A comprehensive review of the hundreds of bird species that have become extinct over the last 1,000 years of habitat degradation, over-hunting and rat introduction. Extinct Birds has become the standard text on this subject, covering both familiar icons of extinction as well as more obscure birds, some known from just one specimen or from travellers' tales. This second edition is expanded to include dozens of new species, as more are constantly added to the list, either through extinction or through new subfossil discoveries. The book is the result of decades of research into literature and museum drawers, as well as caves and subfossil deposits, which often reveal birds long-gone that disappeared without ever being recorded by scientists while they lived. From Great Auks, Carolina Parakeets and Dodos to the amazing yet almost completely vanished bird radiations of Hawaii and New Zealand via rafts of extinction in the Pacific and elsewhere, this book is both a sumptuous reference and astounding testament to humanity's devastating impact on wildlife.

In Isles of Refuge, the first book solely devoted to the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, field biologist Mark Rauzon shares his extensive, first-hand knowledge of their natural history while providing an engaging narrative of his travels. Braving seasickness, bad weather, and biting bird ticks, he journeyed from Nihoa to Kure to study and photograph plants and animals for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: rare palms, sharks, turtles, seals, and thousands of birds--finches, terns, petrels, noddies, shearwaters, curlews, boobies, tropicbirds, ducks, and albatrosses, or "gooneys," famed throughout the Pacific for their flying prowess and bizarre breeding rituals. Isolation and access restrictions have led to the recovery of many of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands' animal and plant populations to pre-exploitation levels, but they have also resulted in the general public's ignorance of the islands and their ecosystems. Informative and enjoyable, Isles of Refuge invites readers to learn more about the history and natural wonders of this invaluable resource.