The various Red Data Books prepared by the IUCN and ICBP have set the standards for recognizing birds close to or at risk of extinction worldwide.This book, by focusing on vulnerable species living in or visiting Britain, sets out to define the British situation and to clearly establish both the importance of British populations and our own responsibilities for contributing to bird conservation.Compiled by an editorial team drawn from the Nature Conservancy...

The Encyclopedia of North American Birds describes and illustrates over 1,000 birds, from the Trumpeter Swan to the Bald Eagle. With over 5,000 color photographs, this encyclopedia is for every birder from the novice to the experienced observer.FEATURES: Information about each North American Bird. Over 30,000 color photographs. Intuitive navigation: navigate from Table of Contents or search for words or phrases. The Encyclopedia is stored in your local memory - you get the information fast...

This Periplus Nature Guide provides an excellent introduction to 68 of the most commonly encountered tropical reef fishes. Written by Dr. Gerald Allen, international authority on reef fishes, it features stunning color shots by some of the world's best underwater photographers.

Charles Darwin called it "a little world within itself." Sailors referred to it as "Las Encantadas"- the enchanted islands. Lying in the eastern Pacific Ocean, straddling the equator off the west coast of South America, the Galágos is the most pristine archipelago to be found anywhere in the tropics. It is so remote, so untouched, that the act of wading ashore can make you feel like you are the first to do so.Yet the Galágos is far more than a wild paradise on earth-it is one of ...

The elephants of the Knysna forest have long been the subject of mystery and conjecture. Over the years they have taken on an almost mythical quality, with many doubting whether they existed at all. In 1994 the local forestry department maintained that there was only one surviving Knysna elephant, the seldom seen female known as The Matriarch. The Knysna elephant was thus described as 'functionally extinct'. This was the official stance until September 2000 when forest guard Wilfred Oraai ...

Why is it that the island of Bali is home to Asian birds such as the weaver bird, and the neighboring island of Lombok, just 24 kilometers away across a narrow strait, echoes to the screams of Australian cockatoos?This extraordinary biological boundary is known today as The Wallace Line. Like his friendly rival and fellow biologist Charles Darwin, Alfred Russel Wallace traveled the world collecting and studying species that were new to science. His legacy is The Wallace Line, a nea...

Devoted to birds and wildlife since childhood, Mark’s early scientific research at Oxford, Aberdeen and the RSPB provided a solid background for his management, ambassadorial, and political lobbying activities which were to follow – and his larger than life, yet quietly humane personality has provided the final tools in his own, unique, nature conservationists’ toolbox. In this book, Mark mixes a great many stories from his professional life at the RSPB with personal anecdotes and passiona...

First Footprints tells the extraordinary story of the Aboriginal people of Australia. How they made their way out of Africa 60,000 years ago, and how they survived across this vast continent, from the harsh deserts of the inland to the glaciers of southern Tasmania. With photos from the ABC TV series of the same name.Some 60,000 years ago, a small group of people landed on Australia's northern coast. They were the first oceanic mariners and this great sout...

Springwatch British Wildlife is the perfect year-round countryside introduction to the much-loved wildlife of the popular BBC2 television series.The book guides you through Britain's rich and diverse natural heritage, allowing you to enjoy the nation's wildlife at its finest – learning how the animals live and where to find them, why they do what they do and how we can appreciate them.You will be introduced to the birds, mammals and plants that inhabit our gardens, cities a...

The Kruger National Park is one of the world’s leading stewards of biological diversity. Its management requires ongoing monitoring and re-evaulation to ensure that species survive. Shaping Kruger provides fascinating insight into the lives, habits and behaviour of the larger animals that significantly affect the workings of the park. It expertly synthesizes decades of ground-breaking research into the animals and their environment, examining along the way individual species; predator-prey...

These natural history guides have been developed to encourage young people and anyone with a budding interest in natural history to learn about the wonders of southern Africa's fascinating fauna and flora. They are an invaluable resource for the beginner, providing information at a glance: each of the species presented is described in easy-to-read text, with a photograph and distribution map. A short introduction gives context to the topic. These compact guides come in a handy pocket size ...

With one-third of known species being threatened with extinction, wildlife conservationists are some of the most important heroes on the planet, and Wildlife Heroes profiles the work of 40 of the leading conservationists and the animals and causes they are committed to saving, such as Belinda Low (zebras), Iain Douglas-Hamilton (elephants), Karen Eckert (sea turtles), S.T. Wong (sun bear), Steve Galster (wildlife trade), and Wangari Maathai (habitat loss). Since we all should have an inter...