Avian Orientation and Navigation

During recent years there has been an explosion of ideas and research in the field of bird orientation and navigation, producing a vast amount of published material which makes a comprehensive account beyond the capacity of a single volume. The present book is more of a summary and review of the literature on all aspects of the subject over the last three decades or so, presenting the current state of knowledge and offering some speculations on future developments. Following a brief introduction to migratory achievements by birds, the main part of the book is devoted to the methodology and results of the experimental attempts to elucidate the mechanisms of orientation involved in bird navigation. In the final section, the hypotheses, theories and concepts that have been advanced to explain the phenomena of migration and navigation are discussed and evaluated on he basis of experimental evidence. The book is unique in its wide and objective coverage of the subject, and will be welcomed both as a reference source and as an introduction to the subject by researchers and students in zoology and animal behavior, as well as by ornithologists and conservationists.