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Elusive Birds of the Tropical Understory is an arresting visual trip to the unseen corners of the Neotropical forest understory. Edited by John P. Whitelaw, Jeffrey D. Brawn, Henry S. Pollock, and John W. Fitzpatrick, this book combines unique images of tropical birds with inspired essays by leaders in the world of modern ornithology. With one-of-a-kind photos of seldom-documented birds, the authors use photography as a conservation tool. Many of the birds are more often heard than seen?not much is known about some of them, and much of what we do know is found in historical natural history literature, not contemporary accounts. Due to dense vegetation, low light conditions, and the birds' furtive behavior and cryptic coloring, they are notoriously difficult to photograph. Yet, Elusive Birds of the Tropical Understory delves deep into the Panamanian forest understory to show why these birds should be included in discussion of the current conservation crisis. What these species lack in bright colors they make up for in distinctive behaviors, subtle plumage patterns, and ongoing mystery. Elusive Birds of the Tropical Understory invites and inspires naturalists of all ages to take a closer look at a fascinating assemblage of overlooked birds.
The guide to neotropical bird behavior that picks up where field guides leave off. Why are tropical birds like parrots and quetzals so much more colorful than those in more temperate climates? How can a vulture soaring thousands of feet above the canopy spot a dead rodent no bigger than a mouse on the rainforest floor? What permits sparrow-sized antbirds to not only survive but to thrive among relentless hordes of army ants that devour every other living thing in their path? Steven Hilty has led birding tours to the American Tropics for decades. By providing answers to the hundreds of questions asked by participants of these expeditions, Hilty has produced a natural history of the bird life of the New World Tropics that is at once practical, accurate, and as endlessly fascinating as the species whose lives it reveals. Birds of Tropical America was published by Chapters Publishing in 1994 and went out of print in 1997. UT Press is pleased to reissue it with a new epilogue and updated references.
Molt is an important avian life history event in which feathers are shed and replaced. The timing, duration, seasonality, extent and pattern of molt follows certain strategies and this book reviews and describes these strategies for nearly 190 species based on information gathered from a 30-year study of Central Amazonian birds. Most species accounts are illustrated with several color photos focusing on wing and tail feather molt, molt limits, and how to use these patterns to accurately age birds. Published in collaboration with and on behalf of the American Ornithological Society, this volume in the highly-regarded Studies in Avian Biology series is a rich source of life history information for ornithologists working on tropical birds.
Immerse yourself in the vibrant world of tropical rainforests with Tropical Rainforest Guide: Exploring Biodiversity in Lush Jungles. This comprehensive guide takes you on a journey through the planet's most diverse and captivating ecosystems, from the vast Amazon Basin to the ancient rainforests of Southeast Asia and the rich biodiversity of Central America. Discover the incredible flora and fauna that call these lush jungles home, learn about the indigenous cultures intertwined with these landscapes, and explore the adventure and ecotourism opportunities that await. Whether you are a seasoned explorer, a passionate conservationist, or a curious traveler, this book offers invaluable insights, practical tips, and inspiring stories to deepen your appreciation for the beauty and importance of tropical rainforests. Join us in celebrating and protecting these irreplaceable natural treasures.
Until recently, surprisingly little has been known about the biology and behavior of tropical forest raptors, including such basic aspects as diets, breeding biology, habitat requirements, and population ecology, information critical to the development of conservation efforts. The Peregrine Fund conducted a significant eight-year-long research program on the raptor species, including owls, in Tikal National Park in Guatemala to learn more about Neotropical birds of prey. Impressive and unprecedented in scale, this pioneering research also involved the development of new methods for detecting, enumerating, and studying these magnificent but often elusive birds in their forest home. Beautifully illustrated with photographs of previously little-known species, the resulting book is the most important single source for information on the lowland tropical forest raptor species found in Central America.Neotropical Birds of Prey covers twenty specific species in depth, including the Ornate Hawk-Eagle, the Barred Forest-Falcon, the Bat Falcon, and the Mexican Wood Owl, offering thorough synopses of all current knowledge regarding breeding biology and behavior, diet, habitat use, and spatial needs. Contributors to this landmark work also show how the populations fit together as a community with overlapping habitat and prey needs that can put them in competition with reptiles and mammalian carnivores as well, yet differ from one another in their nesting or feeding behaviors and population dynamics. The work's substantive original data offer interesting comparisons between tropical and temperate zone species, and provide a basis for establishing conservation measures based on firsthand research. Making available for the first time new data on the biology, ecology, behavior, and conservation of the majestic owls and raptors of the New World tropics, this book will appeal to a wide ornithological readership, especially the many raptor enthusiasts around the world.
This book is designed to bring a few green shoots into what are quite dull, gray times. The natural world is on your doorstep whether you live in the heart of a concrete jungle, by the sea, on top of a mountain, or in a cottage in the woods. The Practical Naturalist is about giving you the wherewithal to explore that natural world. It will be inspirational, informative, and educational-it aims to inspire you to get out there and experience the wonders of the world around you, inform you by showing you what you can discover in each habitat and also give you tips on how to conserve it. Each section (habitat) will have three strands: 1 Informative section will tell you all you need to know about that particular habitat, bringing it to life in an evocative way. These spreads will also have boxes on the science and ecology of the habitat, and key practical aspects (such as how to read tide tables). The accompanying artwork style will retain that personal feel-not cold and clinical, but as if newly sketched (while still showing and telling you what you need to know). 2 Catalog section will show you what you'll see in that habitat-snapshots of groups of species belonging to a particular place to help you identify what you might see. For example, this section might show a collection of objects you'd find on a beach in New England. However, while it's specific, it's also generic, since you'd find similar things on any beach from Reykyavik to Rio. 3 The practical part: These are the elements that show you what to do in each habitat-a selection of projects that allow you to engage with the environment, without intruding. This section is specially photographed for the book, and might show a pond or sea water sample, a mask that allows you to view the underwater world, or a simple birdhouse for your backyard.
Short listed for the Green Earth book award In early April, as Owen and his sister search the hickories, oaks, and dogwoods for returning birds, a huge group of birds leaves the misty mountain slopes of the Yucatan peninsula for the 600-mile flight across the Gulf of Mexico to their summer nesting grounds. One of them is a Cerulean warbler. He will lose more than half his body weight even if the journey goes well. Aloft over the vast ocean, the birds encourage each other with squeaky chirps that say, “We are still alive. We can do this.” Owen’s family watches televised reports of a great storm over the Gulf of Mexico, fearing what it may mean for migrating songbirds. In alternating spreads, we wait and hope with Owen, then struggle through the storm with the warbler. This moving story with its hopeful ending appeals to us to preserve the things we love. The backmatter includes a North American bird migration map, birding information for kids, and guidance for how native plantings can transform yards into bird and wildlife habitat.
Available for the first time in an electronic format, this volume contains three classic guides to birds: Birds of Forest, Yard, and Thicket; Birds of Lake, Pond, and Marsh; and Birds of Field and Shore. These books pick up where the typical field guide leaves off, covering each species close relatives, typical behaviors through the year, and place in the local ecology. Readers will learn how the 151 birds covered in these guides nest, mate, feed, and migrate, and when and where to observe them. Exquisite line illustrations instruct and delight.
Birders who come to the American Southwest often keep an eye out for Mexican species that stray across the border. Many neotropical migrants of western North America winter in Sonora, and a host of hummingbirds make their home south of the border as well. This eagerly awaited volume by two respected authorities covers more than 500 species of birds and contains a vast amount of information not available elsewhere. The Birds of Sonora describes all the species known from that state and includes information on distribution, seasonal patterns of occurrence, abundance, and habitats. The first book of its kind in more than half a century to treat birds of this Mexican state immediately south of Arizona, it also contains details of nesting activity for breeding species, provides insight into factors influencing distribution, and notes historical changes in status. Each account is accompanied by a range map depicting the bird's range in Sonora—valuable information not available from any other source and useful to anyone interested in the distribution and ecology of North American birds. Drawings by internationally known wildlife artist Ray Harm enhance many of the entries. Because other books on Mexican birds don't treat Sonora in detail, The Birds of Sonora is an indispensable resource for birders, and its background descriptions of Sonoran geography, climate, and habitats also make it a key reference for conservation and land use planning. A useful companion to field guides, it is a narrative account that puts readers in touch with birds of this important biogeographic area.