"Wildfowl and screamers belong to a highly diverse family of birds, confined to watery habitats. They are amongst the most attractive of birds and are very well-known to man, who has domesticated them, used their feathers for warm clothing and ornamentation, admired their flight, courtship and migration, caught them for food, maintained them in captivity for pleasure, and written about their doings in delightful children's stories, from Mother Goose to Jemima Puddleduck and Donald Duck. They occur throughout the world except Antarctica. Some are faithful to the same partner for life, others for only the few minutes of copulation. In some species, male and female make devoted parents, and yet there is one within the group whose female lays her eggs in the nests of others and never incubates. Diving as a method of obtaining food has evolved many times within the family. Most nest in the open but others in the tree-hole nests of woodpeckers and some in the ground burrows of rabbits or aardvarks. They may be highly social or solitary, defending a large territory." -- publisher website.

The best-selling and authoritative reference book on waterfowl has been fully revised and updated by one of the world’s most respected waterfowl biologists. Honorable Mention for the PROSE Award for Excellence, Multivolume/Science of the Association of American Publishers Ducks, Geese, and Swans of North America has been hailed as a classic since the first edition was published in 1942. A must-have for professional biologists, birders, waterfowl hunters, decoy collectors, and wildlife managers, this fully revised and updated edition provides definitive information on the continent's forty-six species. Maps of both winter and breeding ranges are presented with stunning images by top waterfowl photographers and the acclaimed original artwork of Robert W. (Bob) Hines. Originally authored by F. H. Kortright and later revised by Frank Bellrose, this latest edition, which has been meticulously updated by renowned waterfowl biologist Guy Baldassarre, continues the legacy of esteemed authors. Each species account contains in-depth sections on: • identification • distribution • migration behavior • habitat • population status • breeding biology • rearing of young • recruitment and survival • food habits and feeding ecology • molts and plumages • conservation and management To facilitate identification, the species accounts also include detailed illustrations of wings. An appendix contains comparative illustrations of ducklings, goslings, and cygnets. This edition of Ducks, Geese, and Swans consists of two volumes, printed in full color, and packaged in a slipcase, along with a CD containing references and additional maps.

The primary purpose of this book is to provide information on each of the species of the waterfowl family in a standardized format and easily accessible manner.

The 21 species of sea ducks are one of the larger subgroups (Tribe Mergini) of the waterfowl family Anatidae, and the 16 species (one historically extinct) that are native to North America represent the largest number to be found on any continent, and also the largest number of endemic sea duck species native to any continent. Although generally not important as game birds, the sea ducks include some economically important birds such as the eiders, the basis for the Arctic eiderdown industry and a historically important food source for some Native American cultures. They also include what is probably the most northerly breeding species of all waterfowl and an icon of Arctic bird life, the long-tailed duck. The sea ducks also include species having some of the most complex and diverse pair-forming postural and acoustic displays of all waterfowl (goldeneyes and bufflehead), and some of the deepest diving species of all waterfowl (scoters and long-tailed duck). Sea ducks are highly prone to population disasters caused by oil spills and other water contaminants and, like other seabirds, are among the first bird groups that are being affected by current global warming trends in polar regions. This book is an effort to summarize succinctly our current knowledge of sea duck biology and to provide a convenient survey of the vast technical literature on the group, with over 900 literature references. It also includes 90,000 words of text (more than 40 percent of which is new), 15 updated range maps, 11 black & white and 20 color photographs, over 30 ink drawings, and nearly 150 sketches. Lastly, the North American sea ducks include the now extinct Labrador duck, the only northern hemisphere waterfowl species to have gone extinct in modern times. I have gratefully reprinted a Labrador duck watercolor by Sir Peter Scott. Considering recent population crashes in other sea ducks, such as the Steller's eider and spectacled eider, it should also offer a sobering reminder of the fragility of our natural world and its inhabitants, including us.

With more than 5,000 works cited, Handbook of Avian Hybrids of the World is the greatest compendium of information ever published on hybridization in birds. Worldwide in scope, it provides information on all reported avian crosses, not only those occurring in captivity, but also in a natural setting (approximately 4,000 crosses are covered). This book is a basic reference, intended both for the serious birder and the professional biologist. McCarthy's work fills a need for reference material that takes into account the last half century of data. It will be of interest to workers in a wide variety of fields, ranging from animal behavior to genetics, ecology, zoology, and systematics. In fact, it will make fascinating reading for anyone interested in birds and the natural world.

Management of wild waterfowl has become increasingly intensive. Many birds now hatch in managed nesting cover or in artificial nesting structures, use man-made wetlands, and winter on crowded refuges while consuming a grain diet The water they use is often limited in supply and may contain residues from its many prior users. Unfortunately, intensified management often results in new problems, among which disease is important There are many similarities between the current form of management used for some waterfowl and that used in domestic animals. In both, the objective is to maintain a healthy, productive population. Dealing with health problems in waterfowl will benefit from combining the skills of veterinary medicine and wildlife ecology. Revisiting this book after 15 years allowed me to consider changes at the interface between the two disciplines. Veterinary medicine traditionally has been concerned with the individual and with treating sick animals, while the ecologist is concerned with populations and the manager has limited interest in treating sick birds. During this period there has been a marked increase in awareness among veterinarians that they have a responsibility in wildlife and conservation biology. Curricula of many veterinary colleges now include material on non-domestic animals and attempt to put disease in an ecological context. Also during this time, waterfowl managers have become more aware of disease as a factor in population biology and there are early attempts to put numbers to "disease" in models of continental waterfowl populations.

This book provides comprehensive insights into the field of duck production and management. It presents a complete overview of different aspects of duck production with particular emphasis on rearing systems. The book reviews current knowledge on the anatomy, physiology, genetics, breeding, nutrition, incubation, and hatching practices of ducks. It further discusses the common diseases of duck, their treatment regime, and prevention strategies. The book additionally examines all aspects of the global duck industry, the constraints, and the recommendations. It also explores nutrient requirements and feed evaluation for duck and evaluates nutrition's influence on the gut microbiome. Towards the end, the book presents the latest genomic applications, including high throughput sequencing and various bioinformatics tools in duck production. This book serves as an essential resource for duck industry practitioners, researchers, and students.

This field guide aims at giving comprehensive information about the key species endangered, vulnerable or critically endangered in Lebanese and Jordanian protected areas of the MEET project.