Brightly coloured birds native to the tropics, the pittas are unforgettable for those who have seen them flash past like a living jewel of the rainforest. There are thirty pitta species, most of which live in South-East Asia, though two are found in Africa. Their habitat is under threat, and many species are endangered. This monograph breaks with tradition in a number of ways: besides having all the normal sections for a guide, it also contains a complete list of all scientific synonyms, and a bibliography of more than 1,300 references. It includes a list of all the little-studied islands where pittas have been found, and their status if known. It gives the museum holdings of all pitta skins, skeletons, eggs and fluid specimens in the world. Besides this, it includes a study of a little-known feature, dusky stripes, unique to the pitta family, and which has never before been described in detail. The book also describes the pittas' unique moulting pattern: immature birds moulting into their adult plumage are often found with bald heads and necks. The beautiful illustrations are painted in gouache by Helga Boullet Erritzoe using a dry-brush technique. Each plate has been meticulously laid out to enhance the characteristics of each species. All plates are cross-referenced to the text which contains details of age and sex of bird, and the museum where the depicted bird-skin is kept, with its registration number. Whilst it will be of undoubted interest to amateur bird enthusiasts and lovers of natural history, the book is also academically rigorous and therefore an invaluable and beautiful reference guide for ornithologists, conservationists, museums and collectors of fine bird-books.

A tale of one man's obsession with rainforest jewels, this is the story of an impossible dream: a quest to see every one of the world's most elusive avian gems--a group of birds known as pittas--in a single year. Insightful, compelling, and laugh-out-loud funny, this is more than a book about birds. It's a true story detailing the lengths to which a man will go to escape his midlife crisis. A travelogue with a difference, it follows a journey from the suburban straitjacket of High Wycombe to the steamy, leech-infested rainforests of remotest Asia, Africa, and Australia. Dangerous situations, personal traumas, and logistical nightmares threaten The Jewel Hunter's progress. Will venomous snakes or razor-clawed bears intervene? Or will running out of fuel mid-Pacific ultimately sink the mission? The race is on. . . . If you've ever yearned to escape your day job, wondered what makes men tick, or simply puzzled over how to make a truly world-class cup of tea, this is a book for you.

This study covers two widely-known groups of Old-World tropical birds. Pittas are a gound-dwelling insectivorous species. Broadbills form a more diverse group - some being highly specialized insectivores, others being fructivores. The range of the 49 species covers South and East Asia, Wallacea, New Guinea, Northern Australia and Africa.

WINNER OF THE BIRDWATCH BOOK OF THE YEAR 2012 This authoritative handbook, part of the Helm Identification Guides series, looks in detail at the world's cuckoos, couas and anis - it is the ultimate reference to the cuckoos of the world. Famed as brood-parasites of other birds, the cuckoos include a diverse range of species, from the roadrunners of North America to the spectacular malkohas of southern Asia. This book discusses the biology and identification of these birds on a species-by-species basis, bringing together the very latest research with accurate range maps, more than 600 stunning colour photographs that illuminate age and racial plumage differences, and 36 superb plates by a team of internationally renowned artists.

This stunning collection of art and text captures the grace, beauty, and flamboyance of the world's birds. It features more than 1,600 original paintings from 11 of the world's leading bird artists.

Changes in seasonal movements and population dynamics of migratory birds in response to ongoing changes resulting from global climate changes are a topic of great interest to conservation scientists and birdwatchers around the world. Because of their dependence on specific habitats and resources in different geographic regions at different phases of their annual cycle, migratory species are especially vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. In Bird Migration and Global Change, eminent ecologist George W. Cox brings his extensive experience as a scientist and bird enthusiast to bear in evaluating the capacity of migratory birds to adapt to the challenges of a changing climate. Cox reviews, synthesizes, and interprets recent and emerging science on the subject, beginning with a discussion of climate change and its effect on habitat, and followed by eleven chapters that examine responses of bird types across all regions of the globe. The final four chapters address the evolutionary capacity of birds, and consider how best to shape conservation strategies to protect migratory species in coming decades. The rate of climate change is faster now than at any other moment in recent geological history. How best to manage migratory birds to deal with this challenge is a major conservation issue, and Bird Migration and Global Change is a unique and timely contribution to the literature.

This Borneo wildlife pictorial offers nature lovers, visitors to Borneo and armchair explorers an unparalleled introduction to this mysterious treasure island. Illustrated with more than 350 images, taken by Bjorn Olesen and other wildlife photographers, A Visual Celebration of Borneo's Wildlife is a photographic tribute to the most spectacular wildlife species on the second-largest tropical island on Earth. It displays nature's beauty, revealing many private moments of the astonishing biodiversity of Borneo, where nature runs riot. Based on the latest research, it is filled with captivating little-known facts about the wildlife that modern-day travelers may come across when visiting this enchanting island. It also describes the top 16 wildlife locations in Borneo, with a comprehensive list of recommended reading, websites and blogs provided. Also included is a foreword by HRH Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands, President of Fauna & Flora International. **All of the authors' royalties will be donated to Fauna & Flora International for nature conservation work in Southeast Asia.**

Paul Hollywood is Britain's favourite master baker. His new book is all about bread - how to make it and how to use it. But while it's all very well making a lovely loaf of bread, can you guarantee that it won't be wasted? You know those times when you have a lovely crusty loaf, fresh from the oven, and you have a horrible feeling that after the initial excitement is over, half of it's going to get pushed aside and not eaten...? Well, maybe it's time to bring bread back into mealtimes for real. Not only does Paul teach you exactly how to make a variety of breads, but for each one there is a spin-off recipe that shows you how to make a fantastic meal of it. The book has six chapters, each with five bread recipes - plus the spin-off recipes for main courses. Not only are Paul's recipes delicious but they are also foolproof, with comprehensive step-by-step photographs. Try your hand at a basic white bloomer, which can become a savoury picnic loaf; stilton and bacon rolls, which are excellent served with celery soup; fluffy crumpets, which become the base for eggs Benedict; flatbreads, which are a natural pairing with chickpea masala; ciabatta, which the Italians have traditionally used as a base for tomatoey panzanella; pizza bases, which can become home-made fig, Parma ham and Gorgonzola pizzas; or white chocolate and raspberry bread, which makes for the best summer pudding you've ever tasted. Tying in with the BBC2 television series, Paul Hollywood's Bread is all that you could want from a book and more. Get baking!