In 1838, John ames Audubon’s Birds of America was one...In 1934, Roger Tory Peterson produced Field Guide to the Birds...Now comes The Sibley Guide to Birds.”Thus did The New York Times, in 1999, greet David Allen Sibley’s monumental book, which has quickly been established nationwide as the peerless, standard bird identification guide. The Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behavior is the new landmark book from David Allen Sibley. Designed to enhance the birding experience and to enrich the popular study of North American birds, the book combines more than 795 of his full-color illustrations with authoritative text by 48 expert birders and biologists. In this new guide Sibley takes us beyond identification, to show us how birds live and what they do. Introductory essays outline the principles of avian evolution, life cycle, body structure, flight dynamics, and more. The 80 family-by-family chapters describe the amazing range of behavior dictated by birds’ biology and environment. Among the subjects covered and illustrated are:--molts and plumages--habitats--food and foraging--vocalizations and displays--courtship and breeding--rearing of young--migration and movements--scientific groupings--introduced species--accidental species --anatomy--flight patterns --nests and eggs--conservation--global distributionAccessibly written, superbly designed and organized, and brilliantly illustrated, The Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behavior is an indispensable source of information on the avian life around us.

    An important food source in Asia for centuries, seaweed is increasingly used in the West for industrial and scientific chemicals, plant fertilizers and livestock feed supplements. Scientists are also just beginning to explore the medicinal value of seaweeds; the powerful nutrients in these amazing plants have been used to treat hypertension (high blood pressure), some cancers and strokes. With line drawings and vivid colour photographs, this easy-to-use book thoroughly documents every aspect of seaweed life, from species identification and seaweed biology to the essential - and often surprising - roles seaweed plays in the marine ecosystem and our everyday lives. Clear and informative, and packed with comprehensive scientific information, interesting facts, further readings and even an assortment of tasty seaweed recipes, this unique and highly readable guidebook will appeal to marine biologists, amateur beachcombers and everyone in between.

    In North American Box Turtles, C. Kenneth Dodd, Jr., has written the first book-length natural history of the twelve species and subspecies of this endangered animal. This volume includes comprehensive information on the species’ evolution, behavior, courtship and reproduction, habitat use, diet, population structure, systematics, and disease. Special features include color photos of all species, subspecies, and their habitats; a simple identification guide to both living and fossil species; and a summary of information on fossil Terrapene and Native uses of box turtles. End-of-chapter sections highlight future research directions, including the need for long-term monitoring and observation of box turtles within their natural habitat and conservation applications. A glossary and a bibliography of literature on box turtles accompany the text.All royalties from the sales of this volume will go to the Chelonian Research Foundation, a nonprofit foundation for the conservation of turtles.

    Whether you want to distinguish between the 15 species of bats that live in or migrate through the state or are simply trying to identify the squirrel in your backyard, Mammals of Montana is for you. This second edition contains more than 500 color photographs, many by renowned wildlife photographer Alex Badyaev. Scattered throughout the species descriptions are interesting and curious facts about these wild creatures. Learn which shrew is venomous, how the pika survives winter in its alpine habitat without hibernating, and what animal squeezes through vole tunnels in search of dinner. Author Kerry Foresman also covers the reintroduction efforts to save Montana species, such as the black-footed ferret and swift fox, from extinction, and he cautions how climate change may push others, such as the northern bog lemming and wolverine, to the brink.

    Observant nature-lovers can discover what birds are where by examining tracks, trails, and a variety of bird sign: discarded feathers, feeding leftovers and caches, pellets, nests, droppings, and skulls and bones. This fully illustrated guide--the first of its kind for North American birds--presents thorough and straightforward instruction for identifying bird families or individual species by careful examination of the unique sign they leave behind. It also offers keys to the birds' behavior in the wild.

    Laminated for durability, this handy guide is a great source of portable information and ideal for field use by novices and experts alike.

    Learn about 93 Minnesota trees, organized in the book by leaf type and attachment. Fact-filled information contains the particulars that you want to know, while full-page photos provide the visual detail needed for accurate identification. Trees are fascinating and wonderful, and this is the perfect introduction to them.