An essential story collection from one of the foremost novelists of the twentieth century, now a part of the Text Classics series

This reference book on the cockatoo family provides a comprehensive physical description of the various species of this exotic parrot, the habitat they favor, and their distribution and behaviors both in the wild and in captivity. Their reproductive history is examined, as is the possibility of breeding sufficient numbers in captivity to develop sustainable populations for re-introduction to their original habitat should they become extinct in the wild. The book explores the historical encounters of the various species with Europeans two centuries ago. That early history provides considerable insight to the cockatoo's popularity and to efforts to breed them in captivity. Many cockatoo species face a perilous future. As their native forests are logged, the cockatoos lose not only suitable nesting and roosting sites, but native foods. Additionally, despite conservation laws governing the capture of wild cockatoos, their desirability as an avian pet has spawned a worldwide illicit trade critically endangering some species to the point that they face extinction in the wild.

Introduces the numbers one through twelve by counting different types of animals, with two cockatoos concealed on each page for the reader to find.

Who can can-can? Find out in Cockatoo, Too, a hilarious book that features cockatoos, two more cockatoos, and tutued toucans too, now available as a board book! Cockatoo. Cockatoo two? Cockatoo, too? Two cockatoos! Two cockatoos, too? Cockatoo tutus! Two cockatoos meet two more cockatoos in tutus and two tutued toucans. And then two more! Can they all can-can? They can! The cockatoos and toucans join together for a dance and ask the reader: "Can you can-can, too?" Now even the youngest readers can experience fantastically funny wordplay and lush, vibrant illustrations in this new board book edition of Cockatoo, Too.

Cockatoos are large, intelligent and attractive birds. Of the twenty-one recognized species, fourteen occur in Australia, with three of these also found in New Guinea. Seven species are distributed across the islands of south-east Asia. While many species are common or abundant, an increasing number face extinction due to habitat loss, the illegal bird trade and global warming.

Previous printing (2000) published with subtitle Everything about housing, nutrition, breeding, and health care, and with Matthew M. Vriends as third author.

Longlisted for the 2023 PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award A lively exploration of animal behavior in all its glorious complexity, whether in tiny wasps, lumbering elephants, or ourselves. For centuries, people have been returning to the same tired nature-versus-nurture debate, trying to determine what we learn and what we inherit. In Dancing Cockatoos and the Dead Man Test, biologist Marlene Zuk goes beyond the binary and instead focuses on interaction, or the way that genes and environment work together. Driving her investigation is a simple but essential question: How does behavior evolve? Drawing from a wealth of research, including her own on insects, Zuk answers this question by turning to a wide range of animals and animal behavior. There are stories of cockatoos that dance to rock music, ants that heal their injured companions, dogs that exhibit signs of obsessive-compulsive disorder, and so much more. For insights into animal intelligence, mating behavior, and an organism’s ability to fight disease, she explores the behavior of smart spiders, silent crickets, and crafty crows. In each example, she clearly demonstrates how these traits were produced by the complex and diverse interactions of genes and the environment and urges us to consider how that same process evolves behavior in us humans. Filled with delightful anecdotes and fresh insights, Dancing Cockatoos and the Dead Man Test helps us see both other animals and ourselves more clearly, demonstrating that animal behavior can be remarkably similar to human behavior, and wonderfully complicated in its own right.

"A synthetic account of the diversity and ecology of wild parrots, distilling knowledge from the author's own research and from her review of more than 2,400 published scientific studies. The text covers parrots' evolutionary history, foraging, mating, and social behavior, innate intelligence, and conservation status. The book is enhanced by an array of illustrations, including photos of parrots taken exclusively in their natural habitat"--Provided by publisher.

The world’s parrots in one convenient field guide From the macaws of South America to the cockatoos of Australia, parrots are among the most beautiful and exotic birds in the world—and among the most endangered. This stunningly illustrated, easy-to-use field guide covers all 356 species and well-differentiated subspecies of parrots, and is the only guide organized by geographical distribution—Australasian, Afro-Asian, and neotropical. It features 146 superb color plates depicting every kind of parrot, as well as detailed, facing-page species accounts that describe key identification features, distribution, subspeciation, habitat, and status. Color distribution maps show ranges of all subspecies, and field identification is further aided by relevant upperside and underside flight images. This premier field guide also shows where to observe each species in the wild, helping make this the most comprehensive and user-friendly guide to the parrots of the world. The only parrot guide to focus on geographical distribution Covers all 356 species Features 146 color plates depicting all species and well-differentiated subspecies Provides detailed facing-page species accounts that describe key identification features, distribution, subspeciation, habitat, and status Includes color distribution maps Shows where to observe each species in the wild