Birder's Conservation Handbook

by Wells, Jeffrey V.

• ISBN13: 9780691123233
• ISBN10: 0691123233
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-10-01
• Publisher: Princeton Univ Pr

Summary

Until now there has been no single, comprehensive resource on the status of North America's most threatened birds and what people can do to help protect them.Birder's Conservation Handbookis the only book of its kind, written specifically to help birders and researchers understand the threats while providing actions to protect birds and their habitats. Jeffrey Wells has distilled vast amounts of essential information into a single easy-to-use volume-required reading for anyone who loves birds and wants to ensure they are protected. At-a-glance species accounts cover in detail North America's one hundred most at-risk birds; each account is beautifully illustrated by today's top bird artists. The text includes status, distribution, ecology, threats, conservation actions and needs, and references. A distribution map accompanies each entry. Chapters discuss birds as indicators of environmental health, the state of North American bird populations, major conservation issues, and initiatives now underway to improve the health of North America's birds. Birder's Conservation Handbookis an indispensable resource for birdwatchers, researchers, naturalists, and conservationists. Reading it will inspire you to become an active steward of our birds and the habitats we share. A comprehensive guide to North America's one hundred most at-risk birds and how to protect them Compact and easy to use, with beautiful illustrations and data organized for convenient, at-a-glance reference Detailed species accounts, including distribution maps Practical advice on conservation Information on leading conservation agencies and resources

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. ix
Acknowledgments	p. xi
Scope and Purpose	p. 1
Birds as Indicators	p. 5
The State of North American Bird Populations	p. 9
Major Conservation Issues Affecting North America's Birds	p. 18
The State of Bird Conservation in North America and Beyond	p. 33
What You Can Do	p. 42
Species Accounts
Emperor Goose (Chen canagica)	p. 47
Brant (Branta bernicla)	p. 49
Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator)	p. 53
American Black Duck (Anas rubripes)	p. 56
Mottled Duck (Anas fulvigula)	p. 59
Steller's Eider (Polysticta stelleri)	p. 62
Spectacled Eider (Somateria fischeri)	p. 65
Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus)	p. 68
Gunnison Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus minimus)	p. 72
"Blue" Grouse, including Dusky (Dendragapus obscurus) and Sooty Grouse (Dendragapus fuliginosus)	p. 75
Greater Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus cupido)	p. 79
Lesser Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus)	p. 83
Montezuma Quail (Cyrtonyx montezumae)	p. 86
Yellow-billed Loon (Gavia adamsii)	p. 89
Laysan Albatross (Phoebastria immutabilis)	p. 91
Black-footed Albatross (Phoebastria nigripes)	p. 94
Short-tailed Albatross (Phoebastria albatrus)	p. 96
Bermuda Petrel (Pterodroma cahow)	p. 99
Black-capped Petrel (Pterodroma hasitata)	p. 102
Pink-footed Shearwater (Puffinus creatopus)	p. 104
Black-vented Shearwater (Puffinus opisthomelas)	p. 106
Ashy Storm-Petrel (Oceanodroma homochroa)	p. 108
Black Storm-Petrel (Oceanodroma melania)	p. 110
Least Storm-Petrel (Oceanodroma microsoma)	p. 113
Red-faced Cormorant (Phalacrocorax urile)	p. 116
California Condor (Gymnogyps californianus)	p. 118
Ferruginous Hawk (Buteo regalis)	p. 121
Yellow Rail (Coturnicops noveboracensis)	p. 125
Black Rail (Laterallus jamaicensis)	p. 129
Whooping Crane (Grus americana)	p. 133
American Golden-Plover (Pluvialis dominica)	p. 137
Pacific Golden-Plover (Pluvialis fulva)	p. 142
Snowy Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus)	p. 145
Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus)	p. 149
Mountain Plover (Charadrius montanus)	p. 154
Eskimo Curlew (Numenius borealis)	p. 159
Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus)	p. 163
Bristle-thighed Curlew (Numenius tahitiensis)	p. 169
Long-billed Curlew (Numenius americanus)	p. 172
Marbled Godwit (Limosa fedoa)	p. 176
Surfbird (Aphriza virgata)	p. 180
Red Knot (Calidris canutus)	p. 183
Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Tryngites subruficollis)	p. 188
Short-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus griseus)	p. 193
American Woodcock (Scolopax minor)	p. 199
Wilson's Phalarope (Phalaropus tricolor)	p. 203
Heermann's Gull (Larus heermanni)	p. 208
Red-legged Kittiwake (Rissa brevirostris)	p. 211
Elegant Tern (Thalasseus elegans)	p. 214
Marbled Murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus)	p. 217
Kittlitz's Murrelet (Brachyramphus brevirostris)	p. 221
Xantus's Murrelet (Synthliboramphus hypoleucus)	p. 224
Craveri's Murrelet (Synthliboramphus craveri)	p. 227
White-crowned Pigeon (Patagioenas leucocephala)	p. 229
Green Parakeet (Aratinga holochlora)	p. 232
Thick-billed Parrot (Rhynchopsitta pachyrhyncha)	p. 236
Red-crowned Parrot (Amazona viridigenalis)	p. 240
Spotted Owl (Strix occidentalis)	p. 244
Rufous Hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus)	p. 248
Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus)	p. 251
Red-cockaded Woodpecker (Picoides borealis)	p. 255
Ivory-billed Woodpecker (Campephilus principalis)	p. 259
Olive-sided Flycatcher (Contopus cooperi)	p. 262
Bell's Vireo (Vireo bellii)	p. 267
Black-capped Vireo (Vireo atricapillus)	p. 271
Gray Vireo (Vireo vicinior)	p. 274
Florida Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens)	p. 277
Island Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma insularis)	p. 280
Pinyon Jay (Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus)	p. 282
Brown-headed Nuthatch (Sitta pusilla)	p. 284
California Gnatcatcher (Polioptila californica)	p. 287
Bicknell's Thrush (Catharus bicknelli)	p. 290
Bendire's Thrasher (Toxostoma bendirei)	p. 293
Sprague's Pipit (Anthus spragueii)	p. 296
Bachman's Warbler (Vermivora bachmanii)	p. 299
Golden-winged Warbler (Vermivora chrysoptera)	p. 303
Virginia's Warbler (Vermivora virginiae)	p. 306
Colima Warbler (Vermivora crissalis)	p. 308
Lucy's Warbler (Vermivora luciae)	p. 310
Golden-cheeked Warbler (Dendroica chrysoparia)	p. 312
Grace's Warbler (Dendroica graciae)	p. 315
Kirtland's Warbler (Dendroica kirtlandii)	p. 318
Prairie Warbler (Dendroica discolor)	p. 321
Bay-breasted Warbler (Dendroica castanea)	p. 325
Cerulean Warbler (Dendroica cerulea)	p. 329
Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea)	p. 333
Worm-eating Warbler (Helmitheros vermivorum)	p. 337
Swainson's Warbler (Limnothlypis swainsonii)	p. 341
Kentucky Warbler (Oporornis formosus)	p. 344
Canada Warbler (Wilsonia canadensis)	p. 347
Bachman's Sparrow (Aimophila aestivalis)	p. 352
Brewer's Sparrow (Spizella breweri)	p. 355
Baird's Sparrow (Ammodramus bairdii)	p. 359
Henslow's Sparrow (Ammodramus henslowii)	p. 362
Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow (Ammodramus caudacutus)	p. 366
Harris's Sparrow (Zonotrichia querula)	p. 369
McKay's Bunting (Plectrophenax hyperboreus)	p. 373
Painted Bunting (Passerina ciris)	p. 375
Tricolored Blackbird (Agelaius tricolor)	p. 378
Rusty Blackbird (Euphagus carolinus)	p. 381
North American Birds of Conservation Concern Listed by Different Agencies and Organizations	p. 385
Hawaiian Birds of Conservation Concern and Extinct Species	p. 421
Mexican Government Official List of Endangered, Threatened, and Special Concern Bird Species	p. 424
Agencies and Organizations Involved in Bird Conservation	p. 431
Illustration Credits	p. 437
Index	p. 439
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