1)
PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: Sunbirds are among the most striking of all bird groups; their dazzling iridescent plumage and long curved bills are conspicuous when the birds visit garden flowers on sunny days to feed on nectar. Some species - especially the females - are duller in appearance and harder to spot, feeding mostly on insects high up in forest canopies. Spiderhunters, as their name suggests, feed extensively on spiders, while sunbirds' other close relatives, the flowerpeckers, are especially partial to mistletoe berries.
This book is the last word on
sunbird identification, ecology and behaviour. Now in its second
edition, it has been fully revised and updated to reflect the many
developments that have occurred in sunbird taxonomy, as well as the new
research that has been published on their biology. It covers all 218
currently recognised species, providing details of key identification
features, voice, habitat, distribution, conservation status, movements,
food and behaviour. New colour art by award-winning artist Richard Allen
has been added, and hundreds of high-quality colour photographs
beautifully capture every species. Maps accurately depict geographical
distributions of each taxon to subspecies level.
This beautiful
book is the definitive reference to the sunbirds, flowerpeckers,
spiderhunters and sugarbirds of the world, and is essential reading for
researchers, birders and conservationists alike.
RECOMMENDATION: The page count has increased from 384 to 608.The number of color plates has increased from 48 to 58. This book is a MUST-HAVE for anyone with an interest in Sunbirds and related birds and/or collects bird family monographs.
2)
PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: Airily dancing over rivers and ponds, the thousands of colorful
dragonfly and damselfly species that cohabit our planet may seem of
little importance. Few life-forms, however, convey the condition of the
most limiting resource on land and life’s most bountiful environment as
well as they can: while the adults are exceptional aerial hunters, their
nymphs are all confined to freshwater. Dragonflies and Damselflies of the World
showcases their beauty and diversity while shedding light on how they
evolved into the vital symbols of planetary health we celebrate today.
- Features stunning color photos of hundreds of species
- Characterizes all families and major subgroups
- Explores how their unique features and behavior led to today’s variety
- Shows how we contribute to their popularization and protection
RECOMMENDATION: This book is a well illustrated overview of the World's dragonflies and damselflies.
3) Wilbraham, Joanna.
PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: Bryophytes are a highly diverse group of plants found in nearly all parts of the world and across a range of habitats. The term “bryophyte” describes plants of three closely related lineages: the mosses, liverworts, and hornworts. Ancient in their makeup, bryophytes disperse by spores rather than seeds and grow no more than a few centimeters high, carpeting forest floors or clinging to rocks and tree trunks. Instead of conducting fluids internally (like vascular plants), they absorb water and nutrients externally across the whole body of the plant. Such strategies have enabled bryophytes to survive, and indeed thrive, through the millennia. Mosses, Liverworts, and Hornworts of the World makes sense of their miniature world, differentiating between the three lineages and delving into their evolution, anatomy, and life cycles. The result is an unprecedented in-depth look at these exquisitely beautiful and often overlooked organisms.
- Features hundreds of stunning color photos of mosses, liverworts, and hornworts
- Profiles individual genera across the three groups, including fact boxes and distribution maps
- Written by a world-renowned expert
