Complete Guide to the Antarctic Wildlife

by Shirihai, Hadoram; Jarrett, Brett; Kirwan, Guy M.

• ISBN13: 9780691114149
• ISBN10: 0691114145
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2002-09-01
• Publisher: Princeton Univ Pr

Summary

The first of its kind, this spectacularly illustrated book is the only complete guide to the wildlife and natural history of the vast and beautiful Antarctic region. Covering the Antarctic continent, the southern ocean, and the subantarctic islands, this guide illustrates all of the region's breeding birds and marine mammals with stunning color photographs. In addition to the color plates, it features distribution maps and up-to-date species accounts expertly detailing abundance, seasonal status, and conservation prospects. The volume also covers numerous nonbreeding species, migrants, and vagrants. Regional chapters describe all of the subantarctic islands, in addition to most regularly visited sites in Antarctica, and are accompanied by maps of each area and photographs of each locale. These chapters present detailed information on geography, climate, geology, general ecology, and flora. They also address conservation efforts--past, present, and planned. The book concludes with practical information about visiting the area, including details on the best-available landing sites and notes on seasonal weather conditions. This is an indispensable companion for a trip far south, as well as an informative volume for anyone interested in the Antarctic region's remarkable, occasionally strange, and frequently beautiful animals. Features 35 color plates and over 600 color photographs Illustrates and maps the distribution of all of the region's breeding birds and marine mammals Includes information on many non-breeders, migrants, and vagrants Features expert text reflecting recent advances in taxonomy Covers all of the subantarctic islands as well as Antarctica's regularly visited sites Offers travel tips, including weather considerations and landing sites

Table of Contents

List of colour plates	6	(1)
Preface	7	(1)
Referees for this book	7	(1)
Acknowledgements	8	(2)
Background to the research work	10	(1)
Layout of the Book	11	(2)
The Maps	12	(1)
Abbreviations	12	(1)
Synopsis of the region	13	(40)
The Antarctic and Subantarctic Environments: The Southern Ocean	13	(5)
Geological History	18	(2)
Geography and Climate	20	(5)
Sea Environment	25	(4)
Habitats and vegetation	29	(1)
Avifauna	30	(3)
Marine Mammals	33	(3)
Conservation in the Region	36	(4)
Checklist of Birds and Marine Mammals of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean	40	(6)
History of Antarctic Exploration	46	(7)
Bird and marine mammal topography	53	(423)
Species Accounts
Birds
Penguins	54	(32)
Great albatrosses	86	(21)
Small and medium albatrosses	107	(22)
Sooty albatrosses, giant petrels and distinct petrels	129	(14)
Gadfly petrels	143	(15)
Procellaria petrels and shearwaters	158	(15)
Blue Petrel and prions	173	(11)
Storm-petrels and diving-petrels	184	(8)
Cormorants and shags of the Southern Ocean	192	(15)
Gannets	207	(3)
Large skuas	210	(8)
Stercorarius skuas	218	(5)
Gulls and terns	223	(14)
Endemic and indigenous species of subantarctic islands in the S Indian and S Atlantic Oceans and the Falklands	237	(34)
Endemic and indigenous non-passerines of New Zealand's subantarctic islands	271	(10)
Endemic and indigenous passerines of New Zealand's subantarctic islands	281	(6)
Endemic and indigenous passerines of New Zealand's subantarctic islands	287	(7)
Marine Mammals
Seals	294	(21)
Cetaceans	315	(54)
Regional descriptions (with tables of breeding species)
Subantarctic islands off South America (and Checklist of Falkland Islands birds)	369	(19)
South Shetland Islands, Antarctic Peninsula and Weddell Sea	388	(17)
South Atlantic Islands	405	(11)
Subantarctic islands in the Indian Ocean	416	(18)
Subantarctic islands south of New Zealand	434	(27)
The Ross Sea	461	(9)
East Antarctica	470	(5)
Peter I Øy	475	(1)
Other Regions and Islands	476	(4)
Islands off southern Chile and southern Argentina	476	(2)
Tasmania Group	478	(2)
Gateways to the Antarctic: pelagic and other birds and marine mammals in southern South America, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand	480	(10)
Ushuaia, the Beagle Channel and sea area south of Tierra del Fuego	480	(2)
Seabird and whale viewing off South Africa	482	(2)
Observing Southern Ocean seabirds and cetaceans off Australia	484	(2)
Seabird and sea mammal viewing around New Zealand	486	(4)
Bibliography	490	(5)
Appendix	495	(2)
Organizations and Contacts in the Region	495	(1)
About the authors	496	(1)
Index	497