Discusses how birds migrate and provides information on migrations in each region of the world and on the migrating habits of hundreds of species of birds.

A stunning and authoritative full-color atlas of the world's birds The Atlas of Birds captures the breathtaking diversity of birds, and illuminates their conservation status around the world. Full-color maps show where birds are found, both by country and terrain, and reveal how an astounding variety of behavioral adaptations—from flight and feeding to nest building and song—have enabled them to thrive in virtually every habitat on Earth. Maps of individual journeys and global flyways chart the amazing phenomenon of bird migration, while bird classification is explained using maps for each order and many key families. Conservation provides a strong focus throughout, with maps illustrating where and why birds are most under threat, and what is being done to protect them. Separate sections examine key factors influencing their distribution and endangering their survival, from deforestation and climate change to invasive species and the cage-bird trade. Bird groups most affected, such as island endemics, are highlighted, while a fascinating chapter explores the complex historical relationship between birds and humans, with maps and data for everything from poultry farming to birdwatching. The maps are supported by an authoritative text that uses the very latest data and case studies from BirdLife International. Packed with sumptuous photos, original diagrams, and imaginative graphics that bring the numbers to life, this book is a stunning and timely insight into perhaps the most colorful and intriguing group of organisms on our planet. The premier illustrated atlas of bird diversity, behavior, and conservation Features full-color maps, photos, and diagrams Covers bird evolution, classification, and behavior Describes the complex relationship between birds and their habitats Explores the impact of human activities on species survival Illustrates where and why birds are most under threat—and how to protect them

This coffee-table book walks readers through the fascinating process of bird migration, with large, stunning photographs and informative text.

Ten years have passed since the first edition of this book. During that time the field of bird migration has experienced many advances which are reflected in this second edition. No other book exists to bring together the vast amount of information currently available on the subject of bird migration. Includes discussion of evolution and history of bird migration, physiology, orientation mechanisms and threats to migrations and is accessible to experts as well as amateurs.

The first reference to demonstrate how birds survive the high-altitude Central Asian Flyway and the threats to this unique migration.

Written by fourteen of the world's outstanding authorities on ornithology, illustrated with more than 500 original portraits, 270 line drawings, and 167 maps and diagrams, The World Atlas of Birds offers a fresh look at what birds are, how they live, and what lies behind their extraordinary success in coming to terms with virtually every habitat available to our planet, from polar regions to equatorial rainforests, mountaintops to the open sea. The World Atlas of Birds selects more than 500 species of birds and examines them in depth, region by region, choosing each one to illustrate a particular facet of bird life – a hunting technique or physical specialization, courtship behavior or feeding habit. More than fifty boxed topics look at unusual aspects of bird behavior such as techniques of nest building, the relationship between adult and young, and the strange links that can exist between birds and other animals. In addition, the introductory chapter probes such general subjects as evolution, physiology, flight, and the mystery of migration; a glossary and catalog of scientific and common names is preceded by a unique section containing a full descriptive classification explaining the relationships and characteristics of the world's 155 bird families; and a complete index to the text and illustrations concludes the book.

Recommended for viewing on a colour tablet. The Bird Atlas 2007–2011 is the definitive statement on breeding and winter bird distributions in Britain and Ireland.

WINNER OF THE SILVER MEDAL IN THE ANIMAL & NATURE CATEGORY OF THE NAUTILUS AWARDS 2022 Flight has fascinated humans since we first looked into the sky and saw birds on the wing, and no flights are more fascinating than the extraordinary migrations birds make every day, week, month, and season of the year. Migration explores how birds make these incredible expeditions. From first preparing to migrate, to the different types of migration and the compelling reasons why it is a must. From the high-flying adventures of bar-headed geese that soar above the Himalayan Mountains and the long-distance endurance of Arctic terns that travel from pole-to-pole, birds of all families, from vast seasonal migrators to the more casual nomad, will be explored. As readers migrate through the book’s pages, they will also discover avian navigation, curious routes, the hazards of the journey, and why, occasionally, birds end up far from their original destination. Beautifully illustrated, this book will debunk the most outrageous myths about migration as it thoroughly travels the globe exploring the epic journeys these incredible birds make.

Migration Hotspots brings the spectacle and excitement of amazing bird migrations to the general reader. Each spring and autumn hundreds of millions of birds - wildfowl, shorebirds, raptors, and passerines - migrate between higher and lower latitudes, or in some cases between high latitudes in the northern hemisphere and high latitudes in the southern hemisphere. In a handful of places around the world, a combination of geography, topography and climate combine to funnel migrant birds into narrow fronts, leading to migration hotspots, places where, for a few days each year, birds seem to be everywhere. The sight of thousands upon thousands of birds is one of nature's greatest wildlife spectacles. Migration Hotspots takes a look at 30 of the locations where the planet's most dramatic bird migration can be witnessed, from raptor bottlenecks such as Veracruz (Mexico) and the Strait of Messina (Italy) to places like Point Pelée (Canada) and Beidaihe (China) where spectacular falls of songbirds can take place. And from wetlands where huge numbers of waders stop over each spring and autumn to the great rarity islands of Scilly and Heligoland. The book covers each of the world's major avian flyways and features stunning photography throughout. The geographical reasons for the importance of each hotspot are explained, with a summary of the different birds that pass through and the best times of year to see them, and an introductory chapter summarises birds' migration strategies.

Scott Weidensaul follows hawks over the Mexican coastal plains, Bar-tailed Godwits that hitchhike on gale winds 7,000 miles nonstop across the Pacific from Alaska to New Zealand, and the Myriad Songbirds whose numbers have dwindled so dramatically in recent years.