1) Gorman, Gerard. The Green Woodpecker: The Natural and Cultural History of Picus viridis. 2023. Pelagic Publishing. Paperback: 212 pages. Price: $36.00 U.S.
PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: This book describes the natural and cultural history of an iconic and unusual woodpecker – a species that nests in tree cavities but which forages mostly on the ground. The Green Woodpecker, known in folk English as the Yaffle, is afforded comprehensive coverage in this work, with information on its origins, taxonomy, anatomy, appearance, moult, calls, distribution, conservation status, habitats, movements, breeding, diet and relationships with other wildlife and humans all presented. The text is richly illustrated throughout with quality photographs as well as sound spectrograms. Many eye-opening observations of Green Woodpecker behaviour are detailed. This all-encompassing and engaging account has been written for a wide audience, whether professional ornithologist, citizen scientist, amateur birder, woodpecker aficionado and simply someone who wishes to learn more about this curious and remarkable bird.
RECOMMENDATION: This book is a must have for anyone with an interest in this species or with woodpeckers in general.
2) Ryan, Peter. Guide to Seabirds of Southern Africa (2nd edition). 2023. Struik Nature. Paperback: 200 pages. Price: $17.00 U.S.
PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: Guide to Seabirds of Southern Africa is the only book focusing exclusively on all the seabird species that occur around the southern African coastline and adjacent Southern Ocean. Authoritative, fully illustrated and detailed, this new edition has been fully updated and expanded to reflect the latest data and taxonomy. A section on flying fish and squid has been added, revealing some of the amazing marine creatures that birders may encounter in the waters around southern Africa.
Written by the region’s foremost seabird specialist, the species accounts include informative text, multiple full-color photographs and distribution maps. A fascinating introduction covers seabird origins, havens, feeding, breeding and conservation, as well as how best to watch and photograph these enigmatic birds.
RECOMMENDATION: This book is a must have for anyone who goes pelagic birding off Southern Africa!
3) Forshaw, Joseph. Quail, Buttonquail and Plains-wanderer in Australia and New Zealand. 2023. CSIRO Publishing. Hardbound: 183 pages. Price: $117.99 U.S.
PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: Although not closely related, quail, buttonquail and the Plains-wanderer have much in common. Quail, Buttonquail and Plains-wanderer in Australia and New Zealand examines 14 species of these small, secretive ground-dwelling birds, including Old World and New World quail, the endangered Buff-breasted Buttonquail, the elusive Plains-wanderer and the extinct New Zealand Quail.
4) Lavery, Tyrone and Tim Flannery. Mammals of the South-West Pacific. 2023. CRC Press. Hardbound: 345 pages. Price: $140.00 U.S.
PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: Islands are special because they promote unique forms of life, and large proportions of the species they hold are found nowhere else on Earth. The mammals of the South-west Pacific are no exception, with many distributed only across single islands or archipelagos.
Mammals of the South-west Pacific details the natural history for more than 180 species of marsupials, bats and rodents from 24 Pacific nations and territories. Species profiles are accompanied by distribution maps, illustrations and photographs – many being the first images ever captured for the species. By combining available knowledge with unpublished data collected over years of field work, Mammals of the South-west Pacific forms a definitive guide to the mammals from this region.
RECOMMENDATION: This book is a must have for anyone with a serious interest in the mammals of the region!
5) Dodd Jr., C. Kenneth. Frogs of the United States and Canada (second edition). 2023. Johns Hopkins University Press. Hardbound: 954 pages. Price: $199.00 U.S.
PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: The most thorough, updated guide to frogs and toads in the United States and Canada available.
A stunning diversity of frog species can be found from coastal swamps to lofty mountain peaks, and from the Florida Keys to the Arctic Ocean. They live in subtropical lowlands, grassland prairies, deserts, and alpine-tundra habitats. Some species have restricted habitat requirements, whereas others occur contiguously from the arid plains or humid southeastern forests to the high tundra.
In this new edition of Frogs of the United States and Canada, C. Kenneth Dodd Jr. tours the reader through the marvelous world of North American frogs. Covering 114 native and introduced species from all US states and Canadian provinces, this comprehensive reference on the biology, behavior, and conservation of the Order Anura includes detailed and updated information on:
• past and present distribution
• life history and demography
• reproduction and diet
• landscape ecology and evolution
• diseases, parasites, and threats from toxic substances
• conservation and management
Hundreds of occurrence maps, line drawings, and new color photographs of frogs and their habitats enhance the text. The most thorough treatment of the life histories, distribution, and status of North American frogs ever produced, Frogs of the United States and Canada has been the go-to reference for naturalists, scientists, and resource managers in their efforts to understand and conserve frogs, their habitats, and biodiversity for over a decade. Based on a meticulously updated examination of more than 8,000 references current through 2021, this second edition ensures Dodd's master work will remain an unparalleled resource for years to come.
RECOMMENDATION: This book is a must have for anyone with a serious interest in the frogs of the region!
6) Godwin, Sean and Martin Krkosek. Pacific Salmon Field Guide. 2022. Lone Pine Publishing. Paperback: 160 pages. Price: $
PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: Pacific salmon are of immense cultural, ecological and economic importance to the west coast of North America. They are the most commonly seen fish on the western side of North America but identifying among the seven species is difficult for most of their life stages. Two salmon researchers have worked extensively in the field with this iconic group of fish and have developed the first comprehensive field identification guide for Pacific salmon in a functional format.
This guide presents information and identifying characteristics for the seven Pacific salmon species—sockeye, coho, Chinook, pink, chum, steelhead and coastal cutthroat—across five life stages, with strong emphasis on detailed and intuitive illustrations. This guide is an identification resource that includes natural history, life stage descriptions and conservation status of Pacific salmon and how to observe these fish in the wild. The identification portions are organized into five life stages: fry, smolt, post smolt, ocean adult, and spawner. The many scientific illustrations for each species are drawn from real specimens representative of their species and life stage. Joseph Tomelleri, who drew all the brilliant illustrations in this book, painstakingly measured every part of each fish, counting every fin ray and row of scales while layering colour upon colour. In addition, dozens of photos show these fish in incredible detail.
RECOMMENDATION: This book is a must have for anyone with an interest in Pacific salmon!
7) Archer, Michael et al.. Prehistoric Australasia: Visions of Evolution and Extinction. 2023. CSIRO Publishing. Hardbound: 258 pages. Price: $U.S.
PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: For most of the past 300 million years, the world’s continents were interlinked as the supercontinents Pangaea and then Gondwana. Around 50 million years ago, Australia tore itself free from Antarctica to become the huge, splendidly isolated island it is today. Over time, its creatures began to evolve in ways not seen anywhere else on Earth, with tree-climbing crocodiles, gigantic venomous lizards, walking omnivorous bats and flesh-eating kangaroos roaming the continent.
8) Nabavizadeh, Ali and David B. Weishampel. An Illustrated Guide to Dinosaur Feeding Biology. 2023. Johns Hopkins University Press. Hardbound: 353 pages. Price: $59.95 U.S.
PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: This beautifully illustrated exploration of the diversity, anatomy, and evolution of dinosaur feeding adaptations is the first and only in-depth look at this crucial aspect of paleoecology.
In An Illustrated Guide to Dinosaur Feeding Biology, experts Ali Nabavizadeh and David B. Weishampel bring dinosaurs to life on the page by exploring and illustrating their feeding adaptations. Whether dinosaurs were carnivorous, herbivorous, or omnivorous, their evolution produced a multitude of specialized adaptations that helped shape their ecologies. Dinosaur skulls show a variety of bone and joint specializations ideal for withstanding stresses and strains induced by high bite forces with strong jaw musculature. The bladed, steak-knife dentition of many carnivorous dinosaurs was well-suited for slicing meat and crushing bones, while the leaf-shaped, sometimes tightly packed dentition of many herbivorous dinosaurs was ideal for grinding up a variety of plant material.
The first book of its kind, An Illustrated Guide to Dinosaur Feeding Biology is a synthesis of over a century of dinosaur feeding biology research, from the earliest hypotheses in the 1800s to today's studies using advanced techniques. Intended for both researchers and dinosaur enthusiasts alike, this book discusses functional morphological studies highlighting comparative anatomy, tooth wear, muscle reconstruction, and biomechanical analysis using modeling techniques like finite element analysis and multibody dynamics analysis. In addition to the feeding apparatus, Nabavizadeh and Weishampel explore postcranial adaptations and discuss the evolution of dinosaurs and their paleoecology more broadly. Integrating these various factors improves our understanding of dinosaurs as the living beings they were in their ecosystems millions of years ago and ultimately expands our knowledge and perspective of today's ecosystems by framing them in a broader evolutionary context.
RECOMMENDATION: This book is a must have for anyone with a serious interest in dinosaur biology!
