Firefly Encyclopedia of Birds » (Bargain)

Christopher Perrins is Director of the Edward Grey Institute of Field Ornithology at Oxford University.

A comprehensive encyclopedia on birds with contributions by over 100 zoologists, covering all aspects of bird behavior, evolution and including reference charts describing each bird order. Intended for all readers it features over 2000 photographs.

Marilyn Courtot - Children's Literature

If you are a birdwatcher or just fascinated by these creatures who appear to be the distant relatives of the dinosaurs, then this book will provide hours of pleasurable and informative reading. Actually days or weeks if one were to read it through, but since this is a reference work, most users will be looking for specific information about a favorite bird or species. The introductory material is an education in itself explaining about the various classification systems, and the one that this book uses. It is followed by a really good introduction to birds. Readers who are writing reports will learn about the various classes of birds, birds sizes and how their bodies are designed for flying (as well as those of flightless birds), the purpose and structure of feathers, respiration, flight adaptation, senses (vision, hearing and smell), breeding, and nests. All of this information is illustrated in full color with diagrams that clearly demonstrate the principles and give examples of a variety of birds and their abilities. Once all of that is absorbed, readers can spend time reading about specific families of birds. The text describes each bird, its habitat and again is accompanied by beautiful, full-color photographs. An inset box provides basic facts as to the bird's official versus common name, order, family, species or subspecies, where one would find the bird, habitat, size, plumage, voice, nest, eggs, diet and finally conservation status. While the text is quite advanced it could be read by kids 12 and up and younger kids can enjoy the pictures and make use of the fact file data. The feature about penguins occupies ten pages with pictures of the birds underwater, many of the speciesand the habitats which range from vast rookeries to the freezing Antarctic. It was interesting and sad to learn that emperor chicks that fall onto the ice, off the parents feet and out of the brood pouch die of exposure within a few minutes. Gnateaters on the other hand are given one page, but again it is more than enough information for most of us. There is a table of contents, extensive glossary, bibliography, index and list of picture credits that would require a magnifying glass to read. It doesn't matter, the pictures are as good as anything you might see in National Geographic or Smithsonian Magazine. An outstanding reference book for libraries, and a great gift for the consummate birdwatcher. 2003, Firefly, Ages 12 up.

Preface

Notes on Classification

What is a Bird?

A Diversity of Nests -- photo story

Ostrich

Rheas

Emus

Cassowaries

Kiwis

Tinamous

Penguins

Surviving at the Extremes: Breeding strategies in large penguins

Loons or Divers

Grebes

Albatrosses

Shearwaters and Petrels

Storm Petrels

Diving Petrels

Pelicans

Gannets and Boobies

Tropicbirds

Cormorants

Frigatebirds

Darters

Herons and Bitterns

Storks

Up, Down, Flying Around: Courtship in storks

Ibises and Spoonbills

Feeding by Touch: Tactile foraging techniques in ibises and spoonbills

Hammerhead

Shoebill

Flamingos

Screamers

Swans, Geese, and Ducks

A Race to Breed: Food availability and clutch size in arctic-breeding geese

New World Vultures

Secretarybird

Osprey

The Fish-hunting Raptor -- photo story

Falcons

Shell-shock: The effects of pesticides on birds of prey

Hawks, Eagles, and Old World Vultures

Nature's Scavengers: Old World Vultures

Pheasants and Quails

Constellations of Eyes: The dance of the peacock and its purpose

Grouse

Turkeys

Guineafowl

Megapodes

Cranes and Curassows

Cranes

Teaching Cranes how to Migrate: Whooping crane conservation

Leaping and Bowing -- The Dance of the Japanese Crane -- photostory

Rails

Limpkin

Trumpeters

Bustards

Bottonquails

Mesites

Kagu

Sun Bittern

Seriemas

Finfoots

Plovers and Lapwings

Going Out with the Tide: The conservation of shorebirds

Sandpipers and Snipes

How Male Ruffs Compete to Mate -- photo story

Phalaropes

Avocets and Stilts

Jacanas

Painted Snipes

Oystercatchers

Crab Plover

Stone Curlews

Pratincoles and Coursers

Seed Snipes

Plains Wanderer

Sheathbills

Gulls

Terns

Skuas and Jaegers

Skimmers

Auks

Sandgrouse

Pigeons

Finding the Way Home: How do pigeons navigate?

Parrots, Lories and Cockatoos

Lotus-eaters: Nectar-feeding lories and lorikeets

Back from the Brink: New Zealand's Kakapo -- photo story

Cuckoos

A Cuckoo in the Nest -- photo story

Hoatzin

Turacos

Owls

Barn and Bay Owls

A Face for the Night: Why an owl looks like an owl

Nightjars

Nightjars and the Lunar Cycle: Hunting by the light of the moon

Frogmouths

Owlet-nightjars

Potoos

Oilbird

Swifts

Treeswifts

Hummingbirds

Trogons

Mousebirds

Kingfishers

Motmots

Todies

Bee-eaters

Rollers

Cuckoo Roller

Hoopoe

Wood-hoopoes

Hornbills

Toucans

Honeyguides

Barbets

Puffbills

Jacamars

Woodpeckers

Woodland Drumbeats and Dances: The communication system of woodpeckers

New Zealand Wrens

Pittas

Asities

Broadbills

Tyrant Flycatchers

Cotingas

Manakins

Ovenbirds

Woodcreepers

Antbirds

Gnateaters

Tapaculos

Australasian Treecreepers

Lyrebirds

Scrub-birds

Bowerbirds

Bowerbirds -- Avian Artists -- photo story

Fair Wrens and their Allies

Honeyeaters and Australian Chats

Australian Warblers

Australo-Papuan Robins

Logrunners and their Allies

Australo-Papuan Babblers

Whistlers

Vireos

Crows

Squirreling Crows: How crows cache food

Calculating Crows and Judicious Jays -- photo story

Birds of Paradise

Wood Swallows

Magpie-larks and Australian Mudnesters

Butcherbirds and their Allies

New Zealand Wattlebirds

Old World Orioles

Cuckoo-shrikes

Fantail Flycatchers

Drongos

Monarch Flycatchers

Leafbirds

Ioras

Shrikes

Helmet-shrikes

Bush-shrikes

Vangas, Wattle-eyes, and Batises

Rockfowl and Rockjumpers

Palmchat

Grey Hypocolius

Waxwings and Silky Flycatchers

Dippers

Thrushes

Old World Flycatchers

Starlings and Mynas

Mockingbirds

Nuthatches

Holarctic Treecreepers

Philippine Rhabdornises

Wrens

Gnatcatchers

Penduline Tits

True Tits

The Great Tit: The world's most studied bird?

Long-tailed Tit

Swallows

Bulbuls

White-eyes

Old World Warblers

Firecrests and Kinglets

Babblers and Laughingthrushes

Larks

The Skylark's Decline: The threat to a countryside icon

Flowerpeckers

Sunbirds, Spiderhunters, and Sugarbirds

Sparrows and Snowfinches

Weavers

The Industrious Weaver -- photo story

Wagtails and Pipits

Accentors

Waxbills and Whydahs

Chaffinches

Finches

Hawaiian Honeycreepers

Buntings and New World Sparrows

Cardinal Grosbeaks

New World Warblers

Tanagers and Tanager Finches

Icterids

Glossary

Bibliography

Index

Picture Credits