The Bird Almanac

by Bird, David M.

• ISBN13: 9781552979259
• ISBN10: 1552979253
• Edition: Revised
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-03-01
• Publisher: Firefly Books Ltd

Summary

Observing birds often raises many intriguing questions. Such as what is the incubation time for those robin eggs sitting in the nest above the porch light? What kinds of flowers attract humming birds? What are the migratory distances of various species? What are the major causes of bird deaths?The Bird Almanac is an invaluable resource, impressive in scope and depth and complemented with tables and illustrations. This Second Edition has been reformatted for easier use and now features quick-find tabs and an index.The first section of the book comprehensively covers the history, biology and behavior of birds. Bird physiology, biological systems and anatomy are explained in easy-to-understand terms and annotated illustrations.Other topics include: Fossil history of birds Reproduction and mortality Threatened and endangered species Major birding festivals and competitions How to attract specific species to the backyard Extensive resources for bird-lovers including the top birding locations in America Birding code of ethicsThe second section consists of an authoritative world checklist of bird species. The birds are organized by taxonomic order and listed by common and Latin name.The valuable information in The Bird Almanac fills in the gaps in knowledge of even the most seasoned birder.

Author Biography

David M. Bird, PhD, is a well-known ornithologist who teaches at McGill University and is the Director of the Avian Science and Conservation Center. He is a columnist for Bird Watcher's Digest and is the author and editor of many books on wildlife.

Table of Contents

Preface	xiii
Acknowledgments	xvii
Fossil History of Birds	1	(2)
Anatomy	3	(7)
Terms for Anatomical Characteristics of Birds	3	(4)
Bill	3	(1)
Tail	3	(1)
Wing	4	(1)
Legs and Feet	4	(1)
General Anatomical References	5	(2)
Skeleton (FIGURE)	7	(1)
Topography (FIGURE)	8	(1)
Measurements (FIGURE)	9	(1)
Physiology	10	(28)
Circulatory System	10	(4)
Heart (FIGURE)	10	(1)
Heart Weight of Selected Birds Relative to Body Weight	10	(1)
Approximate Heartbeat Rates of Selected Adult Birds at Rest	11	(1)
Approximate Blood Volumes of Selected Birds	11	(1)
Approximate Erythrocyte (Red Corpuscle) Numbers in Selected Birds (Millions per cubic millimeter)	12	(1)
Approximate Number of Leukocytes and Thrombocytes in Bird Blood	12	(1)
Approximate Total Plasma (or Serum) Proteins, "Albumins," "Globulins," and "A/G" Ratio in Selected Birds	13	(1)
Digestive System (FIGURE)	14	(1)
Composition of Avian Esophageal Fluids	15	(1)
Respiratory System	15	(1)
Approximate Breathing Rates of Resting Birds Relative to Body Weight	15	(1)
Relative Respiratory Volumes in the Chicken	15	(1)
Major Air Sacs (FIGURE)	16	(2)
Approximate Diving Depths of Selected Diving Birds	17	(1)
Diving Durations for Selected Underwater Birds	17	(1)
Urogenital System	18	(1)
Male and female (2 FIGURES)	18	(1)
Approximate Total Body Water of Selected Birds
Relative to Body Weight	19	(1)
Metabolism and Thermoregulation	19	(2)
Metabolic Rates of Selected Birds Relative to Body Weight	19	(1)
Deep-Body Temperature of Selected Birds Relative to Body Weight	20	(1)
Senses	21	(4)
Brain (FIGURE)	21	(1)
Eyeball (FIGURE)	21	(1)
Approximate Hearing Range of Selected Birds	22	(1)
Sizes of Tympanic Membranes and Columellas in Selected Birds Relative to Body Size	23	(1)
Frequency Ranges of Song Signals in Selected Birds	24	(1)
Approximate Numbers of Taste Buds in Selected Birds	24	(1)
Flight	25	(13)
Wing (FIGURE)	25	(1)
Feather (FIGURE)	26	(1)
Feather Tracts (2 FIGURES)	27	(1)
Major Adaptations of Birds for Flight	28	(1)
Plumages and Molts	28	(1)
Flight Feather Counts of Selected Bird Groups	29	(1)
Approximate Wingbeats per Second in Selected Birds	30	(1)
Wing Loading in Selected Birds	30	(2)
Suggested Weight-Carrying Capacities of Selected Bird Species	32	(1)
Flight Morphology of Selected Soaring Bird Species	32	(1)
Flight Speeds of Banded Wild Birds During Migration Between Two Locations	33	(1)
Flight Speeds of Experimentally Displaced Birds Returning to Their Nests	33	(1)
Flight Speeds for Selected Birds Relative to Mass, Aspect Ratio, and Wing Loading	34	(1)
Average Flight Speeds of Selected Bird Species During Daytime and Evening Measured by Doppler Radar	35	(1)
Abilities of Birds to Return to the Site of Capture After Transport to a Distant, Unfamiliar Release Site	35	(1)
Penguin Swimming Speeds at Sea	36	(1)
Minimum Daily Flight Distance of Selected Migrating Raptors	36	(1)
Average Air Speeds and Ground Speeds of Some Migrating Hawks	36	(1)
Mean Altitudes Flown by Migrating Raptors in Autumn	37	(1)
Circling Performance of Selected Bird Species	37	(1)
Reproduction	38	(13)
Territory	38	(1)
Relative Territory Sizes in Selected Birds	38	(1)
Initiation of Singing Before Sunrise	38	(1)
Song-Type Repertoire Sizes in Selected Songbirds	39	(1)
Classifications of Nest Types	39	(1)
Gametes	40	(4)
Spermatozoa ( FIGURE)	40	(1)
Approximate Number of Sperm-Storage Tubules in Selected Birds	40	(1)
Sperm Storage Duration, Sperm Numbers, Clutch Size, and Spread of Laying in Selected Birds	41	(1)
Egg (FIGURE)	41	(1)
Nutritional Composition of a Chicken Egg	42	(1)
Egg Patterns (FIGURE)	42	(1)
Egg Shape (FIGURE)	43	(1)
Egg-Laying	44	(1)
Approximate Egg-laying Intervals in Selected Bird Species	44	(1)
Egg Weight as a Proportion of Female Body Weight in Selected Bird Species	44	(1)
Incubation	45	(3)
Duration of Incubation of Selected Birds	45	(1)
Estimated Clutch Sizes, Incubation Periods, and Ages at Fledging in Selected Groups of Birds	46	(2)
Average Periods On and Off the Nest for Ten Incubating Female Songbirds	48	(1)
Hatching	48	(2)
Maturity of Young Birds at Hatching	48	(1)
Embryonic Development (FIGURE)	49	(1)
A Comparison of Organs of Precocial and Altricial Young at Hatching	50	(1)
Sex Ratios	50	(1)
Sample Sex Ratios in Selected Species of Adult Wild Birds	50	(1)
Mortality	51	(5)
Longevity	51	(5)
Longevity Records for Selected Wild Birds	51	(2)
Maximum Known Ages of Selected Captive Bird Species	53	(1)
Potential Average Longevity of Popular Birds	54	(1)
Estimated Annual Mortality Rate of Selected Birds	54	(1)
Relative Annual Human-Related Mortality of Birds in the U.S.	55	(1)
Threatened and Endangered Bird Species	56	(7)
Endangered Bird Species in Canada as of 2003	56	(1)
Endangered Bird Species in United States as of 2003	57	(1)
Birds of Conservation Concern in the U.K. 2002-2007	58	(2)
Bird Species Presumed Extinct Since 1600	60	(3)
Mascot Birds	63	(4)
Official and Unofficial National Birds	63	(2)
Canadian Provincial Birds	65	(1)
State Birds (U.S.)	65	(2)
Symbolic Birds	67	(1)
Automobiles Named After Birds	67	(1)
Assemblages of Birds	68	(2)
Records in the Bird World	70	(4)
Anatomy	70	(1)
Locomotion	70	(1)
Physiology	71	(1)
Reproduction	72	(1)
Human-Related	73	(1)
Who's Who in Bird Biology and Conservation	74	(28)
Presidents of Major Ornithological Societies in North America and the U.K.	102	(4)
Canada	102	(1)
Society of Canadian Ornithologists	102	(1)
United States	102	(3)
American Ornithologists' Union	102	(1)
Cooper Ornithological Society	103	(1)
Wilson Ornithological Society	103	(1)
Association of Field Ornithologists	104	(1)
Raptor Research Foundation, Inc.	104	(1)
The Waterbird Society	104	(1)
United Kingdom	105	(1)
British Ornithologists' Union	105	(1)
Scottish Ornithologists' Club	105	(1)
British Trust for Ornithology	105	(1)
Presidents of Major Bird-Watching Societies	106	(1)
United States	106	(1)
American Birding Association	106	(1)
United Kingdom	106	(1)
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds	106	(1)
Distinguished Ornithology Award Recipients	107	(5)
Doris Huestis Speirs Award	107	(1)
William Brewster Memorial Award	107	(1)
Elliott Coues Award	108	(1)
Alexander F. Skutch Medal	109	(1)
Margaret Morse Nice Medal	109	(1)
RRF President's Award	109	(1)
Arthur A. Allen Award	109	(1)
ABA Roger Tory Peterson Award	110	(1)
BOU Founders' Gold Medal	110	(1)
Union Medal	110	(1)
Godman-Salvin Medal	111	(1)
Bird-Watching Record Holders	112	(2)
500+ Bird-watchers in the U.K. and Ireland	112	(1)
Top Ten ABA World Listing Leaders as of January 2002	112	(1)
Top Ten ABA Area Listers as of January 2002	112	(1)
Top Ten ABA Canada Listers as of January 2002	112	(1)
Top Ten ABA U.S. Listers as of January 2002	113	(1)
7000+ World Listers	113	(1)
New Jersey Audubon Society's World Series of Birding	114	(1)
Urner-Stone Cup Award Recipients	114	(1)
Great Texas Birding Classic Winners	115	(1)
Taverner Cup Winners	115	(1)
Ward World Bird-Carving Champions	116	(4)
United States Federal Duck Stamp Artists	120	(3)
Bird-Watching	123	(6)
American Birding Association	123	(1)
Code of Birding Ethics	123	(1)
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds	124	(1)
Code of Conduct for Bird-watchers	124	(1)
Checklist of Birding Gear	125	(1)
Twenty Tips for Choosing Binoculars	126	(1)
Optical Terminology	127	(2)
Attracting Birds to the Backyard	129	(2)
Top Ten Most Frequently Reported Species in the 2003 Great Backyard Bird Count in North America	129	(1)
Most Common and Most Numerous Bird Species in the 2003 Big Garden Birdwatch in the U.K.	129	(1)
Six General Tips for Enjoying Backyard Birds	130	(1)
Housing	131	(4)
Ten Tips for Installing Nest Boxes	131	(1)
Specifications for Nest Boxes for North American Cavity-nesting Birds	132	(1)
Dimensions of Nesting Shelves	133	(1)
Ten Tips for Installing a Purple Martin House	133	(1)
Specifications for Bird Boxes for Cavity-nesting Birds in the U.K.	134	(1)
Nest Material Offerings	135	(1)
Plants	135	(4)
Favorite Plants for Backyard Birds in the U.K.	135	(1)
Fruit-Bearing Plants for North American Birds	135	(1)
Garden Flowers for North American Birds	136	(1)
Typical Characteristics of Flowers Pollinated by Hummingbirds	136	(1)
Flowering Plants for Hummingbirds	136	(1)
Shrubs and Trees for North American Birds	137	(1)
Characteristics of Preferred Nesting Trees of Some North American Woodpeckers	138	(1)
Feeding	139	(8)
Twenty Tips for Setting up a Backyard Program	139	(2)
Feeder Preferences for North American Backyard Birds	141	(1)
Most Widely Recommended Seed Types	142	(1)
Alternative Seed-Nut Offerings	142	(1)
Most Widely Recommended Non-Seed Foods	142	(1)
Food Preferences of Common Feeder Birds of North America	143	(1)
Feeding Tips for Common Feeder Birds in the U.K.	144	(1)
Ten Tips for Setting up a Hummingbird Feeder	145	(1)
Favorite Recipes for the Birds	145	(1)
Ten Tips for Installing a Bird Bath	146	(1)
Resources for Bird-Lovers	147	(86)
Ornithological and Bird-Watching Organizations	147	(17)
Bird-Banding Organizations	164	(11)
Birding Hotlines	175	(3)
Canada	175	(1)
U.S.	175	(2)
The World	177	(1)
Government Organizations	178	(2)
North America	178	(1)
United Kingdom	179	(1)
Bird Journals and Magazines	180	(13)
On-Line Magazines	193	(1)
Birding Links	194	(1)
Popular Field Guides for Worldwide Birding	195	(5)
Selected Video Recordings for Finding and Identifying Birds	200	(2)
Selected Audio Recordings for Identifying Birds	202	(6)
Selected Birding Software and CD-ROMS	208	(4)
Birding Festivals	212	(9)
Tour Operators Specializing in Bird Tours	221	(12)
Places to Go Birding	233	(9)
Top Twenty Countries for Species Numbers	233	(1)
Sixty Top Birding Destinations in the World	234	(1)
Twenty Top Birding Sites in the U.K.	235	(1)
Ninety Top Birding Spots in the U.S.	235	(2)
Twenty-five Top Birding Spots in Canada	237	(1)
Birding Trails in North America	238	(1)
World Hawk-Watching Sites	239	(8)
Top Thirty Watch Sites with at Least 10,000 Migrant Raptors Annually	239	(1)
Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Flight Statistics from 1934 to 2002	240	(1)
Golden Gate Raptor Observatory Flight Statistics from 1989 to 2002	241	(1)
Frequently Asked Questions (and Answers!)	242	(5)
Resources for Ornithologists	247	(16)
Optical Equipment	247	(6)
Bird Sound Recording and Amplification Devices	253	(1)
Netting for Capturing Wild Birds	254	(1)
Telemetry Gear for Tracking Birds	254	(3)
Satellite Tracking Centers for Birds	257	(1)
Specialized Video Camera Recorders for Birds	258	(1)
DNA Sexing of Birds	258	(2)
Bird Courses and Volunteer Opportunities Related to Birds	260	(3)
Glossary	263	(25)
Taxonomy	288	(11)
American and British Equivalencies in Names of Birds	288	(2)
Classification of the Class Aves	290	(9)
Traditional	290	(4)
DNA-DNA Hybridization	294	(5)
Indexed Checklist of the World's Birds	299	(137)
Index of Common Names for the World Bird List	436	(13)
Index to the Almanac	449