1989. Niemann's book is a good read for those with an interest in British ornithological and/or World War 2 history.
Sunday, December 23, 2012
The Weekly Birdbooker Report
My WEEKLY Birdbooker Report can be found here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/grrlscientist/2012/dec/23/1
Saturday, December 22, 2012
Indiana University Press titles
The following titles are now available through Indiana University Press:
1) Antonio, Thomas M. and Susanne Masi. The Sunflower Family in the Upper Midwest. 2001. Hardbound: 419 pages. Price: $50.00 U.S.
SUMMARY: This beautiful book features 544 photos as well as range maps for each of the 150 treated species. The maps cover the six states of the upper Midwest (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin) with species arranged alphabetically by flower color and floret type. Several habitat shots are full-page, providing the reader with a view of associated plant species and a feel for where to find them. This is an eye-catching book suitable for display or reference.
2) Belth, Jeffrey E.. Butterflies of Indiana: A Field Guide. 2012. Paperback: 328 pages. Price: $20.00 U.S.
SUMMARY: This field guide to Indiana’s rich butterfly fauna covers all 149 species of butterflies and their close relatives, the skippers. Over 500 color photographs illustrate the undersides and uppersides of most species and highlight the variations found among them, both seasonally and between males and females. For beginners and experts, Butterflies of Indiana also offers an introduction to the natural history of butterflies. The simple and intuitive design of this guide and its wealth of features make it a faithful companion for butterfly watchers, collectors, gardeners, birders, and naturalists.
3) Curray, James R.. Dragonflies of Indiana. 2001. Hardbound: 303 pages. Price: $38.00 U.S.
SUMMARY: Including one or more images of all 97 known species of dragonflies, over 250 color photos, and numerous line drawings and range maps, this guide to the dragonflies of mid-continental North America will be a useful companion throughout the region. Dragonflies of Indiana includes sections on key identification features, anatomy, life history, habitats, behavior, and flight seasons of dragonflies; the history of dragonfly study in Indiana; and the conservation value of dragonflies. It will be appreciated by all who take wonder in the shimmer of dragonfly wings on a summer day.
4) Homoya, Michael A.. Orchids of Indiana. 1993. Hardbound: 276 pages. Price: $48.00 U.S.
SUMMARY: All 43 of the orchids now growing in Indiana are represented in this handsome volume of detailed descriptions, range maps, and color photographs, appealing to naturalists and orchid lovers everywhere.
5) Rothrock, Paul E, Sedges of Indiana and the Adjacent States: The Non-Carex Species. 2009. Hardbound: 270 pages. Price: $49.00 U.S.
SUMMARY: This attractive publication is as relevant to gardeners as it is to natural areas biologists and plant taxonomists. The states covered by this guide include: Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin.
RECOMMENDATION: Of the above books, I like the Dragonflies and Butterflies ones the best!
1) Antonio, Thomas M. and Susanne Masi. The Sunflower Family in the Upper Midwest. 2001. Hardbound: 419 pages. Price: $50.00 U.S.
SUMMARY: This beautiful book features 544 photos as well as range maps for each of the 150 treated species. The maps cover the six states of the upper Midwest (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin) with species arranged alphabetically by flower color and floret type. Several habitat shots are full-page, providing the reader with a view of associated plant species and a feel for where to find them. This is an eye-catching book suitable for display or reference.
2) Belth, Jeffrey E.. Butterflies of Indiana: A Field Guide. 2012. Paperback: 328 pages. Price: $20.00 U.S.
SUMMARY: This field guide to Indiana’s rich butterfly fauna covers all 149 species of butterflies and their close relatives, the skippers. Over 500 color photographs illustrate the undersides and uppersides of most species and highlight the variations found among them, both seasonally and between males and females. For beginners and experts, Butterflies of Indiana also offers an introduction to the natural history of butterflies. The simple and intuitive design of this guide and its wealth of features make it a faithful companion for butterfly watchers, collectors, gardeners, birders, and naturalists.
3) Curray, James R.. Dragonflies of Indiana. 2001. Hardbound: 303 pages. Price: $38.00 U.S.
SUMMARY: Including one or more images of all 97 known species of dragonflies, over 250 color photos, and numerous line drawings and range maps, this guide to the dragonflies of mid-continental North America will be a useful companion throughout the region. Dragonflies of Indiana includes sections on key identification features, anatomy, life history, habitats, behavior, and flight seasons of dragonflies; the history of dragonfly study in Indiana; and the conservation value of dragonflies. It will be appreciated by all who take wonder in the shimmer of dragonfly wings on a summer day.
4) Homoya, Michael A.. Orchids of Indiana. 1993. Hardbound: 276 pages. Price: $48.00 U.S.
SUMMARY: All 43 of the orchids now growing in Indiana are represented in this handsome volume of detailed descriptions, range maps, and color photographs, appealing to naturalists and orchid lovers everywhere.
5) Rothrock, Paul E, Sedges of Indiana and the Adjacent States: The Non-Carex Species. 2009. Hardbound: 270 pages. Price: $49.00 U.S.
SUMMARY: This attractive publication is as relevant to gardeners as it is to natural areas biologists and plant taxonomists. The states covered by this guide include: Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin.
RECOMMENDATION: Of the above books, I like the Dragonflies and Butterflies ones the best!
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Best Bird Books of 2012
The following are my picks for the best bird books of 2012:
BEST BOOK:
1) Erritzoe, Johannes, Clive F. Mann, Frederik P. Brammer and Richard A. Fuller. Cuckoos of the World. 2012. Helm/Bloomsbury. Hardbound: 544 pages. Price: GBP 60.00 (about $94.00 U.S.).
SUMMARY: This authoritative handbook, part of the Helm Identification Guides series, looks in detail at the world's cuckoos, couas and coucals - the family Cuculidae. Famed as brood-parasites of other birds, the cuckoos include a diverse range of species, from the roadrunners of North America to the spectacular malkohas of southern Asia. This book discusses the biology and identification of these birds on a species-by-species basis, bringing together the very latest research with accurate range maps, more than 600 stunning colour photographs that illuminate age and racial plumage differences, and 36 superb plates by a team of internationally renowned artists.
RECOMMENDATION: A MUST have for people with an interest in cuckoos and related birds. People that collect bird family monographs will want it also!
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
1) Howell, Steve N.G.. Petrels, Albatrosses & Storm-Petrels of North America: A Photographic Guide. 2012. Princeton University Press. Hardbound: 483 pages. Price: $45.00 U.S.
SUMMARY: Petrels, albatrosses, and storm-petrels are among the most beautiful yet least known of all the world's birds, living their lives at sea far from the sight of most people. Largely colored in shades of gray, black, and white, these enigmatic and fast-flying seabirds can be hard to differentiate, particularly from a moving boat. Useful worldwide, not just in North America, this photographic guide is based on unrivaled field experience and combines insightful text and hundreds of full-color images to help you identify these remarkable birds.
The first book of its kind, this guide features an introduction that explains ocean habitats and the latest developments in taxonomy. Detailed species accounts describe key identification features such as flight manner, plumage variation related to age and molt, seasonal occurrence patterns, and migration routes. Species accounts are arranged into groups helpful for field identification, and an overview of unique identification challenges is provided for each group. The guide also includes distribution maps for regularly occurring species as well as a bibliography, glossary, and appendixes.
This book features:
*The first state-of-the-art photographic guide to these enigmatic seabirds
*Includes hundreds of full-color photos throughout
*Features detailed species accounts that describe flight, plumage, distribution, and more
*Provides overviews of ocean habitats, taxonomy, and conservation
*Offers tips on how to observe and identify birds at sea
RECOMMENDATION: A MUST have for pelagic birders!
2) Hume, Julian P. and Michael Walters. Extinct Birds. 2011. T & A D Poyser. Hardbound: 544 pages. Price: 50.00 GBP (about $78.46 U.S.).
SUMMARY: This is the first comprehensive review of the hundreds of bird species and subspecies that have become extinct over the last 1,000 years of habitat degradation, over-hunting and rat introduction. Covering both familiar icons of extinction as well as more obscure birds, some known from just one specimen or from traveller's tales, the book also looks at hundreds of species from the subfossil record – birds that disappeared without ever being recorded. Julian Hume and Michael Walters recreate these lost birds in stunning detail, bringing together an up to date review of the literature for every species. From Great Auks, Carolina Parakeets and Dodos to the amazing yet completely vanished bird radiations of Hawaii and New Zealand, via rafts of extinctions in the Pacific and elsewhere, this book is both a sumptuous reference and an amazing testament to humanity's impact on birds.
A direct replacement for Greenway's seminal 1958 title Extinct and Vanishing Birds, this book will be the standard reference on the subject for generations to come.
RECOMMENDATION: A must have for anyone with an interest in bird conservation, especially for those with an interest in what we have already lost!
3) Dunne, Pete, David Sibley, and Clay Sutton. Hawks in Flight (Second Edition). 2012. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Hardbound: 335 pages. Price: $26.00 U.S.
SUMMARY: Among the world's most popular birds, hawks can be some of the most difficult birds to identify. They're most often seen flying high above and at a distance.
In the first edition of Hawks in Flight, Pete Dunne, David Sibley, and Clay Sutton presented a holistic method of hawk identification, using general body shape, the way they move, and the places they are most likely to be seen.
The new edition of the book that Roger Tory Peterson called a "landmark" integrates an array of carefully selected photographs, David Sibley's superb illustrations, and a clear, information-packed text and takes raptor identification to a higher level. This edition covers all of the raptors that breed in North America, including those with limited ranges in Florida, the Southwest, and Texas.
Picking up where its predecessor ended by including two decades of raptor identification refinement, Hawks in Flight summarizes and places in users’ hands an identification skill set that used to take years to master. The unique alchemy of Dunne, Sibley, and Sutton—including their collective experience of more than one hundred years watching hawks—make this book a singular achievement and a must-have for anyone interested in hawks.
RECOMMENDATION: A MUST have for raptor people, even if you own the first edition!
4) Parish, Jolyon C.. The Dodo and the Solitaire: A Natural History. 2012. Indiana University Press. Hardbound: 407 pages. Price: $75.00 U.S.
SUMMARY: The Dodo and the Solitaire is the most comprehensive book to date about these two famously extinct birds. It contains all the known contemporary accounts and illustrations of the dodo and solitaire, covering their history after extinction and discussing their ecology, classification, phylogenetic placement, and evolution. Both birds were large and flightless and lived on inhabited islands some 500 miles east of Madagascar. The first recorded descriptions of the dodo were provided by Dutch sailors who first encountered them in 1598—within 100 years, the dodo was extinct. So quickly did the bird disappear that there is insufficient evidence to form an entirely accurate picture of its appearance and ecology, and the absence has led to much speculation. The story of the dodo, like that of the solitaire, has been pieced together from fragments, both literary and physical, that have been carefully compiled and examined in this extraordinary volume.
RECOMMENDATION: A MUST have for people with an interest in these two species!
BEST BOOK:
SUMMARY: This authoritative handbook, part of the Helm Identification Guides series, looks in detail at the world's cuckoos, couas and coucals - the family Cuculidae. Famed as brood-parasites of other birds, the cuckoos include a diverse range of species, from the roadrunners of North America to the spectacular malkohas of southern Asia. This book discusses the biology and identification of these birds on a species-by-species basis, bringing together the very latest research with accurate range maps, more than 600 stunning colour photographs that illuminate age and racial plumage differences, and 36 superb plates by a team of internationally renowned artists.
RECOMMENDATION: A MUST have for people with an interest in cuckoos and related birds. People that collect bird family monographs will want it also!
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
SUMMARY: Petrels, albatrosses, and storm-petrels are among the most beautiful yet least known of all the world's birds, living their lives at sea far from the sight of most people. Largely colored in shades of gray, black, and white, these enigmatic and fast-flying seabirds can be hard to differentiate, particularly from a moving boat. Useful worldwide, not just in North America, this photographic guide is based on unrivaled field experience and combines insightful text and hundreds of full-color images to help you identify these remarkable birds.
The first book of its kind, this guide features an introduction that explains ocean habitats and the latest developments in taxonomy. Detailed species accounts describe key identification features such as flight manner, plumage variation related to age and molt, seasonal occurrence patterns, and migration routes. Species accounts are arranged into groups helpful for field identification, and an overview of unique identification challenges is provided for each group. The guide also includes distribution maps for regularly occurring species as well as a bibliography, glossary, and appendixes.
This book features:
*The first state-of-the-art photographic guide to these enigmatic seabirds
*Includes hundreds of full-color photos throughout
*Features detailed species accounts that describe flight, plumage, distribution, and more
*Provides overviews of ocean habitats, taxonomy, and conservation
*Offers tips on how to observe and identify birds at sea
RECOMMENDATION: A MUST have for pelagic birders!
SUMMARY: This is the first comprehensive review of the hundreds of bird species and subspecies that have become extinct over the last 1,000 years of habitat degradation, over-hunting and rat introduction. Covering both familiar icons of extinction as well as more obscure birds, some known from just one specimen or from traveller's tales, the book also looks at hundreds of species from the subfossil record – birds that disappeared without ever being recorded. Julian Hume and Michael Walters recreate these lost birds in stunning detail, bringing together an up to date review of the literature for every species. From Great Auks, Carolina Parakeets and Dodos to the amazing yet completely vanished bird radiations of Hawaii and New Zealand, via rafts of extinctions in the Pacific and elsewhere, this book is both a sumptuous reference and an amazing testament to humanity's impact on birds.
A direct replacement for Greenway's seminal 1958 title Extinct and Vanishing Birds, this book will be the standard reference on the subject for generations to come.
RECOMMENDATION: A must have for anyone with an interest in bird conservation, especially for those with an interest in what we have already lost!
SUMMARY: Among the world's most popular birds, hawks can be some of the most difficult birds to identify. They're most often seen flying high above and at a distance.
In the first edition of Hawks in Flight, Pete Dunne, David Sibley, and Clay Sutton presented a holistic method of hawk identification, using general body shape, the way they move, and the places they are most likely to be seen.
The new edition of the book that Roger Tory Peterson called a "landmark" integrates an array of carefully selected photographs, David Sibley's superb illustrations, and a clear, information-packed text and takes raptor identification to a higher level. This edition covers all of the raptors that breed in North America, including those with limited ranges in Florida, the Southwest, and Texas.
Picking up where its predecessor ended by including two decades of raptor identification refinement, Hawks in Flight summarizes and places in users’ hands an identification skill set that used to take years to master. The unique alchemy of Dunne, Sibley, and Sutton—including their collective experience of more than one hundred years watching hawks—make this book a singular achievement and a must-have for anyone interested in hawks.
RECOMMENDATION: A MUST have for raptor people, even if you own the first edition!
SUMMARY: The Dodo and the Solitaire is the most comprehensive book to date about these two famously extinct birds. It contains all the known contemporary accounts and illustrations of the dodo and solitaire, covering their history after extinction and discussing their ecology, classification, phylogenetic placement, and evolution. Both birds were large and flightless and lived on inhabited islands some 500 miles east of Madagascar. The first recorded descriptions of the dodo were provided by Dutch sailors who first encountered them in 1598—within 100 years, the dodo was extinct. So quickly did the bird disappear that there is insufficient evidence to form an entirely accurate picture of its appearance and ecology, and the absence has led to much speculation. The story of the dodo, like that of the solitaire, has been pieced together from fragments, both literary and physical, that have been carefully compiled and examined in this extraordinary volume.
RECOMMENDATION: A MUST have for people with an interest in these two species!
Sunday, December 16, 2012
New Title
SUMMARY: This new book, written and illustrated by paleoartist Matthew P. Martyniuk, is a comprehensive guide to the diverse fossil species spanning the evolutionary transition from the first feathered dinosaurs with wings in the mid-Jurassic period 160 million years ago, to the late Cretaceous period and the first modern birds.
Each caenagnathiform ("oviraptor"), deinonychosaurian ("raptor"), enantiornithean ("opposite bird"), and other winged prehistoric bird species is illustrated in multiple views with distinguishing characteristics highlighted, allowing readers to experience how these species may have differed from each other in life. The illustrations and technical descriptions in this guide will illuminate the various pathways and side branches bird evolution followed during its first 100 million years.
More than just a companion volume for paleo-birdwatching, this guide is intended as an valuable tool for readers interested in learning about bird evolution, comparative anatomy, and the biology of the first birds, as well as a quick-reference for artists and researchers interested in accurately restoring Mesozoic birds and their closest dinosaurian relatives.
RECOMMENDATION: For those with a technical or semi-technical interest in avian evolution. Available here: http://www.panaves.com/ or from amazon.com (link below).
The Weekly Birdbooker Report
My WEEKLY Birdbooker Report can be found here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/grrlscientist/2012/dec/16/1
Thursday, December 13, 2012
New Title
SUMMARY: Now that more than half of the world’s population lives in cities, the study of birds in urban ecosystems has emerged at the forefront of ornithological research. An international team of leading researchers in urban bird ecology and conservation from across Europe and North America presents the state of this diverse field, addressing classic questions while proposing new directions for further study. Areas of particular focus include the processes underlying patterns of species shifts along urban-rural gradients, the demography of urban birds and the role of citizen science, and human-avian interaction in urban areas. This important reference fills a crucial need for scientists, planners, and managers of urban spaces and all those interested in the study and conservation of birds in the world’s expanding metropolises.
RECOMMENDATION: For those with a technical interest in urban birds.
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Featured Title
1) Parish, Jolyon C.. The Dodo and the Solitaire: A Natural History. 2012. Indiana University Press. Hardbound: 407 pages. Price: $75.00 U.S.
SUMMARY: The Dodo and the Solitaire is the most comprehensive book to date about these two famously extinct birds. It contains all the known contemporary accounts and illustrations of the dodo and solitaire, covering their history after extinction and discussing their ecology, classification, phylogenetic placement, and evolution. Both birds were large and flightless and lived on inhabited islands some 500 miles east of Madagascar. The first recorded descriptions of the dodo were provided by Dutch sailors who first encountered them in 1598—within 100 years, the dodo was extinct. So quickly did the bird disappear that there is insufficient evidence to form an entirely accurate picture of its appearance and ecology, and the absence has led to much speculation. The story of the dodo, like that of the solitaire, has been pieced together from fragments, both literary and physical, that have been carefully compiled and examined in this extraordinary volume.
RECOMMENDATION: A MUST have for people with an interest in these two species!
New Title
1) Conway, John, C. M. Kosemen and Dr. Darren Naish with skeletal drawings by Scott Hartman. All Yesterdays: Unique and Speculative Views of Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Animals.
SUMMARY: Our first book, "All Yesterdays" is an illustrated survey of possibilities and details we might be overlooking in contemporary reconstructions of extinct animals. In two parts, we examine speculative possibilities that may not have been preserved in the fossil record, and muse on what future palaeontologists may think when reconstructing animals that live today.
RECOMMENDATION: For those with an interest in paleoart and/or speculative paleontology. For further information and for how to place an order, see here (scroll down): http://irregularbooks.co/
Sunday, December 9, 2012
The Weekly Birdbooker Report
My WEEKLY Birdbooker Report can be found here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/grrlscientist/2012/dec/09/1
Saturday, December 8, 2012
New Title
SUMMARY: This is the only illustrated guide specifically tailored to the needs of visitors to this remote and captivating part of the world, and it is the ideal book for armchair naturalists.
A Visitor's Guide to South Georgia features hundreds of color photographs of the diverse wildlife and breathtaking scenery to be found at this unique tourist destination. It includes extensive and up-to-date coverage of all wildlife groups--from albatrosses and petrels to seals and penguins--as well as color maps and detailed information for the 23 key visitor sites. This stunning photographic guide describes the history, geology, and culture of South Georgia. It also provides a checklist of all fauna and flora as well as valuable tips for visitors to the islands, and the book's wirebound format enables it to fold out flat for easy use in a water-protective holder. This book features:
*Hundreds of photos
*Covers all wildlife groups
*Includes maps and information for the 23 key visitor sites
*Describes South Georgia's unique history, geology, and culture
*Provides a checklist of all fauna and flora
*Gives valuable tips for visitors
RECOMMENDATION: A must have for those visiting the island.
Thursday, December 6, 2012
New Title
SUMMARY: Updated with the material that instructors want, Dinosaurs continues to make science exciting and understandable to non-science majors through its narrative of scientific concepts rather than endless facts. It now contains new material on pterosaurs, an expanded section on the evolution of the dinosaurs and new photographs to help students engage with geology, natural history and evolution. The authors ground the text in the language of modern evolutionary biology, phylogenetic systematics, and teach students to examine the paleontology of dinosaurs exactly as the professionals in the field do using these methods to reconstruct dinosaur relationships. Beautifully illustrated, lively and engaging, this edition continues to encourage students to ask questions and assess data critically, enabling them to think like a scientist.
RECOMMENDATION: Best for undergraduate level courses.
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
New Title
SUMMARY:From tiny Elf and Pygmy Owls through the familiar Tawny and Barn Owls to the giant Eagle and Fish Owls, these fierce hunters of dawn, dusk and night have long held a fascination for people around the world. This informative book, covering all owl species found in the northern hemisphere, looks closely at how owls live their lives, and how best to recognize them.
The first part of the book looks in detail at owl biology: how they live, how they breed, and how they feed. The second part includes species accounts for all 47 species of owls that occur in the northern hemisphere, with emphasis on those of Europe and North America. The book is richly illustrated with sensational, full-color photographs of these compelling birds.
RECOMMENDATION: A good general introduction to the owls of the northern hemisphere.
Sunday, December 2, 2012
The Weekly Birdbooker Report
My WEEKLY Birdbooker Report can be found here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/grrlscientist/2012/dec/02/1
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