Bird Watch

by Walters, Martin; Birdlife International (CON); Elphick, Jonathan (CON)

• ISBN13: 9780226872261
• ISBN10: 0226872262
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2011-03-15
• Publisher: Univ of Chicago Pr

Summary

From the tufted puffin in the Pacific Northwest to the hook-billed hermit in the Brazilian rainforest, birds suffer from the effects of climate change in every corner of the globe. Scientists have found declines of up to 90 percent in some troubled bird populations and unprecedented reproductive failure in others. The most recent studies suggest dire prospects: 1,227 avian species are threatened with extinction and an additional 838 near-threatened species are urgent priorities for conservation action. As much an indispensable guide as a timely call to action,Bird Watchis an illustrated tour of these endangered birds and their habitats. Encyclopedic in scope, this book features all 1,227 species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, thoroughly detailing the environmental pressures and conservation prescriptions that hold their futures in the balance. After introducing readers to the main threats to birds and regions at high risk,Bird Watchpresents a visually stunning and scientifically accurate flight over the major bird habitats, including tropical forests; temperate and northern forests; deserts; mountains; grasslands; and Mediterranean, marine, freshwater, and oceanic islands. The volume concludes with an overview of bird species by regioncategorized by family within each region, and a guide to the world's best birding sites. Produced in cooperation with BirdLife International,Bird Watchis a celebration of the beauty and diversity of birds and their habitatsand a warning of the dangers they face around the world.