1) Barnes, Keith et al.. Princeton University Press. Paperback: 640 pages. Price: $45.00 U.S.
The vast region of Greater Southern Africa—which includes
Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa,
Zambia, and Zimbabwe—is home to a truly extraordinary diversity of
birds. This spectacular field guide covers all of the region’s bird
species—resident, breeding, migrant, and vagrant.
- Covers all 1,198 species recorded in the region, including details of all the plumages and races likely to be seen
- Features 272 color plates with more than 3,300 illustrations
- Includes concise species accounts that describe key identification features, racial variation, status, range, habitat, and voice
- Provides an up-to-date distribution map for each species
RECOMMENDATION: This book is a MUST-HAVE for anyone birding Southern Africa!
2) Drewitt, Ed. Pelagic Publishing. Paperback: 250 pages. Price: $40.00 U.S.
This
book is the first comprehensive guide to bird pellets, the undigested
remains of food that form together into a ball or sausage-like shape and
are regurgitated. It showcases the range of pellets that different bird
species produce, including owls, hawks, falcons, corvids such as ravens
and magpies, as well as waders – and even garden birds! The common
items found in them, such as small mammal skulls and bones, are analysed
in detail, with the discussion accompanied by numerous colour
illustrations.
The book progresses methodically from
an introduction to pellets, covering what they are and how they are
formed, to instructions on dissection and analysis and how this can be
used in research, followed by a closer look at the pellets of each bird
species in turn – from the golden eagle to the dipper. We learn how to
identify the remains of small mammals including bats, as well as
reptiles, amphibians, fish, invertebrates and of course other birds.
Dissecting
bird pellets and identifying what is inside can be an important tool
for discovering what birds are feeding on as part of more detailed diet
studies. It is also an activity often delivered at family-friendly
events or in schools by wildlife organisations. Extracting information
from pellets also has sound scientific value: while it does not capture
everything a bird has been eating, it still goes a long way in revealing
the diet of birds and how this may change over time, in different
habitats and different parts of the world.
RECOMMENDATION: Although this book features species from Britain and Ireland, it's a well written and illustrated overview of bird pellets.
3) Pietsch, Theodore W. et al.. A Field Guide to Fishes of the Salish Sea. 2023. Chatwin Books. Paperback: 346 pages. Price: $36.00 U.S.
Small, lightweight, and easy to use, A Field Guide to Fishes of
the Salish Sea is a beautifully illustrated guide to identify the
saltwater and anadromous fishes of the inland marine waters of
Washington State and British Columbia. A must have for any backpack or
home library! The most comprehensive and up-to-date work of its kind.
Covering approximately 6,948 square miles of sea surface, the Salish Sea
is home to 260 species of fish. The fish species are arranged
phylogenetically—representing the evolutionary history and relationships
between groups—beginning with the jawless hagfishes and lampreys and
ending with the bizarre Ocean Sunfish. With an introduction that
describes the “Salish Sea”, how it got its name and its general
geographic features, the guide gives accounts of the 80 fish families
represented in the Salish Sea before moving on to cover the 260
individual species that have been recorded in Salish Sea waters. The
authors generally avoid the use of ichthyological jargon, instead
substituting common, everyday descriptors for the often-difficult
terminology routinely used by professional ichthyologists. And for those
who think the cold-water ichthyofauna of the Salish Sea might be drab,
the guide’s incredible illustrations by Joseph Tomelleri, with their
astonishing and true-to-life colors, and assumed by many on first glance
to be photographs, are ample cause to reconsider.
RECOMMENDATION: This is the field guide version of the three volume set, Fishes of the Salish Sea, by the same authors/artist that was published in 2019. Joseph Tomelleri's artwork highlights this book! This book is a must-have for anyone with an interest in the marine fishes of the region! The book can be ordered here.
4) Wilson, Larry et al.. 35.95 U.S.
Describing
more than 120 species of salamanders occurring in the eastern United
States, ecologists Whit Gibbons, Larry Wilson, and Joe Mitchell, provide
us with the most comprehensive and authoritative―yet accessible and
fun-to-read―guide to these often secretive, always fascinating wonders
of nature.
Gibbons, Wilson, and Mitchell enumerate the
distinguishing characteristics of salamanders, including how they are
different from other amphibians and from reptiles, especially lizards.
Also discussed are distribution, habitat, behavior and activity,
reproduction, food and feeding, predators and defense, conservation, and
taxonomy. Accompanying each account are photographs illustrating
typical adults and variations and distribution maps for the eastern U.S.
and the United States as a whole.
Given that a high percentage
of the world’s species of salamanders live in the Southeast and
Northeast and the scientific and popular concern for the worldwide
decline in amphibian populations in general, Salamanders of the Eastern United States
will appeal to people of all ages and levels of knowledge interested in
natural history and conservation. The guide will help foster the
growing interest in salamanders as well as cultivate a desire to protect
and conserve these fascinating amphibians and their habitats.
FEATURES:
Conservation-oriented approach.
More than 400 color photographs.
More than 80 distribution maps.
Clear species descriptions and photographs.
Sections on biology, worldwide diversity, identification, taxonomy, habitats, and conservation.
“Did You Know?” sidebars of interesting facts.
RECOMMENDATION: This book is a MUST-HAVE for anyone with an interest in the salamanders of the Eastern United States.