Overview

"Praise for his book The World of Birds ""All chapters are profusely illustrated with beautiful photographs, which complement the text well, and the result is an excellent reference book that will occupy shelves in many libraries. For those needing just one general bird reference, this might be it. Summing up: Highly recommended. All levels/libraries."" -- Choice ""An outstanding achievement"" -- Quarterly Review of Biology ""It's the photographs that will keep readers turning pages"" -- Publishers Weekly The World of Birds focused primarily on the taxonomy of birds with coverage of the 32 orders and 195 families of birds. It included information on avian biology but not comprehensive coverage. Birds: A Complete Guide to their Biology and Behavior does exactly that, in a shorter, more affordable book. Highly respected ornithologist and wildlife expert Jonathan Elphick begins by defining the distinguishing features of birds before going on to describe their evolution since the age of the dinosaurs. With the aid of fact boxes and clear photographs, he explores in greater detail each of the significant elements of bird life: bird biology including anatomy walking and swimming plumage calls and songs flight techniques and styles food and feeding bird lifestyles and social relationships breeding, growth and development bird geography and habitats the mysteries of migration. He also considers human attitudes towards birds through the ages. With special photography from award-winning wildlife photographer David Tipling and many other top bird photographers, this book is a unique insight into the world of birds and essential reading for all ornithologists, bird watchers and natural history enthusiasts."

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9781770857629

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Reviews

"Characterizing any book that claims to be a ""complete guide"" to anything is always difficult. However, as the reviewer perused through the work's pages, a more appropriate subtitle escaped him. Well-published ornithological author Elphick has produced a compendium of what any bird trivia expert would ever want to know about feathered creatures. The presented information is hardly novel and is available in various ornithology textbooks and other bird-oriented books that are generally available. But this is far from the typically dry textbook presentation. The material is fresh, very accessible, beautifully written, and punctuated with copious, high-quality photographs and paintings. The presented chapters and topics are predictable: ""Early Birds,"" ""Anatomy and Physiology,"" ""Flight,"" ""Food and Feeding,"" ""Bird Society and Populations,"" and ""Breeding."" Concluding chapters discuss habitats, migration, and interactions with humans. Libraries lacking a good non-field guide bird reference should have a copy of this volume. Bird lovers and libraries with comprehensive ornithological holdings should own copies... Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates and above; faculty and general readers.--P. K. Lago ""Choice"" (4/1/2017 12:00:00 AM) Most public or academic libraries will want to purchase this book for circulation and/or reference. The price is right for such a handsomely illustrated book.--Jonathan F. Husband ""American Reference Books Annual"" (3/1/2017 12:00:00 AM) This book will delight bird enthusiasts and serve as a useful reference.-- ""Publishers Weekly"" (12/12/2016 12:00:00 AM)"

Most public or academic libraries will want to purchase this book for circulation and/or reference. The price is right for such a handsomely illustrated book.--Jonathan F. Husband American Reference Books Annual (03/01/2017)

Most public or academic libraries will want to purchase this book for circulation and/or reference. The price is right for such a handsomely illustrated book.-- (03/01/2017) This book will delight bird enthusiasts and serve as a useful reference.--Publishers Weekly (12/12/2016) Characterizing any book that claims to be a complete guide to anything is always difficult. However, as the reviewer perused through the work's pages, a more appropriate subtitle escaped him. Well-published ornithological author Elphick has produced a compendium of what any bird trivia expert would ever want to know about feathered creatures. The presented information is hardly novel and is available in various ornithology textbooks and other bird-oriented books that are generally available. But this is far from the typically dry textbook presentation. The material is fresh, very accessible, beautifully written, and punctuated with copious, high-quality photographs and paintings. The presented chapters and topics are predictable: Early Birds, Anatomy and Physiology, Flight, Food and Feeding, Bird Society and Populations, and Breeding. Concluding chapters discuss habitats, migration, and interactions with humans. Libraries lacking a good non-field guide bird reference should have a copy of this volume. Bird lovers and libraries with comprehensive ornithological holdings should own copies... Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates and above; faculty and general readers.-- (04/01/2017)

Author Information

Jonathan Elphick, FZS, FLS, is a wildlife writer, editor, consultant, lecturer and broadcaster, specializing in ornithology. During a career spanning almost 40 years, he has written many books including The World of Birds and the award-winning Birdwatcher's Handbook. He was researcher for Birds and People, the largest survey of cultural attitudes to birds worldwide, and spent five years as researcher on the acclaimed bestseller Birds Britannica. He lives in Exeter, UK.

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