Introduction to Birds of the Southern California Coast

Introduction to Birds of the Southern California Coast

Author: Joan Easton Lentz

Publisher: Univ of California Press

ISBN: 0520243218

Category: Bird watching

Page: 344

View: 827

Get eBOOK →
This easy-to-use handbook is a must for anyone who wants to leave behind Southern California's noisy freeways and crowded beaches in search of the wild places where birds can be found. A perfect companion for excursions from San Luis Obispo County to the Mexican border, it is designed to familiarize birdwatchers, hikers, naturalists, residents, and travelers with the appearance and behavior of 120 of the most common coastal birds. 120 color plates.

RSPB Pocket Garden Birdwatch

RSPB Pocket Garden Birdwatch

Author: Mark Ward

Publisher: Dorling Kindersley Ltd

ISBN: 9780241444733

Category: Nature

Page: 130

View: 178

Get eBOOK →
Birdwatching is one of the most popular hobbies in Britain, and one that can be done on your doorstep. In this handy guide, the budding birdwatcher will find all the information needed to create a welcoming garden environment for birds, as well as an in depth look at the most common garden birds. The ebook profiles the 40 British garden birds, each illustrated with in-situ photography to make identification easy. The sections on bird-feeding provide advice on different kinds of feeders, where to position them, and the right kinds of food to give birds, while practical projects include making and siting a nest box. Other sections show you how to design a bird-friendly garden, including choosing plants to attract particular species. The ebook also gives information about seasonal changes in bird behaviour, and a helpful size-comparison gallery for the species profiled in the ebook makes identification easy. RSPB Pocket Garden Birdwatch is perfect for the budding birdwatcher or families getting involved in birdwatching together. It is also ideal to use it during the RSPB's annual Big Garden Birdwatch event to help them monitor trends and keep track of how each species is doing.

Bird Life

Bird Life

Author: Christopher M. Perrins

Publisher: First Glance Books

ISBN: 1854224204

Category: Birds

Page: 164

View: 713

Get eBOOK →
Describes the charactoristics and behavior of birds.

Infectious Disease Ecology of Wild Birds

Infectious Disease Ecology of Wild Birds

Author: Jennifer C. Owen

Publisher: Oxford University Press

ISBN: 9780191063305

Category: Science

Page: 320

View: 591

Get eBOOK →
Birds are the most diverse group of land vertebrates and have evolved to exploit almost every terrestrial niche on earth. They also serve as a natural reservoir for an array of different pathogens that pose serious health risks to human and domestic animal populations, including West Nile virus, highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses, Newcastle Disease virus, and numerous enteric pathogens. Avian diseases are also critically important to the conservation of endemic bird species in many places around the world. This accessible textbook focuses on the dynamics of infectious diseases for wild avian hosts across every level of ecological hierarchy, from the way pathogens interact with the physiology and behavior of individual hosts, the evolutionary and ecological dynamics of the host-parasite interactions occurring within populations, up to the complex biotic and abiotic interactions occurring within biological communities and ecosystems. Parasite-bird interactions are also increasingly occurring in rapidly changing global environments - thus, their ecology is also changing - and this shapes the complex ways by which parasites influence the inter-connected health of birds, humans, and shared ecosystems. Given the key role of birds in ecological communities more broadly, and as the primary host to so many zoonotic pathogens, an understanding of the ecological and evolutionary principles underlying the maintenance, amplification, transmission, and dispersal of these infectious agents is crucial to understanding how to mitigate the negative global impacts of the ever-increasing number of emerging infectious diseases. Although the topics and principles discussed in this book relate to birds, they have a far wider relevance and can also be applied to non-avian, wildlife host-pathogen systems. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that understanding of disease ecology in wild animal populations is paramount to global health. Infectious Disease Ecology of Wild Birds is suitable for both senior undergraduate and graduate students taking courses in avian disease ecology, ecoimmunology, ecology, and conservation. It will also appeal to the many professional parasitologists, ecoimmunologists, ornithologists, behavioural ecologists, conservation biologists, and wildlife biologists requiring a concise overview of the topic.

Wildlife Forensic Investigation

Wildlife Forensic Investigation

Author: John E. Cooper

Publisher: CRC Press

ISBN: 9781482210033

Category: Law

Page: 1143

View: 563

Get eBOOK →
Wildlife forensics is the application of forensic science to the conservation and protection of non-domesticated animals, both in the wild and in captivity. Providing an in-depth introduction to this rapidly evolving field, Wildlife Forensic Investigation: Principles and Practice also chronicles aspects of the history of management, conservation, and environmental protection, with an emphasis on their global importance in the twenty-first century. The book examines the crucial role of wildlife forensic investigation with regard to live animals, dead animals and samples and covers national, regional, and international legislation. While the text particularly focuses on forensic science as it relates to wild animals, it also includes mention of plants and habitats because of their relevance to conservation. The book discusses animal welfare as well as the damage that can be inflicted on humans and property by wildlife. Offering access to sound evidence based on good science and obtained using the best available practices, the book is enhanced by case studies from experts who describe some of their own work. This resource is essential for those involved in a range of endeavours, including investigating wildlife crime, identifying animal remains, ascertaining the circumstances of death of wild species, and other legal proceedings and activities concerning wildlife. The forensic skills described in this book can be applied to a wide range of activities (not necessarily involving the legal process), including environmental impact assessments, insurance claims, governmental and other enquiries, checking of trading standards and the inspection of (for instance) pet-shops, animal boarding establishments, and zoological collections. The authors point out that one of the most important requirements of those persons involved in wildlife forensic work is to retain an open mind. Such personnel should also be conscious of new developments and evolving techniques and be able to anticipate situations where their investigative and scientific skills might be used to advantage—so-called "horizon scanning". Examples of these are given.