Overview

The owl is a magical creature: it exudes an ambivalent fascination that can trigger completely antithetical responses. On the one hand, there is something unsettling about the owl’s soundless flight, eerie call, and nocturnal activity that can result in its demonization as a messenger of darkness. On the other hand, however, its masklike visage and seemingly penetrating gaze prove - thralling, and this may have contributed to the deification of the owl as the companion spirit of an omniscient mother earth. In addition, the highly s- cialized captor of prey aroused the competitive envy of hunting parties, even provoking a bit of resentment when they lost out to owls in their hunt for small game. Moreover, the excrement and pellets (hairballs) they deposited in barns and church towers contributed to their reputation as undesirables or even pests. With the overcoming of superstition and suspicion, our relati- ship with these creatures of the night has now become one of unreserved - miration. They grant us insights into the rich diversity of adaptation to n- turnal hunting as well as into sound inventories, brooding biology, and ne- ling development. In a complete transformation of what was once a symbol of fear and hatred, charismatic owls now enjoy an almost singular popularity in large parts of the population.

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9783642071225

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From the reviews: The cryptic coloration and secretive lifestyle of owls (Strigiformes) have made their taxonomy problematic for many years. ! Two unique features of this book are the lists of museums holding specimens and the lists of references to illustrations and photographs. ! I was surprised to find an account of an entirely new species of owl in this book. ! In short, Weick's Checklist has many features of a scholarly work and will be useful to specialists and bird illustrators ! . (George Sangster, IBIS, Issue 149, 2007) This is a global list of owl taxa in systematic order by subspecies. Weick is a professional wildlife artist, and amateur ornithologist (with a professional approach). This list is that of a classical museum taxonomist, though selectively talking into account some recent DNA data. ! it makes an invaluable contribution to knowledge of owls and is indispensable to owl biologists, particularly those dealing with taxonomy. (Stephen Debus, Austral Ornithology, Vol. 107, 2007)

Aus den Rezensionen: Mit 220 Arten ist diese zweisprachige Weltliste der Eulen auf einem modernen Stand ! von Systematik und Taxonomie der Ordnung. ! Unterschiedliche taxonomische Entscheidungen lassen sich ! gut verfolgen ! Ein muhevoll und sorgfaltig angelegtes Buch, das vielleicht eines der letzten seiner Art ist, denn systematische Listen dieses Umfangs mit Stichwortangaben werden wohl zukunftig billiger und benutzerfreundlicher auf elektronischem Datentrager mit Suchsystemen publiziert. (in: Der Falke, 2007, Vol. 54, Issue 4, S. 160)

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