Download or read book Birds Never Get Lost written by Colin Pennycuick and published by Troubador Publishing. This book was released on 2015-10-22 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Birds fly very efficiently, doing little work themselves, and gaining large amounts of energy from the atmosphere. Whether on local flights or migration, they have the freedom to fly anywhere they please. It is because of this that scientists have long been fascinated with how birds remain the ultimate aviators. Birds Never Get Lost includes reports of how bird flight has been studied in laboratories, as well as by flying with them. It also provides a comprehensive background of what distinguishes birds from other flying animals, past and present, from bats to pterosaurs.
Download or read book Supernavigators written by David Barrie and published by The Experiment. This book was released on 2020-06-09 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Just astonishing . . . Our natural navigational capacities are no match for those of the supernavigators in this eye-opening book.”—Frans de Waal, The New York Times Book Review Publisher's note: Supernavigators was published in the UK under the title Incredible Journeys. Animals plainly know where they’re going, but how they know has remained a stubborn mystery—until now. Supernavigators is a globe-trotting voyage of discovery alongside astounding animals of every stripe: dung beetles that steer by the Milky Way, box jellyfish that can see above the water (with a few of their twenty-four eyes), sea turtles that sense Earth’s magnetic field, and many more. David Barrie consults animal behaviorists and Nobel Prize–winning scientists to catch us up on the cutting edge of animal intelligence—revealing these wonders in a whole new light.
Download or read book Lost Animals written by Errol Fuller and published by A&C Black. This book was released on 2013-11-21 with total page 257 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Caught on camera prior to their demise, this book reveals the surprisingly rich photographic record of now-extinct animals. A photograph of an animal long-gone evokes a feeling of loss more than a painting ever can. Often tinted sepia or black-and-white, these images were mainly taken in zoos or wildlife parks, and in a handful of cases featured the last known individual of the species. There are some familiar examples, such as Martha, the last Passenger Pigeon, or the Ivory-billed Woodpecker, recently fledged and perching happily on the hat of one of the biologists that had just ringed it. But for every Martha there are a number of less familiar extinct birds and mammals that were caught on camera. The photographic record of extinction is the focus of this remarkable book, written by the world's leading authority on vanished animals, Errol Fuller. Lost Animals features photographs dating from around 1870 to as recently as 2004, the year that saw the demise of the Hawaiian Po'ouli. From a mother Thylacine and her pups to now-extinct birds such as the Heath Hen and Carolina Parakeet, Fuller tells the tale of each animal, why it became extinct, and discusses the circumstances surrounding the photography itself, in a book rich with unique images. The photographs themselves are poignant and compelling. They provide a tangible link to animals that have now vanished forever, in a book that brings the past to life while delivering a warning for the future.
Download or read book Atlas of Rare Birds written by Dominic Couzens and published by Bloomsbury Wildlife. This book was released on 2010 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: All life depends on plants but they are often taken for granted in our everyday lives. It is easy to ignore the fact that we are facing a crisis, with scientists estimating that one third of all flowering plant species are threatened with extinction. "Modern Day Arks" considers the essential conservation role of botanic gardens. Chapters feature gardens from around the world, including the UK, US, Australia, Germany, Turkey, Uganda, South Africa, Mexico, Brazil and China, revealing how a global network is striving to save our botanical heritage. Comments and photographs from the botanists involved lend an important personal angle to the text and reveal the important but little-known work that goes on behind the scenes of these beautiful gardens. In this elegant and engaging book, Sara Oldfield shows how botanic gardens truly are 'modern day arks' safeguarding species and saving resources on which we may soon depend. It is to be published in 2010, a year that sees the culmination of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation.
Download or read book Lost Birds written by Birute Putrius and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Lost Birds weaves a tale of Irene Matas and friends, who arrive in Chicago after the Second World War. While parents, sick with grief, cling to old ways, their conflicted children are torn between allegiance to their parents and the bright appeal of America.
Download or read book Birds of Paradise Lost written by Andrew Lam and published by Red Hen Press. This book was released on 2012-03-01 with total page 172 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the award-winning author of Perfume Dreams, a collection of thirteen short stories following Vietnamese immigrants new to the United States. The thirteen stories in Birds of Paradise Lost shimmer with humor and pathos as they chronicle the anguish and joy and bravery of America’s newest Americans, the troubled lives of those who fled Vietnam and remade themselves in the San Francisco Bay Area. The past—memories of war and its aftermath, of murder, arrest, re-education camps and new economic zones, of escape and shipwreck and atrocity—is ever present in these wise and compassionate stories. It plays itself out in surprising ways in the lives of people who thought they had moved beyond the nightmares of war and exodus. It comes back on TV in the form of a confession from a cannibal; it enters the Vietnamese restaurant as a Vietnam Vet with a shameful secret; it articulates itself in the peculiar tics of a man with Tourette’s Syndrome who struggles to deal with a profound tragedy. Birds of Paradise Lost is an emotional tour de force, intricately rendering the false starts and revelations in the struggle for integration, and in so doing, the human heart. *Finalist for the California Book Award* “His stories are elegant and humane and funny and sad. Lam has instantly established himself as one of our finest fiction writers.” —Robert Olen Butler, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Perfume Mountain “Read Andrew Lam, and bask in his love of language, and his compassion for people, both those here and those far away.” —Maxine Hong Kingston, award-winning author of The Woman Warrior
Download or read book The Lost Bird Project written by Todd McGrain and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A sculptor creates memorials to five extinct North American bird species
Download or read book A World on the Wing The Global Odyssey of Migratory Birds written by Scott Weidensaul and published by W. W. Norton & Company. This book was released on 2021-03-30 with total page 383 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: New York Times Bestseller Finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize A Library Journal Best Science and Technology Book of the Year An exhilarating exploration of the science and wonder of global bird migration. In the past two decades, our understanding of the navigational and physiological feats that enable birds to cross immense oceans, fly above the highest mountains, or remain in unbroken flight for months at a stretch has exploded. What we’ve learned of these key migrations—how billions of birds circumnavigate the globe, flying tens of thousands of miles between hemispheres on an annual basis—is nothing short of extraordinary. Bird migration entails almost unfathomable endurance, like a sparrow-sized sandpiper that will fly nonstop from Canada to Venezuela—the equivalent of running 126 consecutive marathons without food, water, or rest—avoiding dehydration by "drinking" moisture from its own muscles and organs, while orienting itself using the earth’s magnetic field through a form of quantum entanglement that made Einstein queasy. Crossing the Pacific Ocean in nine days of nonstop flight, as some birds do, leaves little time for sleep, but migrants can put half their brains to sleep for a few seconds at a time, alternating sides—and their reaction time actually improves. These and other revelations convey both the wonder of bird migration and its global sweep, from the mudflats of the Yellow Sea in China to the remote mountains of northeastern India to the dusty hills of southern Cyprus. This breathtaking work of nature writing from Pulitzer Prize finalist Scott Weidensaul also introduces readers to those scientists, researchers, and bird lovers trying to preserve global migratory patterns in the face of climate change and other environmental challenges. Drawing on his own extensive fieldwork, in A World on the Wing Weidensaul unveils with dazzling prose the miracle of nature taking place over our heads.
Download or read book Potlendh written by David J Wallis and published by Flipside Digital Content Company Inc.. This book was released on 2011-07-31 with total page 417 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ten-year-old twins Carl and Karen are stranded on a strange, uncharted Island. The only way home is with the help of a mysterious Lord of Power, who lives atop the tall mountain in the center of this Island. Getting there is no easy task, as they must learn to help others in exchange for their help. Complicating their adventure: nothing works right on the Island. Even time and distance are all mixed up.With the companionship of Uniqua (a Unicorn), Cassandra (a chicken-sized Dragon), and three martial arts-trained Rabbit bodyguards, the children must persevere if they ever want to see their father again.
Download or read book Lost Among the Birds written by Neil Hayward and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2016-06-07 with total page 417 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Early in 2013 Neil Hayward was at a crossroads. He didn't want to open a bakery or whatever else executives do when they quit a lucrative but unfulfilling job. He didn't want to think about his failed relationship with “the one” or his potential for ruining a new relationship with “the next one.” And he almost certainly didn't want to think about turning forty. And so instead he went birding. Birding was a lifelong passion. It was only among the birds that Neil found a calm that had eluded him in the confusing world of humans. But this time he also found competition. His growing list of species reluctantly catapulted him into a Big Year--a race to find the most birds in one year. His peregrinations across twenty-eight states and six provinces in search of exotic species took him to a hoarfrost-covered forest in Massachusetts to find a Fieldfare; to Lake Havasu, Arizona, to see a rare Nutting's Flycatcher; and to Vancouver for the Red-flanked Bluetail. Neil's Big Year was as unplanned as it was accidental: It was the perfect distraction to life. Neil shocked the birding world by finding 749 species of bird and breaking the long-standing Big Year record. He also surprised himself: During his time among the hummingbirds, tanagers, and boobies, he found a renewed sense of confidence and hope about the world and his place in it.
Download or read book The Birds of America written by John James Audubon and published by White Lion Publishing. This book was released on 2013 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'Birds of America' is one of the best known natural history books ever produced and also one of the most valuable - a complete set sold at auction in December 2010 for 7.3 million, which is a world record.
Download or read book Birds of Prey of the West written by Brian K. Wheeler and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2018-06-19 with total page 360 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Birds of Prey of the West and its companion volume, Birds of Prey of the East, are the most comprehensive and authoritative field guides to North American birds of prey ever published. Written and lavishly illustrated with stunning, lifelike paintings by leading field-guide illustrator, photographer, and author Brian Wheeler, the guides depict an enormous range of variations of age, sex, color, and plumage, and feature a significant amount of plumage data that has never been published before. The painted figures illustrate plumage and species comparisons in a classic field-guide layout. Each species is shown in the same posture and from the same viewpoint, which further assists comparisons. Facing-page text includes quick-reference identification points and brief natural history accounts that incorporate the latest information. The range maps are exceptionally accurate and much larger than those in other guides. They plot the most up-to-date distribution information for each species and include the location of cities for more accurate reference. Finally, the guides feature color habitat photographs next to the maps. The result sets a new standard for guides to North America's birds of prey. Lavishly illustrated with stunning, lifelike paintings Written and illustrated by a leading authority on North American birds of prey Depicts more plumages than any other guide Concise facing-page text includes quick-reference identification points Classic field-guide layout makes comparing species easy Large, accurate range maps include up-to-date distribution information Unique color habitat photographs next to the maps
Download or read book Oceanic Birds of the World written by Steve N. G. Howell and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2019-08-20 with total page 360 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A state-of-the-art photographic field guide to the world's oceanic birds Oceanic birds are among the most remarkable but least known of all birds, living at sea, far from the sight of most people. They offer unusual identification challenges—many species look similar and it can be difficult to get good views of fast-flying birds from a moving boat. The first field guide to the world's oceanic birds in more than two decades, this exciting and authoritative book draws on decades of firsthand experience on the open seas. It features clear text filled with original insights and new information and more than 2,200 carefully chosen color images that bring the ocean and its remarkable winged inhabitants to life. Never before have oceanic birds been presented in such an accessible and comprehensive way. The introduction discusses the many recent developments in seabird taxonomy, which are incorporated into the species accounts, and these accounts are arranged into groups that aid field identification. Each group and species complex has an introductory overview of its identification challenges, illustrated with clear comparative photos. The text describes flight manner, plumage variation related to age and molt, seasonal occurrence patterns, migration routes, and many other features. The result is an indispensable guide for exploring birding's last great frontier. A comprehensive, authoritative, and accessible guide to oceanic birds Covers more than 270 species Includes more than 2,200 color photos with concise captions noting key features Features careful species comparisons, overviews of the latest taxonomy, tips on how to observe and ID birds at sea, and much more
Download or read book Falcon Wild written by Terry Lynn Johnson and published by Charlesbridge Publishing. This book was released on 2017-09-19 with total page 177 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An action-packed, contemporary novel about surviving in the wilderness. Thirteen-year-old Karma is desperate to become a certified falconer. At her dad's bird education center, she helps give demonstrations to guests and can fly the birds. But when her favorite rescued falcon, Stark, hurts Karma, her parents insist that they return the bird to its previous owner--in Canada. On the way to bring Stark back, a car accident in the middle of nowhere leaves Karma's dad trapped, and it's up to Karma to find a way to rescue him and her younger brother. When Karma loses her way trying to get help, she crosses paths with Cooper, a troubled teenaged boy. Lost for three days, the two figure out how to survive, and Karma teaches Stark to hunt like an actual bird of prey. Karma may be closer than she thinks to becoming a real falconer and having a real friend.
Download or read book Why Do Birds Suddenly Disappear written by Lev Parikian and published by Unbound. This book was released on 2018-05-15 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: At twelve years old, Lev Parikian was an avid birdwatcher. He was also a fraud, a liar and a cheat. Those lists of birds seen and ticked off? Lies. One hundred and thirty species? More like sixty. Then, when he turned fifty, he decided to right his childhood wrongs. He would go birdwatching again. He would not lie. He would aim to see two hundred species of British bird in a year. Why Do Birds Suddenly Disappear? is the story of that year, a story about birds, family, music, nostalgia, the nature of obsession and obsession with nature. It's about finding adventure in life when you twig it's shorter than you thought, and about losing and regaining contact with the sights, sounds and smells of the natural world. It's a book for anyone who has ever seen a small brown bird and wondered what it was, or tried to make sense of a world in which we can ask, 'What's that bird?' and 'What's for lunch?' and get the same answer.
Download or read book Flight Ways written by Thom van Dooren and published by Columbia University Press. This book was released on 2014-06-03 with total page 207 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A leading figure in the emerging field of extinction studies, Thom van Dooren puts philosophy into conversation with the natural sciences and his ethnographic encounters to vivify the cultural and ethical significance of modern-day extinctions. Unlike other meditations on the subject, Flight Ways incorporates the particularities of real animals and their worlds, drawing philosophers, natural scientists, and general readers into the experience of living among and losing biodiversity. Each chapter of Flight Ways focuses on a different species or group of birds: North Pacific albatrosses, Indian vultures, an endangered colony of penguins in Australia, Hawaiian crows, and the iconic whooping cranes of North America. Written in eloquent and moving prose, the book takes stock of what is lost when a life form disappears from the world—the wide-ranging ramifications that ripple out to implicate a number of human and more-than-human others. Van Dooren intimately explores what life is like for those who must live on the edge of extinction, balanced between life and oblivion, taking care of their young and grieving their dead. He bolsters his studies with real-life accounts from scientists and local communities at the forefront of these developments. No longer abstract entities with Latin names, these species become fully realized characters enmeshed in complex and precarious ways of life, sparking our sense of curiosity, concern, and accountability toward others in a rapidly changing world.
Download or read book The Book of Percentages written by Tom Philbin and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2009-06-18 with total page 140 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: You will now be able to wow your friends, scare your kids, and bargain with your spouse as you use this book to legitimize bad decisions, idle threats, and risky ventures. With this one-stop statistical resource, you will have plenty of numbers to back up whatever you want (or don’t want) to do. Covering all aspects of everyday life, this enlightening little trivia book shows you that numbers can be informative yet entertaining—and work to your advantage. Inside you will learn interesting tidbits like: While 30% of all shoplifters are under thirty, 95% of shoplifters are females—just another thing for teenage boys to throw in their parents’ faces Ditching a diet is the fad thing to do, as 60% of dieters fail and go back to eating fatty foods Finding a faithful contractor is much easier than finding a faithful husband: Only 10% of home improvement contractors are reported larcenous while 22% of married men have committed adultery The world would have a whole lot more female vegetarians if people had to kill their dinner—90% of women would give up beef if they had to kill the cow Americans have a 40% chance of just dropping dead every day It’s a guaranteed enlightening read 100% of the time.
