Birdbooker Report 160
My pile of books is a mile high
How I love them! How I need them!
I’ll have a long beard by the time I read them
~ Arnold Lobel [1933-1987] author of many popular children’s books
Compiled by Ian “Birdbooker” Paulsen, the Birdbooker Report is a long-running weekly report listing the wide variety of nature, natural history, ecology, animal behaviour, science and history books that have been newly released or republished in North America and in the UK The books listed here were received by Ian during the previous week, courtesy of these various publishing houses
SUMMARY: A Field Guide to the Birds of Sri Lanka is the first fully comprehensive, modern field guide to this ornithologically fascinating country All of Sri Lanka’s official avian species are described in the text and depicted in a collection of stunning color plates painted by Tim Worfolk, one of Britain’s leading bird artists The text, accessible to experienced ornithologists and beginners alike, highlights the important identification features such as plumage variations, size, calls and songs, range, distribution, and status for every species The plates illustrate the various plumage variations for each bird, and show the birds perched and also in flight, where relevant to their identification
An introduction to the guide describes briefly some of the ideal sites for watching Sri Lanka’s abundant avifauna, and provides useful contact addresses for the prospective traveller This will be an essential buy for all birdwatchers traveling to the region; the beautiful plates and clearly-written text will also make it a must-have for anyone who adores birds, and Sri Lankan birds in particular Features:
* A new edition of a truly comprehensive, up-to-date, modern guide to Sri Lanka’s abundant avifauna* Contains 49 stunning colour plates by Tim Worfolk* All species on the official Sri Lankan list are described in the text* Plumage variations according to age, sex, season, and race are depicted Birds are shown both perched and in flight where relevant to their identification* Includes the latest information on the habits and distribution of the region’s bird species* New and revised colour plates reflect recent changes to the classification of some species, the identification of a completely new species (the Serendib Scops Owl), and the growing number of species on the official list
IAN’S RECOMMENDATION: If you have an interest in the birds of Sri Lanka, you will want this book, even if you have the first edition!
SUMMARY: Until about 13,000 years ago, North America was home to a menagerie of huge mammals Mammoths, camels, and lions walked the ground that has become Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles and foraged on the marsh land now buried beneath Chicago’s streets Then, just as the first humans reached the Americas, these Ice Age giants vanished forever
In Once and Future Giants, science writer Sharon Levy digs through the evidence surrounding Pleistocene massive animal (“megafauna”) extinction events worldwide, showing that understanding this history — and our part in it — is crucial for protecting the elephants, polar bears, and other great creatures at risk this day These surviving relatives of the Ice Age beasts now face an intensified replay of that great die-off, as our species usurps the planet’s last wild places while driving a warming trend more extreme than any in mammalian history
Inspired by a passion for the lost Pleistocene giants, some scientists advocate bringing elephants and cheetahs to the Great Plains as stand-ins for their extinct native brethren By reintroducing huge browsers and carnivores to North America, they argue, we could rescue some of the planet’s most endangered animals while restoring healthy prairie ecosystems Critics, including biologists enmeshed in the struggle to restore native species like the gray wolf and the bison, see the proposal as a hazardous distraction from more realistic and legitimate conservation efforts
Deftly navigating competing theories and emerging evidence, Once and Future Giants examines the extent of human influence on megafauna extinctions past and present, and explores innovative conservation efforts around the globe The key to modern-day conservation, Levy suggests, may lie fossilized right under our feet
IAN’S RECOMMENDATION: A good general introduction to Pleistocene megafaunal extinctions and today’s endangered species 
SUMMARY: Twenty years ago, fresh out of graduate school and recently married, John and Colleen Marzluff left Arizona for a small cabin in the mountains of western Maine Their mission: to conduct the first-ever extensive study of the winter ecology of the Common Raven under the tutelage of biologist Bernd Heinrich
Drawing on field notes and personal diaries, they vividly and eloquently chronicle their three-year endeavor to research a mysterious and often misunderstood bird — assembling a gigantic aviary, climbing sentry trees, building bird blinds in the forest, capturing and sustaining 300 ravens as study subjects, and enduring harsh Maine winters in pursuit of their goal They also shared the unique challenges and joys of raising, training, and racing the sled dogs that assisted them in their work
Accompanied by Evon Zerbetz’s lovely linocut illustrations, Dog Days, Raven Nights is a fascinating, behind-the-scenes look at the adventures of field science and an insightful exploration of the nature of relationships, both animal and human
IAN’S RECOMMENDATION: Fans of John’s In the Company of Crows and Ravens will enjoy this book! 
SUMMARY: The year he graduated from college, twenty-two-year-old Noah Strycker was dropped by helicopter in a remote Antarctic field camp with two bird scientists and a three-month supply of frozen food His subjects: more than a quarter million penguins
Compact, industrious, and approachable, the Adélie Penguins who call Antarctica home visit their breeding grounds each Antarctic summer to nest and rear their young before returning to sea Because of long-term studies, scientists may know more about how these penguins will adjust to climate change than about any other creature in the world
Bird scientists like Noah are less well known Like the intrepid early explorers of Antarctica, modern scientists drawn to the frozen continent face an utterly inhospitable landscape, one that inspires, isolates, and punishes
With wit, curiosity, and a deep knowledge of his subject, Strycker recounts the reality of life at the end of the Earth — thousand-year-old penguin mummies, hurricane-force blizzards, and day-to-day existence in below freezing temperatures — and delves deep into a world of science, obsession, and birds
Among Penguins weaves a captivating tale of penguins and their researchers on the coldest, driest, highest, and windiest continent on Earth Birders, lovers of the Antarctic, and fans of first-person adventure narratives will be fascinated by Strycker’s book
IAN’S RECOMMENDATION: In you are interested in penguins or Antarctica, you will enjoy this book!
Ian “Birdbooker” Paulsen is an avid and well-known book collector, especially to the publishing world Mr Paulsen collects newly-published books about science, nature, history, animals and birds, and he also collects children’s books on these topics Mr Paulsen writes brief synopses about his collected books on his website, The Birdbooker Report
More source:
Birdbooker Report 160 | Science | guardian.co.ukBirdbooker Report 209 | Science | guardian.co.uk
Birdbooker Report 208 | @GrrlScientist | Science | guardian.co.uk
John D. Arnold: Latest News, Videos, Photos | Times of India
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