Albatrosses, Petrels and Shearwaters of the World (Helm Field Guides) - Softcover

Onley-derek-scofield-paul; Paul Scofield

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0713643323 ISBN 13: 9780713643329

Publisher: Christopher Helm Publishers Ltd, 2007

Synopsis

Famous for their size and elegance in flight, albatrosses are familiar to anyone who has travelled through the southern oceans, and are a flagship family of conservation concern. However, albatrosses are just one of several groups of 'pelagic' birds - those that visit land only to breed, and spend the rest of their lives far from the coast, soaring from ocean to ocean in a never-ending search for food. Mysterious and graceful, these birds can present a formidable identification challenge to even the most experienced birder. This book provides the answer - the first comprehensive guide to pelagic birds, the albatrosses, petrels, shearwaters, storm-petrels and diving petrels. A total of 46 spectacular colour plates highlight key ID criteria of the birds in flight, with close-ups of diagnostic regions of the plumage. The plates are accompanied by accurate distribution maps, while the sparkling text brings the world of these amazing birds to life. Several extremely rare species, such as Beck's Petrel, are illustrated for the first time, while the New Zealand Storm-petrel, rediscovered as recently as 2004, is also included. Sea-watchers all around the world will find this superb field guide indispensable.

About this title

From the Back Cover:

"This is an exciting book that will appeal to the flourishing and growing group of seabirders. The concise text opposite the plates is handy, and essential, as seabirds are ever on the wing. The layout and organization are right on the money."--Debra Shearwater, owner of Shearwater Journeys

About the Author:

Paul Scofield is the Curator of Vertebrate Zoology at Canterbury Museum, New Zealand. He has been a seabird biologist for over 20 years and has travelled from the high Arctic to the Antarctic studying them. Also based in New Zealand, Derek Onley is a wildlife artist of international acclaim. Specialising in seabirds, Derek has illustrated more than a dozen books and numerous other publications.

About this edition

• Publisher: Christopher Helm Publishers Ltd
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 0713643323
• ISBN 13: 9780713643329
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 224