An authoritative study of extinction in birds, with case studies of 20 critically endangered species and the research initiatives designed to save them.Almost two hundred species of birds have become extinct in the past 400 years, and a similar number today are in imminent danger of following them. The world's conservationists are leading the fight to prevent the demise of these remaining critically endangered birds, with a fair degree of success.This new b...

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 ...

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...

Penguins have become a standard fixture in both zoos and imaginations for centuries. But beyond the classic tuxedo markings of the Emperor penguin and what we see in childrens cartoons, how much do we really know about these fascinating creatures? How aware are we of the perpetual danger in which these animals find themselves after so many years of environmental abuse on the part of humans? David Salomon has traveled the world photographing and studying the various species and subspecies ...

Pipits and Wagtails is the first comprehensive guide to all the species and subspecies that occur in Europe, Asia, North Africa and North America.The detailed species accounts cover all aspects of identification (size, structure, plumage, bare parts, geographical variation, behaviour, distribution, and habitat.) In particular, great care has been taken to illustrate and describe accurately the differences between all valid subspecies as well as differences relating...

Published with ISME, ITTO and project partners FAO, UNESCO-MAB, UNEP-WCMC and UNU-INWEHThis atlas provides the first truly global assessment of the state of the world's mangroves. Written by a leading expert on mangroves with support from the top international researchers and conservation organizations, this full colour atlas contains 60 full-page maps, hundreds of photographs and illustrations and a comprehensive country-by-country assessment of mangroves.Mangroves are con...

In Boom and Bust, the authors draw on the natural history of Australia's charismatic birds to explore the relations between fauna, people and environment in a continent where variability is 'normal' and rainfall patterns not always seasonal. They consider changing ideas about deserts and how these have helped us understand birds and their behaviour in this driest of continents. The book describes the responses of animals and plants to environmental variability and stress. It is also a cultura...

An in-depth look at the fish that inhabit the fresh waters of Britain and Ireland. These include famous members of the salmon family, such as the Atlantic Salmon and the Brown Trout, and the obscure whitefish, species of which are confined to just a few lakes. This edition is exclusive to newnaturalists.comFish have been a highly sought after part of the British fauna since Dame Juliana Berners wrote the first fishing book in 1486, but have long been overlooked by naturalists as a ...

Hippos are unusual in being genuinely amphibious. This has a fundamental effect on their physiology and way of life.Following a general introduction, there is a detailed description of hippo anatomy and physiology, including facts about their skin structure and physiology.Subsequent chapters are devoted to their social biology and ecology, including descriptions of their breeding and feeding ecology. Several extraordinary instances of carnivory, including a...

Using a fresh approach that classifies birds according to their bioclimatic characteristics, Clive Finlayson views the history and distribution of Palearctic birds from a radical new angle.History and chance events play a central role in a story that has its origins before the asteroid impact that finished off the dinosaurs. In this book, Finlayson shows that the avifauna of the Palearctic long predates the glaciations of the last two million years, and had establi...

Praise for the first edition:With deft prose and engaging anecdotes, Mr. Orenstein takes us skillfully through a vast amount of information....[his] treatment is nothing short of masterly.--Science Books and FilmsAbounds with excellent color photographs. Recommended for all public and academic libraries.-- Library JournalThe remarkable adaptations of turtles, tortoises and terrapins have helped them su...

Everything you ever wanted to know about storks, ibises and spoonbills.Some of the world's largest and most spectacular birds are to be found among this group of wading birds. Tragically, they also include many of the world's most endangered species, as changes in land use erode their wetland habitats.Some like the White Stork have lived alongside humans for hundreds of years and are well known from numerous studies. Others, like the Storm's stork and ibise...