A marvelously illustrated A-to-Z compendium of bird names from around the globe The Bird Name Book is an alphabetical reference book on the origins and meanings of common group bird names, from “accentor” to “zeledonia.” A cornucopia of engaging facts and anecdotes, this superbly researched compendium presents a wealth of incisive entries alongside stunning photos by the author and beautiful historic prints and watercolors. Myers provides brief biographies of prominent figures in ornithology—such as John Gould, John Latham, Alfred Newton, and Robert Ridgway—and goes on to describe the etymological history of every common group bird name found in standardized English. She interweaves the stories behind the names with quotes from publications dating back to the 1400s, illuminating the shared evolution of language and our relationships with birds, and rooting the names in the history of ornithological discovery. Whether you are a well-traveled birder or have ever wondered how the birds in your backyard got their names, The Bird Name Book is an ideal companion.

How did cranes come to symbolize matrimonial happiness? Why were magpies the only creatures that would not go inside Noah's Ark? Birds and bird imagery are integral parts of our language and culture. With her remarkable ability to dig up curious and captivating facts, Diana Wells hatches a treat for active birders and armchair enthusiasts alike. Meet the intrepid adventurers and naturalists who risked their lives to describe and name new birds. Learn the mythical stories of the gods and goddess associated with bird names. Explore the avian emblems used by our greatest writers--from Coleridge's albatross in "The Ancient Mariner" to Poe's raven. A sampling of the bird lore you'll find inside: Benjamin Franklin didn't want the bald eagle on our National Seal because of its "bad moral character," (it steals from other birds); he lobbied for the turkey instead. Chaffinches, whose Latin name means "unmarried," are called "bachelor birds" because they congregate in flocks of one gender. Since mockingbirds mimic speech, some Native American tribes fed mockingbird hearts to their children, believing it helped them learn language. A group of starlings is called a murmuration because they chatter so when they roost in the thousands. Organized alphabetically, each of these bird tales is accompanied by a two-color line drawing. Dip into 100 Birds and you'll never look at a sparrow, an ostrich, or a wren in quite the same way.

A comprehensive dictionary of the meaning and derivation of scientific bird names. Many scientific bird names describe a bird's habits, habitat, distribution or a plumage feature, while others are named after their discoverers or in honour of prominent ornithologists. This extraordinary work of reference lists the generic and specific name for almost every species of bird in the world and gives its meaning and derivation. In the case of eponyms brief biographical details are provided for each of the personalities commemorated in the scientific names. This fascinating book is an outstanding source of information which will both educate and inform, and may even help to understand birds better.

The majority are accompanied by their names, written out in middle English, offering an almost unparalleled source of vernacular bird names in common use during the generation after Chaucer wrote his Canterbury Tales." "This is the first time that all birds form the Sherborne Missal have been reproduced together in sequence and this beautifully illustrated book provides an insight into a fascinating aspect of England's natural history in the middle ages."--BOOK JACKET.

This volume brings to light material evidence to further our knowledge of Anglo-Saxon England.

This book explains the Latin names of all birds of the Indian Subcontinent. The Introductory section on science and philosophy of bird nomenclature describes several aspects like toponyms, eponyms, descriptive and other epithets, as well as the role of International Commission for ZoologicalNomenclature (ICZN). Information about all taxon-authors of birds of the Indian Subcontinent is provided in a separate section. The book also provides information on the conservation and endemic status and distribution of all birds. With four separate indexes of common names, generic names, specific names of birds, and of taxon-authors, this volume includes 18 lithographs by John Gould, Elizabeth Gould, and Henry Richter, 15 specially commissioned portraits of Taxon-authors, 309 bird sketches, and 8 black and white photographsof prominent ornithological personalities.

This dictionary gives the derivation and meaning of all valid scientific bird names. Many fascinating details emerge from the author's meticulous work in tracking down obscure meanings. A short but very informative introduction explains the history and purposes of scientific nomenclature andthe basic features of Latin in this context. It also discusses the ways in which birds have been named for their appearance, for a person or place, or for some aspect of their habitat, behaviour, food, or voice, or with reference to their native-language name. There is a full bibliography at the endof the volume. Each part of the name is defined separately so that Passer domesticus, for example, will not be found as such, but both Passer and domesticus are explained in their respective alphabetical places. The usefulness of the Dictionary will thus not be affected by future taxonomic revisions of generic orspecies names. About 8500 names are defined, including a selection of historical synonyms. This book will find a permanent place on every ornithologist's shelf and will be a valuable reference source for everyone whose work or interests bring them into contact with birds.

AøNative rereading of both British Romanticism and mainstream Euro-American ecocriticism, this cross-cultural transatlantic study of literary imaginings about birds sets the agenda for a more sophisticated and nuanced ecocriticism. Lakota critic Thomas C. Gannon explores how poets and nature writersøin Britain and Native America have incorporated birds into their writings. He discerns an evolution in humankind?s representations?and attitudes toward?other species by examining the avian images and tropes in British Romantic and Native American literatures, and by considering how such literary treatment succeeds from an ecological or animal-rights perspective. ø Such depictions, Gannon argues, reveal much about underlying cultural and historical relationships with the Other?whether other species or other peoples. He elucidates the changing interconnections between birds and humans in British Romanticism from Cowper to Clare, with particular attention to Wordsworth, Coleridge, Shelley, Byron, and Keats. Gannon then considers how birds are imagined by Native writers, including early Lakota authors and contemporary poets such as Linda Hogan and Joy Harjo. Ultimately he shows how the sensitive and far-reaching connections with nature forged by Native American writers encourage a more holistic reimagining of humankind?s relationship to other animals.

What draws us to the beauty of a peacock, the flight of an eagle, or the song of a nightingale? Why are birds so significant in our lives and our sense of the world? And what do our ways of thinking about and experiencing birds tell us about ourselves? Birdscapes is a unique meditation on the variety of human responses to birds, from antiquity to today, and from casual observers to the globe-trotting "twitchers" who sometimes risk life, limb, and marriages simply to add new species to their "life lists." Drawing extensively on literature, history, philosophy, and science, Jeremy Mynott puts his own experiences as a birdwatcher in a rich cultural context. His sources range from the familiar--Thoreau, Keats, Darwin, and Audubon--to the unexpected--Benjamin Franklin, Giacomo Puccini, Oscar Wilde, and Monty Python. Just as unusual are the extensive illustrations, which explore our perceptions and representations of birds through images such as national emblems, women's hats, professional sports logos, and a Christmas biscuit tin, as well as classics of bird art. Each chapter takes up a new theme--from rarity, beauty, and sound to conservation, naming, and symbolism--and is set in a new place, as Mynott travels from his "home patch" in Suffolk, England, to his "away patch" in New York City's Central Park, as well as to Russia, Australia, and Greece. Conversational, playful, and witty, Birdscapes gently leads us to reflect on large questions about our relation to birds and the natural world. It encourages birders to see their pursuits in a broader human context--and it shows nonbirders what they may be missing.