Accompanying every species entry is a distribution map and illustrations showing the species in all the major plumages (male, female, immature, in flight, at rest, feeding: whatever is important).In addition, each group of birds includes an introduction which covers the major problems involved in identifying or observing them: how to organise a sea watching trip, how to separate birds of prey in flight, which duck hybrids can be confused with which main species. These and many other common birdwatching questions are answered.The combination of definitive text, up-to-date distribution maps and superb illustrations, all in a single volume, makes this book the ultimate field guide, essential on every bookshelf and birdwatching trip.

    Bird migration is the world's only true unifying natural phenomenon, stitching the continents together in a way that even the great weather systems fail to do. Scott Weidensaul follows awesome kettles of hawks over the Mexican coastal plains, bar-tailed godwits that hitchhike on gale winds 7,000 miles nonstop across the Pacific from Alaska to New Zealand, and myriad songbirds whose numbers have dwindled so dramatically in recent decades. Migration paths form an elaborate global web that shows serious signs of fraying, and Weidensaul delves into the tragedies of habitat degradation and deforestation with an urgency that brings to life the vast problems these miraculous migrants now face.

    It catalogues every known specimen and surviving egg, and chronicles its frequent appearances in art and literature.

    Even the most zealous birders rarely encounter owls, and attempts to identify them are complicated by the number of species that are almost indistinguishable by plumage alone. This comprehensive guide (a thoroughly updated edition of the authors’ previous volume, Owls: A Guide to Owls of the World), penetrates the mysterious world of owls with full color illustrations, detailed species descriptions, useful information on vocalizations, and much more.An important reference book as well as identification guide, Owls of the World encompasses the 250 known species and many subspecies of owl, including twelve new species that have been discovered over the last decade. Michael Wink, et al. contribute a new section on molecular evolution. The book features sixty-eight full-color plates depicting every species and distinct subspecies, color morphs, and juvenile plumages. Current distribution maps are also provided.All the facts on:·        Identification features, including how to distinguish similar species·        Habitat·        Geographical variation·        Food, breeding, and habits·        Species status and conservation efforts·        The latest owl taxonomy, based on DNA analysis and vocalizationsEvery ornithologist, birder, and wildlife enthusiast will want to own this essential guide—the most comprehensive and advanced book ever published on owls.

    Their songs can soothe the spirit and bring joy to our lives. They can also, like Poe's raven, arouse darker feelings. Listening to their melodic notes, we wonder, are birds really making music? Are they singing only to one another, or do they sing to us too. Poets and musicians have borrowed from and celebrated the songs of birds in their work. Scientists have been inspired by bird song and analyzed it, solving some of its mysteries but leaving many others untouched. MUSIC OF THE BIRDS tells why birds sing and which are the finest singers. It celebrates the many varieties of bird song: flight songs, night songs, and dawn choruses. It explores the messages of poets and shows how to appreciate every bird song we hear, no matter how beautiful or mundane. Music of the Birds will be valuable to anyone interested in birds, from beginner to expert.