Discover seventy-five unique species from Eastern and Central North America as you enjoy their sounds at the touch of a button-reproduced in high quality on the attached digital audio module-while reading vivid descriptions of their songs, calls, and rela

    In 2007 bird-watching is one of the most popular pastimes, not just in America, but throughout the world, and the range of interest runs from the specialist to the beginner.In The Wisdom of Birds, Birkhead takes the reader on a journey that not only tells us about the extraordinary lives of birds - from conception and egg, through territory and song, to migration and fully fledged breeder - but also shows how, over centuries, we have overcome superstition and untested 'truths' to know what we know, and how recent some of that knowledge is.Conceived for a general audience, and illustrated throughout with more than 100 exquisitely beautiful illustrations, many of them rarely, if ever, seen before, The Wisdom of Birds is a book full of stories, knowledge and unexpected revelations.

    The diversity of these two families of birds, and the ways in which they define and enrich the ecosystems they inhabit, are the subject of this vivid new book by photographer and naturalist Paul Bannick. The Owl and the Woodpecker showcases a sense of these birds' natural rhythms, as well as the integral spirit of our wild places. Based on hundreds of hours in the field photographing these fascinating and wily birds, Bannick evokes all 41 North American species of owls and woodpeckers, across 11 key habitats. And by revealing the impact of two of our most iconic birds, Bannick has created a wholly unique approach to birding and conservation. * Perfect holiday book for all bird-watchers * An in-depth look at two of our most iconic--and important--bird species * Great for photography lovers, conservationists, and backyard enthusiasts alike * Includes a foreword by award-winning artist and writer Tony Angell

    Learn how to pick out the wavering songs of a young Bewick's Wren, or find out why many songbirds have dialects that vary from region to region. Complete with up-to-date range maps and more than 130 sounds provided by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's world-renowned Macaulay Library, as well as exquisite illustrations of each species, The Backyard Birdsong Guide will resonate with beginners and experts alike. 8.00 inches tall x 0.75 inches long x 5.00 inches wide

    It introduces a "whole bird" approach by concisely gathering a collection of information about birds into one portable and well-organized volume.2,000 stunning color photographs of birds in natural habitats show the most important field marks, regional population differences, life stages, and behaviors700-plus detailed and up-to-date color range maps show summer, migration, winter, year-round, and rare but regular occurrences of every major speciesA DVD of birdsongs for 138 major species (587 vocalizations in all for 5½ hours of play); each high-quality MP3 file is embedded with an image of the bird, perfect to view on home computers and portable MP3 playersConcise descriptions of habits and ecology, age-related and seasonal differences, regional forms, vocalization, and informative captions pointing out the most important aspects of the bird46 group essays with information outlining taxonomy, feeding, migration, habitats, behaviors, and conservation statusA thorough and accessible introduction to birds and birding includes sections on parts of a bird, plumage and molt, food and feeding, migration, habitats, conservation, tips on bow to become a better birder, and moreA detailed glossary of terms, species checklist, and quick indexThe Field Guide to the Birds of North America is perfectly designed to give birders the most powerful and user-friendly collection of information to carry into the field or wherever they enjoy learning about birds and nature.

    Such instances of wonder find fitting expression in the photographs of Rosamond Purcell, whose work captures the intricacy of nests and the aesthetic perfection of bird eggs. Mining the ornithological treasures of the Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology, Purcell produces pictures as lovely and various as the artifacts she photographs. The dusky blue egg of an emu becomes a planet. A woodpecker s nest bears an uncanny resemblance to a wooden shoe. A resourceful rock dove weaves together scrap metal and spent fireworks. A dreamscape of dancing monkeys emerges from the calligraphic markings of a murre egg.Alongside Purcell s photographs, Linnea Hall and Rene Corado offer an engaging history of egg collecting, the provenance of the specimens in the photographs, and the biology, conservation, and ecology of the birds that produced them. They highlight the scientific value that eggs and nest hold for understanding and conserving birds in the wild, as well as the aesthetic charge they carry for us.How has evolution shaped the egg or directed the design of the nest? How do the photographs convey such infinitesimal and yet momentous happenstance? The objects in "Egg & Nest" are specimens of natural history, and in Purcell s renderings, they are also the most natural art.

    Featuring stunning color photos throughout, it is a sweeping and cutting-edge account of tropical ecology that includes not only tropical rain forests but also other ecosystems such as cloud forests, rivers, savannas, and mountains. This is the only guide to the American tropics that is all-inclusive, encompassing the entire region's ecology and the amazing relationships among species rather than focusing just on species identification.The New Neotropical Companion is a book unlike any other. Here, you will learn how to recognize distinctive ecological patterns of rain forests and other habitats and to interpret how these remarkable ecosystems function—everything is explained in clear and engaging prose free of jargon. You will also be introduced to the region's astonishing plant and animal life.Informative and entertaining, The New Neotropical Companion is a pleasurable escape for armchair naturalists, and visitors to the American tropics will want to refer to this book before, during, and after their trip. Covers all of tropical America Describes the species and habitats most likely to be observed by visitors Includes every major ecosystem, from lowland rain forests to the high Andes Features a wealth of color photos of habitats, plants, and animals

    This magnificently illustrated volume collects Jonsson's most recent paintings and drawings, many published here for the first time, offering a fascinating retrospective of the artist's work from the turn of the new century to today. Lars Jonsson's Birds features 150 full-color, museum-quality reproductions of works that Jonsson painted in the field and that reflect his favorite theme of birds in a wide landscape, such as gulls, waders, ducks, and raptors.This sumptuous book includes essays by the acclaimed sculptor Kent Ullberg and museum curator Adam Harris, as well as commentaries by Jonsson and pages from his sketchbooks that provide rare insights into Jonsson's incomparable artistry.Offers an invaluable retrospective of the artist's most recent work Features 150 full-color bird paintings Includes commentaries by Jonsson, pages from his sketchbooks, and more Provides rare insights into Jonsson's art and methods