Birds of Africa: From Seabirds to Seed-Eaters - Hardcover

Chris Stuart; Tilde Stuart

4.4

5 ratings by Goodreads

9780262194303: Birds of Africa: From Seabirds to Seed-Eaters

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0262194309 ISBN 13: 9780262194303

Publisher: Mit Pr, 1999

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Neither a field guide nor a biological text, this book presents an overview of African birds and describes and depicts the lives and habits of almost 2,400 species.

This book celebrates and provides a useful and highly readable introduction to Africa's magnificent avian diversity. Neither a field guide nor a biological text, it presents an overview of African birds and describes and depicts the lives and habits of almost 2,400 species. The African continent and its associated islands are home to the world's second largest assemblage of birds, spanning two of the planet's great faunal kingdoms. The authors have divided the birds into large groups, with each chapter focusing on a particular group. Each group shares a common characteristic easily recognized by the nonspecialist: preferred habitat, main feeding behavior, or breeding method. For ease of reference, the bird families comprising each chapter are discussed in alphabetical order. Although a great deal is known about the birds of Africa, much still awaits discovery. Entire species have yet to be described and entered into the scientific literature; sadly, some birds may become extinct before they can be properly studied. A recurring theme in the book is the threat to many species posed by the loss or dramatic modification of habitats and by human actions such as pesticide use, hunting for food and trade, and the destruction of forests. The authors emphasize that if current trends continue, more and more bird species will become endangered.

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About the Author:

Chris and Tilde Stuart are the authors of Africa's Vanishing Wildlife; Africa: A Natural History; and Africa's Great Wild Places. They have also written a number of guides, including Field Guide to the Tracks and Signs of Southern and East African Wildlife; Field Guide to the Mammals of Southern Africa; Photographic Guide to the Mammals of Southern, Central and East Africa; and Guide to the Game and Nature Reserves of Southern Africa. They are the founders of the African-Arabian Wildlife Research Centre, which promotes research on African and Arabian carnivores and other vertebrates.

From Booklist:

Africa is an extremely "birdy" continent, its 2,400 species making it second only to South America in avian diversity. Chris and Tilde Stuart, authors of other books on African wildlife, provide good basic information about all of the continent's bird families in this lively new introduction to the birds of Africa. By dividing the birds into groups based on common, easy-to-understand characteristics, the authors are able to provide a thorough overview of all of this avian richness. A chapter on birds of the oceans covers everything from penguins to albatrosses, and the chapter entitled "LBJs" (for "little brown jobs") looks at the smaller, more nondescript species. Each bird family within the group is then described, giving general characteristics and natural history on the species found in Africa. Each family is illustrated with several color photographs of some species from the family. Boxed sidebars scattered throughout the book provide information on such diverse subjects as the impact of the cagebird trade, birds using mammals as feeding stations, and the decline of the Cape griffon (a vulture). A useful list provides a complete accounting of all the bird species of Africa, with symbols indicating those that are rare or endangered. Nancy Bent

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