The set went for $7,922,500 (the record is $11.5 million set in 2010). See more details here: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2012/01/20/national/a085430S42.DTL
Friday, January 20, 2012
Audubon auction today
The set went for $7,922,500 (the record is $11.5 million set in 2010). See more details here: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2012/01/20/national/a085430S42.DTL
Thursday, January 19, 2012
New Titles
1) Grimmett, Richard, Carol Inskipp and Tim Inskipp. Birds of the Indian Subcontinent. 2012. Helm Field Guides. Paperback: 528 pages. Price: $39.50 U.S.
SUMMARY: This new field guide is based on the authors' groundbreaking Birds of the Indian Subcontinent (1998) and covers all the bird species found in India, Pakistian, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and the Maldives. The plates face the descriptions and maps for quick at-a-glance reference. Many of the plates have been repainted for this edition and a number of new species added. This guide also provides tables, summarising identification features of particularly difficult groups such as nightjars, warblers and rosefinches.
RECOMMENDATION: A must have for birders interested in the region, even if you own the first edition! The page count has increased from 384 to 528 pages with 73 NEW color plates! This title is being co-published by Princeton University Press as: Birds of India: Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives (Second Edition).
2) Kirwan, Guy M. and Graeme Green. Cotingas and Manakins. 2012. Princeton University Press. Hardbound: 624 pages. Price: $55.00 U.S.
SUMMARY: The New World tropics are home to the richest avifauna on the planet, with more than 4,000 species, many of them endemic. Two groups found exclusively in this region are the cotingas and the manakins. Few other families of birds have such widespread appeal. They are much sought after by birders for their colorful displays, unusual plumages, and, in some cases, great rarity. Their natural history and behavior offer fascinating case studies for evolutionary biologists, while the intriguingly elusive relationships of these birds are of profound interest to taxonomists.
Cotingas and Manakins is the definitive work on these jewels of the Neotropics, covering more than 130 species. These range from some of the rarest and most enigmatic birds in the world to some of the best studied of all tropical species. Many are breathtakingly colorful and ornate while some are plain and difficult to see. This stunning volume features 34 color plates by Eustace Barnes, who has observed many of these species in the field, as well as distribution maps and approximately 400 color photographs that cover all but a tiny handful of species. Complete with detailed species accounts describing key identification features, Cotingas and Manakins is the authoritative illustrated guide to these magnificent Neotropical birds.
This book features:
*Covers more than 130 species of cotingas and manakins
*Features 34 color plates and about 400 color photos
*Includes detailed species accounts and distribution maps
*The must-have illustrated guide to these colorful and exotic birds
RECOMMENDATION: I made the Helm (U.K.) version my Best Bird Book of 2011! It's a must have for those with an interest in Neotropical birds or collectors of family monographs!
3) Linzey, Donald W.. Vertebrate Biology (2nd edition). 2012. Johns Hopkins University Press. Hardbound: 583 pages. Price: $110.00 U.S.
SUMMARY: Long recognized as the most readable textbook on vertebrate biology, this comprehensive volume covers subjects ranging from the biology of the smallest shrew to the migration of the largest whales. Thoroughly updated with the latest research, this new edition discusses taxa and topics such as:
• systematics and evolution
• zoogeography, ecology, morphology, and reproduction
• early chordates
• fish, amphibians, reptiles (inclusive of birds), and mammals
• population dynamics
• movement and migration
• behavior
• study methods
• extinction processes
• conservation and management
Complete with appendixes and glossary, Vertebrate Biology is the ideal text for courses in zoology, vertebrate biology, vertebrate natural history, and general biology. Donald W. Linzey carefully builds theme upon theme, concept upon concept, as he walks students through a plethora of topics on the vertebrate life form. Arranged logically to follow the typical course format, Vertebrate Biology leaves students with a full understanding of the unique structure, function, and living patterns of the subphylum that includes our own species.
RECOMMENDATION: A nice but expensive college text book.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
FEATURED TITLE
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! This title is an early contender for "Best Bird Book for 2012"!
New Title
1) Dhondt, Andre A.. Interspecific Competition in Birds. 2012. Oxford University Press. Paperback: 282 pages. Price: $59.99 U.S.
SUMMARY: In nature there exist three main types of biotic interactions between individuals of different species: competition, predation, and mutualism. All three exert powerful selection pressures, and all three shape communities. However, the question of how important interspecific competition in nature really is remains controversial and unresolved. This book provides a critical and exhaustive review of the topic. Although the examples are limited mostly to birds (interspecific competition and community structure have been exhaustively studied in this animal group, and a lot of experimental data are available), the conclusions reached have a far broader relevance to population ecologists in general. The book reasons that the coexistence of species is the result of both past and presently on-going interspecific competition.
Furthermore, understanding the importance of interspecific competition in natural systems will be increasingly important when modelling the effects of climate change on populations.
This book features:
*Provides a current, critical review of the importance of interspecific competition in birds
*Considers the evolutionary effects of interspecific competition, its importance in structuring communities, and its influence on the traits of individual species
*A comprehensive synthesis based on a series of extensive, long-term experimental studies
*Ideal graduate course material
RECOMMENDATION: For those with a technical interest in avian biology.
Sunday, January 15, 2012
The Weekly Birdbooker Report
My WEEKLY Birdbooker Report can be found here:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/grrlscientist/2012/jan/15/1
Friday, January 13, 2012
New Title
1) Bridgewater, Samuel. A Natural History of Belize: Inside the Maya Forest. 2012. University of Texas Press. Hardbound: 390 pages. Price: $45.00 U.S.
SUMMARY: Belize's Chiquibul Forest is one of the largest remaining expanses of tropical moist forest in Central America. It forms part of what is popularly known as the Maya Forest. Battered by hurricanes over millions of years, occupied by the Maya for thousands of years, and logged for hundreds of years, this ecosystem has demonstrated its remarkable ecological resilience through its continued existence into the twenty-first century. Despite its history of disturbance, or maybe in part because of it, the Maya Forest is ranked as an important regional biodiversity hot spot and provides some of the last regional habitats for endangered species such as the jaguar, the scarlet macaw, Baird's tapir, and Morelet's crocodile.
A Natural History of Belize presents for the first time a detailed portrait of the habitats, biodiversity, and ecology of the Maya Forest, and Belize more broadly, in a format accessible to a popular audience. It is based in part on the research findings of scientists studying at Las Cuevas Research Station in the Chiquibul Forest. The book is unique in demystifying many of the big scientific debates related to rainforests. These include "Why are tropical forests so diverse?"; "How do flora and fauna evolve?"; and "How do species interact?" By focusing on the ecotourism paradise of Belize, this book illustrates how science has solved some of the riddles that once perplexed the likes of Charles Darwin, and also shows how it can assist us in managing our planet and forest resources wisely in the future.
RECOMMENDATION: A good general introduction to the Chiquibul Forest of Belize.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Eastern "Bug" Books
1) Paulson, Dennis. Dragonflies and Damselflies of the East. 2011. Princeton University Press. Paperback: 538 pages. Price: $29.95 U.S.
SUMMARY: This is the first fully illustrated guide to all 336 dragonfly and damselfly species of eastern North America--from the rivers of Manitoba to the Florida cypress swamps--and the companion volume to Dennis Paulson's acclaimed field guide to the dragonflies and damselflies of the West. Dragonflies and Damselflies of the East features hundreds of color photos that depict all the species found in the region, detailed line drawings to aid in-hand identification, and a color distribution map for every species--and the book's compact size and user-friendly design make it the only guide you need in the field. Species accounts describe key identification features, distribution, flight season, similar species, habitat, and natural history. Paulson's authoritative introduction offers a primer on dragonfly biology and identification, and also includes tips on how to study and photograph these stunningly beautiful insects. This book features:
*Illustrates all 336 eastern species
*Features hundreds of full-color photos
*Includes detailed species accounts, line drawings to aid identification, and a color distribution map for every species
*Offers helpful tips for the dragonfly enthusiast
RECOMMENDATION: A must have for those with an interest in the Odonata of Eastern North America!
2) Wagner, David L. et al.. Owlet Caterpillars of Eastern North America. 2011. Princeton University Press. Paperback: 576 pages. Price: $35.00 U.S.
SUMMARY: This lavishly illustrated field guide features more than 800 species of the most common, interesting, beautiful, and important owlet (noctuid) caterpillars found in eastern North America. More than 2,100 color photographs include numerous stunning images, and the guide's introductory sections offer a wealth of information on noctuid natural history, morphology, larval diets, natural enemies, and classification; suggestions for finding and rearing owlet caterpillars; and much more. The 375 full-page species accounts treat similar species, range, phenology, and larval foodplants. A remarks section addresses behavior, life history, taxonomy, and a variety of other general interest topics. For full species accounts, two adult images are provided, one of a spread museum specimen and the other of a live adult: this is the first guide to comprehensively provide images of live adult moths in representative resting postures. An extensive glossary and foodplant index are also included. This book features:
*More than 800 species of eastern owlets
*More than 2,100 color photographs illustrating many species for the first time
*First North American insect guide to offer hundreds of images of live moths in their natural resting postures
*Extensive information on owlet biology, natural enemies, classification, and finding and rearing owlet caterpillars
*Includes foodplant records for each species and foodplant index
RECOMMENDATION: A must have for those with an interest in Eastern North American moths!
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